restore an unique Apple TV – Uplaza

Apple TV 1st technology.

All by the Nineteen Nineties, Apple had been toying with the concept of creating a set-top TV field for house customers. Like a cable TV field, Apple wished to have a TV platform that was compact, cheap, and straightforward to make use of.

However by 1995, Apple had deserted the venture, and work started to plot a brand new machine that was smaller and easier. 9 years later, the outcome was the primary Apple TV.

Not like in the present day’s Apple TV, the unique machine did not have an App Retailer. As a substitute, Apple’s iTunes app was used to synchronize films, music, images, and different media to the machine over a community, or by way of the USB port.

Many of those units are nonetheless out there on-line, in working situation at low costs.

We discovered ours on eBay for lower than $15. Nevertheless, its inside drive had been wiped of the working system, which can current a problem for some customers.

The technical specs for the first-generation Apple TV might be discovered at everymac.com.

The primary technology Apple TV launched to the general public was truly a minimized Mac, operating a specifically modified model of Mac OS X Tiger (10.4). The machine was primarily based round an Intel Pentium M chip operating at 1GHz, an Nvidia GeForce Go 7300 GPU, and 256MB RAM.

Design-wise the machine may theoretically assist 1GB of RAM, though not one of the units ever shipped with greater than 256MB. As we’ll see beneath, it’s doable to hack the Apple TV to assist 512MB, however it’s very tough.

Unique 1st technology Apple TV with field.

On the rear of the machine are quite a lot of ports: energy, USB, Ethernet, HDMI, element video, analog stereo audio, and optical audio (TOSLINK). All first technology Apple TVs additionally included WiFi built-in.

The machine is constructed round a metallic body, a transparent and white lucite high, a metallic backside cowl, and a single giant rubber pad on the underside held on with adhesive. The motherboard and many of the electronics are literally constructed into the highest of the machine.

There’s solely a single inside 2.5-inch ATA laborious drive secured to the underside metallic cowl with 4 Torx screws.

On this article, we’ll take a look at the way to disassemble, clear, restore, and optionally improve the unique Apple TV.

Backside view: the massive rubber foot, metallic cowl, and metallic body.

Earlier than continuing, we should always warn you that disassembling the unique Apple TV requires some talent and a few particular instruments.

You must also ask your self the query: Am I prepared to just accept some small minor harm to my Apple TV in change for cleansing, upgrading, and repairing it?

This query is essential, as a result of because of the age of the machine, it might be not possible to open it with out incurring some small harm to elements (most notably the underside foot and inside fan).

Having stated that, it is also utterly doable to carry out the restore with out inflicting any everlasting main harm – if you’re cautious. Additionally, remember there are some excessive voltages within the Apple TV energy provide (250V) and it is doable to get shocked in some circumstances if you’re not cautious.

Try this restore at your personal danger.

As with earlier refurbs, you will want a particular set of instruments to open the machine:

• A 4.5-inch (11.5cm) wall spackling software
• A medium magnetized Phillips-head screwdriver
• A tiny magnetized Phillips-head electronics screwdriver, or jeweler’s screwdriver
• A small flat plastic or metallic spudger
• Small Torx screwdrivers
• Scissors
• A small interest knife
• A tiny artist’s paintbrush
• A multimeter
• Compressed air or an air compressor
• A vibrant flashlight
• Brilliant room lighting
• Optionally a microscope, or a small magnifier or jeweler’s loupe
• Kapton tape and masking tape
• A CR2032 alternative button-cell battery

Maybe probably the most tough step in opening your Apple TV is eradicating the massive rubber foot. This half is definitely two layers of rubber fused collectively and glued to the underside metallic cowl with plastic adhesive.

When making an attempt to take away the foot, it is going to seemingly start to separate and tear in spots the place the rubber had bonded to the adhesive. Because of this, you will need to use a large spacking knife to pry the foot off very slowly.

To start, place the machine face-down on a well-lit floor on high of a soldering mat or mushy hand towel with the rear ports dealing with in the direction of you. Utilizing each arms gently and slowly start prying up the rubber foot at one nook together with your fingers.

Go slowly and periodically cease to verify if the underside of the rubber foot is tearing on the skin. Whether it is, cease and use the spackling knife to get underneath the adhesive and pry it up together with the foot.

Work from one nook horizontally throughout to the opposite, then ahead evenly in the direction of the entrance of the machine. Cease at intervals to verify for tears on the skin.

If tears do happen it isn’t the tip of the world – in the event you cease instantly and use the knife to peel the glue off, the tearing might be minimized and will not be clearly seen on the skin.

You may additionally wish to attempt heating the foot barely with a sizzling air gun or hair dryer to melt the glue, but when the adhesive is simply too outdated and brittle, this may occasionally not have a lot of an impact.

Lastly, take away the rubber foot fully as you progress ahead in the direction of the entrance of the machine. As soon as all of the glue is separated, the foot will come free. Set it apart for now.

Rubber foot elimination and small tear harm. Proceed slowly.

If there may be any residual glue protecting the 4 Torx screws on the underside cowl, take away it with a interest knife, then take away the 4 screws.

These screws maintain the underside cowl to the highest lid. There are 4 extra Torx screws that maintain the interior ATA/IDE laborious drive to the underside cowl – however do not take away these but.

Take away extra glue from the nook Torx screws utilizing a interest knife.

Subsequent, flip the underside cowl over, and take away the laborious drive’s ATA ribbon cable from the connector on the motherboard. As soon as it is free, flip it again over and take away the 4 Torx screws holding the drive to the duvet.

Detach the ATA cable and examine it for harm. Clear each the drive and cable with compressed air adopted by a moist material. Additionally, clear the within of the duvet to take away any mud.

Set all three elements apart for later.

Observe that not like in the present day’s computer systems, the first technology Apple TV used ATA/IDE drives. 2.5-inch ATA drives have been the usual for many laptops within the late 1990’s. SATA hadn’t but been extensively deployed on the time.

Take away the ATA drive, its ribbon cable, and the duvet.

As soon as the drive and canopy are free, we are able to examine the motherboard and foremost elements. Clockwise from higher left, they’re:

1. CR2032 coin-cell battery
2. Community and LED/distant wires
3. ATA connector
4. Energy provide
5. Rear ports
6. WiFi card
7. Fan
8. Lid assist/warmth conduit

Above the motherboard is a small inside area the place the wi-fi antennae reside. Except your Apple TV could be very soiled inside, there is not any must open this cowl.

Observe that the small warmth conduit subsequent to the fan is manufactured from aluminum. This half acts as each a warmth spreader which conducts fan exhaust warmth to the metallic body, and acts as a assist for the underside cowl.

The warmth conduit is held down by a metallic submit on the backside and a single Torx screw on the high. You will not be capable of entry this screw with out the proper dimension Torx mini screwdriver that may match by the small gap above it.

Really, there is a manner round this if you do not have the proper software, which we’ll get to beneath.

There are literally three elements to the highest cowl: a metallic plate the motherboard is mounted on, a metallic body, and the clear/white plastic high. All three elements are held in place till you take away the warmth conduit and its two screws (and the WiFi card).

Apple TV’s motherboard and case.

Utilizing a interest knife, take away the CR2032 coin-cell battery as proven. Watch out to not brief something, and to not harm the plastic battery holder both.

One of the simplest ways to take away the battery is to insert a interest knife into the holder on the backside proper or high edge and pry in the other way. The battery will come out of the holder.

Take away the battery shortly so it would not contact any motherboard elements and brief them.

Take away the CR2032 battery utilizing a interest knife.

Check the battery utilizing a multimeter by setting it to 20V DC (the aspect with the dotted traces on it). The proper full voltage for CR2032 is 3.3V. Ours measured 2.89 volts – a bit beneath regular.

We determined to exchange the battery anyway with a brand new one. Nevertheless, do that final after the machine is reassembled.

Check the battery with a multimeter. Appropriate max voltage is 3.3V.

At this level, you may plug your Apple TV right into a wall outlet to see what the entrance mild reveals. The entrance panel LED ought to flash a gradual amber.

If it would not then it means there’s another {hardware} failure apart from the lacking laborious drive and OS.

When you do get another error, the machine will want restore, or if you’re an electronics professional, additional analysis.

Ensure that to not contact any a part of the ability provide at this level. Inside the ability provide are high-voltage 250V capacitors and in the event you contact them together with your naked arms it is more likely to knock you off your ft or worse.

