Gooday Gaming Guests - 01-05 Original Xbox many Motherboard Revision Boot Process

Episode Date: December 22, 2024

There is a 1.2 and 1.6B

All right, so today on a cold Sunday, we're going to do original Xbox, the 01 through 05. So that's 2001 through 2005. I always say it that way because that way you know it. I'm not talking about Xbox One. So we know there's a 2001 through 2005. Has the original model, which is the 1.0. It has a little fan that makes lots of noise then there's a 1.1 that doesn't have the fan and then there's like a 1.3 or 1.4

the 1.1 also and 1.0 has a straight line power supply and then you get to the 1.3 and 1.4. I'm not sure what the exact number of that is. But it's a double row power supply. And again, it doesn't have that fan. So it's a different design. On the 1.3 and 1.4. And then finally was the 1.6. Which was also a double row power supply.

However, it's different it's either delta d or um tuscany whereas the 1.3 1.4 double row power supply is delta, a big difference. So let me go to my buddy here and we'll get some boot up action. I was listing a lot of stuff for my 600 XL this morning. Kinds of fun parts for that. Okay, so now we wanna go to the boot process. Some point it's gonna tell me I'm on out of memory again so i want to clear some so we've been doing a boot process it's been fun now we're going to go to i don't know if I can... key... Oh, package command.

Okay, so now we're gonna do 2001 original bitch Xbox 1.0 motherboard boot

process Let's see what happens. boot process. Let's see what happens. Let's see what we get. The original Xbox 1.0 motherboard boot process released in 2001 involves initializing its custom hardware and enforcing its security mechanisms to verify and execute the operating system and game software.

Here are a detailed overview of the boot process. So, this should be significantly different than what we've done with the other systems. Because now we're on Microsoft. So let's see. Oh, I didn't realize that. This has an Intel Pentium 3- cpu didn't know that actually it was just i just found me a cool windows 98 computer made for windows 98 that's actually uh pentium 3 so this is intel pentium 3 based CPU and NVIDIA MCPX media communication processor. Start execution when the Xbox is powered on. The MCPX is responsible for handling security and hardware initializations during the boot process. So the MCPX Execution ROM Code.

The MCPX has a small embedded ROM chip containing the first stage bootloader. This bootloader initializes basic hardware such as CPU, RAM, and GPU. It reads and verifies the second stage bootloader stored on the system's TSOP, thin small outline package flash memory. I always like all those little abbreviations, it's funny. Checks for tampering with the system's hardware or software so we know that original xbox is so many different mods out there so they didn't really do too good of a job trying to stop that so the tsop execution second stage bootloader the second stage bootloader resides in the Xbox one megabyte

TSOP flash memory and is encrypted to ensure only authentic Microsoft code runs. This stage initializes additional hardware components including the hard drive and other disk drives decrypts and verifies the Xbox loads the kernel into RAM here's his kernel kernel initialization initialization the Xbox kernel is the core operating system of the console upon uploading the kernel initializes higher level hardware features like video encoder to output the TV and audio systems. It checks the integration of the connection hard drive and configures it for use. It prepares the system for either dashboard or game disk security checks you see you so all right security checks the Xbox has several layers of security to prevent on the unauthorized code execution. Alright, so... The Xbox has several layers of security.

Cryptographic verification. The MCPX verifies the kernel's integrity and ensures it hasn't been modified. Hard drive locking. The kernel checks for unique encrypted key

that ties the hard drive to the motherboard. Which has the Xbox Ones and Xbox 360. It's the disk drive, drive board that's connected. Disk. Game disk authorization

all right see we're at now execution if no disk is inserted the system boots to the dashboard dashboard allows managers to file settings. If a disk is inserted, the kernel verifies the disk, game disk, and if valid, loads the game. The game then initializes its own code, taking over the control of the hardware. Key Features of the Xbox Boot Process Hard drive dependency. The original Xbox requires a functional hard drive to boot properly. A failure to verify the hard drive or its key results in an

error screen. Locked hard drive. Each hard drive is encrypted and tied to the console using a unique key. This prevents swapping hard drives because consoles without between consoles with modifications but again we've been know how simple it is to change region lock the system enforces regions specific content restrictions for both games and DVDs. TSOP modding potential. The 1.0 motherboard features a larger TSOP chip which hackers later exploited to run custom firmware and unsigned code. I'd like to learn how to do stuff like that. Hardware specific notes for the 1.0 motherboard GPU and CPU use a custom Nvidia GPU in the Intel Pentium 3 CPU clocked at 33 megahertz power supply motherboard with

