Adding Mod Chip Enable/Disable and BIOS Flash ROM Write Enable/Disable Switches To Your XBox (v0.6)
Tutorial
written
by : Captain
Dunsel
Introduction
There
seems
to be
considerable
interest
in adding
switches
to XBoxen
these
days.
Many folks
are interested
in adding
a mod
chip enable/disable
switch
in an
attempt
to make
their
XBoxen
more “XBox
Live friendly”.
Folks
who opt
to flash
the onboard
TSOP flash
ROM (hereinafter
referred
to simply
as “TSOP”)
with a
non-factory
BIOS often
want to
add a
TSOP flash
enable/disable
switch
to minimize
the likelihood
of accidental
flashing.
Even
Xodus/Matrix
users
may wish
to add
external
switches
that mirror
their
on-mod
counterparts,
allowing
them to
“change
the DIP
switches”
without
opening
the box.
The installation
of these
switches
is completely
optional.
Many folks
don’t
bother
with switches
at all…
they permanently
enable
the TSOP
write
by jumpering
the appropriate
contacts
with solder,
and/or
they “disable”
the mod
chip by
physically
disconnecting
it after
they flash
a non-retail
BIOS onto
the board.
I put
the switches
in because
I wanted
to have
the ability
to change
my mind
about
both of
these
things
without
having
to crack
the box
open again.
(In retrospect,
I think
this was
a pretty
good decision,
as lots
of folks
are now
seeing
the benefits
of being
able to
turn their
mod chips
on and
off for
use with
XBox Live.)
Disclaimer
Before
you read
any further,
please
understand
that
1.
You
are
about
to make
physical
hardware
modifications
to your
Xbox.
Any
mod
will
void
your
warranty
and
potentially
fuck
up your
XBox
beyond
the
point
of usability;
with
hardware
mods,
this
is especially
true.
Do not
go any
further
if you
are
at all
squeamish
about
this.
2. While
I make
best
effort
to ensure
that
the
information
I pass
on here
is accurate,
I have
been
wrong
once
or twice
in my
life.
If I
do find
errors
in this
document
(or
are
notified
of same),
I will
correct
them
as soon
as I
am able.
3. I
have
attempted
to gather
together
information
pertinent
to as
many
mod
chips
as possible
in this
document
for
everyone’s
benefit.
I have
not
personally
installed
all
of these
chips,
but
I have
taken
my information
from
what
I believe
to be
reliable
and
accurate
sources.
If you
believe
that
anything
I have
written
here
is incorrect,
and
you
have
facts
to back
that
up,
please
bring
it to
my attention
so that
I can
correct
the
document
and
minimize
the
error’s
impact
on others.
4. I
am assuming
the
reader
has
at least
some
modicum
of understanding
about
basic
electronics
(e.g.
how
a switch
works).
To make
the
information
useful
to the
widest
possible
audience,
I have
tried
to explain
things
in as
simple
terms
as possible.
Bear
in mind,
however,
that
explaining
to someone
how
a switch
works,
or how
a pulldown
resistor
works,
or how
to solder,
is VERY
difficult.
If you
really,
honestly
don’t
understand
what
you’re
reading,
please
swallow
your
pride
and
ask
someone
who
does
for
some
help.
Hey,
buy
him/her
a six-pack
of beer
and
see
what
happens…
you’d
be surprised
how
willing
your
friends
and
relatives
are
to help
you
out,
especially
if you
bribe
them
enough...
OK, now
that we’ve
gotten
all of
the bullshit
out of
the way,
let’s
get to
it.
Buying
the switches
(A
note to
the electronically
savvy:
to keep
things
as simple
as possible,
I am standardizing
on two
switches
for this
project:
a DPDT
toggle
switch
and an
SPST toggle
switch,
both available
from Radio
Shack.
Strictly
speaking,
some of
the projects
could
make do
with SPDT
switches,
you could
use rotary
or slide
or pushbutton
switches,
you could
experiment
with momentary
contact
switches,
etc. I
am presenting
all of
these
examples
using
just two
types
of switches
to simplify
things
and provide
a working
example
to those
with less
experience.
