Restoring and upgrading a first-generation Apple TV

Apple TV 1st technology.

All via the Nineties, Apple had been toying with the thought of constructing a set-top TV field for residence customers. Like a cable TV field, Apple needed to have a TV platform that was compact, cheap, and simple to make use of.

However by 1995, Apple had deserted the venture, and work started to plan a brand new machine that was smaller and less complicated. 9 years later, the end result was the primary Apple TV.

Not like right now’s Apple TV, the unique gadget did not have an App Retailer. As an alternative, Apple’s iTunes app was used to synchronize motion pictures, music, images, and different media to the gadget over a community, or by way of the USB port.

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

We discovered ours on eBay for lower than $15. Nonetheless, its inner 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 will be discovered at everymac.com.

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

Design-wise the gadget might theoretically help 1GB of RAM, though not one of the units ever shipped with greater than 256MB. As we are going to see beneath, it’s attainable to hack the Apple TV to help 512MB, but it surely’s very tough.

Authentic 1st technology Apple TV with field.

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

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

On this article, we’ll take a look at methods 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 must always warn you that disassembling the unique Apple TV requires some ability and a few particular instruments.

You also needs to ask your self the query: Am I keen to just accept some small minor injury 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 gadget, it might be unimaginable to open it with out incurring some small injury to components (most notably the underside foot and inner fan).

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

Try this restore at your individual 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 instrument
• 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 pastime knife
• A tiny artist’s paintbrush
• A multimeter
• Compressed air or an air compressor
• A vibrant flashlight
• Vivid room lighting
• Optionally a microscope, or a small magnifier or jeweler’s loupe
• Kapton tape and masking tape
• A CR2032 substitute 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 attempting to take away the foot, it is going to possible start to separate and tear in spots the place the rubber had bonded to the adhesive. For that reason, you need to use a large spacking knife to pry the foot off very slowly.

To start, place the gadget face-down on a well-lit floor on prime of a soldering mat or gentle hand towel with the rear ports going through 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 test if the underside of the rubber foot is tearing on the surface. Whether it is, cease and use the spackling knife to get beneath 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 gadget. Cease at intervals to test for tears on the surface.

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

You may additionally wish to attempt heating the foot barely with a scorching 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 gadget. 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 injury. Proceed slowly.

If there may be any residual glue protecting the 4 Torx screws on the underside cowl, take away it with a pastime 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 inner ATA/IDE arduous drive to the underside cowl – however do not take away these but.

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

Subsequent, flip the underside cowl over, and take away the arduous 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 injury. Clear each the drive and cable with compressed air adopted by a humid material. Additionally, clear the within of the duvet to take away any mud.

Set all three components apart for later.

Observe that not like right now’s computer systems, the first technology Apple TV used ATA/IDE drives. 2.5-inch ATA drives had been the usual for many laptops within the late 1990’s. SATA hadn’t but been broadly 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 will 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 help/warmth conduit

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

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

The warmth conduit is held down by a metallic put up on the backside and a single Torx screw on the prime. You will not have the ability to entry this screw with out the proper dimension Torx mini screwdriver that may match via the small gap above it.

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

There are literally three components to the highest cowl: a metallic plate the motherboard is mounted on, a metallic body, and the clear/white plastic prime. All three components 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 pastime knife, take away the CR2032 coin-cell battery as proven. Watch out to not quick something, and to not injury the plastic battery holder both.

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

Take away the battery rapidly so it would not contact any motherboard elements and quick them.

Take away the CR2032 battery utilizing a pastime knife.

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

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

Take a look at the battery with a multimeter. Right max voltage is 3.3V.

At this level, you’ll be able to plug your Apple TV right into a wall outlet to see what the entrance gentle 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 arduous drive and OS.

In case you do get another error, the machine will want restore, or in case you are an electronics skilled, additional prognosis.

Be sure to not contact any a part of the facility provide at this level. Inside the facility provide are high-voltage 250V capacitors and if you happen to contact them together with your naked arms it is prone to knock you off your toes or worse.

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

It is for that reason the facility provide is wrapped in an insulating plastic cowl and sealed with tape. Even so, it is nonetheless harmful when reside.

Remember 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 as a way to substitute it. This job is for superior customers so we’ll go away this as an additional step on the finish.

Testing energy. With out the arduous drive hooked up, 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 determine if you wish to danger damaging these posts as a way 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 various strategies later, but it surely’s possible eradicating the fan will break at the least one in all them.

In case you do determine to take away the fan, you will must squeeze the highest of every put up 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 really cool something straight. All the most important chips are on the opposite facet of the motherboard. There’s a small financial institution of resistors and capacitors beneath the fan, and it retains these components cool since they energy the chips on the opposite facet.

A lot 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 primary body and backside plate.

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

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

Until you wish to take away the motherboard you needn’t take away the WiFi card or energy provide. You should use 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.

