PS1/2 Repairing and modchip a PS One?

[Fien]

I was given a defective PS One (PAL, SCPH-102, PM-41 board) which didn't read discs at all. It somehow work with original games after lubricating and "pot tweak" the laser unit. But it's weird, some games only boot sometimes or after another game if I let the console rest for some hours. Like Crash Bash always boots, but Bugs Bunny Lost in Time only sometimes and after Crash Bash is played. And Bust-a-Move 2 most of the time is detected as audio CD instead of a original game.

Then I tried to get backups working. Because I only have a spare 12F629 PIC I programmed a MultiMode3 modchip. So far I understand the MM3 used on a PAL PS One (SCPH-102) should work, but only for playing PAL backups because of the region lock in the BIOS? But I can't even get PAL backups to work. Some are detected as audio CD's (like Tekken 3, WipeOut 3, Spyro) and some give the red screen with "Insert PlayStation format disc" (like Crash Bash). I checked the modchip connections matching this one (https://quade.co/ps1-modchip-guide/mm3/pm-41/) and no short circuits.

Is the modchip not working or is it only a worn CD drive problem?

 

[KleinesSinchen]

Always hard to troubleshoot something when there are multiple possible causes of error… resulting in the same outcome/error.

Detecting games as audio:
The PS1 (unmodded) does the following on power on (assuming lid is closed and CD inserted)

Read TOC
Search for SCEx wobble
If correct wobble code found → boot game (after checking wobble one more time)
Else if CDDA present → boot audio player
Else → "Please insert PlayStation format disc" (you dirty pirate!)

Backup CDs of games with audio tracks are considered normal audio CDs and will boot into the player
Backup CDs of games without audio tracks trigger the red screen.
========

Of course a bad drive (and/or bad CDs) can mess with these things. In case reading the TOC needs retries, the timings for getting SCEx might not be correct and the original CD will not be authenticated. Got one disc from the flea market where the PS1 reads overly long in the TOC area before accepting. This disc had some white fungus all over which I was able to remove with car polish, but it nevertheless isn't of 100% quality. Since the wobble code is repeated lots of times, eventually a good one is found.

The authentication can be heard when listening carefully. Example with a good disc:
(I have to repeat the recording with a properly lubricated drive reducing background noise from the spindle.)

===========
===========

So we have the following possible sources of error for backup loading:

• Bad drive
• Bad modchip (wrong flash, bad chip)
• Bad installation

The most puzzling part here is Spyro being detected as CDDA. There are no audio tracks.



The only idea I have is starting from Memory Card (FreePSXBoot) and trying to load a backup from there. If this works, the modchip is probably the problem. If you can't load backups with softmod, I guess the drive is toast.

 

[FAST6191]

A piece of electronics only working after some hours usually points more to either bad joints or bad capacitors where the ESR is overcome by being on for long enough. Electrolytic being the obvious candidate but at this point anything is suspect. I doubt heat forced things back into optical alignment but stranger things have happened.

All that said it could be a red herring and some combo of stuff in memory or whatever that caused it work on what might have been a second boot.

 

[Fien]

It's not hours, but only minutes, multiple tries.

Some backups (I have both burned and some old pressed backups), mostly the pressed ones, do turn at full speed, but the SCEE logo never loads.

The drive is really bad, I suppose, as it sometimes even not reading the wobble of the original Bust-a-Move 2 disc. When "pot tweaking" it, it started at original value of 1100 Ohm and now it's on 800 Ohm (I tested/adjusted it in 50 Ohm steps). I'm afraid to go low futher because I don't know at which point it will burn out the laser.

The modchip was programmed with a Willem Programmer and the IC Prog software. I have programmed and installed one in a SCPH-5552 succesfully in the past.

I've a picture of the installation in the SCPH-102.