If you
think
you have
suitable
switches
for the
task,
by all
means
use them,
but the
onus is
on you
to verify
their
connections
and operation
using
a voltmeter
or continuity
tester,
and to
“map”
the connections
on your
switch
to the
descriptions
I provide.)
For projects
described
in this
tutorial,
you may
need single-pole-single-throw
(SPST)
and/or
double-pole-double-throw
(DPDT)
switches.
For your
convenience,
I have
identified
suitable
parts
available
at your
friendly
neighborhood
Radio
Shack
store.
The DPDT
toggle
switches
I used
(RS part
# 275-666)
are rated
for about
three
more amps
than I
needed,
but it
was all
they had
in stock
at The
Shack
the day
I needed
them,
and I
think
they look
kinda
cool too
(with
their
huge "ON/OFF"
label
plates).
Here’s
a picture:
The
bottom
of our
DPDT switch
looks
something
like this:
"on"
end 
"off"
end
(The
pin numbers
are mine,
and are
added
to this
diagram
for ease
of discussion.
I don’t
believe
that the
switches
I used
actually
have numbers
written
on the
contacts;
your switch
may or
may not
have numbers,
and they
may or
may not
agree
with my
diagram.
For the
rest of
this document,
I will
be referring
to switch
pins numbered
per this
diagram.)
Pins
2 and
5 are
the “common”
or “wiper”
contacts.
With the
toggle
in one
position
(toward
the “ON”
end),
pin 2
is connected
to pin
1 and
pin 5
is connected
to pin
4; when
the toggle
is thrown
the other
way (toward
the “OFF”
end),
pin 2
is connected
to pin
3 and
pin 5
is connected
to pin
6.
For
SPST switches,
you might
use RS
part #
275-612,
as shown
here:
Wiring
these
is a lot
more straightforward
than the
DPDTs,
since
you can
connect
either
wire in
a pair
to either
pin. The
only thing
you need
to check
is which
way to
throw
the toggle
to turn
it ON,
and which
way to
turn it
OFF.
The rest
of this
document
assumes
that you
are using
the exact
switches
I did;
if you
are not,
you should
use a
voltmeter
or continuity
tester
to ensure
that your
switch
works
the same
way, and
“do
the mental
mapping”
for connections
if it
doesn’t.
Make
your wires
relatively
short
to avoid
signal
bouncing,
but long
enough
so that
you can
reinstall
the motherboard
and switches
without
too much
fuss.
Due to
the fragile
nature
of connections
to the
Xbox motherboard,
it’s
probably
a good
idea to
provide
strain
relief
for your
wiring,
using
cable
ties,
electrical
tape,
hot-melt
glue,
etc.
Switch
mounting
This
is the
only tough
part of
the process.
In order
for the
switches
to be
useful
at all,
the toggles
have to
poke out
of the
XBox case
somewhere
(duh!);
unfortunately,
the interior
of the
XBox is
pretty
tightly
packed.
You can
mount
the switches
anywhere
you want,
but obviously
they cannot
interfere
mechanically
or electrically
with the
rest of
the stuff
in the
box.
Fortunately,
the left
side of
the case
(when
viewed
from the
front)
has open
space
between
the motherboard
and the
bottom
of the
DVD drive.
I precision-machined
the holes
for the
switches
by chewing
through
the metal
shielding
with a
pair of
cutting
pliers.
The lid
was similarly
modified
using
the cutting
pliers
to chop
out a
piece
of the
plastic
grating.
Not pretty,
but effective.
However
you decide
to cut
the mounting
holes,
be sure
to remove
any metal
fragments
that may
have fallen
inside
the case.
Here’s
a picture
of the
inside
of my
case,
showing
the mounted
switches:
After
you cut
the holes
and test-fit
the switches,
do NOT
screw
them in.
Wait until
you have
finished
wiring
them and
have reinstalled
the motherboard.
Enable/disable
for Enigmah,
Xtender,
or MessiahX
For this
project,
you will
need a
DPDT switch.