Customary US family outlet present is 120V, and the Apple TV energy provide is designed to deal with this and 240V for different nations akin to in Europe and the UK. That is sufficient voltage to electrocute people.

It is because of this the ability provide is wrapped in an insulating plastic cowl and sealed with tape. Even so, it is nonetheless harmful when reside.

Bear in mind even after being disconnected capacitors inside energy provides can retain their voltages for a number of minutes.

In case your Apple TV’s energy provide is not working, you will must take away it with the intention to exchange it. This job is for superior customers so we’ll depart this as an additional step on the finish.

Testing energy. With out the laborious drive connected, you need to get a gradual blinking amber LED.

The Apple TV’s fan is held in by three small plastic posts with clips a the tops. The clips snap into holes on the fan’s edges, locking it in place. At this level, you will must resolve if you wish to danger damaging these posts with the intention to take away the fan.

After seventeen years, the plastic in these clips will probably be extraordinarily brittle and susceptible to breaking. You’ll be able to nonetheless reinstall and safe the fan utilizing different strategies later, however it’s seemingly eradicating the fan will break at the very least one in all them.

When you do resolve to take away the fan, you will must squeeze the highest of every submit with small tweezers, then gently pull up on the nook of the fan to free it. Repeat this step for the opposite two posts till the fan is free.

You may additionally must disconnect the fan’s wire connector on the motherboard. Watch out since this connector will probably be brittle too.

The fan would not truly cool something instantly. All the foremost chips are on the opposite aspect of the motherboard. There’s a small financial institution of resistors and capacitors underneath the fan, and it retains these elements cool since they energy the chips on the opposite aspect.

Many of the warmth on the motherboard is cooled by way of convection. The fan attracts air throughout the board and sends it out to the warmth conduit the place it will get unfold to the principle body and backside plate.

The principle cooling fan. Observe the posts on the three corners.

At this level, except your Apple TV could be very soiled inside, or the ability provide is not working, you are principally finished with disassembly. You may wish to use compressed air to blast any mud out of the fan, and from across the motherboard.

Except you wish to take away the motherboard you needn’t take away the WiFi card or energy provide. You should utilize compressed air to scrub the remainder of the motherboard and from across the elements.

Fan eliminated and prepared for cleansing. Ours was solely barely soiled.

When you do must take away the ability provide, proceed with warning. As we talked about it will possibly include harmful excessive voltage.

All the time put on rubber gloves when dealing with the ability provide, and by no means contact it whereas the machine is plugged in.

This step ought to solely be tried by skilled customers with data of electronics and electrical energy. Proceed with warning.

When you merely wish to clear the ability provide of mud you needn’t take away it. As a substitute, simply use compressed air across the ends and the small openings to blast any mud out of it

In case your energy provide would not work, you will must discover a new alternative on-line and exchange your entire unit.

That is pretty straightforward: to take action, take away the three Torx screws holding the ability provide down, disconnect its connector from the motherboard, then slowly peel it up from its sticky insulating pad.

The insulating pad has sturdy adhesive on it and you will must rigorously and slowly pry the ability provide up from the pad to free it. Set up of a brand new energy provide is the reverse of elimination.

One motive Apple makes use of this type of insulating pad to carry the ability provide in place is to make sure no excessive voltages arc from the provision to the metallic chassis of the machine – which may pose a well being hazard for customers.

Because of this, do not take away the insulating pad from the machine – you will want it once you set up the brand new energy provide.

Energy provide eliminated. Observe the adhesive insulating pad and the three mounting holes.

Only for enjoyable, let’s check out the within of the ability provide. Ours is mannequin ADP-36BF A from Delta Electronics of Taiwan, INPUT: 100-240V~1.0A 50-60Hz, OUTPUT: 5V @ 7.2A.

You’ll be able to skip this part in the event you’re not within the inside workings of the Apple TV energy provide.

Many of the work of this provide includes taking the enter 120V or 240V home AC present and stepping it right down to 5V DC the machine can use.

Apple TV 1st technology energy provide from Delta Electronics.

To open the ability provide (assuming you’ve got confirmed it is absolutely discharged first), you will must take away its outer plastic cowl. When you simply unplugged the Apple TV wait a number of hours earlier than trying this with the intention to give the capacitors time to discharge.

