S2 Prom Replacement

[djohn]

I am offering an alternative to the prom socketing by KRavEN. This is a different method, not necessarily better and not necessarily worse.

I have the equipment to flash and solder a new prom to your board that will be in circuit flashable. I will not solder a socket in and flash your existing prom, if you want that done talk to KRavEN as he is already doing that process and I don't want to impose.

The differences as I am aware:
KRavEN will put a socket in for you so you can pull the flash any time you want. He will flash your original flash chip with the modified flash. You will then be able to hot swap the flash to flash more flashes (as long as they are in circuit flashable compatible) and then if you can solder the chips in place you can do the mod yourself with those proms.

I will flash and solder a chip that is in circuit flashable. I will not put a socket in place and when finished you will not see a difference except for the number on the flash.

Since soldering in the chip is much easier then soldering in the socket I will be charging less to do them. Like I said above, KRavEN's socketting method has advantages and he does great work. Soldering the socket in is not easy and it is worth more for him to do that mod. I take the other approach that I don't need a socket if I can flash it from the console if I ever need to update it.

Price is $40 and you supply a return shipping label. You can remove the board or send the whole system, your paying shipping so I don't care which and packaging and insurance are your responsibility. Discount for multiple units and funds via MO packaged with the box.

If the general opinion of the leaders and more experienced members in this community think my price is too high or this service is not desirable please pm me and let me know. I had to set a price and I didn't want to undercut KRavEN to try to take away his business we are offering different things although both relating to the prom. I did talk to a mod before offering this service as I don't want to step on KRavEN's toes, I admire and appreciate his contributions too much to try to piss him or others off.

[grabb]

Are you capable of doing the prom replacement using Kraven's method? I ask because Kraven is no longer offering the service. I want to do the PROM replacement, because I just don't like the monte. However, my soldering skills aren't quite up for the plcc flash device. Is there any disadvantage to using the in circuit flashable parts?

[tytyty]

djohn
I am also interested having a couple of units prommed in sockets I held off too long then found that Kraven had abandonded that service.

[alldeadhomiez]

Are you capable of doing the prom replacement using Kraven's method? I ask because Kraven is no longer offering the service. I want to do the PROM replacement, because I just don't like the monte. However, my soldering skills aren't quite up for the plcc flash device. Is there any disadvantage to using the in circuit flashable parts?

The disadvantage of soldering in a new ICP chip is that if the chip ever gets programmed with a bad flash, you will need to extract it again. On a Series 2, this would almost certainly be the result of user error or very bad luck, since TiVo probably won't waste their time trying to flash the stock SST37s.

[djohn]

Yes, I can socket them. I just didn't offer it because I didn't want to cut in on Kraven's market. If you want them done with a socket it is up to you, will charge a little more for socketting.

ADH, you are right but I doubt many people have the capability to reflash the chip they pull from their socket themselves. I offered it this way as I didn't want to offer the same exact thing as Kraven.

[alldeadhomiez]

ADH, you are right but I doubt many people have the capability to reflash the chip they pull from their socket themselves.

You can boot with the original PROM in the socket, swap to the SST39, and flash through software (as long as you're careful). That's how I've always done it.

[tytyty]

You can boot with the original PROM in the socket, swap to the SST39, and flash through software (as long as you're careful). That's how I've always done it.
ty adh thats also what I have done having 39's helps also

[djohn]

Good point, I hadn't thought about them still having the 37 to swap to.

[grabb]

In order to swap you would need to boot from your original 37, put in the 39 and then program it. I'm assuming that the programming step requires a bash shell, which means your tivo has to be hacked in a way that will get you a bash with the original 37 in it. Personally, setting up a monte system just to program a flash part, then removing the monte afterwards seems like a lot of work. Easier just to get a flash programmer.

[alldeadhomiez]

Personally, setting up a monte system just to program a flash part, then removing the monte afterwards seems like a lot of work. Easier just to get a flash programmer.

It depends on how flexible your configuration is. I posted some startup scripts a while back that autodetect whether or not you're using the BASH_ENV exploit, and alter the boot sequence accordingly.

The only reason I use a modded PROM nowadays is for a quicker boot. That doesn't matter much on a "deployed" TiVo but it is very handy on a dev box, especially if you are testing things that are likely to cause kernel panics.