i recently bought a jtagabble xenon, along with the nand-x kit. i should be getting them in the next couple of days. but while i wait, i have been googling like a mad-man about how to install. i am also just in the process of teaching myself how to solder. i never touched a soldering iron before today. in any event, how would you best go about installation with the kit for a newbie like me? also, is flux necessary. thank you for any advice you can offer.
need advice for a beginner
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Martin C
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Before you let yourself loose on your console, pick up some cheap dead PCBs and PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE.
Search Google for soldering guides too. Make your console the LAST thing you touch, not the first!
Search Google for soldering guides too. Make your console the LAST thing you touch, not the first!
okay, thanks. i actually have a dead 360 board on hand. so i figure i practice on that as well as on a couple of broken 360 dvd drives which have pcb's.
As Martin has mentioned you'll want to practice soldering quite a bit before jumping in on your beloved JTAG. Theres a ton of people who burn up the pads which only makes things more difficult for them in the long run as the ALT points are much harder to solder. If you don't have the soldering supplies on hand head to Radio Shack and pick up a 15w iron ~ $8 and a roll of rosin core solder ~ $3 I have found that .032" solder works best. To remove the solder from the pin holes you'll also want desoldering braid or a solder sucker ~ $3-6. For the NAND wiring end of it I would use the pin headers as you can see that you have a good joint where as with the QSBs its not as clear for someone new to soldering. Flux is a good idea to have on hand and will ensure the solder flows where it should go but if you can't get your hands on any then its ok.
you must of read my mind. i do plan to go to the shack for some things. right now, all i have is a 25w iron and some lead free solder. your suggestions are appreciated.
Martin C
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Personally I think you're better with the 25W Iron. Solder (lead free especially) flows far better at a higher temperature. You should only need to touch points for a couple of seconds at a time. Practice with the 25W first but make sure you have a good enough tip.
this may sound like a very dumb question, but from looking at lots of you tube videos i sometimes can't tell whether you should solder from the bottom or top. i think it's supposed to be from the top, especially on motherboards. maybe you use the flux on the bottom. i don't know. sometimes the more you look at things, the more difficult it becomes, when it really isn't 
theagent
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Lead free solder isn't the best for beginners, you'd probably get better results from a 63/37 solder... a 25watt iron is fine though. I'd recommend picking up a bit of no-clean flux... stuff will make things very easy for you. Most solder already has a flux core, but the added flux will help the solder flow so much more easily.
If there is a hole in the board and the component has legs that go in those holes then you solder on the side opposite of the component. Look at the capacitors on the 360 board the big ones are through hole and if you look on the underside you can see the legs soldered. If there are no legs on the component then you're looking at whats known as a surface mount component (SMD/SMT) these ones you solder on the top side. The pin headers are soldered on the bottom of the board and the QSBs are soldered on the top. If you have a multimeter with a continuity mode it will really help to see if you have a decent solder joint as well as diagnose numerous circuit issues.this may sound like a very dumb question, but from looking at lots of you tube videos i sometimes can't tell whether you should solder from the bottom or top. i think it's supposed to be from the top, especially on motherboards. maybe you use the flux on the bottom. i don't know. sometimes the more you look at things, the more difficult it becomes, when it really isn't
might have to invest in a multimeter too. but i don't want go too heavy just yet. lol. but i am going to take this slow and practice on other things before the real enchilada.
Yeah just get the basics for the time being. Just a tip if you have a sears in your town you can get a decent multimeter on Black Friday for rather cheap providing you're willing to deal with the hordes of people.
I just went through this process myself recently (2 weeks ago). I've soldered wires before, but never a PCB.
One thing I would suggest, if you use the QSB's, find out which points you will be soldering and build a bump of solder. That is, before you stick the QSB's down, apply copious ammounts of flux, tin the tip, heat the pad, and add some solder so you have a nice little hill of solder. This will help when it comes time to put on the QSB's.
