(WIP) New modchip coming in

Discussion about Modding the XBOX, including hardware and software hacks.
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professor_jonny
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Re: (WIP) New modchip coming in

Post by professor_jonny »

psyko_chewbacca wrote: I think that the MCPX chip revision and the type of BIOS used are the key elements here.
Both M8 and X2 5035 are "Multi" BIOSes; is IND-BIOS a "Multi" BIOS too? Anybody knows how I could extract the 2bl from these BIOSes?
Ind bios is 1.0 to 1.5 only. the bios of a 1.0 to 1.5 in most cases works i have found on a 1.6 but it stuffs the ram over time and makes it unastable eventually destroying the board.

some of the 1.6 xboxes have lower spec ram and requires longer wait periods.

The evox bios tool and i think the X2 bios tool will un pack any bios and re pack it back up with out the secret key in the mcpxrom it also has the patch in it to caculate the crc and checksum etc of the kernel and patch the 2bl to make it bootable in a real box.

you can open the 2bl in ida as a x86 bartpe executable and have a play in assembly the flirt signatures narate some things but nothing is really in the 2bl it is only small.

the 1.0 to 1.2 xbox share the same mcpx revision? the 1.3-1.5 difffers to stop cheap mods and the 1.6 is different again also but it will pack and patch them all corectly.

oZpaul has a good write up his web site on the cypher etc on the unpacking and packing of the bios if you have the seceret key that is.
Last edited by professor_jonny on Fri Oct 31, 2014 2:33 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: (WIP) New modchip coming in

Post by spicemuseum »

professor_jonny wrote:
psyko_chewbacca wrote: I think that the MCPX chip revision and the type of BIOS used are the key elements here.
Both M8 and X2 5035 are "Multi" BIOSes; is IND-BIOS a "Multi" BIOS too? Anybody knows how I could extract the 2bl from these BIOSes?
Ind bios is 1.0 to 1.5 only. the bios of a 1.0 to 1.5 in most cases works i have found on a 1.6 but it stuffs the ram over time and makes it unastable eventually destroying the board.

some of the 1.6 xboxes have lower spec ram and requires longer wait periods.

The evox bios tool and i think the X2 bios tool will un pack any bios and re pack it back up with out the secret key in the mcpxrom it also has the patch in it to caculate the crc and checksum etc of the kernel and patch the 2bl to make it bootable in a real box.

you can open the 2bl in ida as a x86 bartpe executable and have a play in assembly the flirt signatures narate some things but nothing is really in the 2bl it is only small.

the 1.0 to 1.3 xbox share the same mcpx revision the 1.3-1.5 difffers to stop cheap mods and the 1.6 is different again also but it will pack and patch them all corectly.

oZpaul has a good write up his web site on the cypher etc on the unpacking and packing of the bios if you have the seceret key that is.
Jonny, just noting that your quotes mis-attribute to me the excellent info actually provided by Chewy. Corrected here.
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Re: (WIP) New modchip coming in

Post by psyko_chewbacca »

Hi,

For those of you who were waiting for a new release of the OS, you can now download v0.2Beta over at AssemblerGames in the following thread:

http://www.assemblergames.com/forums/sh ... S-v0-2Beta

Happy Holidays!
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Re: (WIP) New modchip coming in

Post by Oldxboxusa »

Nice but only the xbe version works on my Xbox. I have flash the Cromwell flash bios that was in the folder and took the cfg file in c: and c: xblast folder but the xbox will not do anything. Does anyone know what the mistake is?
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Re: (WIP) New modchip coming in

Post by psyko_chewbacca »

For those of you who don't go often to AssemblerGames forums, I've uploaded all the necessary files to reprogram a cheap Aladdin XT PLUS2 to use XBlast OS bank control feature. It gives the Aladdin XT PLUS2 the ability to load XBlast OS and boot from either a 512KB bank, 256KB bank or TSOP. It's an Aladdin XT with an OS, much like and X-Changer but with more software features if you ask me.

You will need a JTAG programmer, flash chip programmer and soldering iron to do this mod.
Everything is described in the following thread:
http://www.assemblergames.com/forums/sh ... din-XBlast

Oldxboxusa wrote:Nice but only the xbe version works on my Xbox. I have flash the Cromwell flash bios that was in the folder and took the cfg file in c: and c: xblast folder but the xbox will not do anything. Does anyone know what the mistake is?
I did reply to this question on AssemblerGames. Remove or rename xblast.cfg and try to load the BIOS flashed from SmartXX V3 on a stock CPU Xbox just to see. I did not test it on upgraded CPUs(I should) so I don't know what to expect. Also, a good test is to flash Gentoox Loader 6.xx and/or FlashBios 3.0.3-1(-1 version is important. Don't try 3.0.3) and see if it runs fine. If not, there might be some core problems running cromwell on this Xbox.

