Hardware Homebrew PS1/2 PS1. Possibility for internal ISO Loader?

[Gallaer]

I have a PS1 9001 and I was curious if there could ever be someway to allow all models of the original PS1 to have an internal solution to loading backup games while also being able to keep the disc drive in the system. Something similar to the Saturn Switcher could work I feel. Maybe an internal PSIO? This could possibly allow all PS1s (excluding the PSOne) to be able to load games digitally but also use the disc drive and not have something sticking out the back or just having the disc drive removed.

 

[KleinesSinchen]

Déjà vu?

https://gbatemp.net/threads/why-doesnt-the-psone-have-much-support-in-the-modding-scene.630264/

Hopefully somebody will present an ODE fully emulating the drive at lowest level. In the best case in between the actual drive and the motherboard for still allowing the drive to be used.

 

[Gallaer]

Déjà vu?

https://gbatemp.net/threads/why-doesnt-the-psone-have-much-support-in-the-modding-scene.630264/

Hopefully somebody will present an ODE fully emulating the drive at lowest level. In the best case in between the actual drive and the motherboard for still allowing the drive to be used.

I ended up getting an original PS1 as it was super cheap.

Yeah, that would be great and it could also save up the Parallel IO port on PlayStations that have it. I feel like the SD card would be either on the left side of the cd drive through some case modification or on one of the sides of the console.

 

[KleinesSinchen]

I ended up getting an original PS1 as it was super cheap.

Congratulations. 10 years ago they were omnipresent on flea markets... and now... could rip my hair out for not buying every single unit I had seen. Right now everything "retro gaming" has ridiculous prices.

Yeah, that would be great and it could also save up the Parallel IO port on PlayStations that have it. I feel like the SD card would be either on the left side of the cd drive through some case modification or on one of the sides of the console.

What do you need the parallel I/O for? Cheats? VCD? Drive unlocking?
As far as I know all traces/points for the parallel connection exist in the 900x series. One could solder whatever they want to connect there (not that it makes much sense). But I have no idea if the ODE that plugs in the I/O port would theoretically work on 900x as well.

We have to hope somebody knowledgeable will design a drop in replacement at some point. Entirely possible since such things already exist for other consoles (for example GC Loader, WODE). There is plenty(!) of empty space in big PS1 consoles. Fitting an SD reader somewhere while keeping the drive has no room problem.

 

[tech3475]

We have to hope somebody knowledgeable will design a drop in replacement at some point. Entirely possible since such things already exist for other consoles (for example GC Loader, WODE). There is plenty(!) of empty space in big PS1 consoles. Fitting an SD reader somewhere while keeping the drive has no room problem.

The problem as I understand it is that the PS1’s drive controller is integrated into the motherboard, where as on other systems it’s on the drive itself.

To do a solderless ODE on the PS1 would basically require you to emulate an actual CD as the drive controller would see it, although someone is attempting to do this:

 

[KleinesSinchen]

The problem as I understand it is that the PS1’s drive controller is integrated into the motherboard, where as on other systems it’s on the drive itself.

To do a solderless ODE on the PS1 would basically require you to emulate an actual CD as the drive controller would see it, although someone is attempting to do this:

This was mentioned in the previous thread. I still can't open Twitter so no idea what is in there.

The drive inside the PS1 is indeed just the mechanical and optical part. The logic/electronics are on the motherboard.
An ODE would probably have to provide an analog signal representing what the light detectors in the optics produce while scanning the CD.
As I understand it, the ODE would have to do this:
CD Image on SD ("cooked sectors") → (semi) RAW data with Subchannels (like CloneCD image with highest level EDC/ECC) → real RAW data (EFM encoding, error correction) → analoge signal.
...and all that for having the PS1 doing everything in reverse for obtaining the cooked sectors again.

 

[tech3475]

This was mentioned in the previous thread. I still can't open Twitter so no idea what is in there.

The drive inside the PS1 is indeed just the mechanical and optical part. The logic/electronics are on the motherboard.
An ODE would probably have to provide an analog signal representing what the light detectors in the optics produce while scanning the CD.
As I understand it, the ODE would have to do this:
CD Image on SD ("cooked sectors") → (semi) RAW data with Subchannels (like CloneCD image with highest level EDC/ECC) → real RAW data (EFM encoding, error correction) → analoge signal.
...and all that for having the PS1 doing everything in reverse for obtaining the cooked sectors again.

Here's what the posts says (dated March 29 2022):
Robert Neumann

Let me present an ambitious research project that's coming together now It's a drive emulator unlike anything that came before! (Sorry for the video orientation, I'll do some more later) (1/2)

(video)

This generates a reed-solomon coded, scrambled and eight to fourteen expanded CD bitstream (to the Red Book standard) in real-time, enabling the ODE to be compatible with any CD system. It's specialized to the PSX here, where all analog functions have been implemented

The shown game exercises the (analog) seek capability, which almost took longer than the Reed Solomon to develop Just want to add that it's still in research overall. Please don't expect this to be ready for a while still

Additional:
8Bitmods:

Is it plug and play? No soldering or other modding required?

Robert Neumann
Ah, this is the honest thing in the video. It plug and plays, yep But please consider that it's not even finished for the PSOne here. It gets power via USB for example. A finished product will move this inside the tiny console

Here's a screenshot from the video: