PS3 Fault finding YLOD with the SYSCON - First steps and Error reporting

Hi felix, the console turns on and is sealed. It was the 2203 error I was concerned about, I know its South Bridge related but wasn't sure if it was serious?

Sent from my SM-G988B using Tapatalk
 
Hi everyone
I'm from Iran and I have a problem
my English is not good
we have YLOD ps3 and show me only error 3003
I solder 16 pieces 470 2,5V (without bridge) and when I turn on the console, I can see the voltage before the tantalum capacitors and when I add bridges between two lines of the positive pad, the voltage disappears and I don't know what is voltage going???
I checked all FUSE, resistor and checked for find short but there is NO short in this board
I don't know what am I doing?

3003 means you didn't do the CPU caps right.

You need 12x 470uF. 3x per tokin replaced. And you must bridge the positive rail. Do not power on without the bridge wires, or this will destroy the caps (Tantalum will explode)! If you did, you probably need to replace the ones you already installed.

After installing, check resistance from +/GND. If it reads less than 0.5 ohms, you have a short and need to fix your soldering. It can be tricky.

I made this to make soldering easier, in case you're interested. You can DL the gerber files and have whatever boardhouse you want make them.
 
Hi felix, the console turns on and is sealed. It was the 2203 error I was concerned about, I know its South Bridge related but wasn't sure if it was serious?

Sent from my SM-G988B using Tapatalk

I've seen it associated with 1001 before. CPU and SB are connected over FlexIO and coordinate many tasks. So voltage ripple/noise from CPU VRM can cause SB errors. I'm pretty sure that this is a Cell tokin issue and that 2203 will disapper after they're replaced.
 
3003 means you didn't do the CPU caps right.

You need 12x 470uF. 3x per tokin replaced. And you must bridge the positive rail. Do not power on without the bridge wires, or this will destroy the caps (Tantalum will explode)! If you did, you probably need to replace the ones you already installed.

After installing, check resistance from +/GND. If it reads less than 0.5 ohms, you have a short and need to fix your soldering. It can be tricky.

I made this to make soldering easier, in case you're interested. You can DL the gerber files and have whatever boardhouse you want make them.

Thank you for your answer
when I solder the cap,bridge and measurement by multimeter, show me 0.2 ohms (GND/negative cap pad) and 3 ohms (GND/positive cap pad) Which indicates that there is NO short
I don't have an ESR meter but when I checked the caps, show me 0.5 miliFarad on a multimeter
I also tried the electrolytic capacitor(1000 microFarad 6.3V for each pad) and show me YLOD

Image added : https://postimg.cc/Cz42mG0p
P.S : This photo is not mine and just to help ME easily
Cz42mG0p
 
Last edited:
I've seen it associated with 1001 before. CPU and SB are connected over FlexIO and coordinate many tasks. So voltage ripple/noise from CPU VRM can cause SB errors. I'm pretty sure that this is a Cell tokin issue and that 2203 will disapper after they're replaced.

I've seen it associated with 1001 before. CPU and SB are connected over FlexIO and coordinate many tasks. So voltage ripple/noise from CPU VRM can cause SB errors. I'm pretty sure that this is a Cell tokin issue and that 2203 will disapper after they're replaced.[/QUOTE

Okay, thanks for the insight, it's not currently shutting down, this error has happened sometime in the past, however I can tag on some caps to act as a preventative measure.

Many thanks for your help
 
Hi everyone, i have a ps3 that shutdown immediately after i turn on (model CECHL03 with VER 001 mobo).
I extracted syscon with a ft232rl usb adapter and obtained error A0801200.
Reading on ps3devwiki i understand that the problem is that the CELL processor is overheating.
I kindly removed the IHS and applied new thermal paste.
Now the ps3 turn on but after about 2 minutes it turn off again.
Maybe there are other coolong problems.
Also i can't see nothing on both hdmi and av output (i already tried to reset video output by pressing the power on button).
What can i do?
Thank's a lot.
 
Okay, thanks for the insight, it's not currently shutting down, this error has happened sometime in the past, however I can tag on some caps to act as a preventative measure.

