gc-forever - Gamecube/Wii Forums

Hello everyone.
Let me introduce myself with a fex words.
I'm french so sometime it can be difficult to explain exactly what i want/need or understand.
I've made many "simple" mods on many consoles fromAtari 2600 (S-video mod) to Wii (Cyclo chip), specially 60Hz mods or country unlocking.
And now i want to try thid usefull project, the IDE-EXI adapter.

I will use (for the moment) this little tutorial :
http://www.gc-forever.com/gchdd/build.htm
,this topic :
viewtopic.php?f=23&t=538

and i hope, this chip :


I'm studying the "building the firmware" and "configuring pins" steps and i must admit i'm sometime a bit lost. The tutorial is for people that already understand programming.
I will let you know every step of my own experiment.
But if you want to let me some tips or useful links, you're welcome !!
Anyway, thank you all for all your amazing work !
See you soon.

There's this thread too.
It's full of troubleshooting spam posts , and extremely useful.

I'd suggest reading everything at least once, so you get the general idea.

btw what's that device you posted?
Cpld+1mbit flash? Some kind of flashcart?

there is a lot going on in that PCB...
a lot of those components may not even be necessary...

double check the traces for EXI compared to the pinout on this board and ensure your not running into component related issues....

might want to remove all the unnecessary components and/or solder leads to the chip side on the component pads before programming...

it's a ps2 mod I believe.

You'll need to remove the flash chip, and also most of the components. the .ucf file contains the pin mappings and will need to be updated depending on how your IDE header is soldered on to the xilinx. Take note of which pin will go where, write it down, then update the UCF file before soldering anything on.

Hello everyone !
I wanna thank all of you for answering me so quickly.

Due to lot of job at my home, i ddin't read the topic you linked to me SouLSLayeR but i hope i will study it this week-end.

@ emu_kidid, i do think too it's a PS2 modchip, a Ripper maybe.

So, this is my first question :
how do I decide the pin assignment ? if it's a Ripper, do I have to use the .ucf you gave in the archive ?

Second :
in the tutorial, there is a pic that we have to enlarge by clicking on it (the detail for IDE connector soldering). But i can't obtain the enlarge picture, and the original on the web page is not clear enough.
Could someone post this pic here in some of "high resolution" please ?

Thanks again and best regards !

it might be best to not assume which prepared UCF file to load if you dont know exactly what modchip you have...

clear off all the components on the board...and redefine the pin assignments...
that pic wont help you much because its a different modchip and the pin assignments wont match your board...

MockyLock, determine where you'll solder the IDE and EXI connections to your Xilinx first (trace the pads back to chip legs).

This is what the UCF file looks like for example:
NET "exi_clk" LOC = "P97" ;
NET "exi_cs" LOC = "P96" ;
NET "exi_in" LOC = "P95" ;
NET "exi_out" LOC = "P94" ;
NET "ide_adr<0>" LOC = "P12" ;
NET "ide_adr<1>" LOC = "P13" ;
NET "ide_adr<2>" LOC = "P14" ;
NET "ide_adr<3>" LOC = "P15" ;
NET "ide_adr<4>" LOC = "P16" ;
NET "ide_dat<0>" LOC = "P36" ;
NET "ide_dat<10>" LOC = "P64" ;
NET "ide_dat<11>" LOC = "P66" ;
NET "ide_dat<12>" LOC = "P68" ;
NET "ide_dat<13>" LOC = "P71" ;
NET "ide_dat<14>" LOC = "P73" ;
NET "ide_dat<15>" LOC = "P74" ;
NET "ide_dat<1>" LOC = "P39" ;
NET "ide_dat<2>" LOC = "P40" ;
NET "ide_dat<3>" LOC = "P41" ;
NET "ide_dat<4>" LOC = "P42" ;
NET "ide_dat<5>" LOC = "P43" ;
NET "ide_dat<6>" LOC = "P46" ;
NET "ide_dat<7>" LOC = "P49" ;
NET "ide_dat<8>" LOC = "P60" ;
NET "ide_dat<9>" LOC = "P61" ;
NET "ide_rd" LOC = "P18" ;
NET "ide_wr" LOC = "P17" ;

The names on the left like "ide_dat<9>" correspond to IDE connector pins, and the "P61" etc correspond to Xilinx legs. Some Xilinx legs are reserved for Jtag/programming the chip so be sure to either use similar to the above or look up which ones you can use.

Hello and thanks again.
So, i've finaly read almost all the topics linked at the beginnig of this one.
Here what i've listed to do:

- prepare the Xilink chip. I mean, check each trace from pin to end and be sure that nothing is connected to. When needed, I'll cut traces and drill little holes on the "copper hole" that connect to the back side. And remove the flash chip in order to get the pads to solder on.

- prepare the IDE connector. I'll use an external HDD case (like antalpromille, but i had this idea by myself, i swear ! Same as the Xilink, i will isolate each pin fromany other connection. I'll keep the power supply working of course, and keep the Power LED, but re-wire it myself.

- prepare a J-Tag cable with a connector on the Xilink chip, in order to be able to flash it or update it later. I'll use the pics from antalpromille (the PCB design) to find the good pins for flashing. I couldn't find this informations anywhere else. Maybe i've missed something on the differents tutorials.

- I think i will set the Activity LED on the GameCube Memory card itself, in order to see the activity while testing the stuff. I'll install a micro-swith to turn it off, so when i'll be sure it's working nice, i could turn the activity LED off and play quietly

And of course, i'll keep studying the different tutorials for the next seps.


