every console modding guide WIP

[FAST6191]

I had hoped to get much much further with this before I posted such a topic but here goes.

It is summer now and I have nothing to do (evidence here: http://gbatemp.net/index.php?showtopic=52168&hl= ), so to alleviate my boredom while my wrist heals and hopefully walk away with something to show for it I figured I would write up a crash course in console modding for just about every console in current (and not so current) use. I was planning to aim it at generally knowledgeable people who may not know much of this area but are willing to learn.

Anyhow the point of this post, while I would like to believe my knowledge of the DS, GBA and more recently Wii/Gamecube is fairly good my knowledge of the rest of the consoles varies from reasonable (PS1, PS2 and dreamcast if a bit rusty) to something that could probably be improved no end in the next 10 seconds with the use of a search engine (looking at the Saturn).

For this guide I propose then that the following topics are covered:
Methods of running things other than official discs with a subsection on imports.
The guide would not be much without this and ever since I first realised how much Europe got done over imports have been top of my agenda.

Treatment of disc/rom images.
Do I have to burn with special options, region patching and how do I get them from the shiny cart/disc it comes on?

Prevalent homebrew code.
Almost every system that has homebrew has some really nice stuff (media players are good example: moonshell, XBMC, the PSP custom firmware).

Emulation of and on the system.
The on section can probably be taken in the above section but of is important: do any of you still play the PS1 or do you use a PC/PSP, what about the master system or the NES?

Rom hacking and cheating.
Following the import line, emulation was the easiest way to play translations when I started all this. Cheating is of interest to a lot of people as well.


The following consoles are detailed:
GBA
DS
PSP
N64
Gamecube
Wii
Xbox
Xbox 360
PS1
PS2
PS3
Saturn
Dreamcast
16Bit era consoles: Megadrive/Genesis (I am inclined to treat these as emulation only as most of the consoles above can emulate them to varying degrees).

(I think that is all the big ones that people tend to focus on but if I have neglected one then feel free to suggest more)

I have a guide to soldering, basic electronics/ mechanics of consoles (save laser adjustment) and rom/iso management already partially done: PDF file (I am sorry I did not feel like turning it into a forum post for this initial discussion):
http://www.4shared.com/file/17004254/ae0bc...ding101WIP.html
I have a Wii section partially done here (missing some important points and uses a great deal of first person language):
http://ezflash.sosuke.com/viewtopic.php?p=35281#35281
I can knock up a DS and GBA one in next to no time with stuff I already have.
PSP can be pulled together in fairly short order as well.
To add to this I have been planning it for a while now so I have a nice list of threads from around here and elsewhere as well as guides that I have found that discuss the PS1, PS2, Dreamcast, xbox, 360 and just about everything else.

I propose then that each section is made seperately, cross reference and stitched together over the course of a revision or two, having done similar things in the past I know they have tendency to snowball (for example someone reading the eventual document may find the fact the moonshells Windows builder provided the precursor to DLDI interesting but it really is not that important in this case, the fact that DLDI exists and allows everyone with different carts to use homebrew which otherwise would not work is important however).

Anyhow peoples thoughts, offers of info/help........

 

[larvi]

I think it would be a great resource if you could pull it off. I recently got a PSP and looked at what is available for my GC, PS2 and Xbox and found lots of info all over the place and a lot of it was out of date. Another console you may add to your list is GB/GBC, unless you were planning on putting that in the GBA section. I frequently see questions here asking about options for running GBC roms.

 

[Satangel]

I'm planning to buy a modded PS1 very soon, and I would just love to have more info on the playing of ISO's on the PS1 (like how do I burn them? do they work perfect?) and especially emulation on the PS1 (Which ones, how do they perform?)

I would be very grateful to you if you could make a topic on this!!!

Tnx in adv.

Satangel

 

[Tomobobo]

Any questions you might have for the Xbox, I'm your man. PM me and I can answer pretty much any question you have.

