iPod iPod 1st gen flash mod

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Flash Modding a 1st gen iPod


Limitations:
At first I have to admit that there is one limitation: syncing the flashed iPod with iTunes/Finder is not possible because of the missing USB support of the controller chip. FireWire doesn’t support the connection to flash storage.



Solution:
To get your iPod 1st gen synced with your library you have to use a 3rd gen iPod. This generation is in the one hand the first with USB support. On the other hand the software is very similar to the 1st/2nd gen iPods. You just have to mirror the hidden „iPod_control“ folder of the 3rd gen iPod to the 1st gen and your iPod will be able to play all songs.



1. Hardware mod:

What you need:

• iPod 1st gen
• 50 Pin IDE to 40 pin ZIF adaptor

• iFlash Quad
• file
• saw/diagonal pliers
• microSD extender cable 15cm

• micro SD TF T-Flash - microSD Verlängerung Kabel Ultraflexibel 10cm Raspberry Pi

• double sided tape
• microSD card

Steps:

1. Open the iPod with a plastic opening tool, don’t scratch the metal part.
2. Remove the battery and the HDD (also all gummy parts from the board)
3. File down a tiny part of the plastic/acrylic front plate right above the headphone port to make the microSD card fit.

1. Saw the end of the iFlash adaptor off or use diagonal pliers so it fits flat in the iPod. I marked it with a red line.

1. Cut a piece cardboard to make it fit between the logic board and the iFlash Quad adapter to reduce static noise, that occurs when the iPod is loading mp3 file to the RAM. I also used antistatic tape. Much better.
2. Install the 50 Pin IDE to 40 pin ZIF adaptor.

1. Connect the iFlash Quad adapter.
2. Remove the plastic housing of the microSD female port of the microSD extender cable. Use a double sided tape to attach the female port of the extender cable to the back plate (use a 1 mm piece in between, so that the microSD card can spring in and out smoothly). Connect the two microSD-extension-cables and tape them to the rear cover as seen on the photo.

1. Insert the extender cable into the iFlash Quad adapter and connect the battery.

On the photo the battery is connected with another little mod that is not needed for this mod. More information at the end.

1. Close the iPod.

2. Software mod:

I wanted the iPod to save the files to a FAT-partition, not the HFS+-partition because this allows you to use lockbox or ipodlinux. But I had issues to extend the FAT-partition, because the partition table wasn’t updated. The HFS+-partition didn’t make any issues using gparted.


How to get the FAT-partition extended and working.


What you need:

• 1st gen iPod with working HDD
• PC with FireWire port / bootcamp on a Mac
• iPod 3rd gen (flash modded, if you need more storage)
• USB-cable (better: FireWire and USB to 30 pin cable to prevent the iPod from discharging)
• FireWire charger
• HDD Raw Copy Tool by HDDGURU
• Partition Manager (EaseUS Partition Master, Aomei Partition Assistant Standard Edition etc.)
• PowerQuest Partition Table Editor

Steps:

1. Restore your 1st gen iPod with iTunes on PC / bootcamp Mac to create a FAT32 partitioned iPod.
2. Connect the iPod 1st gen via FireWire or its HDD with an 50 Pin to USB adaptor.
3. Connect a microSD card with your Windows PC / bootcamp Mac (I used a 128GB microSD card.).
4. Quit iTunes (if it opened) and start HDD Raw Copy tool, select the iPod as source (I selected the Toshiba HDD) and the microSD card as target, click start and yes; now you have an exact copy of the HDD data on your microSD card.
5. Open PowerQuest Partition Table Editor as admin: first select the correct drive (e.g. „Drive 2 (121938 MB)“, take a photo of the values.

1. Open a partition manager and extend the FAT-partition (4,X GB) to the maximum of your card. Press execute. Now the microSD can’t be read correctly any more. You have to update the partition table.
2. Open PowerQuest Partition Table Editor as admin: first select the correct drive (e.g. „Drive 2 (121938 MB)“, change all the values to the old ones (look at the photo) except the last in the second line (change 78045722 to 249730745), you can check the right value in the field „Partition Information“, just calculate the right value, save changes.

1. Connect your flash modded 3rd gen iPod (FAT32) to your Mac and sync all your beloved songs with iTunes.
2. Insert the 1st gen microSD Card.
3. Copy the hidden folder „iPod_control“ from the 3rd gen to the 1st gen microSD card (using a sync tool like FreeFileSync is recommended).
4. Insert the microSD card into the modded 1st gen iPod and reset it holding menu and play buttons for a few seconds.
5. The 1st gen flash mod is finished!

Boot-time:

Hold-switch-mod:
My iPod 1st gen has the issue that the battery drains within a few days completely. I don’t know why but I guess it has nothing to do with this mod. The solution for me: I soldered the hold switch off the logic board and bridged the two left solder points. Tape them with antistatic tape. Then I soldered the red lead off the battery board and soldered another on. I soldered the two ends of the red leads to the two left pins of the switch (new one: C&K AYZ0102AGRLC) and soldered it back to the board. You can also use super glue! Now the Hold button works as on/off switch that prevents the battery from discharging/draining.

used switch: C&K AYZ0102AGRLC