PS2 PS2 Open-Source Modchip Discussion

[SylverReZ]

This is a discussion to be planning an open-source new and improved modchip for the PS2.

My goals are as follows:
* Support for all motherboard revisions.
* Improved booting times.
* Better homebrew and game compatibility.
* Uses components that are still in production (this is very important).

Any suggestions, feel free to discuss it amongst yourselves.

Some links that "master801" provided that might give you some ideas.

https://github.com/mlafeldt/ps2logo/blob/master/Documentation/PS2_Disc_Security_explanations.htm
https://github.com/symm/ps2-modchips/blob/master/ps2_modding_info.txt
https://github.com/symm/ps2-modchips/blob/master/notes.txt

 

[Luisile]

modbo 5 will do everything. and i think the boot times are exactly like stock. In my opinion there is no need fo 100s of version of the same modchip like on the og xbox.

 

[TnA]

Because Modbo 5 doesn't cause issues with some Homebrew, right?
Oh... Didum...

 

[Luisile]

Because Modbo 5 doesn't cause issues with some Homebrew, right?
Oh... Didum...

I use exlusively Only Modbo . since i had ps2, 15 or 20 years, i use modchips. NEVER have i encounteren any issues regarding Modchips and homebrew. After booting the disk or to menu the modchip itself goes to sleep. So tell me please what issues do you exatctly have? im curious?

 

[Berion]

It cannot goes to sleep after booting OSDSYS. Because it wouldn't be able to boot games from illegal media. So then it interfering with OSD Update, ATAD, DEV9 etc.

 

[TnA]

Lol
FMCB is quite a prominent one...
Disc-detection for anything but a PS2 disc in apps? Another one...
Blackscreen on some apps...

 

[Anakin94]

modbo 5 will do everything. and i think the boot times are exactly like stock. In my opinion there is no need fo 100s of version of the same modchip like on the og xbox.

No Modbo 5 has no good boot rate at PS1 games.
Also it skips the PS1 boot logo and doesn't patch the Y-position at NTSC games on PAL consoles and this happen on more games with DECKARD PS2.
Then it breaks the history update, so no towers were create and if there is a history file on the MC, the towers will not grow.

To the Topic:

@SylverReZ
The last point you mentioned is very important.
But i don't know which components can be used.

I think these features are useful:

-Auto Boot for PS1 and PS2 backups for all regions
-FMCB compatibility
-Re-Enable DVD Player Update functionality in Boot-ROM 2.30 and 2.50
-Working history update (Towers)
-Font under PS2 Logo
-PS1 Logo at startup
-PS1 Y-Fix
-Forceable video modes separated for PS1 and PS2
-Booting apps from MC0, MC1, HDD, Mass and MX4SIO with configurable keys
-Macrovision Fix
-Green Fix
-Easy Firmware update with an tool
-Can be disabled

 

[L2000]

I wonder if a pico could be used , there's quite a few systems which have modchips made out of pico's now , if not there's still "cheap" fpga's that could probably be used .

 

[Mario87]

Funnily enough this has been on my to do list as a project for literally 2-3 years now, just dont have much time and my main project (PS2HDMI) has eaten most of that last 2-3 years...well at least 2 of them, not done much with it in the last 6-12 months.

A cheap FPGA would do the job just fine, not sure if a PICO would work TBH (ie, is it fast enough?)...interesting project tho! Always been interested in PS2 security since I was young and its actually what got me into electronics and ignited my passion to become an engineer from a young age.

 

[R3Z3N]

Well if you want a base of source code look at Crystal Chip. I have been pouring over the EEPROM/Dataflash firmware (impossible to see FPGA "code"

Then it could be "simply" make new fpga code, use CC "firmware" and make new boot manager style app as BM is locked down to chip due to 128bit key I believe. Though break it and you already have all other chip frontends beat....with just looking at fw and then mapping that to how the fpga should work.

Me:
https://github.com/saildot4k/Crystal-Chip-R34-v3

as to newer, FPGAs still make a ton of sense. I reached out to a couple companies to inquire about reverse engineering the PCB first as its 4 layer but they got back to me about newer replacement components. Let me find that email tomorrow WED

As for hardware, most of these operate between 2.7-3.x volts, so we have the option to map out a pcb and mimic the layout and resistors/caps used....

https://github.com/saildot4k/Crystal-Chip-R34-v3
Soon going to add datasheets of components used and pictures

Also maybe start a github project w links to a discord for easy docs and communication?

 

[SylverReZ]

Been a while since I visited. @R3Z3N has an amazing project going, making new firmware updates for the CC.

One day we might see if the CC is capable of being dumped and reverse-engineered. It's likely that the FPGA has lock bits set to prevent reading of the logic, something like a logic analyzer could assist with that.