Also, what's the motherboard revision you are trying to boot it from? I don't have any debug/dev unit so I cannot test these.
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Re: (WIP) New modchip coming in

Post by Oldxboxusa »

It is a modded 1.4 motherboard with 128mb and a 1ghz cpu. I bought it from n64freak. Cromwell bios is working I have a DSL Linux partition on it.
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Re: (WIP) New modchip coming in

Post by psyko_chewbacca »

Oldxboxusa wrote:It is a modded 1.4 motherboard with 128mb and a 1ghz cpu. I bought it from n64freak. Cromwell bios is working I have a DSL Linux partition on it.
What about Gentoox Loader 6.07 and FlashBios 3.0.3-1? BIOS init in XBlast OS differs from "vanilla" cromwell in some ways. As I understand, XBlast OS boots to a point where you get the Main screen but no icon on the bottom of the screen? Are there any(debug) text prints that could be overlaid on top of the Main Screen regular text prints?

Please flash and boot both Gentoox Loader 6.0x and flashBios 3.0.3-1(both can be downloaded on eurasia.nu). If you sucessfully boot both Gentoox Loader 6.07 and FlashBios 3.0.3-1, it probably means there's something wrong in the IDE init sequence. My guess is the custom Linux Partition is giving trouble to XBlast OS to identify HDD partitionning. How is your HDD partitionned?

When lauching XBlast from XBE, go to HDD section of Advanced settings and select Display HDD info. Is the partition table shown on screen? Could you take a picture of that screen and upload it here?

Is it possible to replace the HDD of that Xbox for a HDD *WITHOUT* a Linux parititon (just FATX partitions)? Tell me what happens then.

EDIT: Also, is the DSL partition the only partition on your HDD or do you at least have standard FATX partitions(C:, E:, X:, Y: and Z:) on it too?
Last edited by psyko_chewbacca on Mon Jan 05, 2015 8:50 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: (WIP) New modchip coming in

Post by Oldxboxusa »

Truly. I will take a screenshot tomorrow when my wife is at work. Then I will test it out. I can symply delete the DSL installation because it is installed in a fatx partition on drive G. I use only drive F for games / emus etc. xbmc is on drive e.
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Re: (WIP) New modchip coming in

Post by psyko_chewbacca »

Oldxboxusa wrote:Truly. I will take a screenshot tomorrow when my wife is at work. Then I will test it out. I can symply delete the DSL installation because it is installed in a fatx partition on drive G. I use only drive F for games / emus etc. xbmc is on drive e.
Ok so your DSL installation is in a file on a FATX G: partition(i.e. you can read/write your G: drive in XBMC)? In this case it might not be the XDSL installation. I thought you had a real linux ext2/3/4 (don't know which one is used in DSL) partition on your HDD. Just don't delete anything yet. HDD formatted exclusively with FATX partitions should cause no trouble but I must admit I did not gave too much attention to custom Linux partitions coexisting with FATX partitions...
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Re: (WIP) New modchip coming in

Post by Oldxboxusa »

Yes this is exactly what I have.
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Re: (WIP) New modchip coming in

Post by psyko_chewbacca »

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Re: (WIP) New modchip coming in

Post by nidge »

Any news on the Xblast ModChip? :)
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Re: (WIP) New modchip coming in

Post by psyko_chewbacca »

nidge wrote:Any news on the Xblast ModChip? :)
I've been silent for a while I know!

http://assemblergames.com/l/threads/wip ... ost-821726
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Re: (WIP) New modchip coming in

Post by clabs »

Welcome back mate!

Best regards and thank you and all that )

Cheers, Mark
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Re: (WIP) New modchip coming in

Post by nidge »

Thanks for the update :) I'm looking forward to the release of the ModChip :D
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Re: (WIP) New modchip coming in

Post by budbandito720 »

Cant wait to buy the chip and your toslink switch if you end up selling those.
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Re: (WIP) New modchip coming in

Post by scroeffie »

http://www.marktplaats.nl/a/spelcompute ... mympSeller

i have a x3cp and a smartxx for sale
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Re: (WIP) New modchip coming in

Post by toxicmedz »

scroeffie wrote:http://www.marktplaats.nl/a/spelcompute ... mympSeller

i have a x3cp and a smartxx for sale
Make your own thread about your Xbox for sale, you don't need to hijack multiple different threads with your sale link.. It's kinda irritating.
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Re: (WIP) New modchip coming in

Post by budbandito720 »

So any news on when these are gonna be ready for sale?
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Re: (WIP) New modchip coming in

Post by professor_jonny »

Benny said ages ago the 2nd half of the year was the plan, but from his post on assembler he has been busy and I can under stand that as we are both in the same field of work and i'm flat stick like a lizard drinking you could say :-)

I believe he has to hand solder the first batch to make enough to fund a PCBA service.
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