วันพฤหัสบดีที่ 8 กรกฎาคม พ.ศ. 2553

How-To: Make an Xbox 360 laptop


The making-of How-To for the Xbox 360 laptop will be in three parts. In today's segment we'll discuss the parts list, stripping down an Xbox 360 motherboard, and modding / reattaching the DVD and hard drives. The next installment will cover case design, construction and hacking the LCD display, as well as wiring the video. Part 3 will then describe wiring all the separate parts together, troubleshooting, and finishing up the unit. Full design files will be including along the way. Let's take a look and prep to get started!

Can't make an Xbox laptop without some parts, so let's see what we'll need.

Parts list
  • Xbox 360 Premium system - Or whichever version you wish. With the Elite you could, in theory, make an HDMI-DVI converter and input that into a LCD. The model LCD we used had DVI but, of course, the XBox we used is still analog. Rats.
  • Westinghouse LCM-17x1 17-inch widescreen monitor - Same as on the first Xbox laptop we did in 2006. However, by the time we started construction on the second laptop, these have all but disappeared from the stores. Thankfully there were some still available online, namely from places like eBay. Alternatively, most 17-inch widescreen LCD monitors should work. They're plummeting in price since the 19-inch LCDs are dirt cheap these days. This monitor also gives us a sound amplifier and built-in speakers we can use. The resolution of this screen is 1280 x 768 so it fits the high def resolution of the 360 nicely.
  • Xbox 360 WiFi module - Here's half the cost of the project alone! Ha ha, we kid, we kid. But when you're making a "portable" unit, the less wires the better. I've seen these adapters sell used for as low as the "bargain" price of $75. I've heard certain model "thumb" USB WiFi adapters work, but we haven't tested any as of yet.
  • Small, flat USB keyboard - we suggest one such as this. If you can find one with a built-in USB hub that's even better since you'll actually gain a USB port by using the keyboard.
  • Male headers - These are used to interconnect things between circuit boards. You can pull them off old motherboards or buy them new. Here's a link to one on Digi-Key.
  • Ribbon cable - As usual I'd suggest the type from old floppy drives and IDE disks. However, for rewiring SATA connections it's best to have thin (as in Ultra ATA 33 and up) solid-strand wire. You can tell if it's solid or stranded by bending the cable -- solid wire cable holds its shape much better than stranded.
Tools you'll need today
  • Soldering iron. As usual we suggest a low wattage type to avoid damage to parts.
  • Desoldering iron. To remove parts, and is also useful to solder large items that the lower wattage iron can't handle.
  • Dremel tool - With the ever-important cutoff wheel to slice up things.
  • Wire clippers, small screwdrivers and tweezers - All very handy.
  • X-Acto knives - Again, quite useful for doing delicate (and sometimes not so delicate) hacking work.
  • Multimeter - Or "voltage meter", whatever you'd like to call it. Very useful for detecting circuits to discover pinouts.
Stripping down an Xbox 360 motherboard

I'm not going to cover how to take apart the somewhat Pandora's Xbox-esque 360 case since it's covered elsewhere on the 'net. We'll start by assuming you have it disassembled and down to the motherboard and drives.

Removing parts from the motherboard

We don't need to get into how to desolder in this article since we've covered it before. Some tips on removing these parts from the motherboard:
  • It is important to note that the Xbox 360 is RoHS compliant, meaning it uses unleaded solder.
  • In general it's tougher to desolder parts in the RoHS world, so for best results apply some new solder onto a pin, then heat it with the desoldering iron for longer than you normally would (so about 4 seconds) before sucking up the solder.
  • Be especially careful with pins that connect to inner ground or power planes, they're also difficult to remove. This is also true of the ground connections on a jack that connect to the main surface of the board, such as a USB jack.
  • Use a clean, brand new desoldering iron tip for best results. Heat up a pin for a little longer than normal to ensure all the solder in the through-hole is melted before you try and suck it up.

Side RoHS conspiracy theory - While we were doing the Wii Laptop hack we noticed it was very easy to desolder parts off the motherboard, unlike most other modern electronics. Could the Wii have been non-RoHS compliant, thus explaining the shortages?

The front USB ports. It connects with two rows of pins (for the USB signals) and metal tabs off the shielding on the side. The best way to get this sucker loose is to rock it back and forth slightly while heating the large metal mounting tabs. It also helps to chop off any plastic posts from the plug that are going through the board. The photo above shows the pinout for future reference. The left column of pads is port 1, the right column is port 2.

Here's one of the memory card connectors. It uses a pinout much like USB, but uses +3.3 volts instead of 5. Since these take up a decent amount of space it's best to remove them, but use the pinout above should you desire to reattach them remotely.

Next comes the top-mounted hard drive connector. Be sure to desolder all of the pins before you try and pry it off, you don't want to damage any of the thin traces on the motherboard for the data signals. We'll cover how to wire directly from here to the hard drive a little later on in this article.

One one the trickest parts to remove is the remove Ethernet / USB port. Shown above is the pinout for the USB portion of it.

To the left of this is the big audio / video port. Since this port is fairly thin it won't get in the way, and since it has so many pins it would be quite difficult to remove if you tried. Connections to it can be made via a hacked A/V cable (as with our Xbox 360 VGA hack) or by soldering to the points on the bottom of the board. More on this, as well as removing and rewiring the big power input jack, in Part 2.




Let you know Xbox 360 Error codes

Error codes?

If there is a problem with Xbox 360 the LEDs in the ring of light will flash in a particular pattern it self  leads some  insight to the problem. Certain patterns will lead  to number of error cods  which will provide further  insight to the problem.The numbered error codes  are described below  their corrospoding LED codes.

