Bump

what with the quick bumping LenteSubigo?

it has been asked for before, im surer some nice soul will provide us with a look inside the thing

Here are a few hi-res images of the GDR-8050L. I'll have it open for at least a few more hours, if anyone needs pics of anything else inside let me know.

LG DVD 1

LG DVD 2

LG DVD 3

If you still have that open or can open it back up can you take some pics of the laser?

Well, the drive uses a 256k firmware, it should be easily flashable, but there is no firmware backup/reading utility available for the panasonic dvd-rom controllers. So, someone would have to desolder the chip and use a sst chip reader to get the firmware for us.

So, the next steps are.

1. We need info on mn103s89fda panasonic drive controller.
2. Someone who has this drive needs to desolder the sst chip and read the firmware off of it.
3. We need to find a drive with either the mn103s89fda drive controller, or a compatable controller.


With that said, here is some info on the gdr-8162b.

1. Flash Chip 256kb sst 39sf020a (doesn't matter as long as its 256kb)
2. Drive Controller mn103s71f
3. Laser 313709016 123d6f (not sure what is the model # and Serial #)

Here's the laser.

Laser Top

Laser Side

Laser Bottom

So now that we have pictures of the PCB Hitachi drive can someone now try to find some Hitachi PC drives and see if any of them match our new Hitachi drive?


I'm really hoping for the best on this newly found Hitachi drive and hope someone can find a PC equivalent drive.

I was looking on ebay for xbox drives, and I came across a 616T that was from an emachines. I also came across a similar Hi LG, which got me to thinking that maybe emachines gets drives that work the way xbox drives work, they seem to like drives with a specific feature set, which seems inline with MS's featureset for the xbox drives. just a thought.

Has anyone tried tweaking the pots on the laser to see if it can read CD-Rs?

Hey everyone i'm new.
i just got my new xbox 3 days ago, dated Nov 16.2004. Probably that new LG crap
i was just wondering if i should return that one since it doesnt' read cd-r's and look for earlier model?
I'm planing to mod my xbox.
i just wanted to know if it will work fine after i install mod chip? i really wanted to put all my old cds in my xbox.
Thanks in advance.

hmmm - got 2 pots on that side pic ya posted

very clear - blimey bit biggish - lol but very clear all the same

it could be possible to tweak it a bit - pots look a bit more sturdy or tweakable than say philips drives and being two it might be possible to get it reading cdr's a bit

that is though if the firmware allows this - the 605F not reading cdr's IS down to firmware IMO

hmmm wish I had one of these coz feel a need to tweak coming on - lol

Speaking of the 605F, has anyone tried flashing it with the 605B firmware? I would try all this myself but I don't have the drives or the budget to but them. Usually the pot to the left is the DVD part of the laser, and the right one is the CD part, but this is just a guess. Just be carefull turning them, I had to get a new laser for my Philips because I broke one of the pots. But that drive was crap anyways.

Also, HL makes some good reliable drives for the computer, if the cdr problems are firmware related, it could just be a matter of hacking some parts of the fw. Someone should figure out how to make a universal patch so any PC drive with flashable firmware could work in an xbox.

Oh by the way, just because the drive looks like a thomson dosn't mean its as crappy. Thomsons can be good drives when you get the right kind. I have an old NEC DV-5700A that is a splitting image of a thomson, same case styling, but is much more reliable and faster, and it has a tray that looks like a Samsung.

You cant use 605b with the 605f because the drives have a different controller.

MT1329E = OLD SAMMY 605b

MT1358E = NEW SAMMY 605f

If you put 605b on a 605f or vise-versa, you will have an unusable drive. And you can't even reflash the drive after flashing the wrong firmware without desoldering the firmware chip, reprogramming it in a flash programmer, and then resoldering it back in.

So, leave the firmware alone unless you know what you are doing!!!!!!

ok, so it looks like we need some people who have a bit of experince in this area.
it looks liek it can be done, and im willign to bet that its teh firmware thats stopping it from reading cd-r's.

Actually, I think you can put it in a pc and use MtkWinFlash in ATAPI mode to reflash it. Regardless, I think that both the HL-DT and the Samsung 605F can read CDRs unmodded but need a firmware hack. It might be something that can easily be defeated like region protection. Or it could be our worst nightmare to find that little chunk of code and fix it. Whatever the case, someone needs to take a look at it, maybe ask someone who does region code cracking to help. Maybe we should just stick to using Philips drives, they aren't that bad.

Is there a possibility that we could find clone drives from different manufacturers that can work?

thats what were trying to do. theres a computer model thats virtually teh same. so all we have to do is get the firmware, hack it, then flash the pc version of teh drive. then, with a few otehr mods, you have yourself a good dvd drive for your xbox, w/out paying over 100 bucks for it.
the biggest problem will be with the firmware, and we need everyone who can help out, to do as much as they can

Sorry, but the LG drive doesn't us a MediaTek Controller, so mtkwinflash won't be able to pull the firmware off the drive. The panasonic controller doesn't have a read program available, so all you can do is overwrite the old firmware with new firmware. This won't be a problem though, we would only have to kill one drive to get the firmware for everyone to use in modding a similar lg drive.