Take your time. It should only be a couple of seconds (2-3) per point and then it should be done, if it is taking longer, pull back, apply more flux and try again.
Best of Luck!
One thing I would suggest, if you use the QSB's, find out which points you will be soldering and build a bump of solder. That is, before you stick the QSB's down, apply copious ammounts of flux, tin the tip, heat the pad, and add some solder so you have a nice little hill of solder. This will help when it comes time to put on the QSB's.
Take your time. It should only be a couple of seconds (2-3) per point and then it should be done, if it is taking longer, pull back, apply more flux and try again.
Best of Luck!
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Martin C
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Yep, good advice.
What I would do is pretty much the same:
1. Apply solder to the holes you're going to use.
2. Apply a little solder to the QSB points in preparation.
3. Flux both surfaces.
4. Align the board.
5. Touch each point with the iron. The solder should just flow into each other without much resistance.
What I would do is pretty much the same:
1. Apply solder to the holes you're going to use.
2. Apply a little solder to the QSB points in preparation.
3. Flux both surfaces.
4. Align the board.
5. Touch each point with the iron. The solder should just flow into each other without much resistance.
i've been practicing soldering on a dead xenon board for a few hours now. i hate to say this, but i have got nowhere. i have tried soldering/desoldering various points by way of braid, sucker, tip cleaner and can not for the life of me get to the point where i can see an opening in the hole. gonna call it a night. will try again tomorrow. sorry to disappoint all that has been giving me suggestions.
No worries its trial and error. If you're trying to get the solder out of the pin header holes what you can try and do is add a bit more solder then using the iron heat it up and use the sucker. The extra solder gives the sucker a little more surface area to work with. After you get the solder nice and hot, the surface tension of the liquid solder will pull the rest solder out of the hole. It may take a few tries to get this technique down but once you do its a breeze.
arm yourself with A LOT of patience the solder on the holes is stubborn my suggestion is put the braid an then the tip of the iron 2 second and pull an prey it will take a lot of times to get it right
This is a technique I used before I got my sucker and it works just be careful because it can cause the pads to lift off as well if you leave it on more than a couple seconds.
okay, made a little progress today thanks to all of your tips. i was able to get some of the holes for the nand-x. but i have been unable to get the last three. these seem to need major soldering skills. i have tried with a sucker, as well as braid. but the solder will not budge. to be honest, i am having difficulty using the sucker. i think i am using it correct, hold it in your left hand, while holding the iron in the right (i am righthanded). perhaps my iron is not strong enough, only using 25w. well time to get back at it. i really appreciate all the help and advice.
Yup thats how you do it and 25w is plenty for most work. Just add a bit of solder which will transfer heat to the lead free solder (eventually) allowing you to suck it up. If working with the top side of the board doesn't work then flip it upside down and try it from the bottom.
okay, got all the holes clear for the nand-x. problem is i don't have it yet any alternative way to dump? i also hope i didn't do any damage while desoldering/soldering that took me 3 days. i am afraid to plug it in only to see the RROD.
i have a question about the J2B1 points. do they also have to be desoldered like the J1D2. i believe there is like 13. from the pic they are on top i believe. i assume they do because wires probably haven to connect to each other. just want to make sure.
okay so i proceeded to solder/desolder the J2B1. got like 7 of the 13 holes done. i found the diagram that was clear that both that and J1D2 had to be clear for the nandx installation. i initially thought the J2B1 was for the jtag connection. oops, my bad
any alternative way to dump? i also hope i didn't do any damage while desoldering/soldering that took me 3 days. i am afraid to plug it in only to see the RROD.i have a question about the J2B1 points. do they also have to be desoldered like the J1D2. i believe there is like 13. from the pic they are on top i believe. i assume they do because wires probably haven to connect to each other. just want to make sure.
okay so i proceeded to solder/desolder the J2B1. got like 7 of the 13 holes done. i found the diagram that was clear that both that and J1D2 had to be clear for the nandx installation. i initially thought the J2B1 was for the jtag connection. oops, my bad
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