Find your
mod chip
on the
following
chart,
and make
note of
the wiring
information.
Mod
chip |
Connect
to
switch
pin
1 |
Connect
to
switch
pin
2 |
Connect
to
switch
pin
3 |
Connect
to
switch
pin
4 |
Connect
to
switch
pin
5 |
Enigmah
(beta
or
final) |
Chip
pin
15 |
Motherboard
connection
for
pin
15 |
n/a |
Chip
pin
21 |
Motherboard
connection
for
pin
21 |
Xtender |
Chip
pin
10 |
Motherboard
connection
for
pin
10 |
n/a |
Chip
pin
19 |
Motherboard
connection
for
pin
19 |
MessiahX |
Chip
pin
D |
Motherboard
connection
for
pin
D |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
As always,
check
your connections
with a
voltmeter
or continuity
tester.
Enable/disable
for X-ecuter
v1.0 and
v1.1
For this
project,
you’ll
need an
SPST switch.
As part
of your
chip installation,
you used
a piece
of wire
to connect
two motherboard
points
together
(D0 and
ground).
There
are several
points
on the
motherboard
where
you can
do this;
here is
one example
(credit
to DaOne
and iMurderer
for this
picture):
The
easiest
thing
to do
is simply
cut this
wire in
the middle
and solder
extensions
onto the
ends (make
sure you
insulate
the joints
with heat-shrink
tubing
or electrical
tape).
When adding
your extensions,
be sure
to provide
some strain
relief
when you
strip
the wires
so that
you don’t
pull them
off the
motherboard.
Then connect
the two
wires
to your
switch
(doesn’t
matter
which
wire goes
to which
terminal).
As always,
check
your connections
with a
voltmeter
or continuity
tester.
Enable/disable
for homebrew
You’ll
need a
DPDT switch,
a 10 uF
tantalum
capacitor,
and a
10 Kohm
¼
watt 5%
carbon
resistor
for this
project.
I’m
going
to refer
to this
motherboard
picture:
and
this diagram:
both
of which
come from
Dysfunction’s
page and
for which
he gets
the credit.
(NOTE:
Your circuit
may or
may not
have a
connection
between
pins 1
and 31/32,
depending
on what
type of
ROM you
are using…
If there
is no
connection
there,
DO NOT
add one.)
As depicted
in the
diagram,
you need
to wire
a 10 Kohm
pulldown
resistor
between
pins 22/24
and 16,
and a
10 uF
tantalum
capacitor
between
pins 16
and 32.
When wiring
the resistor,
it doesn’t
matter
which
way you
hook it
up. The
capacitor,
however,
is likely
to be
polarized.
Look carefully
at the
body of
the capacitor;
near one
lead,
it should
have a
+ sign
or a –
sign;
usually,
only one
lead is
marked,
but the
other
lead is
(surprise!)
the opposite
polarity.
Connect
the +
lead to
pin 32,
and the
–
lead to
pin 16.
Now let’s
wire the
switch.
Referring
to the
purple
notations
on the
diagram,
wire point
X to switch
pin 2
and point
Y to switch
pin 3.
Referring
to the
motherboard
picture,
wire point
E# (illustrated
with the
yellow
arrows)
to switch
pin 1.
As always,
check
your connections
with a
voltmeter
or continuity
tester.
External
switches
for Xodus/Matrix
The Xodus/Matrix
situation
is a little
different
than other
mod chips.
Basically,
you want
to add
two external
switches
that mirror
the function
of the
on-mod
switches,
effectively
allowing
you to
change
them without
opening
up the
case.
You’ll
need two
SPST switches
for this
project.
Assuming
that your
chip is
already
installed,
be sure
that both
DIP switches
are in
the OFF
position
(i.e.
the chip
is set
for “mode
4”).
Then wire
the two
switches
as depicted
here (credit
to Wiseblood
for this
picture):
(You
obviously
don’t
really
have to
use red,
green,
and blue
wires;
they are
colored
differently
for clarity
in the
diagram.)
As always,
check
your connections
with a
voltmeter
or continuity
tester.
