XIR Easy Kit - 25 March 2004

Official XIR website:
http://www.cheaplpc.com/XIR/

What's the XIR Easy Kit?
The XIR Easy Kit will allow you to turn on and off your xbox with a remote control. The 'Easy Kit' I tested is fully solderless (unless you want to add optional 'd0'/modchip control), the 'Pro Kit' requires some easy soldering and is also a bit cheaper.

The XIR Easy Kit:

The chip is on a PCB with 4 connectors. One goes to the IR-receiver (included with the kit ... the XIR does not use the Xbox dongle), another one is for power (2 wires: 3.3v, 3.3v STB) and the last two are to connect the xbox 'power/reset-button-cable'.
There's also a small led on the PCB for easier installation (check that PCB gets power).

Installation

The installation is very easy. You get a short printed manual with the XIR or you can also see it online (installation guides). All you need with the 'Easy Kit' is a torxdriver to open up your xbox.

Once your Xbox is open you have to:
* insert the 2 power wires in the Xbox powersupply connector on the motherboard (no soldering)
* Disconnect the 'power/eject-button-wires' (yellow) coming from the xbox front panel to the xbox motherboard , connect it to the XIR PCB and connect the red wires from the XIR PCB to the Xbox motherboard.
* Optionally you can connect 'D0' with the XIR (requires soldering) to allow to turn on your xbox with modchip enabled or disabled.

After that's done it's only a matter of putting the XIR PCB and IR receiver on the right place so you can close back your Xbox.

Features

Once installed you can turn off and on your xbox with the Xbox remote. It is possible that it works with some other remotes too, but there's no list for this - it's made to work with the Xbox remote and it works perfectly with it.
To turn off your xbox you have to press the '0' Button.
To turn on your xbox you have the press the Select or Display Button. (if you soldered the optional wire with 'D0' the Select button turns on your xbox with modchip disabled and 'Display' with modchip enabled).

Conclusion

With homebrew software it became already possible to do everything from distance with the controller and/or remote (boot games and utils from HD, launch music/movies with XBMC). The only thing left you had to stand up and walk to your xbox was to turn on your xbox (turn off is possible via software solutions) and that's what this extra small piece of hardware will allow you to do.
If your games are all on the Xbox HD this basicly allows you to hide your xbox somewhere far away under, above or behind your TV ... you will never have to come near your xbox console anymore :-)
Can also be really nice if you have a XBMC-only xbox (turn on/off xbox and operate XBMC all with the xbox remote - you don't even need the xbox controller) or for software and modchip developers that need to 'cold (re)boot' their xbox often.
The real tech freaks will probably prefer to build a XIR themself (code and howto is public ... on our tutorial section for example), but this pre-made XIR will allow everyone (the 'Easy Kit' doesn't even require any soldering) to enjoy it at a good price.
The XIR Easy Kit (solderless) is sold for US$23, the XIR Pro Kit (same as 'easy' but requires some soldering) is sold for US$19.75 and they ship worldwide.