 

[R3Z3N]

Yes, cc has its lock bits set. If someone can analyze it can lend a chip.. i have 2 cc 2.0 and 3 cc1.0...@sylerrez, dm me on discord ps2 scene....

 

[iVirtualZero]

modbo 5 will do everything. and i think the boot times are exactly like stock. In my opinion there is no need fo 100s of version of the same modchip like on the og xbox.

Modbo's and Mars Pro's are cheap clones chips, non upgradeable firmware, no Pro Asic FPGA Chip and bugs, you can't even save the Toxic OS settings on the Mars Pro. They have nothing on the originals like the Matrix Infinity, DMS3/4, Ghost 2, Messiah 2 and the Crystal Chips. The Clone Modchips are good for just getting the job done. But if you want something more premium and more advanced then you need the originals.

This is a discussion to be planning an open-source new and improved modchip for the PS2.

My goals are as follows:
* Support for all motherboard revisions.
* Improved booting times.
* Better homebrew and game compatibility.
* Uses components that are still in production (this is very important).

Any suggestions, feel free to discuss it amongst yourselves.

This sounds so awesome, I'm trying to help out AtherisMods, by sending him my Matrix Infinity, I also will be sending DMS4 Pro and Lite. To get that replicated and open sourced. PCB with the BOM. And hopefully with this kind of research and knowledge, the PS2 can get firmware updates for these open sourced chips for reproduction or for repair and preservation purposes. Hopefully one day along with the ultimate Modchip, up there with the Stellar and the Open Xenium/XBlast chips of the OG Xbox, or the GameCubes Picoboot mod. PS2 Modchips need to move away from the crappy clones.

 

[R3Z3N]

^Ya I sent him the cap/resistor/diode values from my MI so that he can confirm. What/who are you sending the DMS4 to get looked at? Just getting the BOM and NOS (new old stock) of parts is far from enough....

 

[iVirtualZero]

An open source modchip for the PS2 would be a dream come true. I would love to see a return to the golden age of Modchips for the PS2. Modernised Modchips using their own crystals, FPGA chips, upgradeable open source firmware like Toxic OS. Also would love to see this open source Modchip support PSX DVR's. The problem I have with Modchips today is they're cheap clones that don't perform as well as the original, and aren't built as well. The original chips that they're based on have become rare and expensive and there is a chance that those old used chips may not even work.

Sometimes the Modchips fail to patch the Eeprom properly causing your PS2 to not read discs right after the installing it, even though it was reading it perfectly fine without the Modchip. And Mechapwn doesn't work on every revision of the PS2, like earlier model Phats and Slims are unsupported and the PS1 side is still region locked. A modern new FPGA based Modchip with it's own crystal that has it's open source firmware is what the PS2 needs to phase out these clones that were left with.

 

[TnA]

There is a reason why I support an Open Source Hardware as well as Software modchip.

1. I think it (the hardware) could be a good base for an "extended mod" like PS2MADD!
2. The software could possibly be ported and used on other modchips!

 

[SylverReZ]

Modbo's and Mars Pro's are cheap clones chips, non upgradeable firmware

Only *some* but most if not all are upgradable. The Modbo V1.1 can be upgraded to the official v1.4 update if you cut a trace going to the write protect pin and hook up +3.3V to the SPI flash. The reason why I say v1.4 is because later firmwares have anti-clone measures that if a clone was detected it would not allow you to save the configuration, or in worse cases, brick the SPI flash (black screen).

Matrix Infinity 1.99 / 2.0 chips - depending on where you buy them from (and I'm not sure if this is true) but the manufacturer of these chips program the firmware on incorrectly with a flag set to write protect the chip. And so, attempting to save the config would either softlock the console, or just otherwise confirm that it has saved but reboot back to the Infinity configuration menu.

Mars Pro chips are terrible clones of the DMS4 SE Lite. The current clones on the market (labelled 'GM-806HD') only work with the slim PS2 models; however, what I found is that there are jumpers that (could) potentially be swapped around to convert it into a GM-816HD; although, I've never tried that. They cannot save, it can only the very minimal stuff, and that is by playing backups and imports. You cannot enable dual-layer support, video mode fix, or set the boot mode. It is locked to defaults.

Yes, cc has its lock bits set.

It's going to have fuses/lock bits set to protect itself from being cloned for that reason. Don't think there's a way to ever disable them, this is way out of my technical knowledge. Unless somebody knows how to, in the same way you can hold a UV light up to the die to erase the configuration bits on a PIC microcontroller, then I'll be damned.

i have 2 cc 2.0 and 3 cc1.0...@sylerrez, dm me on discord ps2 scene....

And cheers for the Crystal Chip v1.0, man.