In case you do must take away the facility provide, proceed with warning. As we talked about it will probably comprise harmful excessive voltage.

At all times put on rubber gloves when dealing with the facility provide, and by no means contact it whereas the gadget is plugged in.

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

In case you merely wish to clear the facility provide of mud you needn’t take away it. As an alternative, 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 substitute on-line and substitute all the unit.

That is pretty straightforward: to take action, take away the three Torx screws holding the facility 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 fastidiously and slowly pry the facility provide up from the pad to free it. Set up of a brand new energy provide is the reverse of elimination.

One purpose Apple makes use of this type of insulating pad to carry the facility provide in place is to make sure no excessive voltages arc from the availability to the metallic chassis of the gadget – which might pose a well being hazard for customers.

For that reason, do not take away the insulating pad from the gadget – you will want it while 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 facility 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 if you happen to’re not within the inner workings of the Apple TV energy provide.

A lot of the work of this provide entails taking the enter 120V or 240V home AC present and stepping it right down to 5V DC the gadget can use.

Apple TV 1st technology energy provide from Delta Electronics.

To open the facility provide (assuming you have confirmed it is totally discharged first), you will must take away its outer plastic cowl. In case you simply unplugged the Apple TV wait just a few hours earlier than trying this as a way to give the capacitors time to discharge.

There are two small plastic clips on one facet of the availability you will must take away with a pastime knife.

You may additionally must peel again three items of tape holding the plastic cowl on. As soon as that is performed you’ll be able to fastidiously take away the duvet.

You could want to attain the tape in just a few locations to free the duvet, however this may be re-taped later – or sealed with scorching glue.

You could want to attain the tape in just a few locations.

With the duvet eliminated, we will see the facility 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. Massive choke
11. Three 10V output caps
12. Output

Apple TV 1st technology energy provide with cowl eliminated.

Briefly, the facility 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 which may be within the constructing’s electrical wiring.

Movie caps are additionally identified for having the ability to face up to excessive voltages with out producing a lot of warmth. Many movie caps present in private computer systems courting 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 subject. The aim of most inductors is to retailer power and resist any modifications in present passing via them.

Subsequent the present passes via 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 via it. Relying on the facet of the coil, voltages will be both elevated or decreased by both drawing kind of energy on the other facet.

In addition they block higher-frequency AC present whereas permitting lower-frequency AC and DC present to move via. 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 gadget primarily based on the worth of an enter voltage at one of many gadget’s terminals.

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

Bridge rectifiers or “diode bridges” are small packages that comprise 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 facility provide comprises a D2SB bridge rectifier rated for 200V @ 1.5A.

Most bridge rectifiers work by changing the destructive portion of the AC enter to a optimistic voltage. They then clean it to supply a single steady DC present.

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

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

Bridge rectifiers had been invented within the late 1800s and had been a important step obligatory earlier than built-in circuits may very well be produced.

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

You might have famous a whole lot of hardened white putty round a number of of the facility provide’s elements.

This putty is used to carry elements in place so they do not contact, but it surely additionally acts as a high-voltage insulating materials to stop electrical arcing. This arcing might doubtlessly quick and destroy the facility provide, trigger hearth, or injure customers.

By sealing most of the high-voltage elements in insulating putty the designers of the facility provide can guarantee no antagonistic results or injury. For these causes by no means take away any of the putty from the facility provide – except you must as a way to substitute a element.

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

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

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 facet of the board.

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

In case 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 also be elective. In case your Apple TV is not very soiled this step is not actually obligatory. Grime and dirt can accumulate beneath the motherboard and forestall airflow and warmth dissipation.

In case your Apple TV motherboard may be very soiled you may wish to clear beneath 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 facet.

If you cannot attain the recessed Torx screw via the outlet within the prime of the conduit, you’ll be able to nonetheless take away it by barely (and punctiliously) bending the highest facet to the precise to permit entry with a traditional Torx driver.

In case you do that, achieve this fastidiously, and do not bend it an excessive amount of. The highest of the conduit additionally acts as a help 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 gadget.

The hidden Torx screw beneath the warmth conduit.

At this level, the motherboard is successfully free, but it surely’s nonetheless being held into the body by the ports in the back of 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 injury, burn marks, corrosion or different inconsistencies.

Two of the chips on the underside of the board have thermal paste on them. Until it is extraordinarily dried out and flaky, there is not any actual purpose to take away and substitute it. Attempt to not disturb it if you happen to’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 also be elective. In case you do not wish to improve your Apple TV’s RAM, skip this step (it is fairly lengthy and sophisticated).

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 entails soldering bodge wires, eradicating the chipset controller (Intel G45U), eradicating, reprogramming and re-flashing the firmware ROM, and superior SMD and scorching air soldering abilities.

