[MOD] Aladdin XBlast

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So I built a card reader style modchip holder to put the aladdin chip in and program via jtag out of some perfect board it's a really simple thing I was just hoard and did not want to solder 6 wire for every chip I flash, anyhow I want to add an activity status led but I'm not sure if or where to add it at. Any ideas or if it's even possible with the wires available up there?

Originally I was thinking LED and resistor between the vcc and the ground but I don't think that would show activity just power.

 

Nice setup, I might do something similar. Soldering wires on those pads takes time.

For the activity LED, I would suggest soldering on TDO as it's the signal line for the data that goes from the CPLD to the JTAG adapter. If you have some activity on this, you know the CPLD is being interfaced. I don't know how much activity you'll get during the programming phase but you'll get plenty during verification.
TCK will constantly oscillate during the whole sequence but that might just translate into a constantly dimmed LED light instead of a blinking one.
TMS is a bit erratic, will most likely produce blinking behavior most of the time but it might stall in a certain state while running the SVF.
TDI is the inverse of TDO, will show much activity on programming, not so much on verification.

It's up to you to decide but whatever, use a transistor to power the LED. Don't hook it directly onto a JTAG signal line. You might introduce communication issues due to excessive power drawn from the LED.

 

I used a soic8 clip, then sanded down the corners to make it close more.

Will post a pic of my setup, but only cost like £1.5 and a little bit of filing

 

I was thinking something like a pci-e 1x slot might do the trick, the gaping on the jtag pads are really close I had to bend the pins in that header to match the layout and the chip dosent fit as snugly as I feel it should, I'm going to keep my eyes peeled for parts so I can make it fit more like a cartridge in a slot that would make for a more secure connection I would think.

@Bad_Ad84 would love to see your design for ideas and @bennydiamond thanks for the led suggestion I have no idea what lines I could possibly tap for an activity led as I'm not sure what all of then do.

I'm going to write the cpld tonight then flash a chip and test from there once the slot programmer is confirmed to work like it should I'll make alterations to the concept and see if I can't achieve what exactly I'm after.

OK so for example to implement an led if I were to use let's say the TDO line I would go TDO wire on bottom of board --> transistor ---> Resistor? --->LED ----> TDO line on chip holder?

 

Here is what I use. Also an unmodified soic8 adapter for comparison.

 

Now that is neat what are the clamps called? I need this in my life lolol

 

Bad_Ad84 already stated what the clamp is called "SOIC8" - better SOIC8 test clip.

Google it to see a wide range of prices!

SOIC8 pin pitch (center to center) is 1.27mm (0.05in) instead of the standard 0.10" spacing of the LPC pin header. There are pin headers available with the same 0.05" (1.27mm) spacing but at 1/2 the center-to-center pin pitch and construction of mixed pitch 0.10" and 0.05" projects -- protoboards are ???.

 

Thanks for the spacing info in had no idea what any of it was it will give me a better idea of achieving what I am after

 

I've not measured the distance between the JTAG pins on the Aladdin XT plus 2 to verify the spacing.

The Aladdin XT's LC4032V CPLD, a 48-pin thin quad flat pack (TQFP48), has a pin pitch of 0.5mm.

 

It doesn't match the Soic spacing. But seeing as there's 3 pins, it's close enough to work.

I use this for all my aladdin upgrades

 

Sooo....getting ready to try to program the cold and I have a couple questions regarding this process

1) I'm using a lattice programmer ( a lattice HW-USBN-2A to be exact) does the vcc line on this programmer provide the voltage I néed to write the cpld? (I'm guessing so I'm jist double checking.

2) the Aladdin_XBlast.svf file in the op of this thread is dated 12/14/2015 and the thread was created earlier this year (2017) I just want to double check and make sure this is the most recent and stable SVF to write to the cpld at risk point.

3) what lattice software should I use to write the cpld? I downloaded Diamond x64 3.10.0.111.2 to use, will this be suitable for my needs?

Thanks in advance for the advice/help hope to be off to programing my chips tonight, and it's the first time I've actually done something with a jtag programmer aside from a 360 jtag so I jist wanted to check double check and recheck everything along the way

 

Code:

            Lattice Semiconductor Corporation.
            Diamond Programmer Diamond (64-bit) 3.10.0.111.2 (Database V3.8.0)



System Information:
-----------------------------------------------------
 Microsoft(R) Windows(R) 8

 64-bit

Connected to Lattice Cable Server.
USB V2.0 detected.

Lattice HW-USBN-2A cable detected on USB Port.
However, the board power is not turned ON.

hmm not sure i understand why this says the power is not on when the power light is on on the device, the instructions for my device say that my programmer should not need any external power, do i need external power somehow and if so where do i apply it? the only place i know of to apply power is the 3.3v spot on the jtag pads.....or i guess the 3.3v spot on the pin header when its installed on the xbox.

