360 Slot Loading DVD Drive

RDC · Post by **RDC** » Sat Nov 22, 2008 2:51 am

Hey all, just wanted to show the slot loader I've been messing with. This is an old iMac I had sitting around doing nothing, so I decided to put it thru some extensive hardware altering. This is by no means a slot loader made to work with the 360, but more a 360 drive crammed into the slot loader.

The thing started off life as a CRN-8242B from an iMac..

Then the 'fun' began. Here are the original 'guts' of the drive..

..and then after installing the sled mechanism from a Hitachi drive..

Early testing of the drive, the breadboard has a circuit made up to get the 'disc load' and 'disc in' signals to work like the 'open/close' switches of the original tray loading setup, nothing real fancy, just a 555 used as a one shot and a few Transistors..

Video of it loading/ejecting..

Video of it booting PGR3, ya can hear the M$ logo sound right at the end of the video..

Switch board made up so there's no huge breadboard sitting on the 360 all the time.

Switch board installed and the completed drive..

Latest video of it working with the case installed, just have to mess with the faceplate and it'll be done.

A few more details and pics in the original thread at XS if yer interested.

http://forums.xbox-scene.com/index.php? ... 66828&st=0

techknott · Post by **techknott** » Sat Nov 22, 2008 6:18 am

Thats really good work.

Dark-Aries · Post by **Dark-Aries** » Sat Nov 22, 2008 7:19 am

damn that's so sick...question though..the DVD drive is still the same one that the 360 came with right? Otherwise the discs wouldn't load...correct? And can this also be done with any 360 DD or no...

Post by **Black Six** » Sat Nov 22, 2008 7:52 am

Dark-Aries wrote:damn that's so sick...question though..the DVD drive is still the same one that the 360 came with right? Otherwise the discs wouldn't load...correct? And can this also be done with any 360 DD or no...

Yes, he said he took the guts from the 360 drive and modified it to work with the slot-loading mechanism.

Awesome stuff!

RDC · Post by **RDC** » Sat Nov 22, 2008 8:15 am

Thanks all.

Dark-Aries wrote:damn that's so sick...question though..the DVD drive is still the same one that the 360 came with right? Otherwise the discs wouldn't load...correct? And can this also be done with any 360 DD or no...

It's the sled assembly and Logic board from a Hitachi (v59) 360 drive, all I've basically done is adapt the slot loader top half, as that's where all the activity takes place, on top of a 360 drive, while also having to stuff 360 parts into the slot loader chassis, it's a mess.

Right off I'd say it can be done with any of the 360 drives, though each setup is going to have it's complications. For my next one I'd like to use a BenQ and possibly a PS3 slot loader, unless someone has other plans. I honestly don't care for making up another Hitachi/Apple one again as I've already done it and would prefer the challenge of something at least a little different for the next one. I've had the idea rattling around upstairs of using something like a 100 disc carousel player for awhile.

Post by **bicostp** » Sat Nov 22, 2008 10:03 am

Nice job! I wonder if this will find its way into any Xbox laptops...

I have to admit my brain went "uh-oh" when I saw you pulled a slot-loading CD-ROM drive, though.

Moving to News because it's basically done, and where it can get all the attention it deserves.

themadhacker · Post by **themadhacker** » Sat Nov 22, 2008 10:09 am

Nice slick mod!

khaag · Post by **khaag** » Sat Nov 22, 2008 10:24 am

That's hell cool. Good job.

Post by **Sparkfist** » Sun Nov 23, 2008 8:37 am

That's a cool 360 mod, very slick. That's one unique mod. Great work, great job.

Animedude101 · Post by **Animedude101** » Sun Nov 23, 2008 9:40 am

sweet mod

Mario · Post by **Mario** » Sun Nov 23, 2008 10:44 am

You were Hack-a-Day'ed, in case you didn't know.

Wonderful modification. It looks amazing.

Turbo Tax 1.0 · Post by **Turbo Tax 1.0** » Sun Nov 23, 2008 12:12 pm

awesome mod
one of the cooler 360 mods if you ask me

Kyo · Post by **Kyo** » Sun Nov 23, 2008 1:01 pm

You make it look so easy. I love it.

Bigmac · Post by **Bigmac** » Sun Nov 23, 2008 1:24 pm

This is so boss.

RDC · Post by **RDC** » Sun Nov 23, 2008 2:01 pm

Once again Thanks all, and a little update on the faceplate.

I figure if there's no tray, there may as well be no Eject button too, and while I was messing around with the Bondo I didn't stop at the Sync button either. It's still in the pretty early stage, but ya can get a rough idea of what it will look like.

What am I planning on doing for those buttons? Well right now it's a toss up between something new (at least for the 360 anyway , <- That gives it away IMO) and something else that I haven't thought up yet if it doesn't work out how I have planned, so we all get to sit back and watch this one unfold or tank big time while I wait for the parts to show up for the one idea. Either way it's just a faceplate and not a huge deal if it goes south and has to go back to the near stone age use of the buttons to work, but I am after changing that, at least somewhat.