Xbox 360 Development Kits are Xbox 360s produced by Microsoft for their personal development team and other game studios.

How XDKs all Started.
Xbox 360 Development Kits all started with the Production of the Xbox 360 Alpha 1&2 Tower XDKs:


This console was the very beginning to the production of the xbox 360.

After this console, the production of the XeDK (Xenon Development Kit) began in 2004.

XeDK
The XeDK (Xenon Development Kit) was the first xbox 360 development kit produced in the same design of the xbox 360 consoles today. These consoles were only meant to be stress tested with before they were shipped over seas to be destroyed. Thanks to those who salvaged some of them, we are here to gather the information we have on them today.

The XeDK came in 2 productions:
XeDK Beta-1
XeDK Beta-2

XeDK Beta-1

The XeDK beta-1 was the prototype xenon development kit produced by Microsoft in 2004. During the production of these consoles, Microsoft didnt have a name for it besides XeDK. The original plan was to name the console "Xenon". Microsoft not having a definate name for the console not having "Xbox 360" Printed anywhere on the console (besides the back sticker above the A/V Port that says "XBOX 360 XeDK").

These consoles were the only ones built with black molded plastic for the RF board cover and fan shroud. They were also the only xbox development kits that had the Argon RF board and Titan Kernel debugging board. The argon board on these consoles are only compatible with wired controllers to connect to the XeDK. The prototype wired controllers that came with these consoles are called Krypton controllers.

XeDKs only have beta Recoveries and therefor do not have the capability to read XeX2 files. These consoles can only run XeX1 files and compiled exe's. Beta-1 XeDKs can not and will never be able to update to a recovery capable of doing so.





XeDK Beta-2
The XeDK Beta-2 was produced shortly after the Beta-1 console and had a white case and white molded plastic (just like the current consoles).

These consoles are basically the same as the beta-1 consoles besides them having no Titan board, Argon board, or smc LEDs. These consoles do have the stress wires and xbox 360 printing on the case similar to the current white consoles.

XeDKs possess the capability of running a hacked recovery to run XeX2 files!

PICTURES:



XDK

Xbox 360 Development Kits were produced after Microsoft ordered all of the XeDK consoles to be destroyed overseas.

XDKs come in all motherboard revisions and run signed and unsigned XeX2 files. XDKs come in several different motherboard types that have different capabilities.

Types of Xbox 360 Development Kits

Stress Kit
Demo Kit
Reviewer Kit
Test Kit
Development Kit
XNA Kit

no matter what kit you have it falls under one of the 2 categories test or dev, (says in xna launcher)

Development Kits can kernel debug (ability to set, poke, or get memory, ie: editing games in realtime), unlike a Test Kit. They have full support for both DVD Emulation and PIX Debugging through the sidecar.

Test kits can ultimately be converted to Dev Kits by flashing them with a dev nand or running a temporary xex to patch it.

Determining Dev or Test MOBO

Xna kit (sidecar + 1g ram{512 in sidecar + the 512 in the xbox itself}) = dev mobo
dev kit (sidecar) = dev mobo
test kit (sidecar) = test mobo
demo kit = either mobo
reviewer kit = dev mobo
stress test kit ( 05 ones have hole on side of case ) = dev mobo
Beta 1 kit
Beta 2 Kit

Determining your type of XDK

Reviewer Kit


Stress Kit


Demo Kit


Test Kit


Development Kit


XNA Kit



Sidecars

A sidecar is a big box like shape on top of the Kit that is used for DVD Emulation, Investigating performance, and as a Hard Drive. These sidecars were produced in the colors Black, Grey, White, and Metallic Blue for XNA kits.

They either have one, or two USB ports on the back of them, each has their own use.

If you don't use a sidecar with a kit, you can use a standard power supply with it.

However,if you do use a sidecar you need a different type of power supply.

You need a 213W Power supply for it to work correctly.

Sidecar USB Ports

As stated above,a sidecar will either have one,or two USB ports.

These both serve different functions,and yes,two is better than one but is more expensive as a result.

Usually you will find 2 USB's on a sidecar intended for a Development Kit.

If the sidecar has one USB port, that USB is used for DVD Emulation.

If the sidecar has two USB ports, the first one will be used for DVD Emulation and the second one will be used for PIX.

DVD EMU

DVD Emulation allows you to play or debug games that are a work in project directly from your computers hard drive without the need to transfer the game onto the Kit.

PIX

PIX (Performance Investigator for Xbox) basically allows you to see your CPU output.

PICTURES

Blue XNA Sidecar


Black Sidecar


Grey Sidecar


White Sidecar



PNET (Partner Network)

PNET is Xbox live for Xbox 360 Developers.

XDKs can only connect to PNET and other development networks, Ex: Production Network. XDKs will never be able to connect to XBOX LIVE.

PNET is a Xbox live server where developers share, test, and debug content released by other developers or by Microsoft prior to the release to the public.

Everying on PNET is free, including downloads, Microsoft points, and Xbox live.

Nothing on a PNET account can be transfered to a retail console so no, you can not get free Xbox live membership or Microsoft points through this.

Most of this information is now irrelevant considering that Partner Network is now whitelisted and only those manually added by Microsoft can connect to the server.