CHEEZ_PUF Xbox-HQ Experienced Xbox Version: v1.1 Modded:
Joined: Jun 18, 2004 Posts: 151 Location: Morgantown, WV
Posted: Thu Jul 22, 2004 1:58 pm Post subject:
grab a broken piece of electronics. tear it open. remove the any boards it might have (make sure no power is going to it) and try to solder some of the points.
if you haven't yet, open you xbox and take a look at how small the points are. find something equally as small and practice on it. xbox-scene is another great resource. _________________ XBOX v1.1 - Philips DVD
Xecuter 2.3 Lite+ (that's a tiny d0!)
TheModGod Xbox-Hq Legendary Xbox Version: v1.1 Modded:
Joined: Apr 18, 2004 Posts: 5303 Location: Greensburg PA
Posted: Thu Jul 22, 2004 3:09 pm Post subject:
It's actually not too difficult. What I did was solder some LED's to a S-Controller to light it up. I grabbed one of my tutorials that I have collected along the way and went to town. It gave me just enough practice to understand how much solder it takes to 'tin' a wire, how much to connect this or that to a small point. I had to solder two groups of seven wires together, then each group had to be soldered to a very small point where power and ground were on the Controller. It's easier than you think!
Like Cheez said, practice practice practice and you will be ready to roll! _________________ Good Deals: Death@Hand, funkydopenloven, StaticMind, Slamscaper, PorscheXboxter
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viking24 Xbox-HQ Member Xbox Version: 1.1 Modded: Xecutor 2.6
Joined: Jul 08, 2004 Posts: 58 Location: NH, USA
Posted: Thu Jul 22, 2004 4:46 pm Post subject:
Court, just installed a xcecuter 2.3 last night using the solder method. Granted I've been soldering for years, but I've never attempted to solder anything this small, so that part was new to me too. A couple of solder tips that might be helpful (granted these worked for me but may not work for anyone) Try to find something to practice on first. try soldering some junk wires together to get a feel for how much heat/time/solder it takes.
I took the board out completely..found it easier to work on.
1. Make sure the iron is hot enough (duh!) meaning theres a point where it just starts to melt solder, but when you start touching components/solder heat gets sucked out of the iron leading to "cold joints". Also makes it harder to work the solder.
There's not really any super-sensitive chips or components near the soldering points, still dont apply the iron to the area for more than 2-3 seconds. If you cant get the bond in that time, back off for a couple of secs and let the area cool down, then try again. I had a couple of wires that were half in and I had to try a couple times to set them all the way
2. Get flux/rosin paste and a wet sponge. If it's a new iron dip the hot tip in the paste (lots of cool smoke) then start touching the tip with solder. Most will just bead up and roll off the iron, some will stick. Roll the tip on the sponge. Repeat this until most of the tip is "plated" with a thin cover of solder. This allows the solder to stick to the iron instead of just rolling onto the board.
3) Tin your wires first. Dip the exposed metal of the wire in the flux paste.
position the wire so that the iron is held underneath the wire, at roughly the same time quickly touch the wire w/ the solder. Try not to get too much on the wires.
4) use a small dab of flux on the lpc holes, where there's flux theres solder, so be neat . Insert the wire and angle the iron tip so that you heat the wire and metal on the board at the same time, dab the solder quickly where the iron and wires meet the board.
5) Now, for the dreaded d0.. take a small flat screw driver or sharp knife and trace the point by dragging the edge of the blade over it. Your scraping not cutting, dont try to shave it. Concentrate and try to scrape only the circle, not the line connecting it. Do a little at a time, you'll start to see the metal turn from silver to bronze colored.
Once you get this done try not to touch the d0 with anything (hands, food ect). Take the end of a paper clip, or any other object the same or smaller diameter of the d0, and get a dab of flux onto the end. You need very little. Carefully touch the flux to the d0, try not to get it everywhere around it. Take the d0 wire and tin it so you get a tiny ball of solder at the end of the wire.
