Xbox 360 internal USB wiring

Reamer Fanny

Anyone know of any pins or pads on the xbox 360 motherboard I could solder a sliced USB cable to give me a working USB connection I want to hook up a western digital passport internally I know it's possible with 2.5" and 3.5" sata

Myrddin

justryan wrote: »

Anyone know of any pins or pads on the xbox 360 motherboard I could solder a sliced USB cable to give me a working USB connection I want to hook up a western digital passport internally I know it's possible with 2.5" and 3.5" sata

Why not add internal SATA instead of usb? Faster transfer rate, & all the required voltages are there. You can see my one here.

TouchingVirus

Hooking up a passport internally won't get around the 16GB hard limit for USB storage. This hard limit is because of the way the console addresses USB drives, there's no way around I'm afraid. USB doesn't really adhere to the standard hard drive structure (/Content/0000000000000/) and applications like NXE2GOD won't work on it. You'll also need a SATA/IDE to USB interface inside the console too.

I don't see a reason to do what you're trying to achieve - EnterNow's suggestion is better, install the drive internally but to the SATA pins. Then you'll have an internal drive that behaves like the regular drive.

If you're insistent to do what you want to do then simply solder the spliced cable to the point where the USB port at the back meets the motherboard. You can multimeter between the 4 points on the board and the 4 pins in the port to ensure you're soldering the right wires, nobody wants +5v going astray

Reamer Fanny

TouchingVirus wrote: »

Hooking up a passport internally won't get around the 16GB hard limit for USB storage. This hard limit is because of the way the console addresses USB drives, there's no way around I'm afraid. USB doesn't really adhere to the standard hard drive structure (/Content/0000000000000/) and applications like NXE2GOD won't work on it. You'll also need a SATA/IDE to USB interface inside the console too.

I don't see a reason to do what you're trying to achieve - EnterNow's suggestion is better, install the drive internally but to the SATA pins. Then you'll have an internal drive that behaves like the regular drive.

If you're insistent to do what you want to do then simply solder the spliced cable to the point where the USB port at the back meets the motherboard. You can multimeter between the 4 points on the board and the 4 pins in the port to ensure you're soldering the right wires, nobody wants +5v going astray

I have seen the SATA method, do you have to sacrifice the DVD-drive though? If I remove the metal casing from the inside of the top-cover would this allow enough room for DVD-drive & 2.5" SATA?

TouchingVirus

No, you're soldering to the internal pins that the hard drive is connected to, not the DVD drive. EnterNow used a 1TB 3.5" drive which meant he had to sacrifice the DVD drive. You're soldering a 2.5" so you might squeeze it in

Myrddin

I sacrificed my dvd drive, something I don't miss as I use ftp for any transfers. But there's nothing to stop you just using a long SATA cable and feeding outside the case, along with the necessary voltages in an ata/sata connector, whichever your harddrive takes. That way you get the best of both worlds.

TouchingVirus

My general opinion is if you're gonna feed it outside, pick up a caddy and a 2.5" SATA drive and be done with running cables outside the box, but that's just my neatness obsession again :P

Reamer Fanny

Seems like internal SATA is best bet, I will try this out on my next mod do you have any diagrams on the wiring of SATA connection etc..

TouchingVirus

Regular hard drive isn't an option? I want pics ...thread needs MOAR PICS!

You need a +5v feed for the 2.5" drive, or a +12v feed for a 3.5" one like EnterNow. I recommend taking your +12v feed from the power socket directly like EnterNow did, or using the +5v feed for the 2.5" from the actual power connecter.

The Pinouts are as follows:

J1E1 (Hard drive Connector Port - Data and +5v)


SATA Data (Left one)


SATA Power
SATA provides for +3.3v, +5v and +12v devices, you'll need the +5v or the +12v pins depending on the drive. Pinouts below (pins 1-15, left to right)

1 	V33 	3.3v Power
2 	V33 	3.3v Power
3 	V33 	3.3v Power, Pre-charge, 2nd mate
4 	Ground 	1st Mate
5 	Ground 	2nd Mate
6 	Ground 	3rd Mate
7 	V5 	5v Power, pre-charge, 2nd mate
8 	V5 	5v Power
9 	V5 	5v Power
10 	Ground 	2nd Mate
11 	Reserved 	-
12 	Ground 	1st Mate
13 	V12 	12v Power, Pre-charge, 2nd mate
14 	V12 	12v Power
15 	V12 	12v Power

Reamer Fanny

Nice post! I am on the iPhone at the moment so tomorrow I'll sit down and take a look at it. Xbox currently has 1tb in total, 500 from maxtor external 500 from western digital 2.5"(in the hd caddy)

TouchingVirus

How does it address all the space in the maxtor external if it's connected over USB?

Myrddin

Nice post TV, handy to have that info here & easily found. Justryan, if your going 3.5", may I suggest using an SATA to Molex adapter for the power end of things. Looking at the SATA power connecter above, it could get fiddlly (wires may be small), the ATA molex connector adapter on the HDD would make things a lot easier. The drive I used too both molex & sata but not all of them are the same.

I know TV loves having the drive, but I personally havn't looked back & don't miss it at all. I still have the option of connecting it, as I ran the two drive cables outside of my 360, & into an empty enclosure (official snap in enclosure) so all I have to do is place my drive beside the 360 & connect in the two cables.