People tried to hack the firmware from all the other drives, It hasn't been done yet because MS used encryption in the code. The idea in hacking firmware would be that you can take the section of code out of an xbox drive that allows it to read originals and insert that into any pc drive you want with very little modification. Then we could all get 16x dvd-roms that read everything without need for modification for $15.

I can't decrypt MSs code, and once I did I don't know what I would do with the firmware code. I am a computer programmer. 99.999% of computer programmers never touch firmware, so we most likely will never get hacked firmware.

But, what we can do is find a similar drive that can accept the exhisting firmware and do a little modification.




Does any one have a DRD-8160B drive? I think I can make it work as a full replacement, including reading originals, but before I order one I would like to ge some highres pics of the laser, and the main pcb (both side). I'm not sure if there are different versions, so a pic of the drive label would be good too.

^^^^^ This guy is what we need. can someone plz help him out ASAP. i would, but i dont have one of teh drives that ur looking for. otehr wise id just give you one.

maybe get some help from Superfro who wrote de 7 page modification tutorial on the DRD-8160B drive. he sure own one of the drive.

Some info on DRD-8160B.

EliteMT 100MHz (4Mbit DRAM 25ns) 256Kb x 16-bit (Used for buffer)
M11B416256A -25J
FZP3N0355 0047
http://www.esmt.com.tw/datasheet/M11B416256A.exe


MediaTek (Servo/Decoder/uP IC for CD-ROM/R/RW/16x DVD-ROM/DVD-RAM read)
MT1329E
0139-AYB
M8W05
http://www.mtk.com.tw/product_lines.htm


MediaTek (16x DVD-ROM RF Amplifier)
MT1326F
0139-AYS
M8W40
http://www.mtk.com.tw/product_lines.htm


Mitsubishi (DC to DC controller)
129 M63
00J 022
FP


SST (Flash Memory 1Mbit 70ns) 128Kb x 8-bit
MPF
39SF010-70-4C-NH
S137058-D
http://www.ssti.com/products/pdf/394-39SF5...0-03.000-DS.pdf



These components are all either the exact same conponents as the SD-616T or they are 100% compatable with the SD-616T's components. So, if the laser is compatable with the 605b's firmware like the SD-616T's laser is, and we can find the cd/dvd ready point(s) then we have a new drive available for modification.

***EDITED PER REQUEST***

Well, Here is what a Samsung reads in diskinfo.

DISCINFO VERSION : 1.5.5.9
VENDOR : SAMSUNG
MODEL : DVD-ROM SDG-605B
REVISION : x010
VENDOR SPECIFIC :
LOADING MECHANISM : Tray
NUMBER VOL. LEVELS : 255
BUFFER SIZE : 512KB
INTERFACE : ATAPI
RPC2 SCHEME : NO
ANALOG AUDIO PLAY : YES
COMPOSITE OUTPUT : NO
DIGITAL PORT-PORT1 : NO
DIGITAL PORT-PORT2 : NO
READ UPC CODE : YES
MULTISESSION READ : YES
MODE 2 FORM 1 : YES
MODE 2 FORM 2 : YES
READ ISRC CODE : YES
READ BAD CODE : NO
BUFFER UNDER-RUN : NO
MT. RAINIER : NO
CAN READ CDR : YES
CAN READ CDRW : YES
CAN READ CDRM2 : YES
CAN WRITE CDR : NO
CAN WRITE CDRW : NO
CAN TEST WRITE : NO
CAN READ DVD-ROM : YES
CAN READ DVD-R : YES
CAN READ DVD-RW : YES
CAN READ DVD-RAM : NO
CAN READ DVD+R : NO
CAN READ DVD+RW : NO
CAN WRITE DVD-R : NO
CAN WRITE DVD-RW : NO
CAN WRITE DVD-RAM : NO
CAN WRITE DVD+R : NO
CAN WRITE DVD+RW : NO
MAX CDR READ SPEED : 16

freaky_00,

I tried to get ahold of the brothers, and got no response. Ask them what info/tests they would need to figure out what is different in the firmware that makes the xbox accept originals.

I ran across a interesting forum.. any one think this could be a related drive?

PC DVD-Rom doesn't read CD-R??? GRD8160B ?

h**p://www.cdrlabs.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=7808 ?

Just thought I would share...

Well it seems I found that drive listed for sale ...

LG DVD-ROM 16X IDE GRD-8160B OEM 34.00 31.56
LG 16x IDE DVD-ROM DRD-8160B SW/P-DVD R *BACK IN* 34.67 32.19

Different Drives? And it seems the GRD version is discontinued and is almost only avail from non us sources. Maybe the G is like a OEM code.. I don’t know.

I will ask them!!! I pm'ed you their email address. If you write an email you have to reply to the automated email they send you so they can verify your email is not junk!!! But maybe you will have to wait a little longer cause I believe they live in europe. I received the email @ 8pm (Berlin, Paris).

BTW is there a tool for the XBOX which lets you see info of your DVD Drive without putting the drive in your pc? Maybe even something like DISCInfo? I WOULD LOVE THAT!!! Maybe LenteSubigo could ask Hijacker for the sources and make an XBE out of it. Or any other guy could do something like that.

