ORIGINAL XBOX PC DVD DRIVE MOD - SD-616F / SD-616T / GDR-8163 / GDR-8164

I will be updating this...

This is a tutorial to show you how to perform the cleanest wire installation to allow the following PC DVD drives to be connected to the original Xbox:

1. Toshiba Samsung SD-616F or SD-616T
2. LG GDR-8163 or GDR-8164

NOTE: For the rest of the conversion including firmware flashing, Xbox case drive modification and SD-616 drives Internal motor reverse. See the following links:

Links to be added...

1. Toshiba Samsung SD-616F - Here
2. Toshiba Samsung SD-616T - Here
3. LG GDR-8163 or GDR-8164 - Here

DETAILS:

I figured out I can use the 4 pin analogue audio output pins on the rear of the drive to output the four signals required by the Xbox to properly communicate with the drive.

REQUIRED:

1. Soldering Iron.
2. Soldering Braid \ Wick.
3. Small metal cutter \ snips - To cut the pins.
4. 30awg Kynar Wire
5. Xbox DVD drive cable - To solder to the connector pins.
6. IDE power splitter cable - To power the disc and the hard drive at the same time.
7. Analogue audio end connector with 4 pins - Can be found in old computers with IDE disc drives.

PREPERATION:

SD-616F or SD-616T

Drive Circuit Board Analogue Audio Pins:

1. Use soldering braid \ wick to remove solder from around the 4 Analogue Audio Pins on the drives circuit board bottom.
2. On the side of the drive where the pins go through the plastic, remove / de-solder the capacitor from in front of the pins to get access to the drive pins. Don't worry if the pads come off of the circuit board as the capacitor is only for the analogue audio circuit. It won't need to be re-soldered.
3. Use the metal snips to can the end of the pin legs away so they end up being a few millimetres away from the circuit board. After you have snipped them you may need to gently twist them around till they break away.
4. Tin the new end of the pins with solder.
5. Pass the 4 wires through the 4 holes and solder them to the pins.
6. Route the wires and solder them wires like in the picture below.

Capacitor to remove.

Pins cut.

Pins with wires soldered to them.

Bottom side of the board with the wires going through the old pin holes.

Whole bottom board with wires.

Analogue Audio Cable Connector:

Unless you already have new pins and the crimping tools for this connector type you will need to re-use the pins by doing the following:

1. Use a needle to remove the pins from connector socket. Push on the tab visible in the hole then pull.
2. If the pin locking tab bent downward during removal re-bend it at an angle again so that it won't come out when put back in.
3. Preferably spread, otherwise grind the wire strain reliever so that the wire is no longer being held in place. If you have to grind, grind as least as possible.
4. Rock the wire back and forth near where the cable wires are crimped in the pin until all of the wire strands break.
5. Tin the pin with solder on the same side as where the cable strain reliever was above where the wires were crimped inside the pin.
6. Insert the modified pin back into the cable connector.

NOTE: All of the connectors I've seen only have 3 pins so you will have to take a pin from a 2nd cable connector.

Xbox Disc Dive Wires:

1. Remove all of the wires from the Xbox 12 pin socket and all but four wires from the 14 pin socket. Use a pin to bend the socket tabs then pull the pin free. See Wire picture below.
2. Strip and tin a few millimetres off of the end of the Xbox disc drive cable wires.
3. Place the tinned wire so that it sits over the crimped section of the Analogue Audio pin.
4. Slide it into the appropriate hole inside of the connector. If it doesn't fit you may have to remove some solder until it does.

Xbox motherboard with dvd power 14 pin socket with connector showing wires to leave in-place.

Pic to be added...