To carry out the RAM improve you will additionally want particular gear and solder flux. This consists of:

1. SMD solder paste
2. Scorching air board preheat gadget
3. Scorching air soldering station
4. Soldering iron
5. Solder wick
6. Effective enamel-coated wire
7. Voltmeter
8. Tweezers
9. Optionally a microscope
10. 4 substitute 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 embrace 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, putting 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 it is a daunting job and if you happen to’re not 100% sure of your abilities, 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 scorching air.

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

Because the solder heats up, every gadget is routinely drawn into place on the solder grid on the motherboard. When scorching 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 in case you are totally assured in your SMD soldering abilities.

A detailed-up view of the underside of the Apple TV motherboard reveals 4 64MB RAM units alongside the left facet 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 facet of the underside of the motherboard.

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

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

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

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

Apply further flux to the pads the place the RAM chips had 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 scorching air station, take away the firmware ROM chip on the front-side of the motherboard. Relying on which motherboard you’ve, the dimensions and site of this chip might fluctuate.

Often, it is a 14-pin or 8-pin SMD gadget 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 lets you 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 recent air preheater. Observe the solder balls beneath the chips. Courtesy dosdude1.

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

Among the solder pads join the handle traces of every RAM chip to the chipset controller which accesses their knowledge by way of these connections. Sadly, the larger-sized RAM chips require extra entry (handle 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 will want to do that for every of the 4 RAM chips.

A bodge wire is just an extra further 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 as a way 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 handle line to the chipset controller straight. However first, you will want to switch the ROM’s SPD knowledge 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 knowledge 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 referred to as SPDTool which lets you view the SPD knowledge in a UI, modifications its values, then put it aside again to a file.

As soon as you have modified and saved the file, you’ll be able to dump that knowledge again to the unique knowledge within the ROM file. This overwrites it and thus updating the SPD knowledge 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 all the RAM substitute and firmware modifying course of.

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

As soon as you have up to date and re-flashed your Apple TV ROM with the brand new SPD knowledge, 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 scorching air station.

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

Earlier than you really connect the bodge wires, you will must take away the Intel G45U controller chip utilizing scorching air, “reball” it (reflow its solder balls on the underside utilizing scorching 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 handle line 13 on the first of the RAM chips.

It seems Apple offered a by way of – a pass-through gap to the opposite facet 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’ll be able to join the bodge wire from handle 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 facet of the motherboard. Courtesy dosdude1.

You may additionally must solder one other bodge wire from the fourth RAM chip’s handle 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 handle line 13 to the adjoining RAM chip’s handle line 13 pad. On every chip that is the decrease backside proper pin in every solder matrix.

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

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

Bodge wire set up – bridging handle line 13 on all RAM chips, to the pullup resistor, and eventually 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 scorching air after including new flux to the chip pads – ensuring not one of the bodge wires transfer or come free.

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

You could wish to cowl the bodge wire space with broad Kapton tape simply to insure not one of the connections can quick to the chassis or to the motherboard.

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

Now that a lot 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 while you eliminated it, worry 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 scorching glue with a glue gun to the highest of the posts.

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

This could securely maintain the fan on. In our refurb we misplaced two of the three put up clips when eradicating them however scorching glue labored simply wonderful after changing the fan:

Fan reinstalled with scorching glue used on the 2 posts on the precise.

Remember 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 substitute 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 of 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 is not sturdy sufficient and the chemical compounds in it trigger the rubber foot to curve up making it unimaginable to re-secure it.

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

You could not must cowl all the 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 comparable to a big ebook or weight on the foot till the glue dries to verify it sticks evenly.

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

To take action, use a instrument referred to as OpenELEC and a USB thumb drive. You may additionally want a Mac drive flasher utility comparable 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 also be required. That is wanted as a result of holding down a particular key mixture on the distant tells the Apple TV as well from the USB port as an alternative of from the inner arduous drive. Extra on this beneath.

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

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

Primarily the method entails 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. Remember doing so will erase all the pieces beforehand on the thumb drive.

After the flashing completes, the Mac Finder offers you 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 gentle 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 isn’t any interplay onscreen with OpenELEC – as soon as it hundreds it wipes the Apple TV inner 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 facility 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 gadget to manufacturing facility situations.

Apple TV Restoration mode. Scroll down and click on “Manufacturing facility 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 just a few setup screens.

Enter your data 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 any 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 right now’s Apple Music app.

In iTunes you’ll be able to connect 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 could be requested to enter a code displayed in your Apple TV’s show in iTunes as a way to join.

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

The unique Apple TV was a revolutionary gadget for its time and though 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, motion pictures, or if it’s essential run older apps.

The primary-generation Apple TV was quickly changed with the extra trendy fashions we all know and love right now.

Steve Jobs as soon as referred to as the Apple TV “Our pastime” but it surely has advanced into far more than that – and it’ll possible be with us for a very long time to return.