The 8160B is SO OLD. Mine was manufactured in December 2001. This drive should be discontinued anywhere now!!! In germany only these models are listed on the lg website

GDR-8161B
GDR-8162B
GDR-8163B

lol.....where are the screws to take it apart?

What do you mean with that???

I should think about hacking the fw like those guys:
http://forum.cdfreaks.com/showthread.php?t...&highlight=xbox

interesting......
i hope that the pc version when we get it modded works.
but id mod it even if it didnt read cd-r's.

look under the labels if you cant find them

Just for my own amusement i flashed sdg-605B firmware to LG DRD-8160B...

PC recognizes the drive as sdg-605, but the eject doesn't work, and it dont work either if i reverse the tray motor...

...But if i press paperclip to manual open hole(?) then drive ejects the tray, and closes it if eject is pressed, but it closes it also automaticly about in 30seconds...

Drive doesn't try to spin disc at all, only when eject button is pressed repeatly, then disc spins about one turn...

When eject is pressed then the laser tryes to focus or something to disc, and it moves about 2mm... The laser doesn't move more at any stages...

...so there's something that isn't compatible on that drive...

cheeRS, M.

well what would a normal sdg-605 do in a comp?
the same thing im guesssing

No, a 605 would work fine in a computer as long as you have an adapter so you can connect power to it.

If the computer still recognizes it as a 605 after you flashed the firmware, something is wrong. The computer should recognise it as a DRD-8160B, and then either work or do something like what you described. E

ither way, it is possible that 605 firmware will work on DRD-8160B and DRD-8160B firmware wont work on the 605.

Thats like mine, I just got my xbox... it has that drive, works nice... I tried it with CDRW and it works fine, reads games fine too.

The xbox, PC (in windows or freeBSD) sees DRD-8160B as samsung sdg-605B.

I flashed also samsung 616T firmware to drive.
...it wont work at all.
PC (in windows or freeBSD) sees drive now as samsung 616T.
Drive occasionally spins disc about one turn, and if eject is pressed repeatly it tryes to focus laser or something (with or without disc inserted)....

CheeRS, M.

I think I have one of these drives (the tray looks the same). When I play a game, though, there's an odd clicking noise. Is that normal with the new drives?

I recorded a sample of it. My mic is right next to the Xbox when I recorded it, but this is how it sounds when it's loading:

http://members.fortunecity.com/cdemon24/xbox.wav

Sorry, Miketsu I read your original post incorectly. I thought you were trying to flash 8160b firmware on to a 605b.

So, 605b or 616t firmware doesn't work on the 8160b? That sucks. Can you take apart the 8160b and send me a few pics?

...DRD-8160B firmware doesn't work on sdg-605b, i tryed

It does not open tray, and it tryes to close it all the time, make clicking sounds...

Anyway tryed also Asus DVD-E616 firmware to sdg-605 and 8160B. Both makes lot of errors on freeBSD (device not ready, illegal state, etc.), but 605fw on 8160B doesn't.

Asus firmware on 8160B trys to init laser (turns laser on), but doesn't move it...

LenteSubigo: check your messages

There has been some changes also in sdg-605b firmwares. The "usual places" firmware gives different md5sum than my own 605.


...and the original 605B survived on the abuse.

CheeRS, M.

Erm... I have one of those as stated before.. it plays CD-RW, DVD+R, DVD-R, and DVD-RW? What about DVD+RW, you did not state that yet...

so has any of this gotten us any closer to hacking some firmware up so we can get a pc drive, flash & mod it, then run it in our xbox's?

just a failed attempt to be sarcastic ....

Hello fellow modders!

I'm working in a local computer store and I was reading this intressting thread when I didnt got anything else to... *lazy*

I went to see what kinda LG dvd drives we had in stock. I found a couple new LG GDR-8163B drives.

I decided to open up the cover from one of them. The PCB is pretty much the same and the "SST" chip and Panasonic chip has the same model numbers/letters as the orginal XBOX drive has on the 3 images posted on page 7 in this thread!

Could this be the closest match!?

I can post pics of the PCB and whatever info you guys might need!
Let me know if you need anything!! Hope this helped someone!

Lets get this to work!? Ok?!

great work shaggie.

if you wouldnt mind, posting some pics would be great, thanks.

So are there any issues with this drive? I had the Thomson and didn't feel like dealing with it so I sold it. I'm gonna buy a new one and I wanna know ahead of time what I'm getting myself into if I get this one.

Hehe, no problem. Glad I can help!

I'll get thoes pics asap. So you, the smart people, can do your magic!

I allready have the drive in my xbox, working good, except it dont read originals ... as we all know! But thats about to change, right guys!?

Now lets all get to work!!

See ya!

Hey again!

I now have thoes pics i promiced, I'll post them later today.. (after some hours). Since I just got home from work and I have some other things to do .

And I need to find a good place to host them pics... about 14MB of pics. Real close-ups allso!

See ya later today, aaaight?!

I ordered this little chap last week,
I think it just might resemble our new xbox drive what do you lot think??