 

been threw everything i can think of even ran the ispVM software threw a virtual machine on windows XP as well as switched the usb cable and everything else even tried using a powered USB hub....i really dont get it this programmer is supposed to be able to supply the voltage up to 5v from everything i have read and the power light is on when it is connected.......anyone have any ideas what to do with this? below is my log from ispVM as well just for reference

Code:

        Lattice Semiconductor Corporation
        ispVM® System V18.1
        Device Database V18.1.1


System Information:
-----------------------------------------------------
 Microsoft(R) Windows(R) XP(TM) Service Pack 3
 AMD A8-4500M APU with Radeon(tm) HD Graphics 1896MHz


USB V2.0 detected.

11/03/17 07:46:55  ispDOWNLOAD cable detected on USB Port.
However, the board power is not turned ON.

USB V2.0 detected.

11/03/17 07:47:01  ispDOWNLOAD cable detected on USB Port.
However, the board power is not turned ON.

USB V2.0 detected.

11/03/17 07:47:45  ispDOWNLOAD cable detected on USB Port.
However, the board power is not turned ON.

 

Do you have power connected to the modchip's 3.3V line (the device power)?

In bennydiamond's homebrew programmer, Vcc provides power to the device being programmed separate from the PCs power supply. You could tap off the PC's 3.3Vdc supply to power the CPLD. I'm guessing that the Aladdin XT plus 2 modchip is not installed in the Xbox when reprogramming it. You have to provide the power (3.3Vdc) and ground connections.



Lattice HW-USBN-2A Vcc and GND Connections
Vcc (red) wire coming out of the programmer is an input from the device as is the ground - GND (black) wire:
From Page 3 of Lattice Semiconductors' UG48 - Programming Cables User's Guide

Wire Color - Red
Programming Cable Pin - Vcc
Name - Programming Voltage
Programming Cable Pin Type - Input
Description - Connect to Vcc or Vccj plane of the target device. Typical Icc = 10 mA. Your board design supplies the power for Vcc. Note: This may not be the same as a target device’s Vcco plane.

Wire Color - Black
Programming Cable Pin - GND
Name - Ground
Programming Cable Pin Type - Input
Description - Connect to ground plane of the target device

 

So in other words power the pin on the chip that uses the 3.3v (or am i using the 3.3v pad on the jtag pads to provide voltage?) when installed on the xbox if I'm following correctly, kinda like flashing g the 360 NAND and needing it plugged in? I'm using a laptop to do this with so I'll have to sort out some other way to pull the voltage I guess, I have a few desktop psu's laying around and have been wanting to make a power supply to use on my work bench sounds like a good time to do that I guess

 

It should be powered by the programmer. You may need to enable target power supply in the software

 

i was looking for an option to do that as well but im not very familiar with this program at all what so ever nor do i see a place to add voltage anyplace in the settings or options.

From reading the above and from my understanding of all the information gathered so far vcc does not = 3.3v and aside from vcc i have no power lines coming from my ispDOWNLOAD cable so im going to guess that the 3.3v and gnd pads on the JTAG pinout for the aladin chip need to be supplied by an external power source?

It's not a major issue if I have to supply gnd and 3.3v separate I suppose I forgot I have an external power supply on my rework station and some banana plugs in my parts bin, i would just disconnect the vcc (which i have running to the JTAG pin as 3.3v) and gnd from the programmer and use this instead.

 

I don't think the Lattice programmer works that way. The programming voltage for the device has to be supplied by the user or from the board the device is installed on (the modchip/Xbox).

And, reading the LC4032V's datasheet states that it can be reprogrammed in-circuit. Thus, I take that to mean the modchip can be plugged into the LPC debug port of the Xbox while programming the device (LC4032V). I'm not sure if there's a separation of Vcco0/1 (power supply pins for each I/O bank) and Vcc (logic core and JTAG port) on the Aladdin XT plus 2.

Make sure that the XBox GND is tied to the power supply GND before powering on the Xbox. The Xbox's power supply floats. There is no Earth ground as a PC or bench power supply will have using a 3-prong A/C power plug.

 

OK I'll give it a shot that way then I suppose I'm running out of ideas here lol, disconnected the vcc wire from the +3v pad on the chip and the ground from the chips solder pad and tied those to the bench power supply and that didn't do me any good either.




I also found a setting to force the programming even with errors (or to at least try to program it anyway) the error log is attached (it wont let me quote it it is to long)


going to solder the wires to the chip directly and cut out my proto board idea for now and put the chip on the pin header plug in the xbox and NOT turn it on and try that route as proposed in the previous post and see where that gets me if anywhere......

going to solder these wires to these pads on the chip (just for reference/documentation purposes)

VCC wire ---> 3.3v chip pad
TDO wire ---> TDO pad
TMS wire ---> TMS pad
GND wire ---> GND pad
TCK wire ---> TCK pad
TDI wire ---> TDI pad

lets see if any of this changes my luck?

 

Is the Vref pin connected? That's how that Lattice cable sets the IO level.