Where
to buy:
* divineo.co.uk
(official
reseller)
Official
X-B.I.T
website:
* http://www.dms-x-bit.com
What's
in the
package:
* X-B.I.T
modchip
* external
adaptor
with usb-connector,
bios switches
and enable/disable
switch
* wires
needed
to connect
X-B.I.T
with external
adaptor
* diod
(for optional
power-button
support
feature)
* screw
and spacer
(for pogopin/nosolder
install)
* wire
connector
(for wire
install)
* All
packed
in a static
shielding
bag
Pictures:


Install
the Modchip:
DMS made
all the
installation
guides,
you can
find them
on their
website:
http://www.dms3.com/xmanuals.htm.
You have
the choice
between
3 install
methods:
* The
PogoPin/Solderless
install
Most people
will probably
install
the X-B.I.T
this way
... you
pay for
those
pogopins,
so might
aswell
use them.
I was
surprized
how easy
the pogopins
aligned.
I don't
know how
they managed
to do
it ...
is it
due the
spiked
pogopins
(for "d0"
point),
is it
because
the board
is pretty
large
and fits
around
the corner
of the
IDE connector
(which
also causes
it to
be stable)?
... anyway
the modchip
alligns
very easily.
Just put
the LPC
pogopins
on the
LPC points,
and the
d0 pogopin
is almost
automaticly
correctly
alligned.
The X-B.I.T
has 2
spiked
"d0"
pogopins,
so it
installs
soldeless
on all
xbox versions
till xbox
v1.4 (power
and ground
are disconnected
on LPC
on xbox
v1.5 ...
so it
will need
2 extra
wires).
There's
also no
stability
problem
with the
pogo-pins,
they keep
good contact
with the
LPC points
and with
d0.
I installed
it on
a motherboard
with 'empty'
LPC holes
... but
I think
it will
also align
without
too many
problems
on filled
LPC holes
(v1.0
and early
v1.1 only).
* The
wire install
It's a
typical
wire-install
for a
LPC modchip.
The X-B.I.T
comes
with a
wireconnector,
so you
don't
have to
solder
any wire
on the
modchip
itself
... only
on the
xbox motherboard.
* The
Headerpin
install
Honnestly
I have
no idea
why DMS
decided
to ship
the X-B.I.T
with a
male headerpin
soldered
directly
on the
modchip.
While
the actual
install
method
stays
the same
... it
takes
away all
advantages
of the
headerpin
(easy
to swap/upgrade,
mass flash
modchips,
easy to
remove,
...)
For those
who already
installed
a male-male
headerpin
in their
xbox and
don't
want to
solder
to upgrade
to X-B.I.T,
there's
only 1
solution
... get
a female-female
headerpin
block
at your
local
electronic
shop.
If you
want to
solder
your X-B.I.T,
I suggest
you use
the wire-install.
* Optional
En/Disable
with Xbox
power
button.
With 2
optional
solderpoints
(1 on
modchip,
1 on xbox
motherboard)
you can
use the
xbox power
button
to enable/disable
your modchip.
If you
press
power
button
1sec modchip
will be
enabled,
if you
press
power
button
3sec your
modchip
will be
disabled.
Testing:
The biggest
new features
on the
X-B.I.T
are:
- 2MB
flash
size
- PC flashing
via USB
The PCB
pogopins
and ic's
look very
solid
and of
high quality.
The X-B.I.T
can very
easily
be programmed
with your
PC using
the USB
port.
You can
download
the flashing
software
for free
from http://www.dms3.com/xdownload.htm.
Because
it's using
USB, there
will be
no compatibility
problem
people
had with
LTP (parallel
port)
programmers.
Also the
modchip
must not
be installed
to be
programmed
- it gets
power
from the
USB. Their
software
is fully
grafical
and very
easy to
use.
Programming/Erasing
itself
is alot
slower
then I
expected
using
USB ...
but Team
DMS explained
why the
flash
speed
is so
slow here
(because
they use
unshielded
wires).
Xbox
booted
with the
expected
bios from
the first
try.
Bios swithching
also worked
correctly
(1-3 switch
on the
exterenal
adaptor).
The bios
selection
is explained
here.
The 4th
switch
is the
enable/disabled
switch
(they
call it
'Stealth-Mode').
You have
the choice
between
these
bios split-ups:
1. 1x2048k
2. 2x1024k
3. 2x512k
1x1024k
4. 2x256k
1x512k
1x1024k
5. 4x256k
1x1024
6. 4x256k
2x512k
On the
external
adaptor
(that
should
be placed
on the
backside
of the
Xbox)
there's
a small
led that
shows
if your
modchip
is enabled
or not
... very
useful
to check
before
you go
on xlive.
The X-B.I.T
allows
flashing
directly
from the
Xbox software
as far
as I know,
but so
far no
xbox program
has support
for the
2mb of
the X-B.I.T.
A new
or updated
(evo-x
for example)
program
will probably
be released
sooner
or later.
I tried
to add
the correct
flash-line
in the
latest
evo-x
... but
the program
hang when
I tried
to flash
... I
guess
it doesn't
like the
2mb file
yet.
One feature
missing
is the
'flash
protection'
(there's
a 'seal'
on the
X-B.I.T,
but you
have to
remove
it to
install
the X-B.I.T
... so
once installed
your X-B.I.T
is always
flashable).
But so
far MS
has never
tried
to flash
the bios
... and
even if
they did
- you
can always
reflash
your X-B.I.T
via USB.
So this
feature
is certainly
not essential.
POSITIVE:
+ 2MByte
flash
size
+ 6 different
bios split-ups
possible
and upto
6 different
bioses
on chip.
+ PC flashing
via USB
(no compatibility
problems)
+ High
quality
PCB board
+ External
adaptor
with bios
selector
and en/disable
switch+led
+ 3 ways
to install
it - you
can choose
+ Pogopin/soldeless
install:
aligns
very easily
and stable
+ Wire-install:
using
connector
so no
need to
solder
on modchip
+ Optional
en/disable
with power-button
NEGATIVE:
- Very
slow USB
flashing/erasing
- HeaderPin
install:
Male headerpin
soldered
directly
on X-B.I.T
motherboard
- No flash
disable
(but you
can flash
via USB
... so
it's really
no must-have
feature)
- Bug
in flash
software
if you
put window
to background
(will
be solved
soon)
- Can't
flash
directly
with Xbox
software
yet (needs
update
of evo-x
probably).
XanTium
08 October
2003