The Black Art of Xbox Mods

Jonathan S. Harbour has been an avid gamer and programmer for 17 years, having started with early systems such as the Commodore PET, Apple II, and Tandy 1000. The first console he disassembled and tried to hack was the Atari 2600. He holds a degree in computer information systems and enjoys writing code in several languages. Jonathan has experience with several platforms, including Windows, Linux, Pocket PC, and Game Boy Advance. Jonathan has written nine books on the subjects of game programming, application development, console programming, cross-platform programming, and now console modding. He maintains a website dedicated to these subjects at http://www.jharbour.com.

    What You Will Learn

    Conventions Used in This Book

I. THE XBOX DEMYSTIFIED.

1. Welcome to the Xbox Scene.

     "Getting" the Xbox

    Breaking into an Industry

    Video Game Competition: The Other Side of the Coin

    Learning Some Hard Lessons

    Xbox Rumors Realized

    Xbox Roots

    Timing Is Everything

    The Game Developer's Dream Machine

    Bridging the PC/Console Gap

    Promises, Promises...

    Did Xbox Work Too Well?

    What Can You Do with Your Xbox?

    So What's the Spiel?

    Summary

2. Disassembling Your Xbox.

    Getting to Know the Xbox Hardware

    The Case

    The Motherboard

    The Power Supply

    The DVD-ROM Drive

    The Hard Drive

    The Central Processing Unit (CPU)

    The Graphics Processing Unit (GPU)

    Front-Side Bus (FSB)

    Media Control Processor (MCPX)

    Removing the Cover

    Removing the Rubber Feet

    Removing the Six Case Screws

    Lifting the Case

    Examining the Main Deck

    Removing the Hard Drive

    Removing the Hard Drive Tray Screw

    Removing the Cables

    Lifting the Hard Drive Tray

    Removing the DVD-ROM Drive

    The DVD-ROM Screws

    Removing the IDE and Power Cables

    Pulling the DVD-ROM Drive

    Removing the Motherboard

    Removing the IDE Cable and DVD-ROM Power Connectors

    Removing the Motherboard Power Supply Connector

    Removing the Motherboard Screws

    Unplugging the Controller Port Cables

    Removing the Case Fan

    Removing the Motherboard

    Summary

3. Identifying Your Xbox Revision.

    Revision Notes

    1.0

    1.1

    1.2

    1.3

    1.4

    1.5

    1.6

    Methods of Identification

    Manufacturing Date

    Hardware Serial Number

    Video Chip Verification

    Xbox BIOS Version Number

    Special/Limited Edition Exceptions

    Halo Special Edition

    Limited Edition Crystal Pack

    Additional Exceptions

    Summary

II. MOD CHIPS.

4. Introduction to Xbox Modding.

    What Is a Mod Chip?

    How Does a Mod Chip Work?

    Are Mod Chips Legal?

    The Modded Xbox

    Why the DMCA Does More Harm Than Good

    What Can You Do with a Mod Chip?

    Xbox Media Center (XBMC)

    Homebrew Games

    Overview of Available Mod Chips

    Xenium

    Xecuter

    SmartXX

    XBIT

    Aladdin

    X-Chip

    Before You Install a Mod Chip...

    Summary

5. Installing a Solderless Mod Chip.

    Solderless Xenium Installation

    Locating the LPC

    Fixing a Pre-Soldered LPC

    Locating the D0

    Installing the Solderless Adapter

    Installing the Mod Chip

    Booting Up the Mod Chip

    Summary

6. Installing a Soldered Mod Chip.

    Removing the Motherboard

    Installing a Pin Header (All Revisions)

    Preparing to Solder

    Locating the LPC

    Removing Pin 4

    Inserting the Pin Header

    Soldering the Pins

    Installing the D0 Wire

    Xbox Revision 1.6 Mod Chip Installation

    Double-Checking the Revision

    Installing the Pin Header

    Rebuilding the LPC

    Installing the LFRAME Wire

    Troubleshooting

    Problem with the D0/LFRAME

    Problem with the LPC

    Other Problems

    Summary

III. SOFTWARE MODS.

7. The Xenium Operating System.

    Overview of the Xenium O/S

    The Xenium O/S Main Menu

    Launch

    Disk Tools

    EEprom Tools

    Settings

    Reboot

    Recovery

    Power Off

    Summary

8. EvolutionX Dashboard.

    What Is EvolutionX?

    Installing the EvoX BIOS and Dash

    Acquiring EvoX

    Installing the EvoX Dashboard

    Installing the EvoX BIOS

    Creating a Custom BIOS

    Using the EvoX Dash

    Tweaking EvoX Dash

    The EvoX Dash Interface

    Creating Your Own EvoX Skins

    Summary

9. Avalaunch Dashboard.

    Installing Avalaunch

    Customizing a BIOS for Avalaunch

    Copying the Avalaunch Files to Your Xbox

    Adding Avalaunch to the Xenium O/S Launch Menu

    Running Avalaunch

    Avalaunch Features

    The Main Menu

    XBox Media Player

    Games

    Applications

    Emulators

    File Manager

    IRC Client

    Telnet Client

    Settings

    Reboot

    Shutdown

    Summary

10. Xbox Media Center.

    Overview of Xbox Media Center

    Installing Xbox Media Center

    Installing the XBMC Files

    Installing a Hacked BIOS

    Running Xbox Media Center

    The Main Menu

    My Programs

    My Files

    My Pictures

    My Music

    My Videos

    Weather

    Settings

    Summary

IV. MAJOR HARDWARE MODS.

11. Replacing the Xbox Case.

    Stock Cases

    Tearing Down the Old Case

    Replacing the DVD-ROM Tray Panel

    Assembling the New Case

    Aftermarket Cases

    Assembling the Aftermarket Case

    The System Jewel

    Summary

12. Upgrading the Xbox Hard Drive.

    Overview of the Swap

    The Stock Xbox Hard Drive

    The Replacement Hard Drive

    Connecting Both Hard Drives

    Master/Slave Settings

    Connecting the IDE Cable

    Connecting the Power Cables

    The Hard Drive Upgrade Wizard

    Running the Drive Upgrade Wizard

    Formatting the New Drive and Transferring Data

    Verifying the Upgrade Process

    Summary

13. Lighting Up the Case.

    Cosmetic Xbox Modifications

    Cold Cathode Lighting

    How About a Glowing Jewel?

    Removing the Cold Cathode Bulb

    Gluing the Light to the Case Cover

    Custom Lighting with LEDs

    Creating Your Own LED Light Show

    Building the Main LED Wire Loom

    Putting It All Together

    Examining the Cold Cathode Light

    The Custom LEDs

    Summary

14. Cooling Down Your Xbox.

    Software Cooling Solutions

    Setting Fan Speed in BIOS

    Setting Fan Speed in XBMC

    Active Cooling for Your Xbox

    Hard Drive Cooling

    Finding Room in the Case

    Installing a Hard Drive Cooling Fan

    Summary

Appendix A. Xbox Resources.

    Xbox Information Sites

    Mod Chip Manufacturers

    Xbox Hardware Sites

    Xbox Software Sites

Index.