There are two small plastic clips on one aspect of the provision you will must take away with a interest knife.

You may additionally must peel again three items of tape holding the plastic cowl on. As soon as that is finished you may rigorously take away the duvet.

You might want to attain the tape in a number of locations to free the duvet, however this may be re-taped later – or sealed with sizzling glue.

You might want to attain the tape in a number of locations.

With the duvet eliminated, we are able to see the ability provide’s elements. From proper to left within the picture beneath:

1. Enter
2. 250V rectifier
3. Two giant EMI movie caps
4. Inductor
5. Excessive voltage ceramic cap (blue)
6. Bridge rectifier
7. Two giant smoothing caps
8. Smaller cap and excessive voltage ceramic cap
9. STB10NK60Z 600V MOSFET transistor
10. Giant choke
11. Three 10V output caps
12. Output

Apple TV 1st technology energy provide with cowl eliminated.

Briefly, the ability provide works like this:

At enter, the AC present is stabilized and filtered by the enter rectifier and the 2 EMI movie caps. These caps assist take away any static or electromagnetic interference that could be within the constructing’s electrical wiring.

Movie caps are additionally identified for with the ability to face up to excessive voltages with out producing a number of warmth. Many movie caps present in private computer systems relationship all the best way again to the Nineteen Eighties are rated at 100V or extra.

The coiled inductor then additional stabilizes the present by way of an electromagnetic area. The aim of most inductors is to retailer vitality and resist any modifications in present passing by them.

Subsequent the present passes by the MOSFET transistor and the bridge rectifier. They’re partly answerable for changing them to DC and stepping them right down to a decrease voltage, together with the massive coiled choke to the left.

Chokes act considerably like giant resistors and so they work by means of a big copper wire winding which gives resistance to present passing by it. Relying on the aspect of the coil, voltages might be both elevated or decreased by both drawing kind of energy on the alternative aspect.

In addition they block higher-frequency AC present whereas permitting lower-frequency AC and DC present to go by. Widespread mode chokes are additionally used as a part of EMI suppression.

MOSFETs are multi-use transistors that may act each as amplifiers and switches. MOSFETs can be utilized as gates that change the conductivity of the machine primarily based on the worth of an enter voltage at one of many machine’s terminals.

Subsequent, energy is saved within the energy provide within the two giant electrolytic caps to easy it. Often called smoothing caps, these elements act like small batteries and stop any spikes or surges that could be current within the enter circuit.

Bridge rectifiers or “diode bridges” are small packages that include a number of diodes which forestall present from flowing in the other way. In addition they deal with changing AC present to DC present.

On this case, the ability provide incorporates a D2SB bridge rectifier rated for 200V @ 1.5A.

Most bridge rectifiers work by changing the detrimental portion of the AC enter to a constructive voltage. They then easy it to provide a single steady DC present.

Some bridge rectifiers can deal with two AC inputs and two DC outputs on the similar time.

These elements are sometimes present in switching energy provides akin to those present in Apple TV.

Bridge rectifiers have been invented within the late 1800s and have been a vital step needed earlier than built-in circuits might be produced.

Reverse view of the ability provide. Observe the D2SB bridge rectifier lurking on the middle.

You will have famous plenty of hardened white putty round a number of of the ability provide’s elements.

This putty is used to carry elements in place so they do not contact, however it additionally acts as a high-voltage insulating materials to forestall electrical arcing. This arcing may probably brief and destroy the ability provide, trigger fireplace, or injure customers.

By sealing most of the high-voltage elements in insulating putty the designers of the ability provide can guarantee no hostile results or harm. For these causes by no means take away any of the putty from the ability provide – except you must with the intention to exchange a element.

When you open the ability provide, examine all of the electrolytic caps for leakage or bulging. When some electrolytic caps get outdated they begin to bulge on the high alongside the metallic disk and plastic wrapper.

If the metallic disk on high of a cap appears to be like swollen, or if it appears to be like unusually large with solely a small quantity of plastic round it, the cap could also be dangerous.

When the electrolytic fluid leaks out of a cap it normally does so alongside the underside across the connecting pins. So search for discoloration alongside the underside edge or on the reverse aspect of the board.

