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[McGeyser]

Anandtech's article and picture of the flashable(?) Bios chip.

What do you guys think? Is this what we have been waiting for?

[pug_ster]

I wouldn't be surprised if the 16MB flash is for its dashboard.

[McGeyser]

If the chip is flashable, what does that mean overall?

The article states the 128M chip is for OS and other necessary software (Bios?).

[McGeyser]

Every mainboard has a bios. You guys say this mainboard needs no I/O instructions?

This is a brand new design, they would not leave the option for Bios correction or possible HD-DVD revisioning?

[BCfosheezy]

QUOTE(Avenger 2.0 @ Nov 19 2005, 11:57 AM)

Likely kernel, dashboard (both compressed) and some configuration space.

[acemilo]

Yes it has a tsop, but it holds the dashboard and live info since the xbox has to work without its hd.  The bios is most likely stored on the processor making hacking it that much more difficult.  To put it in perspective, nintendo did something similar with the gamecube, and subsiquently it took 4 years for a chip to appear for the gc.

[BCfosheezy]

QUOTE(acemilo @ Nov 19 2005, 03:48 PM)

Yes it has a tsop, but it holds the dashboard and live info since the xbox has to work without its hd.  The bios is most likely stored on the processor making hacking it that much more difficult.  To put it in perspective, nintendo did something similar with the gamecube, and subsiquently it took 4 years for a chip to appear for the gc.

[McGeyser]

I agree that the TSOP mod won't be as easy as the buffer overflow with some games that we are used to. I am merely stating that this flashable chip seems like the first break point.

[Avenger 2.0]

Maybe the encryption key is different for each console. So when one taps the interface and finds the key, it can't be used on another Xbox.

[deadparrot]

Unfortunatley, that is very possible.  I guess we'll just have to find a unified way of getting this code, much like using an EEProm reader, except tap into the signal directly as you change something within the dashboard, such as a video setting, seeing as at that point, the flash would be written too, and therefore temporarily decoded.

[steblublu]

QUOTE(Avenger 2.0 @ Nov 21 2005, 09:05 PM)

Maybe the encryption key is different for each console. So when one taps the interface and finds the key, it can't be used on another Xbox.

[TheSpecialist]

QUOTE(steblublu @ Nov 21 2005, 11:00 PM)

RAM is volitile -so any key stored in it would be wiped out when power was turned off.  

Of course, but I meant that the CPU would load the data from the TSOP to its internal memory. That way the encrypted data would be transferred to the CPU, CPU decrypts it and executes it, all done internally, so no busses to tap and simply no way to get the decryption key. But like I said, I'm not into hardware, I don't know if such internal executable memory can be build into the CPU.

[deadeyes989]

i think each TSOP does have the basic bios, or at least some part of the main boot sequence, and it IS writeable, since M$ has an algorithm (i cant spell) to get into it. Most likely each xbox 360 has a different password based on math done with the serial # (or something) to create a final password. I mean im not a real uber geek, but i think some form of formula has been devised that all they do is put the consoles serial # (or something) into a special M$ formula and it creates the password to "unlock" the console. For new dash updates, repairs when sent in, etc.

[lordvader129]

i doubt the bios would be held on the 16mb flashrom, im sure its got its own ROM on the board somewhere, probably on an OTPROM, this proved an effective deterrant for the xbox 1.6, i dont see why MS wouldnt keep par

[deadeyes989]

QUOTE(lordvader129 @ Nov 22 2005, 06:04 AM)

i doubt the bios would be held on the 16mb flashrom, im sure its got its own ROM on the board somewhere, probably on an OTPROM, this proved an effective deterrant for the xbox 1.6, i dont see why MS wouldnt keep par