X-Band Revival Project
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TO MAKE AN XBAND MODEM INTO A DEV SYSTEM / DEBUGGER
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Description: Xband dev system more or less is a system where the modem has the communication
cable hooked to a pc and the rom is replaced on the modem (which contains the Operating system/ GUI for xband) the rom is replaced with a flash rom which you then uploaded a MODIFIED VERSION of the stock xband OS rom with the debugger INJECTED into the rom. At this point i am unsure if the rom is included with these files in dev_c.zip and xband.zip which was obtained from david ashley (a former game patch creator for xband on genesis)

Once the rom is uploaded the pc can control the xband via a program (not sure which program but assumed its one from dev_c.zip)once the terminal/debugger is started the rom on the modem can be reflashed with a file on the pc which is sent through the debugger/terminal software. then a patch can be sent to the modem SRAM as well and then through the debugger you can execute a command to jump to the patch which then takes over (since it is a program of its own) whcih calls to the game and the modem. more or less the patch is in charge over the modem and game (behind the scenes).

ITS un-know how TWO xbands are connected at this point to run a head to head game but its assumed
that its via a phone cord to each modems RJ45 phone port..... ( still need to find out exactly how its connected)
 

Parts list for the converion
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6 feet of 8 conductor ribbon cable
1 db25 male connector
1 hood enclosure for db25 connector
1 xband modem (Genesis version)
1 torx wrench for opening xband modem case
1 Intel flash rom (32megabytes in size apparenly according to david ashley)
2 surface mount 10K resistors (un-known on the wattage size, 1/4 watt 10k resistors should work)

Procedure:
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1) Open xband case.

2) Look The side with the LED's is the front. 
   Desolder all the LED's. There should be 7 total. 
   Clean out the holes with a solder sucker. For each LED there is
   one trace going to a resistor, and one trace going to the Fred chip. We're
   only interested in the holes that go to the Fred chip. The other ones don't
   have to be cleaned out.

3) Desolder the stock ROM. This can be done by bending each pin up and away
   from the board with the soldering iron. After the ROM is removed, clean up
   the pads with the soldering iron. The traces and pads come off the board
   very easily so be careful here.

4) Solder on the Intel flash rom. It has 4 more pins than the stock ROM.

5) Solder on the 2 surface mount resistors in the 2 spaces just below the
   ROM.

6) Solder on the right angle pin strip on the front of the board with the
   pins sticking out the side.

7) Chew away the plastic around the pin strip on the front side of the case.

8) On the back side, solder the red line of one end of the ribbon cable to
   the negative side of the battery (makes a good ground). Solder the wires
   in order down from the top of the board.

9) Solder the wires on the other end as follows:

    1 (RED)  = db25 pin 21
    2        = db25 pin 2
    3        = db25 pin 3
    4        = db25 pin 4
    5        = db25 pin 5
    6        = db25 pin 6
    7        = db25 pin 1
    8        = db25 pin 10

10) Put the hood on the db25 connector.

11) Put the case back on the modem. The plastic should pinch the ribbon cable
    so that it doesn't pull on the soldered connections. Some electrical tape
    helps here.
