******THE POST YOU'RE READING HAS BEEN EDITED AND UPDATED 2/13/09*******
Many people might have heard of unicrons tutorial for building a eeprom reader. This tutorial is not necessarily for total noobs. However I think noobs (like myself) might find themselves in this situation where they need to build a eeprom reader. (YOU'VE JUST MESSED UP YOUR HDD SOFTMODING YOUR XBOX!) or it's just broken/whatever reason.
I want to build with other members of this community a tutorial that's easier to understand:
You don't need to give up on your broken xbox!!! I think being a noob myself will really demonstrate how any one really can do this. I will continue to update this post you're reading right now with future problems that have been solved! However I need the help of the people on this forum to walk me through the rest of the process.
2) Find an old USB chord you can tear apart. Don't guy buy a new one!! One of the easiest solutions is to head down to your local 2nd hand thrift store. They usually have old computer parts you can pick up for cheap. Most won't charge more than a $1 dollar for USB wire.
http://i403.photobucket.com/albums/pp113...er/DSCN2024.jpg
5) Here is the com connector without the wires:
http://i403.photobucket.com/albums/pp113...er/DSCN2048.jpg Note: it has been suggested to use another kind of com connector that's easier to connect the wires to. I don't have one so i can't give a guide to building one. If you know what your doing though can use an alternate way of connecting the pins to the connector.
16) Turn on the xbox power, it will probably 'frag' out meaning it will start up 3 times with a orange light coming on each time. somewhere between it starting up/after it's started up, from unicrons tutorial you press the read button, you should get a read. Save the file as ----> eeprom.bin
17) Follow the rest of unicrons tutorial as needed
Ok so to most people reading this might think *wow* this is really obvious and isn't it straight forward? But to a noob the more information and detail provided the less number of countless questions on the same subject. I believe this will improve the community.
-I don't care about the credit or use of my pictures, so if you want to edit them, use on other forums, web sites, etc. feel free
In unicrons tutorial he never shows the under side of the PCB board. How do you connect everything?? Do you solder on the top or bottom? His doesn't show that you solder on the top, or so it looks that way. Any way i'm stuck again with building the pcb board what is the best way to go about this?? Feel free to edit my pictures when trying to explain:
4 components.. if you can't wire that up then you must be a retard!!!
The tutorial is 100% clear.. unless you no brains want a video of some idiot SOLDERING a couple of wires together to show you what to do..
Like all "patch up" electronics, it's a little bit hack together and test.. that's how this kind of device has always been. IF you aren't capable of following a simple diagram and reading some instructions may I suggest going back to the disney network and leaving dangerous things like hot soldering irons to the adults.
100's of complete electronics first timers have had no problems with the guide as it stands... others have had some trouble.. component tolerances and pc port things usually. NOTHING which by reading carefully can't usually be overcome..
It sounds to me like YOU are too thick to be having your hands anywhere near the inside of a piece of electronic equipment..
Leave servicing to Qualified Service Personnel .. seen that? I am, Mike is.. but are you???
you can't tell me that the pictures aren't beneficial for noobs.
yes, some people shouldn't post if they have nothing constructive to say.
but on the other hand, the tutorial is really straight forward. the link i send you, the one without the pcb board (same poster/creator of the eeprom reader with pcb), is really, really, easy to build. he even put in pictures where to connect the wires to (xbox) and where to solder.....
having said that for someone who does not have any electronic experience at all, it might be really difficult despite the great pictures and tutorial:
get yourself a real com connector. not with crimp plugs/pins whatever (the one you used). just the one where you solder the wires in. solder the wires in (like you crimped it in your connector) and then lay out the wires and resistor/diode (like you did). either solder it or wrap them together. both work, the soldering job is better. keep in mind that the 5volt zenor is directional and for the resistor it doesn't matter.
now test it on your xbox:
i never use the lpc header, i just connect the wires to the eeprom chip itself. i never solder them on the eeprom legs / lpc, i just put the wires on the legs and tape them on (a little bit more work to get them to make contact, but for soldering noobs it is more safe!!). you know it is working right, when your xbox starts to frag during power on (it will frag if you have constructed your reader right and you have it connected right!!!). at the third time it reboots, read out your eeprom.
Thanks for the advice. the com connector thing--? Well i followed the directions perfectly from unicron. Making sure to get the exact parts (even model number from radio shak)) and follow his directions as close as possible, hence why i've decided it's not a great tutorial. Hence why i'm getting suggestions like yours: Get different com connectors. See my point?
Ok anyway!
I'm having trouble getting a read. It powers up three times flashing orange and then when i try a read it wont work. I get the two errors everyone has been talking about: i can't remember exactly the wording but, 'error -11 bus not ready' or 'device not resopnding' - ok so those could be way off but anyway. I've been reading and it's suggested to power it with batteries and not use the xbox power. Do you know how to do that?? it was never explained really. I'm guessing i use the 'gnd' wire but how do i hook it up to a battery and what kind of battery? AA AAA etc.
thanks
Try what you like.. the exact software is pretty important, but usually people have problems because they don't use the external battery way to power the eeprom.
Component tolerances.. and strangely.. wire lengths matter. I had to decouple the data rails on mine (0.02µF capacitors to ground) to get a good and reliable reading.. maybe RF noise from one of my pc's causes trouble.. don't know.. problem solved for me.. maybe not for others.. but I'm a qualified electronics engineer.. so I know to experiment with any patch up bit of kit.
external power.. +3/+5v to the pin marked +ve and the -ve end to the gnd connection.. simple.. and explained in the article.
whine whine whine... it DOES work perfectly with the specified components.. it was tested to exhaustion using all kinds of junk box parts.. those were found to give the most consistent results.. the variables come from peoples build skills and pc ports...
I guess building a scaled frequency counter up to satellite tv frequencies will be well beyond you lot then... so we won't bother with our panoramic channel scanner for dtv direction and signal strength project then.
I'm bored... I notice none of you lot can say WHY your devices don't work.. which if you had a clue HOW they worked you would be able to work it out... most likely a zener the wrong way round or overheated during soldering XD
