The Apple diyMod: My Take on the Famous iMod [56k killer] Featuring 3G, 4G, 5G and nano 1G!

[joneeboi]

Here are some pictures of my progress. I've found the pads I need the DAC to connect to, but I don't know where to grab the signal from. Maybe someone can point me in the right direction.



The DAC of interest. LOUT1 and ROUT1 aren't as obvious as the iPod nano 1G, and only LOUT2 has a visible trace; ROUT2 can't be found. Even the signal from LOUT2 can't be found.




edit: That pin 5 should be pin 4.

[iQEM]

this day i had test 2 Gmod (my friends had it) myself and surprised that Gmod doesn't look different from standart ipod...only the blackgates dock line out look different than dock that ussually use for amping...how they do that ? i mean, why joneeboi had to put cap on a tictac box, not copy Gmod or iMod form ? can you try to figure out & make DIYmod more simple ? no intend to push you, just curious about the form factor...that's all, thx...

note:
how about GoPod guys ? no one had response about it yet ?!

[jERiCOh]

I'd like to help but I need the pin configuration... Is it the same as the WM8750 ? http://www.wolfsonmicro.com/uploads/.../en/WM8750.pdf

[joneeboi]

As far as I know, the WM8750 and the 8758 are the same. My source of knowledge comes from general Googling. The pinout for this chip seems different from the ones in the 4G and the nano 1G. I tried following the trace from the dock back to somewhere around the chip, but it seems Apple used a 4-layered PCB to get their work done, so I can't "trace" it that easily (get it? *uncontrolled laughter*). I might try soldering to those giant yellow caps on the other side of the iPod and see what my luck is.

[joneeboi]

Blessed are the feet of those who bring good news!

I figured it out. I feel like such a dork. Refer to the picture of the WM8758. Reading around, turns out the 8758 isn't like the 8750 so much as it is to the WM8978. Those components with the Z on them are the same as on my 4G and the nano 1G, and I can't believe I didn't connect the two earlier. Turns out the audio feeds just come from different pins. Nevertheless, the procedure remains the same. Remove the Z components, solder from there to the line out pads as shown in that one picture above. I think you may need to connect another wire to connect the grounds or something, as the audio is still fuzzy coming out of the line out. It may be a grounding issue, so someone may want to investigate this matter. I tested sound with my MHM, which is supposed to have DC blocking capabilities. Something else is amiss as my left channel measures 1.44Vrms while the right channel sits at a measly 1.0Vrms; for reference, my diyMod 4G sports a commanding 1.5Vrms.

That's that. The adventurous may want to try this on their own while I study for the three finals this week (the last of the three is on a Saturday ). My mind can finally rest from this diyMod hoopla.

[ishtob]

Originally Posted by iQEM

this day i had test 2 Gmod (my friends had it) myself and surprised that Gmod doesn't look different from standart ipod...only the blackgates dock line out look different than dock that ussually use for amping...how they do that ? i mean, why joneeboi had to put cap on a tictac box, not copy Gmod or iMod form ? can you try to figure out & make DIYmod more simple ? no intend to push you, just curious about the form factor...that's all, thx...

note:
how about GoPod guys ? no one had response about it yet ?!

I believe it would be easy to do a gmod ourselves, just need to take the L and R channel signal from the dac, use some nice wires and hook it up to the ipod dock out (the appropriate pins of course). and put he NX-hiQ blackgates in the dock connecter.

All it is doing is bypassing the crappy stock caps and then put the blackgate in its place OUTSIDE of the ipod, i think joneeboi has the same idea, but he decide to encase the caps in a tictac box instead of the LOD

[ishtob]

i believe those things with a white Z are them have, on the side closer to the chip(the side with the white line), the L & ROUT2. I checked mine under a magnifying glass, you can see a faint trace running there. sign.. such a tiny trace.. no wonder the sq gets degraded so much

[joneeboi]

Originally Posted by iQEM

i mean, why joneeboi had to put cap on a tictac box, not copy Gmod or iMod form ?

I wanted to keep the headphone jack on my iPod 4G functional. I intend to put the Black Gates inside once I set up my portable diyMod rig.