Many thanks for your help
Wowwww.... nelly! Hold your horses there coyboy and back this wagon train up!

What do you mean, "it's not currently shutting down?" Are you saying the errors on the log aren't happening now? The 1001's were from the past, you didn't actually trigger any yourself?

Remember before I said a 1001 that occurs when the console is on could be tokins? I also said it can happen on consoles that aren't properly shutdown. Even when tokins are fine!

Your console shows a bringup/shutdown count that suuggests it was used as a number cruncher. They are left on for long periods of time and only shutdown improperly when there is a power disruption. So the errorlog could be full of 1001, 1004, 2203 and such errors.

So my tokin assumptions depended on the 1001 still happening during intense games. That you actually triggered it. A current error. That's why these details about your testing method matter and why context matters in order to help make sense of your errorlog. You can't just post the log and expect the code to mean one thing. You have to give us more to go on.

Is the 1001 a current error or not? Or did you only mean the 2203 isn't occuring consistantly?

If you want a definitive answer, you could also buy a scope and measure the ripple/noise to see.
 
Hi everyone, i have a ps3 that shutdown immediately after i turn on (model CECHL03 with VER 001 mobo).
I extracted syscon with a ft232rl usb adapter and obtained error A0801200.
Reading on ps3devwiki i understand that the problem is that the CELL processor is overheating.
I kindly removed the IHS and applied new thermal paste.
Now the ps3 turn on but after about 2 minutes it turn off again.
Maybe there are other coolong problems.
Also i can't see nothing on both hdmi and av output (i already tried to reset video output by pressing the power on button).
What can i do?
Thank's a lot.
Could you post the original errorlog? Or was it full of 1200, no other errors?

Currently, you say it stays on for 2 mins, black screen...shuts off. Shuts off how? YLOD? If so, there should be an error and we need to see it. Or do you mean there are no 3-beeps, it simply powers back off?

Have you tried powering on without a HDD? OS could be corrupt. Maybe try a diff HDD. Can you see anything in safe mode?
 
Wowwww.... nelly! Hold your horses there coyboy and back this wagon train up!

What do you mean, "it's not currently shutting down?" Are you saying the errors on the log aren't happening now? The 1001's were from the past, you didn't actually trigger any yourself?

Remember before I said a 1001 that occurs when the console is on could be tokins? I also said it can happen on consoles that aren't properly shutdown. Even when tokins are fine!

Your console shows a bringup/shutdown count that suuggests it was used as a number cruncher. They are left on for long periods of time and only shutdown improperly when there is a power disruption. So the errorlog could be full of 1001, 1004, 2203 and such errors.

So my tokin assumptions depended on the 1001 still happening during intense games. That you actually triggered it. A current error. That's why these details about your testing method matter and why context matters in order to help make sense of your errorlog. You can't just post the log and expect the code to mean one thing. You have to give us more to go on.

Is the 1001 a current error or not? Or did you only mean the 2203 isn't occuring consistantly?

If you want a definitive answer, you could also buy a scope and measure the ripple/noise to see.

Hi Felix,

No I haven't triggered any errors, I now dump the log on consoles I referbish to see if it has had any fatal shutdowns.

Lots of sellers do a temp heat fix and carefully reseal the console. So when I open it I scrutinise the console, this one looks like it's never been opened. So I now dump the sysco log to check for any suspicious errors. So the 1001 errors I am aware is likely to be improper shutdown. It was the SB error in was concerned about. All I really wanted to know is the SB error a fatal error, is it something to be concerned about?

If not I have done all the cleaning and repasting and the console works fine, if the SB error is nothing to worry about then I'm happy the referbishment is complete
 
Could you post the original errorlog? Or was it full of 1200, no other errors?

Currently, you say it stays on for 2 mins, black screen...shuts off. Shuts off how? YLOD? If so, there should be an error and we need to see it. Or do you mean there are no 3-beeps, it simply powers back off?

Have you tried powering on without a HDD? OS could be corrupt. Maybe try a diff HDD. Can you see anything in safe mode?