I wrote you a detailed list so you can see what could be wrong, or stupid (who knows ?)
Feel free, any of you, to let me your tips and advices.
I'm very happy to have support like you all

MockyLock wrote: When needed, I'll cut traces and drill little holes on the "copper hole" that connect to the back side.

Take a look at the datasheet:
http://www.xilinx.com/support/documenta ... /ds056.pdf
On page 9, it shows the power/ground pins that are supposed to be connected together. As well as the Jtag pins for programming. The column you want to look in is TQ100 (Thin Quad 100legs).

Thank you dilav.
You may lough at me but what is the difference between VCCINT and VCCIO ?
Do they have both to be connected to 3.3v ?

Yes keep those two connected together to 3.3v, they are separate as they power separate things.

Hello, me again
Before starting soldering anything anywhere,
i'm doing a complete list of the differents pinouts (Xilink, IDE, JTAG) in order to understand well all the things to do.
And I already have two questions :

- in the datasheet of the Xilink chip (link http://www.xilinx.com/support/documenta ... /ds056.pdf given by dilav, thanks), page 9, they said that TDO for JTAG is on pin 83 of the Xilink.
but in the PCB designed by antalpromille

the TDO signal is on pin 82. I thought that the JTAG pinouts were already assigned by constructor. Maybve something i didn't understand ?

- still on the altalpromille PCB design, there is a yellow cross on pin 80. Something I should know ? I can see a cross on the emu_kidid PCB design too, but it can be something else.

Thank you all for keeping an eye on my questions.
See you soon !

Hello !
Me again !
It's been a looong time since i came here. I finally bought XC95144XL chips on ebay and made the adapter and JTAG cable
But now i cant' program the chip. I got an error:

// *** BATCH CMD : Program -p 1 -e -v
PROGRESS_START - Starting Operation.
INFO:iMPACT:583 - '1': The idcode read from the device does not match the idcode in the bsdl File.
INFO:iMPACT:1578 - '1': Device IDCODE : 00001111111111111111111111111111
INFO:iMPACT:1579 - '1': Expected IDCODE: 00001001011000001000000010010011
PROGRESS_END - End Operation.
Elapsed time = 0 sec.

I'm a bit disapointed. I hope i didn't broke anything.
Any of the operation i try give me this error.
Here what i've done:
- started IMPACT
- loaded the exi2ide.ipf from the gcide archive
at this time, i couldn't have the "program" option for the CLPD.
i had to cut/past the gc_ide.jed file from the IDE-EXIdesignfiles archive.
Now i have the "program" option but i'm stopped at this step.
Does anyone understand this error and may help me ?

EDIT:
also, when i start IMPACT, i have this message in the console screen

Active mode is BS
// *** BATCH CMD : setMode -ss
// *** BATCH CMD : setMode -sm
// *** BATCH CMD : setMode -hw140
// *** BATCH CMD : setMode -spi
// *** BATCH CMD : setMode -acecf
// *** BATCH CMD : setMode -acempm
// *** BATCH CMD : setMode -pff
// *** BATCH CMD : setMode -bs
// *** BATCH CMD : setMode -bs
// *** BATCH CMD : setMode -bs
// *** BATCH CMD : setMode -bs
// *** BATCH CMD : setMode -bs
// *** BATCH CMD : setMode -bs

in the tutorial, i can't see those information on the screen capture.

That's strange, it should work right out of the box. I'd get latest IMPACT, re-check programming cables too. What does it say when you initialize the chain and return the Id in impact?

whats your cable length?
try to keep it under 1 ft or 30cm just to make sure...

Hello and thank you for replying me so fast !
@ emu_kidid : sorry, you may laugh but i don't understand what you mean "What does it say when you initialize the chain and return the Id in impact?"
i don't know what is initializing the chain or else.
@ megalomaniac : aerf, my cable must be about 1 meter; You think it can make the programming fail ?

MockyLock wrote:my cable must be about 1 meter; You think it can make the programming fail ?

absolutely!!

1 meter??


damn...cut that thing down to 30cm and see what happens....

The cable that programmed all of the ide-exi was 1.8m long and my GC me card slot powered it all :p

I used the mem card slot to power the CPLD too.

1.8....wow

Me again !
So i cut down the cable, i think it's now the same length as the one in the tutorial.
I still have the same fail.

I tried this:

- program another CPLD : same fail (but i don't know of i wired enough VCC and GND, i will ask later).
- program with no cable at all. IMPACT ask for checking the cable (obviously).
- program with only the JTAG cable plugged (no CPLD) : i have the same fail ! i mean, same error (ID not matching).

So here is what i think : IMPACT can't see my CPLD, i must have done a mistake (i checked the wiring but...)

Here is a question : if i want to program a CPLD alone, i have to wire the 4 signal obviously, but do i have to wire all the VCC and GND legs, or can i connect only one of each ?

Thank you all

MockyLock wrote: Here is a question : if i want to program a CPLD alone, i have to wire the 4 signal obviously, but do i have to wire all the VCC and GND legs, or can i connect only one of each ?

Yes, connect all VCC together and all GND together then program.

Just to notice:
viewtopic.php?f=23&t=865&start=12
the last post, someone had the same issue, but no solution for now :/

May i ask you something ? how do you set the parallel port ? i mean, ECP, EPP or else ?

i found the problem...
stop messing with your setup and leave everything alone before you accidentally damage or break something....
ill try to post workaround as soon as i can come up with a working "verified" solution...


if anyone has successfully programmed your own ide-exi, please pm me or look for me on IRC...ill need a few files sent to me from your PC with a proven, tested, impact installation....

thanks