As soon as you’ve got cleaned or obtained a brand new energy provide, you are prepared to maneuver on to the subsequent step. To take action the ability provide have to be eliminated first.

When you opened your Apple TV’s energy provide and plan to maintain it, reinstall the plastic cowl and plastic snaps, and reseal the tape.

This step can be optionally available. In case your Apple TV is not very soiled this step is not actually needed. Grime and mud can gather underneath the motherboard and stop airflow and warmth dissipation.

In case your Apple TV motherboard could be very soiled you may wish to clear underneath it.

To take away the motherboard, you will first must take away the WiFi card by eradicating its screw and wires, after which eradicating the warmth conduit on the left aspect.

If you cannot attain the recessed Torx screw by the outlet within the high of the conduit, you may nonetheless take away it by barely (and punctiliously) bending the highest aspect to the correct to permit entry with a traditional Torx driver.

When you do that, accomplish that rigorously, and do not bend it an excessive amount of. The highest of the conduit additionally acts as a assist for the underside cowl so it has to sit down evenly with the body.

When you take away each the conduit screws, elevate the conduit out of the machine.

The hidden Torx screw underneath the warmth conduit.

At this level, the motherboard is successfully free, however it’s nonetheless being held into the body by the ports behind the machine. To take away the motherboard, slide it ahead and elevate its entrance edge up and out.

As soon as the motherboard is free, flip it over and examine it for any harm, burn marks, corrosion or different inconsistencies.

Two of the chips on the underside of the board have thermal paste on them. Except it is extraordinarily dried out and flaky, there is not any actual motive to take away and exchange it. Attempt to not disturb it in the event you’re not changing it with new paste.

Re-installation and re-assembly of the motherboard is the reverse of elimination.

Motherboard eliminated with underside seen. The highest case additionally has two stick-on thermal pads for the opposite two chips.

This step can be optionally available. When you do not wish to improve your Apple TV’s RAM, skip this step (it is fairly lengthy and complicated).

As talked about, the primary technology Apple TV solely shipped with 256MB RAM. The structure of the system permits for as much as 1GB of RAM, however as many Apple TV modders have found, the actual higher restrict is 512MB.

This improve is extraordinarily tough and also you danger damaging your Apple TV motherboard within the course of.

The RAM improve is not as straightforward as merely changing chips. It additionally includes soldering bodge wires, eradicating the chipset controller (Intel G45U), eradicating, reprogramming and re-flashing the firmware ROM, and superior SMD and sizzling air soldering expertise.

To carry out the RAM improve you will additionally want particular tools and solder flux. This contains:

1. SMD solder paste
2. Sizzling air board preheat machine
3. Sizzling air soldering station
4. Soldering iron
5. Solder wick
6. High-quality enamel-coated wire
7. Voltmeter
8. Tweezers
9. Optionally a microscope
10. 4 alternative 128GB DDR2 SMD RAM chips

You may additionally want a USB EPROM programmer and a Home windows laptop to connect it to. The programmer should additionally embody the proper adapters to suit the small SMD ROM chip you will must de-solder and modify.

You carry out this step by de-soldering the ROM, inserting it within the USB programmer, dumping its ROM code to a Home windows machine, patching the code for bigger RAM chips, then flashing the modified ROM again to the chip and re-soldering it.

Worse, the higher-density RAM chips have completely different reminiscence lanes and a number of the RAM connection factors on the Apple TV motherboard aren’t linked to something.

This implies you will need to solder extra bodge wires onto the chip pads. You’d additionally need to de-solder and re-solder the built-in Intel chipset controller to attach the extra RAM traces.

All of this can be a daunting job and in the event you’re not 100% sure of your expertise, do not do it – it is too straightforward to destroy the motherboard or elements within the blink of an eye fixed.

As in a number of late-model Macs, the RAM is soldered to the Apple TV motherboard as surface-mount units (SMD). These units are flat and have a solder-ball matrix on their undersides.

There aren’t any through-hole or edge connectors and these RAM units can solely be soldered on with sizzling air.

Eradicating and re-soldering these units includes heating the motherboard with sizzling air to take away the elements, then melting the outdated solder, making use of flux and including new solder. After that, you place the brand new elements and fix them to the motherboard with sizzling air.