Here is the complete log of syscon error befor ihs removal:

===================================
ERR 00: 00000000 A0801200 FFFFFFFF
ERR 01: 00000000 A0801200 FFFFFFFF
ERR 02: 00000000 A0801200 FFFFFFFF
ERR 03: 00000000 A0801200 FFFFFFFF
ERR 04: 00000000 A0801200 FFFFFFFF
ERR 05: 00000000 A0801200 FFFFFFFF
ERR 06: 00000000 A0801200 FFFFFFFF
ERR 07: 00000000 A0801200 FFFFFFFF
ERR 08: 00000000 A0801200 FFFFFFFF
ERR 09: 00000000 A0801200 FFFFFFFF
ERR 10: 00000000 A0801200 FFFFFFFF
ERR 11: 00000000 A0801200 FFFFFFFF
ERR 12: 00000000 A0801200 FFFFFFFF
ERR 13: 00000000 A0801200 FFFFFFFF
ERR 14: 00000000 A0801200 FFFFFFFF
ERR 15: 00000000 A0801200 FFFFFFFF
ERR 16: 00000000 A0801200 FFFFFFFF
ERR 17: 00000000 A0801200 FFFFFFFF
ERR 18: 00000000 A0801200 FFFFFFFF
ERR 19: 00000000 A0801200 FFFFFFFF
===================================

The consol shut off like if you shut off from the xmb (normal no ylod).
I tried to make a new syscon error log but it is the same as before (i have to change the battery, is dead).
I discovered that the internal hdd it does not work, but i have already tried without it. Nothing change.
 
Wowwww.... nelly! Hold your horses there coyboy and back this wagon train up!

What do you mean, "it's not currently shutting down?" Are you saying the errors on the log aren't happening now? The 1001's were from the past, you didn't actually trigger any yourself?

Remember before I said a 1001 that occurs when the console is on could be tokins? I also said it can happen on consoles that aren't properly shutdown. Even when tokins are fine!

Your console shows a bringup/shutdown count that suuggests it was used as a number cruncher. They are left on for long periods of time and only shutdown improperly when there is a power disruption. So the errorlog could be full of 1001, 1004, 2203 and such errors.

So my tokin assumptions depended on the 1001 still happening during intense games. That you actually triggered it. A current error. That's why these details about your testing method matter and why context matters in order to help make sense of your errorlog. You can't just post the log and expect the code to mean one thing. You have to give us more to go on.

Is the 1001 a current error or not? Or did you only mean the 2203 isn't occuring consistantly?

If you want a definitive answer, you could also buy a scope and measure the ripple/noise to see.
The other day i realized about something interesting, are different error codes than the ones you are talking but are a bit related because are generic and sometimes doesnt indicates a hardware failure
What im going to say works the same in all PS3 models, but lets take the latest sherwood pinout as reference... mostly because vyktor mapped all the CELL<-->Syscon pins the other day :encouragement:
https://www.psdevwiki.com/ps3/Template:Syscon_pinout_LQFP_100_pins
*Click in the "port" arrow at top of the table to display all the CELL pins together

As you can see syscon have 2 pins (inputs) to monitor a couple of error signals from CELL, named BE_INT/ATTENTION ...and... SYS_THR_ALRT/THERMAL_OVERLOAD (the alternative names depends of how are labeled in the service manuals, all them are official)
And thats exactly the same names used in the error codes 1701 (and 1200 ?)
https://www.psdevwiki.com/ps3/Syscon_Error_Codes#1701
https://www.psdevwiki.com/ps3/Syscon_Error_Codes#1200_.28Thermal_CELL.29

Im not sure about the 1200 because there are other error related with CELL thermal problems, but the point is...
-This signals are sent by CELL, "switching" a transistor that drives a syscon pin to GND.... so we can "trigger" this errors by bridging temporally a syscon pin to GND
-The BE_INT/ATTENTION is something generic, it means CELL is working time enought to send the signal "aggg im going to die NOW"... and i guess it could happen under many circunstances, as example when a game does a weird crash, or when betatesting a hombrew app with bugged functions
-SYS_THR_ALRT/THERMAL_OVERLOAD is very straightforward, is a CELL overheat, but this error could be triggered together with other overheat errors from the temperature monitor chips (that have his own thermal errors too)