Sections 1, 2, 3, and 4 are flashing red
- The AV cable cannot be detected
/ \
\ /


THINGS TO TRY

  1. Make sure that the AV cable is correctly connected to the Xbox 360 console.
  2. Disconnect the AV cable from the Xbox 360 console, and then reconnect the AV cable to the Xbox 360 console.
  3. If the four flashing red lights continue to flash, try wiping the metal area of the AV pack with a dry cloth. The metal area is the end that plugs into the console. Wipe the metal area thoroughly, and then try the AV Pack again.
  4. If the AV cable is correctly connected but the four red lights are still flashing, substitute a different AV cable if you have one available.


Check out this tutorial!  If you are getting the 3 Red Light Fix (AKA Three Red Lights of Death, 3RLOD, Red Ring of Death, X-Clamp Fix) This link has the information you need!!

Check the secondary Error Code per the instructions in the section below

THINGS TO TRY

  1. Try restarting the console.
  2. If restarting the console does not resolve the behavior, follow these steps:
    • Turn the console off.
    • Unplug all the power and AV cables from the console.
    • Unplug the power cord from the wall socket.
    • Firmly reconnect all the cables.
    • Turn on the console.
  3. If these steps do not resolve the behavior, turn the console off, remove the hard drive, and then turn on the console. If the 3x Red LED error light is no longer displayed, turn the console off, re-attach the hard drive, and then turn on the console.
  4. Also examine the lights on the power supply. When you turn on the console, the power supply light should illuminate green even if the three lights on the RoL flash red.
Sections 1, and 3 are flashing red
- Overheating
/ \
\ /

Alternativly Overheating can be cause by the console locking up or "freezing" after a set amount of time. Lockups that occur at a specific point in a game are generally problems with the game itself and not caused by overheating.

THINGS TO TRY
  1. Let the Xbox 360 console cool.
    Note You may have to wait several hours for the console to cool enough. Do not turn on the console when the console is hot.
  2. Verify that the console has sufficient ventilation and that the fan is operating. For more information about ventilation, see the "More Information" section.
PREVENTION SUGGESTIONS
To try to prevent this problem, use the following precautions:
  • Do not block any ventilation openings on the Xbox 360 console.
  • Do not put the Xbox 360 console on a bed, on a sofa, or on any other soft surface that may block ventilation openings.
  • Do not put the Xbox 360 console in a confined space, such as a bookcase, a rack, or a stereo cabinet, unless the space is well-ventilated.
  • Do not put the Xbox 360 console near any heat source, such as a radiator, a heat register, a stove, or an amplifier.
DO NOT EVER PUT YOUR CONSOLE IN THE FREEZER OR OUT IN COLD WEATHER
Some people think that doing this might help "fix" an overheating console, in fact doing so could cause even bigger problems. Electronic devices like your console are made to function at and around room temperature, extreme cold temperatures can often cause just as many problems as extreme warm temperatures (such as overheating). Also if the console is located in a dramatically cold area while running, the difference in temperature between the hot console and cold air can create condensation which in turn will short out your console making the situation far worse. Condensation will happen more quickly if your console is overheating due to the greater difference in temperature. In short... DON'T DO IT.

A more agressive Solution to overheating is to improve the cooling system of the console. The best solution is to replace the thermal compound. If you attempt this you do so at your own risk. If you're console is still underwaranty it is recomended that you contact MS for a replacement before attempting to fix it yourself.

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Section 4 is flashing red
- Hardware Failure
/ \
\ /


The Specific Type of hardware failure can be determined by the error code displayed on the screen.
If the screen is blank or you would like additional information follow the instructions for determining the secondary error code in the section below
E45: Unknown (possibly dashboard update related)

E64: DVD Drive Error.... DVD Timeout, Wrong firmware, dvd is without f/w chip, etc.

E65: DVD Drive Error.... DVD Timeout, Wrong firmware, dvd is without f/w chip, etc. This can also be caused by the tray not being fully closed on boot.

E66: DVD Drive Error: DVD model, or version does not match that of the version expected by the dashboard. OR the firmware version on the drive is older then the firmware version expected by the dashboard. Make sure the DVD drive is of the same version originally included with the console and that it is using either the original firmware included with the console or newer.

E67: Hard Drive Error... It could be a problem with the Hard Drive itself or a problem with the internal connection to the hard drive, Try removing the hard drive and playing without it

E68: Hard Drive Error... It could be a problem with the Hard Drive itself or a problem with the internal connection to the hard drive, Try removing the hard drive and playing without it, This can also be caused by a Hard Drive Eprom Error. Some also believe this might be caused by a problem with the fans.

E69: Hard Drive Error... It could be a problem with the Hard Drive itself or a problem with the internal connection to the hard drive, Try removing the hard drive and playing without it

E71: possibly a dashboard update error, Check below in the "Console Reset Codes" for instructions. If that does not work there is no other solution and the console must be sent back to MS for repair.

E72: (not yet known)

E73: General Hardware Error: Ethernet port... this error is caused by a problem with the Ethernet port.

E74: AV cable error... There is a problem with the AV cable, try using a different AV cable. If the cable is known to be working then there is a 90% chance it's a scaler chip problem (the "ANA" or "HANA" chip connected directly to the AV cable) in rare cases it is the GPU.

E76: (not yet known)

E79: Hard Drive Error... It could be a problem with the Hard Drive itself or a problem with the internal connection to the hard drive, Try removing the hard drive and playing without it