This way I was able to actively cool the GPU with the drive gone with two small ram fans, and fit a 1TB drive in all at once. As I said, FTP is the way forward

TouchingVirus

EnterNow wrote: »

Nice post TV, handy to have that info here & easily found. Justryan, if your going 3.5", may I suggest using an SATA to Molex adapter for the power end of things. Looking at the SATA power connecter above, it could get fiddlly (wires may be small), the ATA molex connector adapter on the HDD would make things a lot easier. The drive I used too both molex & sata but not all of them are the same.

I fully recommend that too, costs next to nothing and simple wiring is nice, I saw you had done that in your picture but didn't know what the adapter was

I know TV loves having the drive, but I personally havn't looked back & don't miss it at all. I still have the option of connecting it, as I ran the two drive cables outside of my 360, & into an empty enclosure (official snap in enclosure) so all I have to do is place my drive beside the 360 & connect in the two cables.

I like have the face on the front of the console. If at some point I wanted a 3.5" internal I'd install it into a gutted drive chassis to maintain the look on the front of the console. OCD neatness I also don't like wasting DL discs, they are not cheap :pac:

Myrddin

TouchingVirus wrote: »

I fully recommend that too, costs next to nothing and simple wiring is nice, I saw you had done that in your picture but didn't know what the adapter was



I like have the face on the front of the console. If at some point I wanted a 3.5" internal I'd install it into a gutted drive chassis to maintain the look on the front of the console. OCD neatness I also don't like wasting DL discs, they are not cheap :pac:

Are you referring to the little junction point thing I used? Well that was more a way of me getting 12v, 5v & ground all in one handy, easy to connect to place. I needed that because I was powering three small ram fans & the hard-drive and didn't want to solder everthing to the board (too messy). So what I did was bring one 12v feed, one 5v feed, & a ground feed and connected them to the extender box. From there on soldering wasn't needed.

DL discs, what are they? :D

TouchingVirus

EnterNow wrote: »

Are you referring to the little junction point thing I used? Well that was more a way of me getting 12v, 5v & ground all in one handy, easy to connect to place. I needed that because I was powering three small ram fans & the hard-drive and didn't want to solder everthing to the board (too messy). So what I did was bring one 12v feed, one 5v feed, & a ground feed and connected them to the extender box. From there on soldering wasn't needed.

I was referring to the 12v SATA power connector hooked to the junction box, I didn't know what was meant to be on the other end of the SATA cable but now I know it was meant be a molex 4-pin

DL discs, what are they? :D

:pac: I see what you did there :cool:

Myrddin

TouchingVirus wrote: »

EnterNow wrote: »

Are you referring to the little junction point thing I used? Well that was more a way of me getting 12v, 5v & ground all in one handy, easy to connect to place. I needed that because I was powering three small ram fans & the hard-drive and didn't want to solder everthing to the board (too messy). So what I did was bring one 12v feed, one 5v feed, & a ground feed and connected them to the extender box. From there on soldering wasn't needed.

I was referring to the 12v SATA power connector hooked to the junction box, I didn't know what was meant to be on the other end of the SATA cable but now I know it was meant be a molex 4-pin



:pac: I see what you did there :cool:

Ah I see, yep bog standard ATA molex connector. I snipped off the SATA end, placed the appropriate wires into the junction box, and connected the molex end into the drive...it buzzed into life :cool::D

Reamer Fanny

I've got a spare molex SATA connection from my last PC build, dabs.ie are selling 3tb 3.5" internal hd with a hefty price tag, I don't like the way they quote prices ex vat it's very deceiving but anyway http://www.dabs4work.ie/Communications/EmailRedirect/EmailRedirect.aspx?BR=8833&EM=ryan.freeman@live.ie&SID=3443586&ESID=FunL%2frlxRPA%3d&TGT=http%3a%2f%2fwww.dabs4work.ie%2fredirect.aspx%3fReferrerID%3doe%26trackingID%3dDell_230210%26RedirectURL%3d%2fProductView.aspx%3fQuicklinx%3d7758

TouchingVirus

Prices are ex vat because you're on dabs4work. The regular dabs.ie site includes VAT

Save some money and go for a 2TB 3.5" internal. No need for 3TB if you ask me, easy enough to swap stuff out/in as necessary with gigabit FTP

docentore

TouchingVirus wrote: »

Prices are ex vat because you're on dabs4work. The regular dabs.ie site includes VAT

Save some money and go for a 2TB 3.5" internal. No need for 3TB if you ask me, easy enough to swap stuff out/in as necessary with gigabit FTP

sorry to dissapoint you TV but 360 has 100mb/s ethernet only

TouchingVirus

Really? Well that's a genuine shocker to me, it's a 2006 design. I know I only use a 100mbps switch but I was going to run a direct line from my PC to get the nicer transfer speeds that now are impossible, don't think I'll bother anymore

Reamer Fanny

EnterNow, I presume you have a hole in the front of your Xbox 360 with the DVD drive missing? Or did you somehow glue the drive bezel & eject button to the front?

Myrddin

justryan wrote: »

EnterNow, I presume you have a hole in the front of your Xbox 360 with the DVD drive missing? Or did you somehow glue the drive bezel & eject button to the front?

I do indeed have a gap there now, I was originally planning to glue to bezel like you said, but I leave it open now as a kind of cool air intake. I split the internal fan shroud into two seperate channels, so the gpu & cpu have equal vacumn applied, and I sealed off the top of the large heatsink (cpu I think?) so that the air is pulled through it now, as opposed to over it. This way air is pulled in from the front of the console a lot more so I figured I'd leave it open. It prob makes little or no difference in reality if the truth be known, but every little helps in the battle against RROD's.

TV it's definitely 100Mbps, I've a gigabit switch connecting the Wii, PS3 & 360, and the PS3 transfer speed is so much faster. Pity really