*In the RSX happens something similar... but the 2 syscon pins dedicated to RSX errors (named RSX_VINTE0/VD_VINT0 ...and... RSX_VINTE1/VD_VINT1) seems to be related with voltages, and the other (named RSX_INT) is a generic interrupt related with error code 1802
https://www.psdevwiki.com/ps3/Syscon_Error_Codes#1802
 
Last edited:
Thank you for your answer
when I solder the cap,bridge and measurement by multimeter, show me 0.2 ohms (GND/negative cap pad) and 3 ohms (GND/positive cap pad) Which indicates that there is NO short
I don't have an ESR meter but when I checked the caps, show me 0.5 miliFarad on a multimeter
I also tried the electrolytic capacitor(1000 microFarad 6.3V for each pad) and show me YLOD

Image added : https://postimg.cc/Cz42mG0p
P.S : This photo is not mine and just to help ME easily
Cz42mG0p

When the buck converter turns on it sends voltage to the output. The caps filter the switching ripple/noise before it enters the processors. If you dont have continuity fro the input side of the tokins to the output side of the tokins, the buck converter sends more voltage, thinking there isnt enought to make it to the output. But the real reason is you didn't have a bridge wire. So it'll go up it's maximum output voltage of 4.5v, and blow out your caps. That's actually a feature, because they act as a fuse preventing voltage spikes above their rated voltage. So 2.5v. If you use 6volt rated caps instead they'll let that much more voltage enter the processor, destroying them.

You must have the bridge wires at all times.

If you have good caps, and they aren't shorting, and still get 3003/3004 errors, then there is another problem in the VRM. My next guess would be the Buck converters themselves.
 
All I really wanted to know is the SB error a fatal error, is it something to be concerned about?

If not I have done all the cleaning and repasting and the console works fine, if the SB error is nothing to worry about then I'm happy the referbishment is complete
In that context, then it my not be anything to worry about. I would measure the Cell ripple/noise under load in TLoU to be sure before I sold the console, but if you don't have that option then you could just let it run for an hour or so. If it doesn't YLOD, it should be good to sell.
 
The other day i realized about something interesting, are different error codes than the ones you are talking but are a bit related because are generic and sometimes doesnt indicates a hardware failure
What im going to say works the same in all PS3 models, but lets take the latest sherwood pinout as reference... mostly because vyktor mapped all the CELL<-->Syscon pins the other day :encouragement:
https://www.psdevwiki.com/ps3/Template:Syscon_pinout_LQFP_100_pins
*Click in the "port" arrow at top of the table to display all the CELL pins together

As you can see syscon have 2 pins (inputs) to monitor a couple of error signals from CELL, named BE_INT/ATTENTION ...and... SYS_THR_ALRT/THERMAL_OVERLOAD (the alternative names depends of how are labeled in the service manuals, all them are official)
And thats exactly the same names used in the error codes 1701 (and 1200 ?)
https://www.psdevwiki.com/ps3/Syscon_Error_Codes#1701
https://www.psdevwiki.com/ps3/Syscon_Error_Codes#1200_.28Thermal_CELL.29

Im not sure about the 1200 because there are other error related with CELL thermal problems, but the point is...
-This signals are sent by CELL, "switching" a transistor that drives a syscon pin to GND.... so we can "trigger" this errors by bridging temporally a syscon pin to GND
-The BE_INT/ATTENTION is something generic, it means CELL is working time enought to send the signal "aggg im going to die NOW"... and i guess it could happen under many circunstances, as example when a game does a weird crash, or when betatesting a hombrew app with bugged functions
-SYS_THR_ALRT/THERMAL_OVERLOAD is very straightforward, is a CELL overheat, but this error could be triggered together with other overheat errors from the temperature monitor chips (that have his own thermal errors too)

*In the RSX happens something similar... but the 2 syscon pins dedicated to RSX errors (named RSX_VINTE0/VD_VINT0 ...and... RSX_VINTE1/VD_VINT1) seems to be related with voltages, and the other (named RSX_INT) is a generic interrupt related with error code 1802
https://www.psdevwiki.com/ps3/Syscon_Error_Codes#1802
Yup, BE attention is just flag the cell raises when something else happens to trigger it. Like a livelock condition or checkstop error. I wrote about it in my SYSCON Analysis here.