Because the solder heats up, every machine is routinely drawn into place on the solder grid on the motherboard. When sizzling air is eliminated, the solder hardens securing every half in place.

It is actually straightforward to mess this type of restore up and render the pc un-bootable. Therefore, solely try this step if you’re absolutely assured in your SMD soldering expertise.

An in depth-up view of the underside of the Apple TV motherboard reveals 4 64MB RAM units alongside the left aspect for a complete of 256MB of RAM. The unique RAM chips are made by Micron and are DDR2:

4 DDR2 RAM units alongside the left aspect of the underside of the motherboard.

To get began place the motherboard face down on a hot-air SMD preheating machine. You do not wish to use an “oven” type PCB preheater to warmth the board – you need the type which blows sizzling air out of the highest to evenly warmth the board underneath the spot its laid on.

One instance of such a preheater is the Hakko FR830-02 from Japan, however it’s actually costly (near $400).

The preheater retains the motherboard at an elevated temperature in order that once you hit the RAM chips together with your sizzling air-station, they arrive proper off with out an excessive amount of time.

Subsequent, apply additional flux to the perimeters of the RAM chips take away all 4 chips together with your sizzling air soldering station and a pair of tweezers.

Apply additional flux to the pads the place the RAM chips have been soldered to the motherboard, warmth them, after which take away any extra solder from the pads with a solder wick.

Additionally utilizing the preheater and your sizzling air station, take away the firmware ROM chip on the front-side of the motherboard. Relying on which motherboard you may have, the dimensions and site of this chip might differ.

Normally, it is a 14-pin or 8-pin SMD machine close to the highest fringe of the motherboard. You may must de-solder it, clear it, and place it in a correctly-sized EPROM adapter.

For some EPROM programmers, you will must first solder the ROM chip onto one other adapter board which then will get inserted into the programmer.

Now plug the adapter into the EPROM USB programmer and plug the programmer into your Home windows laptop. Utilizing the software program that got here together with your EPROM programmer, copy the contents of the ROM to a file and save the file to disk.

You may later modify this ROM file by patching a piece of it and re-flashing it again to the ROM chip utilizing the programmer. This step permits you to inform the firmware what dimension RAM the pc has.

Lastly, take away all the additional flux from the RAM solder pads utilizing a paper towel and isopropyl alcohol.

The 4 RAM chips soldered to the motherboard atop the new air preheater. Observe the solder balls underneath the chips. Courtesy dosdude1.

Observe the structure of every matrix on the motherboard the place the RAM chips have been. These pads join elements of every RAM chip with completely different elements of the pc.

You’ll be able to search for the solder matrix on Micron’s RAM web site to see what every pad is used for.

A few of the solder pads join the tackle traces of every RAM chip to the chipset controller which accesses their information by way of these connections. Sadly, the larger-sized RAM chips require extra entry (tackle line 13) to work which Apple did not anticipate utilizing.

So a number of the pads required for bigger chips aren’t linked to something on the Apple TV motherboard. Due to this unlucky oversight, you will want to attach these RAM traces your self utilizing bodge wires.

And you may want to do that for every of the 4 RAM chips.

A bodge wire is just a further additional wire utilized in electronics to attach one thing that wasn’t supposed to be linked, or to bypass circuits on a board to rewire connections.

You additionally want to attach every of the bodge wires linked to the proper pin on the controller chip to a spare unused pin on a pullup resistor on the motherboard with the intention to join every to the DDR2 energy rail.

All the bodge wires on all 4 RAM chips join the identical factor since they’re all a part of the identical RAM financial institution.

On this case, the bodge wires will join the extra tackle line to the chipset controller instantly. However first, you will want to change the ROM’s SPD information for the brand new reminiscence chips and reflash the ROM.

To take action, open the ROM file you dumped above in a Home windows hex editor and seek for the string “80 08 08 0D 0A”. That is the header for the SPD information within the ROM file.

Every byte within the string tells the firmware concerning the traits of the RAM put in on the motherboard.

You may must dump the 256 bytes following this string to a file. Then you’ll have to open it in a Home windows app known as SPDTool which lets you view the SPD information in a UI, modifications its values, then put it aside again to a file.

As soon as you’ve got modified and saved the file, you may dump that information again to the unique information within the ROM file. This overwrites it and thus updating the SPD information which tells the Apple TV firmware what sort of RAM is within the machine.