a separate power supply which is prone to capacitor aging and failing and clock capacitor early motherboards include a clock capacitor for maintaining the clock but the capacitors are known to leak need to be replaced so a boot summary boot on the MCPX initializes hardware and loads TSOP TSOP execution then kernel initialization security checks dashboard and game the original Xbox boot process reflects Microsoft focus on security hardware integrity okay says is what is is 1.1 any different different different booting it's different chips I know this is Focus chips. I think it's 1.3. Any difference?

Booting? 1.1. Let's see. The 1.1 introduced minor hardware revisions compared to the 1.0. Let's see. The difference between 1.1 and 1.0. I'll remove the fan. Fan header.

Yeah. This had no effect on booting limits. It did something else. Applications for modding. Also, let's see. So 1.1. I'll do a brief overview of what it's saying here. Boot similarities.

GPUs, same same looks like now it's out that at one point here we go it's TSOP chip I know you saw if it was it's often smaller in size compared to the one on model one power supplies ships an updated power supply less prone Delta and Fox and power supplies failure then the Delta and Fox links while this doesn't affect booting like 1.0 has used a clock capacitor soft monitor methods so TSO P small TSO P made limited mounting options compared to the 1.1 1.0 depending on the chip soft modding methods such as save exploits assault card would identify work dentically on 1.1 or 1.0 okay that's kind of so let's go now to 1.3 and 1.4.

Alright, so we're going to go to 1.3 and 1.4 continued. Trying to hit them all. Alright, so let's go up here for a little bit. It goes way past and I've got to go back and figure out where we're at. There we go. So the Xbox 1.3 and 1.4 motherboard continued in the trend of hardware revisions. Let's see. Boot process identical to the early versions.

I don't know whether I need to redo that. Key hardware differences between 1.3 and 1.4. I know that had the Focus chip and the Covent chip on it. I don't know. The process remains unchanged. There's some difference between 1.3 and 1.4.

So the 1.3 had MC PX X2 chip same as the other one as the one point one way to improve power supply that now we're one point three one point four into the double row power supply which can also be dealt on fox link yeah It says the TSOP flash memory configuration is considered consistent with the 1.2 earlier model.

I don't know. So there is a 1.2. There's the Focus chip. So new Focus video encoder. The 1.4 motherboard introduced the Focus FS454 encoder replacing the Conavex encoder found in earlier versions this effect

video output quality slightly but the boot remained the same so the focus chip wasn't as good interesting some users report better sharpness with the focus encoder while others prefer the Convanex. The T-SOP flash memory on the 1.4 remains similar. Power supply, the clock capacitor issue persisted in this version as well. Soft modding methods are unaffected. Of course the TLSOP modding is similar. Video code difference. The switch to focus encoder in the 1.4 model does not affect the modding. But I think a lot of people wanted that

chip boot process it's identical 1.2 i mean 1.3 1.4 key change to 1.3 increment power circuitry improvements key change to 1.4 introduction of that focus chip okay so now let's go to 1.4 introduction of that focus chip. Okay. Now let's go to 1.6. Let's see what we got. That should be like the final version. Yeah, the final hardware. Here it goes. So we'll play around 1.6 here. We'll just do this today.

Yeah, I'll be bothered. Alright, so the Xbox 1.6 motherboard, the final hardware revision for the original Xbox, introduced more significant changes compared to earlier versions, primarily aimed at further reducing manufacturing costs and improving system security. These changes slightly impacted modding possibilities

but did not alter the boot process which remains consistent with previous versions so booting is basically the same didn't see anything about our chip being changed 1.6 mcps has a t TSOP flash chip. Kernel does its thing. Security checks, dashboard. Here we go. So key hardware differences in the Xbox One 6. While the boot process remained unchanged, the One 6 introduced significant hardware changes.

So if you look at a One 6 motherboard, it looks completely different than the other ones and have those like extra chip spots it has a mcpx x3 chip for more security it removed the tsop flash modding capability the xbox 1.6 no longer includes the ATSOP flash chip. Instead, the BIOS resides on a write-protected EEPROM chip that cannot be flashed or rewritten. Interesting.