At this point I took a breather for a few minutes....eyes hurting, hands shaking. Ok, back to it...place the wire with the solder ball on the end directly on the d0. Make sure the solder ball is pretty close in diameter, doesn't have to be perfect, but close. Touch the wire w/ the iron just above the solder ball. Dont linger with the iron, about a second is enough.
Dont move the wire when you do this. A second to cool and you should be good. give a very gentle pull on the wire it should stay in place. Tape the wire to the board ( I used silicone bathtub sealant to cover the wire and d0 point), install and set your switch. Connect video and power boot it up.
Should get 2 blue led's on th chip and green on the front switch.
Good luck!
Courthead Xbox-HQ User Xbox Version: 1.1 Modded: Xecutor 2.6
This article says I need a soldering pen instead of a soldering iron. Can anyone read over it and tell me if the things it says are accurate? What did you guys use? I already went out and bough a soldering iron, 25 Watts 120 Volts 60 Hertz. Do I need to scrap that and go buy a smaller 15W soldering pen?
viking24 Xbox-HQ Member Xbox Version: 1.1 Modded: Xecutor 2.6
Joined: Jul 08, 2004 Posts: 58 Location: NH, USA
Posted: Thu Jul 22, 2004 5:45 pm Post subject:
I did mine w/ a 40watt. What I think makes more of a difference is the shape of the iron tip. Most have a fairly steep angle where it turns into a point ]> . For work this small i prefer a tip that is more gradual in coming to a point.. like a pencil. ]=--
CHEEZ_PUF Xbox-HQ Experienced Xbox Version: v1.1 Modded:
Joined: Jun 18, 2004 Posts: 151 Location: Morgantown, WV
Posted: Thu Jul 22, 2004 8:32 pm Post subject:
terminology could be the problem.
for me, there are 2 ways to solder; with a gun (looks like a gun, you hold it like a gun, etc.) or an iron (or possible "pen," it looks like a pen, you hold it like one, etc.)
i'm sure you have the right one. _________________ XBOX v1.1 - Philips DVD
Xecuter 2.3 Lite+ (that's a tiny d0!)
TheModGod Xbox-Hq Legendary Xbox Version: v1.1 Modded:
Joined: Apr 18, 2004 Posts: 5303 Location: Greensburg PA
Posted: Thu Jul 22, 2004 8:53 pm Post subject:
Great tips...taking the motherboard out completely is a must for me! Tinning the wires too...
Everybody has their own preferences...I just use a soldering Iron. But, I have a very fine tip point that I use that really helps me out! _________________ Good Deals: Death@Hand, funkydopenloven, StaticMind, Slamscaper, PorscheXboxter
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Courthead Xbox-HQ User Xbox Version: v1.1 Modded:
Joined: Jul 12, 2004 Posts: 13
Posted: Fri Jul 23, 2004 5:10 am Post subject:
The above is exactly what I have. A soldering iron, 2 extra tips, and a pointy metal rod thign used for god knows what. I also have some electrical solder (rosin core something or other; doesn't this mean I don't need flux?).
In an attempt to find somethign to pracitce on, my friend and I disassembled my old malfunctioning stereo and went to work on one of the boards. I could see where they had pushed wires through the wholes and then soldered the joints, because the sodler was a shiny metallic color and you could see tiny lengths of wire poking out of it. There were no unfilled holes or anything, nor any spare components to solder onto it, so we just used the iron to melt some of the solder and fooled around with it a bit for about an hour. Really, that was not real practice.
To install my Xenium Ice into my 1.6, will I need to go buy my own wires? What is tinning them and will I have to do this? http://66.111.59.177/pictures/Manuals/V1.6%20Install%20Manual.pdf is the only instruction manaul I've found and it's left me with more questions than answers. Hopefully more info will come with the chip when I get it this week.
TheModGod Xbox-Hq Legendary Xbox Version: v1.1 Modded:
Joined: Apr 18, 2004 Posts: 5303 Location: Greensburg PA
Posted: Fri Jul 23, 2004 5:24 am Post subject:
Tinning is basically just treating the wire with solder prior to inserting it or soldering it to a given point.