If you really want to dive into it you can read IBM's Hardware Installation Guide. Took me about a week to unpack that monster and begin understanding how it works. I used that HIG and the information we have gleaned from error codes to attempt to Reverse Engineer the Power On Sequence Testing (POST) process the SYSCON performs at startup. I presented those results in "Power Control Topology - Part 3" here.

It's not comprehensive, and is probably full holes. It's mostly best guessing.
 
In that context, then it my not be anything to worry about. I would measure the Cell ripple/noise under load in TLoU to be sure before I sold the console, but if you don't have that option then you could just let it run for an hour or so. If it doesn't YLOD, it should be good to sell.

Thanks Felix,

Yes the console has been run under load for a few hours with no issues.

So in future, if I get these errors again its simply a case of running the console under load running TLOU and if no errors present themselves it's likely to be nothing to worry about.

Just out of interest, if I was to tag on 2 caps on the RSX and 2 on the CPU, could this be potentially bad if I wasn't required? I have only ever done this when I have witnessed a shutdown, but if its not required could it have a negative impact on the console?
 
Yup, BE attention is just flag the cell raises when something else happens to trigger it. Like a livelock condition or checkstop error. I wrote about it in my SYSCON Analysis here.

If you really want to dive into it you can read IBM's Hardware Installation Guide. Took me about a week to unpack that monster and begin understanding how it works. I used that HIG and the information we have gleaned from error codes to attempt to Reverse Engineer the Power On Sequence Testing (POST) process the SYSCON performs at startup. I presented those results in "Power Control Topology - Part 3" here.

It's not comprehensive, and is probably full holes. It's mostly best guessing.
I must confess i have not dedicated much time to read in detail that 2 posts you wrote, and are the kind of thing that worths to be readed several times, and eventually discuss your theory of how are assigned the IDs to the power error codes, and eventually to figure how to document something related with it in wiki, but are a bit massive :D
But i updated the new version of your powerchart here
https://www.psdevwiki.com/ps3/COK-00x#Pictures
https://www.psdevwiki.com/ps3/File:COK-001_Power_FlowChart.jpg

And i added your descriptions of the "SW_xx" (power switches) syscon pins here:
https://www.psdevwiki.com/ps3/Template:Syscon_pinout_BGA_200_pads

Click in the "name" black arrow at top of the table to sort the table rows by pin/pad name... this way the "SW_xx" pins can be sorted in the same way than the PowerOn sequence you mentioned, starting from SW_0 and ending in SW_10

------------
Im mentioning this because both things can be updated, if at some point you decide to improve the image there is a link in the page to "upload a new version of this file"
And the description of the "SW_xx" pads... well, there are a couple missing, im very interested in them because latelly i been working with vyktor into identifying some pins of the latest sherwood syscons (the squared syscons with 100 pins all around)
https://www.psdevwiki.com/ps3/Template:Syscon_pinout_LQFP_128_pins
https://www.psdevwiki.com/ps3/Template:Syscon_pinout_LQFP_100_pins

As you can see the location of most of the "SW_xx" pins in the sherwoods are unknown in that pinout tables... and i wonder how many of them survived the motherboard circuit redesign from PS3 fat ---> slims ---> superslims
Specially because this power circuits was simplifyed several times along the PS3 lifetime, but probably there are some "SW_xx pin functions" inherited from mullion syscons :)
The point is... if you want to update that descriptions of the "SW_xx" pins in the mullion syscons please do, anyway im still working with vyktor in finding syscon pins, so eventually i will edit that descriptions in the next days (mostly to add a short noob-friendly description) in all the syscon pinout pages
 
Thank you Felix!

I'll go head and make my tool then. I am also glad we agree on the physical stress when popping off the RSX lid - I totally agree that that cannot be good for the BGA and PCB in general. I guess I'll leave the GPU alone and focus on the CPU. I like the blunt edge of the tool which is pushing the tool towards the lid!

Thanks again, I hope I can share a succesful de-lid soon :)
 

Similar threads

Back
Top