Globe 360 v2 Review
Written by hitman43
Translated November 2007
( Read the Original German Review)
Introduction
The Globe360 v2 modchip is the newest product from the Globe360 developers that made in the past and also in the
beginning of the Dual Firmware modchips a really high quality product for the Xbox 360. Also this new version
set the good quality standards really high and the chip is one of the best modchips I have ever installed for the Xbox 360.
New features in modchips aren't really a new thing for all of us, but the USB feature to flash different
firmwares on an single modchip is more innovative and allows you to easily upgrade in the future. The logical Core
for operations is an ACTEL FPA which does a really good job and the flash-rom is an 512KB SST which is where your
two different firmwares are stored.
Features
Contents
The Globe Chip comes with an USB Connector board, the EasyConnect Flexi (FPC) Cable, an installation utility that
makes the installation a little bit easier, a connection cable to plug the Globe 360 modchip to the USB connector board
and with luck a USB Cable. The Globe360 v2 is a really high quality modchip. Every component on the globe chip and
this daughter USB connector board are assembled very professionally. The EasyConnect Cable and the USB Cable are
also from a good quality. The USB Connector-2-Globe360 Cable is good but it can be a little bit better because it is
really thin and cant be a little bit stable.
Installation
The installation of the Globe360 v2 isn't a simple action for solder noobs as explained in the process below.
At first you must open your Xbox360 - you can find a lot of good tutorials in the web. When you are ready you must
disassemble the Xbox360 DVD-Rom Drive and take the Drive motherboard out of the drive. Is this part done you come to the
hard part. You must solder the modchip into the drive but at first you must remove the epoxy by the most drives.
Also you must cut a trace - do it carefully. (Don't go too fast and take your time!)
You can cut the trace with an sharp knife/scalpel. When you are ready you can begin with the installation. When you want to install
the modchip into an Samsung DVD-Rom Drive you can use the EasyConnect/FlexiCable because the installation is for
people with enough solder skills really simple with it.
When you have an Hitachi drive it is better when you install the modchip with normal cable like cynar wire. The
Flexi/FPC Cable aka EasyConnect isnīt accurate to size in Hitachi drives and also the connections points on the
EasyConnect aren't big. That means that you can make really fast a bridge into to legs from the SST. This isnīt the
real problem - the main reason is that you can't really see a bridge under the EasyConnect Cable.
Also a strong move on the cable kill your solder-points again, so you must install the points again. In simple words,
the contact area isn't great enough for a stable installation with the EasyConnect cable in an Hitachi drive. A wire
installation is for experienced soldering gurus is the best option.
I hope that every Noob can understand that this is a really hard job and not for people with low soldering skills.
Trust us - we don't want that you brick your drive! Is everything installed correctly (FlexiCable requires some wires
to end up the solder installation) make tape on the modchip to isolated them. Don't forget to plug in the Connection
cable for the USB Connector. You must install/solder PWR and EJ to the Xbox 360 motherboard. Now you can assemble your
drive and console.
Usage
To flash your newly installed Globe360 v2 you must power on your Xbox 360 while pressing the power button. Now you must
connect the Globe360 with your PC. Windows will recognize the Globe Chip and ask for a driver. (You can find the
Drivers in the Globe Flash Software package) After rebooting the Globe Flash Software shows you in an
right corner that the globe chip was detected. Didn't worry about the Error Code 65 on your TV this is only while
the globe chip is empty at this time, so lets start to flash that bitch.
The Globe Flash Software is really simple and of course everyone you have used at one time of his life a pc based GUI
find everything after some seconds and understand the software really quickly. Globe Flash v1.3 allows you a lot of
things at first you can flash and configure your modchip or restore and dump the on-board flash-rom. When you use the
Dual bank mode you can switch while start-up the console with a different power/eject button combination.
At the first firmware flash the Globe Flash Software make a backup of your original firmware from the drive
it self and save it as my_orig.bin in the flash applications main folder. While flashing your chip you don't must
think about everything, the KeyDriveAutoManaging is enable by default and inject the key from the my_orig.bin by
automatically. To Flash the On-board firmware you must enable this functions first. Here are the combinations to
switch between different firmware then dual firmware mode are enabled:
Firmware bank 0: Normal press on the Power button
Firmware bank 1: Short press on the Power button or on Eject button boots bank1
Original Firmware/Chip Disabled: Press and hold the Sync Button when powering on the console with a normal press on
the power button
The USB Connector board shows you the Different Bank modes and also the read and write activities. You also can spoof
your drive, decrypt and encrypt the Hitachi firmware, change the key, split an dual firmware and so going on. So the
Globe360Flash Software is optimal for your installed globe and bring a lot of more functions when only
writing/reading the original firmware.
Conclusion
Of course I think the Globe360 v2 is with the Infecuts modchip the best solution to modify your Xbox360
DVD-ROM drive with a modchip. One nice feature is the dual firmware mode that allows you to install and switch
between 2 different firmwares. So you can use an older Xtreme and an new iXtreme Firmware (0800.bin for backing
up games can also be installed, but you canīt read out games with USB) with some button combinations. So you have
a secure method to test your own firmware hacks or play with the hacks from commodore4eva.
The Disable function gives you a lot of freedom and security because nobody know something about an new ban-hammer
after the fall update by the end of this year. You become a very good hardware with a lot of features for your money
and there is nothing negative to say about the modchip and USB connector hardware.
You must also note that you become only a second or third DVD-ROM firmware, so there is no NAND flash function.
The EasyConnect is a good Idea and works great with the Samsung drive - in Hitachi drives the Easy Connect isnīt
really good because the contacts on the FlexiCable aren't really big. Of course, the Globe360 installation isnīt
really simply for people without soldering experience. So if you're going to install this chip make sure you can
do it correctly.
Everything the producer/developer say works correctly and everything works fine - only the displaying from the
flashed firmware versions in Globe Flash software doesn't work correctly after a global reconnect. Globe Flash Software
brings a lot of more functions when only flashing/reading the modchip and on-board firmware. A lot of tools like
key-changer, firmware encrypter, firmware spoofer are integrated so you become also a really good software package
and not only a simple flasher.
Positives
Dual-Firmware Modchip, the chip don't touch the original firmware
2 switchable banks
Flashing with USB is not problem and really simple
good quality (Chip,Connector Board,Cables)
perfect EasyConnect installation into Samsung Drives
big Software package with a lot of extra features (Spoofing/Key Changer)
you can disable the modchip
internal DVD-ROM Firmware flashable
OnTheFly Keypatcher
Negatives
FlexiCable isnīt a really good installation method in Hitachi DVD-rom drives
you can not connect all solder points to the FlexiCable/EasyConnect Cable
Globe Flash Software doesn't show the banks and their correct flash names after reconnect
Actel Maincore canīt be updated
No BenQ Support
Links
Globe 360 v2 Website
Original German Review @ ModControl.com
-=[ Globe 360 v2 Review Discussion Thread ]=-