Just dip the tip into some paste flux, or other flux if that is what you have, and then apply some solder to the exposed portion of the wire. Be careful not to get too hot, as you will end up melting the casing a little and have to clip the wire and start all over again.
Good luck with the 1.6, let me know how it goes. I have two Halo Units that I have still not opened and I am praying they are not 1.6's...HA.
later man _________________ Good Deals: Death@Hand, funkydopenloven, StaticMind, Slamscaper, PorscheXboxter
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Posted: Tue Jul 27, 2004 6:04 pm Post subject:
The chip just arrived today. There are still a few materials i need to buy and I need more soldering practice, so I most likely wont attempt to install it until tomorrow. I'll let you guys know how it goes!
Courthead Xbox-HQ User Xbox Version: v1.1 Modded:
Joined: Jul 12, 2004 Posts: 13
Posted: Tue Jul 27, 2004 6:49 pm Post subject:
Is it just me or does every guide on how to install the Xenium Ice completely skip almost ever step.
The best one I've found goes like this: (1) remove 4th pin from pinheader and put the pinheader into the LPC holes. (2) solder the pins into their slots. (3) rebuild the LPC area by soldering wires from points ABCD and E to the pins.
So you solder the pins in, and then you solder wires to the pins? Solder onto solder? How exactly does this go? Would the pad already be covered and the hole already filled by the solder? I guess having pictures of finished installs woudl be very nice, as long as they are quality photos from GOOD ANGLES.
I just want to know EXACTLY what I have to do and these guide written by people who've installed 100s of chips and just assume that every reader knows what to do on his own aren't helping.
TheModGod Xbox-Hq Legendary Xbox Version: v1.1 Modded:
Joined: Apr 18, 2004 Posts: 5303 Location: Greensburg PA
Posted: Tue Jul 27, 2004 7:03 pm Post subject:
Dude, today is your lucky day. Yesterday I uploaded a kick ass Xenium Ice tutorial.
enjoy! _________________ Good Deals: Death@Hand, funkydopenloven, StaticMind, Slamscaper, PorscheXboxter
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Courthead Xbox-HQ User Xbox Version: v1.1 Modded:
Joined: Jul 12, 2004 Posts: 13
Posted: Tue Jul 27, 2004 7:16 pm Post subject:
Hahaha thanks, thats an updated version of the one I've been using with some hlepful new additions. One part I don't understand:
"Solder the wire, first to the motherboard point, then to the end of the part of the pinheader sticking through the LPC hole. Route the wires as close and as short as possible." This is the LPC part after you've already soldered the 11 pins of the pinheader in; you do solder all 11 in, right? (There were 12 but you've removed one).
Anyway, when it says "end of the part of the pinheader sticking through the LPC hole," how exactly do you do this? Soldering wires onto the top of a pin is completely different than soldering wires into holes.
Thanks!
TheModGod Xbox-Hq Legendary Xbox Version: v1.1 Modded:
Joined: Apr 18, 2004 Posts: 5303 Location: Greensburg PA
Posted: Tue Jul 27, 2004 7:26 pm Post subject:
Yes, there are great pics in this tutorial showing you exactly where you solder the extra wires. Bet you are wishing you would have never got the 1.6 xbox about now...HA.
Hang in there, you'll be fine!!
Keep us posted man! _________________ Good Deals: Death@Hand, funkydopenloven, StaticMind, Slamscaper, PorscheXboxter
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Courthead Xbox-HQ User Xbox Version: v1.1 Modded:
Joined: Jul 12, 2004 Posts: 13
Posted: Tue Jul 27, 2004 9:37 pm Post subject:
lol i still don't know how to solder wires onto to end of the pin.
im guessing that if i put the soldering iron into the pin then the solder holding the pin in place will melt. is this true? if so, do i just stick wire into this melted solder and then remove the iron?
really, he directiosn aren't clear on how to solder the wires to the pins.
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(granted these worked for me but may not work for anyone) Try to find something to practice on first. try soldering some junk wires together to get a feel for how much heat/time/solder it takes.