If all this sounds complicated, it’s. However fortunately legendary retro YouTuber dosdude1 has a video detailing your entire RAM alternative and firmware modifying course of.

He additionally explains the variations within the reminiscence lanes between the 2 completely different dimension RAM chips, and the way to do the bodge wire soldering to bypass the RAM connection limitations on the Apple TV motherboard.

As soon as you’ve got up to date and re-flashed your Apple TV ROM with the brand new SPD information, apply some new solder paste flux to its pads on the motherboard. Use it to re-solder the ROM again onto the motherboard utilizing a sizzling air station.

Clear the ROM space with isopropyl alcohol and a cotton swab.

Earlier than you truly connect the bodge wires, you will must take away the Intel G45U controller chip utilizing sizzling air, “reball” it (reflow its solder balls on the underside utilizing sizzling air), and clear off any left over flux.

Intel G45 controller chip. Discover the solder-ball matrix on the underside. Courtesy dosdude1.

You may want to attach a bodge wire from pin seven on the G45 chip to the pad for tackle line 13 on the first of the RAM chips.

It seems Apple supplied a by way of – a pass-through gap to the opposite aspect of the board on pin seven on the underside row of the G45 chip on the motherboard (the G45 pin row closest to the RAM chips).

On the topside of the board, this by way of attaches to a testpoint not removed from the coin-cell battery holder. This implies you may join the bodge wire from tackle line 13 on the primary RAM chip to the testpoint on the topside of the board and never need to mess with soldering the wire to the G45 chip itself.

The topside testpoint close to the coin-cell holder which attaches to pin seven on the G45 chip on the opposite aspect of the motherboard. Courtesy dosdude1.

You may additionally must solder one other bodge wire from the fourth RAM chip’s tackle line 13 to the spare pullup resistor pin on the underside of the board for DDR2 energy. This resistor is just under the RAM chips.

Do that step after the G45 chip has been reballed and resoldered to the motherboard

Subsequent, solder a bodge wire from every of the RAM pads for tackle line 13 to the adjoining RAM chip’s tackle line 13 pad. On every chip that is the decrease backside proper pin in every solder matrix.

You wish to join all 4 tackle line 13 pins along with wire.

By soldering all these pins along with wires you full the circuit for tackle line 13 so the G45 chip can entry the brand new RAM absolutely. That is by far probably the most tough step within the RAM improve.

Bodge wire set up – bridging tackle line 13 on all RAM chips, to the pullup resistor, and at last on the left to the topside of the board.

Lastly because the final step, solder all 4 new RAM chips onto their pads on the motherboard utilizing sizzling air after including new flux to the chip pads – ensuring not one of the bodge wires transfer or come unfastened.

Clear any extra flux from the world with isopropyl alcohol (rigorously so you do not pull the bodge wires unfastened). Lastly, reinstall the motherboard again into the Apple TV chassis, reinstall the warmth conduit, and the WiFi card.

You might wish to cowl the bodge wire space with large Kapton tape simply to insure not one of the connections can brief to the chassis or to the motherboard.

Reattach the WiFi card antennae wires, then reinstall the ability provide after all of the motherboard elements are secured to the Apple TV.

Now that many of the Apple TV is again collectively, you continue to must reinstall the fan.

If a number of of the plastic posts holding the fan in broke once you eliminated it, concern not. Drop the fan again in place on its posts, and if the tops of any of the posts broke off, merely add a big drop of sizzling glue with a glue gun to the highest of the posts.

If you do not have a glue gun, a small quantity of waterproof lavatory caulking will work. Use simply sufficient to cowl the highest of every damaged submit, and let it dry.

This could securely maintain the fan on. In our refurb we misplaced two of the three submit clips when eradicating them however sizzling glue labored simply high-quality after changing the fan:

Fan reinstalled with sizzling glue used on the 2 posts on the correct.

Do not forget to reconnect the fan connector to the motherboard.

Lastly, plug the ATA drive’s ribbon connector again into the ATA connector on the motherboard, and exchange and safe the underside cowl with the 4 nook Torx screws. This completes the restore.

Take away any extra glue from the underside of the duvet. You needn’t take away all of it however take away any that sticks up even a bit since it is going to forestall the underside rubber foot from laying flat on the duvet.