 

[shaffaaf27]

that would be brilliant, but i think DC modding would be one line......buy CD, burn and play

 

[ndela007]

I was interested in finding a soldering guide, as I am thinking of cracking my V4 ps2 open and "pimping my sony." Thanks for hosting such a guide

Tracking this topic and looking forward for further additions.

 

[Satangel]

Well do you think you could help us?

 

[imgod22222]

Well, i was starting to make a 'how to tin your iron/solder/install wiikey guide' but then i sorta... stopped. I'll give you my work... But I need to find it first.

EDIT: FOUND IT!

I am going to make my first-ever tut on anything. I decided to do it on soldering/ wii-modding. Mostly because i just bought a soldering iron and people told me to tin the iron. I didn't know what they meant and they didn't explain it much. Here i will assume that you have ABSOLUTELY NO prior knowledge to anything. (Except being able to read english) ATM i have no pics, however i hope to post pics, etc for the installation when i do it. (Hopefully soon!)

What you will need:
~A 15w Soldering Iron (DO NOT GET COLD-HEAT! IT SUCKS!) (DO NOT GET A SOLDERING GUN! VERY DIFFERENT!) (Try to get a small tip)
~Solder (I got rosin-core, most is. You can also get flux core for what i know)
~Flux
~Desoldering Braid
~A steady hand
~Possibly balls, if you've never done this before.
~Small wire (If you don't want to quicksolder)
~A wii modchip

~You can get these all at your local radio shack. They might have flux in the back room though, that was the case for me.
The soldering iron is for melting solder... it's what does the job. WARNING: Solder melts at a temperature around 180-190°C (360-370 °F) which REALLY BURNS! If you want a full description on solder, consult wikipedia.

~Flux comes generally in a gel form, its really stinky. The radio shack clerk i was talking to was cool about it, and he talked about how when he in school that he got solid flux and had to mix it with alcohol to give the same product. Whatever floats your boat. I got it in gel though.

~Everyone makes mistakes. Desoldering Braid lets you correct those little mistakes. To use: Find your little mistake, put the desoldering braid on the mistake (whether it be excess solder, a cold joint (a connection between two points connected by solder), etc) and put the hot soldering gun on the desoldering braid. Desoldering braid is often copper (or is always copper) and copper conducts heat quickly (so your fingers may burn, but not like 1st degree burn etc, just feel hot-pain) so the solder melts, and the desoldering braid absorbs it. Now when you want to take your desoldering braid off, lift the iron and the desoldering braid at the same time while they are still touching each other. This makes sure that solder doesn't solidify sticking your desoldering braid to what you got solder on, and lifting the desoldering braid and accidently ripping off the point at the same time.

~A steady hand, because these are really small points

~Balls, so you don't hesitate and freak out and mess up and screw yourself over, possibly bricking your wii, and spending money for another one.

~Wire, if you do not have a quicksolder modchip. What a quicksolder modchip is, is a modchip to put directly on the PCB, and the points on the modchip are close enough to the points on the PCB where you can use solder to connect them. (PCB stands for Printed Circuit Board. Its a circuit board)

~A Wii modchip, since this tutorial is mostly for wii modchips.

STEP 1 Buying the stuff
Get in the car and go. If you're lazy and have time to kill, get stuff online and wait for it to ship. Whatever the heck your preference is.
STEP2 Tinning the Iron (Assuming your home already if you left)
GO TO A WELL-VENTILATED PLACE!
All this stuff is slightly poisonous, if you do it VERY OFTEN. Lead (which is in lead-core solder) is a carcinogen. (causes cancer)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The soldering iron should have come with a little stand. Rest it on that. If you need it, get an extension cord.

Dip the soldering iron into the flux, then plug in the soldering iron. As the iron heats, your should see smoke and the flux should melt off. While hot, dip the the iron in the flux again, and it should melt the flux on contact. You are now ready to tin the iron.

EDIT: I told you I didn't finish... And I can't get the pix anymore because i don't want to open my wii to do that.

 

[Bitbyte]

Great initiative! Would be great if you'd pull this one off.

 

[ZAFDeltaForce]

Nice, just what I wanted. Thanks!