[ishtob]

That is a good idea, to test if it works first before you make permanent changes to your ipod smart

Too bad the 5G ipods dont have any space inside. I am trying to device a way to get rid of the original jack and use that space for the blackgates then route them to the jack for output. :P so no headphone jack, and need a LOD to operate. But since I use my ipod with amp all the time anyways, it won't be a problem.

my blackgates are in the mail.. I hope there will be enough room

[joneeboi]

I just wanted to clear the air, the top two Z parts are the ones you want to remove.

The diyMod 5G has issues fitting itself as it is. I'm using the same 30AWG wires from before, and running the two wires between the DAC and dock positions has prevented the click wheel from fitting uniformly, and I'm pretty sure I have to run another wire between the dock and CODEC grounds. Not only would you have to find space for the caps, but you'd have to route the wires to and from the caps, which is already difficult to do without the caps. The GMod guys said they slipped the caps inside, so I guess it's possible. I really just want to see the BGs before making a judgment, though.

FYI, there's a (cheap?) iPod nano 1G 4GB in the Source forums perfect for diyModding.

[iQEM]

Originally Posted by joneeboi

Blessed are the feet of those who bring good news!

I figured it out. I feel like such a dork. Refer to the picture of the WM8758. Reading around, turns out the 8758 isn't like the 8750 so much as it is to the WM8978. Those components with the Z on them are the same as on my 4G and the nano 1G, and I can't believe I didn't connect the two earlier. Turns out the audio feeds just come from different pins. Nevertheless, the procedure remains the same. Remove the Z components, solder from there to the line out pads as shown in that one picture above. I think you may need to connect another wire to connect the grounds or something, as the audio is still fuzzy coming out of the line out. It may be a grounding issue, so someone may want to investigate this matter. I tested sound with my MHM, which is supposed to have DC blocking capabilities. Something else is amiss as my left channel measures 1.44Vrms while the right channel sits at a measly 1.0Vrms; for reference, my diyMod 4G sports a commanding 1.5Vrms.

That's that. The adventurous may want to try this on their own while I study for the three finals this week (the last of the three is on a Saturday ). My mind can finally rest from this diyMod hoopla.

then go study now for finals, joneeboi... goodluck, mate !

Originally Posted by ishtob

I believe it would be easy to do a gmod ourselves, just need to take the L and R channel signal from the dac, use some nice wires and hook it up to the ipod dock out (the appropriate pins of course). and put he NX-hiQ blackgates in the dock connecter.

All it is doing is bypassing the crappy stock caps and then put the blackgate in its place OUTSIDE of the ipod, i think joneeboi has the same idea, but he decide to encase the caps in a tictac box instead of the LOD

LOD ? what's is that, ishtob ?

Originally Posted by ishtob

i believe those things with a white Z are them have, on the side closer to the chip(the side with the white line), the L & ROUT2. I checked mine under a magnifying glass, you can see a faint trace running there. sign.. such a tiny trace.. no wonder the sq gets degraded so much

still reading...

Originally Posted by joneeboi

I wanted to keep the headphone jack on my iPod 4G functional. I intend to put the Black Gates inside once I set up my portable diyMod rig.

then i'll wait for the time to come... since i'm not used to do this on my own, but i really want to try it by myself now...

Originally Posted by ishtob

That is a good idea, to test if it works first before you make permanent changes to your ipod smart

Too bad the 5G ipods dont have any space inside. I am trying to device a way to get rid of the original jack and use that space for the blackgates then route them to the jack for output. :P so no headphone jack, and need a LOD to operate. But since I use my ipod with amp all the time anyways, it won't be a problem.

my blackgates are in the mail.. I hope there will be enough room

are there any other alternative than blackgates ? i dont think there will be enough room for my nano here...

[fatman711]

LOD is a lineout dock.

You use it to connect your amp to the line out of the ipod

[iQEM]

oh, i c...thx for explain it, fatman711...i have see & used it before but never heard they called it LOD...

[joneeboi]

I cleaned up the OP a bit for easier referencing. I will try to streamline things as much as possible for easy access to information.

[wgr73]

Sick find Jone! I didn't get my click wheel in on Saturday, so im sure it will be here today. I'll post back my mod...once its done.