What sort of glue to make use of to reseal the underside foot is as much as you. Do not use rubber cement. It isn’t sturdy sufficient and the chemical compounds in it trigger the rubber foot to twist up making it not possible to re-secure it.

We used small quantities of Cheesy Glue from Fabrique Pour (aleenes.com).

You might not must cowl your entire backside of the duvet with glue to re-attach the foot. A small quantity within the corners and within the center might suffice. Attempt it and see.

Set a heavy object akin to a big e book or weight on the foot till the glue dries to verify it sticks evenly.

When you upgraded the Apple TV’s laborious drive, or wiped it whereas it was disconnected, you will must reinstall the working system.

To take action, use a software known as OpenELEC and a USB thumb drive. You may additionally want a Mac drive flasher utility akin to BalenaEtcher to flash the manufacturing facility restore installer picture onto your USB thumb drive.

The unique infrared distant management included with the first technology Apple TV can be required. That is wanted as a result of holding down a particular key mixture on the distant tells the Apple TV besides from the USB port as a substitute of from the interior laborious drive. Extra on this beneath.

The web site tweaking4all.com has detailed directions on the way to use OpenELEC to reinstall the OS.

Additionally see this web page on Apple’s dialogue boards.

Primarily the method includes downloading the three.0.2 restore picture for Apple TV (factoryrestore-3.0.2.img.zip) flashing it to a USB thumb drive, inserting the drive into the Apple TV’s rear USB port, then rebooting the Apple TV.

Unzipping the above file yields a picture file named “factoryrestore3.img”. Use BalenaEtcher to flash this picture file to a USB thumb drive. Bear in mind doing so will erase every thing beforehand on the thumb drive.

After the flashing completes, the Mac Finder will provide you with an error saying the USB drive is unreadable. Click on Eject then take away the USB thumb drive out of your Mac.

Plug the newly flashed USB drive into your Apple TV, plug it into an HDMI TV and a wall outlet, then energy it on. As quickly as you see the amber flashing LED on the entrance of the Apple TV, maintain down MENU and the + buttons on the distant management.

As quickly as you see an exercise mild on the USB thumb drive, launch the 2 buttons on the distant.

Shortly you will see the OpenELEC app load:

OpenELEC boot sequence on Apple TV.

There is not any interplay onscreen with OpenELEC – as soon as it hundreds it wipes the Apple TV inside drive and begins restoring the Apple TV OS to it. After it finishes, OpenELEC will reboot your Apple TV, dropping it into the default Restoration mode.

Use the distant to scroll right down to Manufacturing unit Restore and click on the middle button on the distant to substantiate. Apple TV will reboot and go into full restore mode to revive the machine to manufacturing facility circumstances.

Apple TV Restoration mode. Scroll down and click on “Factory Restore” then press the middle button on the distant.

After TV Restoration mode does its factor, the Apple TV will reboot once more, and this time you will be thrown into the default manufacturing facility setup sequence. You may see a little bit of animation adopted by a number of setup screens.

Enter your information to arrange your Apple TV. As soon as setup is full, you will be on the foremost menu immediate with none content material:

Apple TV 1st technology foremost menu.

As we talked about beforehand there isn’t a App Retailer for the primary technology Apple TV. To add content material to your Apple TV you will want to attach it to an older Mac or Home windows 7 laptop and run Apple’s iTunes app – the predecessor of in the present day’s Apple Music app.

In iTunes you may hook up with your Apple TV and sync any media content material to it you wish to play. To do that, run iTunes, choose your Apple TV in its sidebar, then choose what media to sync within the righthand pane and click on Sync.

You might be requested to enter a code displayed in your Apple TV’s show in iTunes with the intention to join.

Connecting in Apple’s iTunes on Home windows 7. Courtesy dosdude1.

The unique Apple TV was a revolutionary machine for its time and although it did not have entry to an app retailer, it was nonetheless helpful. You’ll be able to nonetheless use these units for picture albums, music, films, or if it’s good to run older apps.

The primary-generation Apple TV was quickly changed with the extra fashionable fashions we all know and love in the present day.

Steve Jobs as soon as known as the Apple TV “Our hobby” however it has developed into way more than that – and it’ll seemingly be with us for a very long time to return.