A lot of people like the 1.6. I haven't sold any in a while, but usually 1.6 is... Either buyers hate them or they love them one or the other the x caliber video coder replaced the focus in connexant encoders found in previous version this chain impacts impacts video output quality slightly does not affect the boot process so the chip was worse the X

caliber encoder generally offered compatible performance to the earlier focus the X-Power 1 introduced a redesigned power supply the 3 by 3 3 by 3.3 volt standby line was removed that's why Remember you can only use Delta D or Tuscan in those requiring adjustments to certain modern modern techniques especially for installing mod chips. While the clock capacitor issue persists, power supply change improved overall reliability so for only region locking unlike earlier versions the region locking mechanism in the 1.6 is implemented entirely through software simplifying some region free modding techniques.

Impact on modding. The TSOP modding disabled. The lack of the TSOP flash chip in the 1.6 prevents TSOP modding entirely. Users may rely on soft modding and modchips to bypass system security. Modchip installation challenges. The redesigned power circuitry on the 1.6 requires modchips to be compatible with the new hardware layout. such as Aladdin X T plus 2 and Executor 2 slash 3

were updated to work with the 1.6 motherboard. Soft mounting is still viable. Soft mounting via some game exploits, siphon filter, works the same as in earlier models.

Softmod remains the primary method of running unsigned code on 1.6. So 1.6 boot summary. What's powering on? There's a boot execution, boot 0, and a boot 1. The kernel does its thing security checks key differences remove the tsop flash chip eliminates so tsop my new video encoder x caliber and that video output slightly but does not affect the boot process so the video chips got worse because they were cheaper. Redesigned power supply requires mod chip adjustments for compatibility. Increased security with the MCPX

X3. The 1.6 remains fully functional for gaming and multimedia but introduces changes that reflect Microsoft's effort to close vulnerabilities and reduce costs in the final hardware version. So that would be, so that's pretty much all. This says there's a 1.2. What's a 1.2? There is a 1.2. There's a 1.2. There is a 1.2.

There is a 1.2. Yes, the 1.2 motherboard exists through its mirror reversion compared to the earlier version. So there is a 1.2. It uses the X2 like 1.2 so there is a 1.2 uh it uses the X2 chip

I'll just breathe this quick that still has a TSOP it must be the Covance chip I'm trying to see which TSOP oh yeah so this is so the so it has the CONEX

CONEX CX25871 video encoder. It's retained from the earlier versions. This encoder supported standard def TV output 480 and high def modes up to 7. So that's a significantly better video chip 720 in 1020 the motherboards has changes clock capacitor was the same you can mod those like the others soft modding my chips you could use all right so I'm says it was it was there a second version of 1.6 so a second version of 1.6? Yes. There was a second version of 1.6.

Commonly referred to... I know someone said that to me. Let's read about that too. I don't know. I don't know why. It's spitting out. The only way I learn all this stuff is from sitting here doing this so I can kind of read it

so there was a second version of 1.6 commonly referred to as 1.6b introduced later in the production of the cycle often just called 1.6a the difference between 1.6 and 1.6b, there were some key distinctions.

EPROM type, the 1.6b used a slightly different EPROM configuration. The changes did not affect the boot press. The 1.6b motherboard features further revisions to the power circuitry to reduce manufacturing costs capacitor adjustments mean minor adjustments to capacitors on the motherboard to improve reliability however the infamous clock capacitor issue persisted so they all had that other problem updated the mcpx x3 chip a little bit. Boot price is 1.6.

It's identical to 1.6A. B and A are the same security. Let's see what else we can do. Impacting modding. The changes in 1.6B are both slightly impacted modding compatibilities. Soft modding was still okay. Most mod chips would work

the TOSP remained impossible on both because there is no chip there 1.6 is a minor revision to 1.6a 1b to a everything remained the same for the booting

and then 1.6b represents Microsoft's final revision of the original Xbox hardware before the system discontinued that's it I know somebody told me that there was a 1.6 B and I wasn't sure if there was a 1.2 but there is and it's like the early ones with the deconics and chip is the best all right so that's a little boot process of those and then tomorrow i'll pick i'll figure out something else to do next all right so i'll talk to you guys later all right bye