But I think the tip to try a softmod is a good one. i don't have a whole spare memory card at this moment, but I have one with some free blocks. I see that Tonyhax International do support the SCPH-102 and a save exploit using the Crash Bandicoot 2 game. That's a game I have on original disc, so I can try that.

Post automatically merged: May 12, 2023

I think the problem is mainly the CD drive.

I've tried a "big" amount of backups and also the softmod. It seems like some will boot without softmod, especially the ones I burnt a year ago on 10+ years old media:
- (Sometimes) Mighty Hits Special burned on old Plilips (Ritek) CD-R.
- Point Blank on old Emtec (Plasmon) CD-R.
- Point Blank 2 on old Imation (CMC Magnectis) CD-R.
- Point Blank 3 on old Philips (Ritek) CD-R.
- Colin McRAE Rally PAL burnt on a Platinum (CMC Magnetics) CD-R.

The Colin McRAE Rally is an exception, this is a fresh copy but I don't know how old the Platinum CD-R is because I bought it second-hand.

So I suppose the modchip is working so far.

A lot of other copies doesn't boot (detected as audio CD, "insert PlayStation format disc" or simply no disc is detected). But some not-booting backups can be played using the Tonyhax International softmod and the Crash Bandicoot 2 exploit.

With the softmod:
- The CD-drive doesn't like Verbatim AZO media, not a single game on this media plays (Tekken 3 EU, Bishi Bashi Special, CTR).
- Even pressed (silver) copies not always work. Crash Bash PAL is not loading, Crash Bandicoot 3 NTSC-J works fine, Duke Nukem: Time to Kill is choppy and Gran Turismo 2 NTSC-J is also very choppy and takes minutes to load.
- Fresh backups burnt this year on Cheap CMC Magnetics CD-R (Verbatim, Xlyne) do play, but the audio is very choppy (WipeOut 3, Harmful Park).
- Old (10+ years) Tekken 3 NTSC-J burnt on Emtec disc (Plasmon Data Systems) plays fine, no choppy audio.


So even CMC Magnetics CD-R is not the same if the brand is different? Old Philips/Imation boots and even Platinum boots, all with good playing FMV/audio. But Verbatim and Xlyne only boots with softmod and is choppy.

And I'm surprised that the pressed copies (my dad bought them in Hong Kong for my back in the '90) are choppy and not better then all burned backups.

 

[KleinesSinchen]

I think the problem is mainly the CD drive.

Probably.

It seems like some will boot without softmod, especially the ones I burnt a year ago on 10+ years old media:

A modchip should either work or not. Sometimes a reboot might be required, but that doesn't explain the same CD-R always failing and another one always booting.
The chip seems to be okay.

And I'm surprised that the pressed copies (my dad bought them in Hong Kong for my back in the '90) are choppy and not better then all burned backups.

Sorry for going off-topic. I want to know something about these:
Are these samples of the "Honk Kong Silvers"? I've found inconsistent information about them regarding the ability to self-boot on unmodded consoles.
I've found the following contradicting statements:

• Hong Kong Silvers contain wobble data and start on unmodified consoles much like the Datel CDs or PS-X-Change
• They are just simple pressings. People might have thought they are self-booting since EVERY console in some areas was modded, sometimes by retailers

I'd like to know which one is true.
==============

The only difference between the softmod approach and the modchip should be the additional region check in PAL "SCPH-102"



p.s. You are far(!) better at soldering than me. Nice and clean installation!

 

[Fien]

It seems like it's degrading by itself. I played it for an hour and turned it off because I had to go. Now hours later I'm back home and it's nearly not booting anything. Only the Point Blank on the old Emtec (Plasmon) CD-R boots sometimes without softmod. And even the original Crash Bandocoot 2 needs more time to boot.

I bought a €5,95 memory card from a game shop to install FreePSXBoot with Tonyhax International on it so I don't need to start Crash Bandicoot 2 every time. With that it can boot more, but not so much as earlier this day.

Maybe the laser is dying further after playing that one hour?

Sorry for going off-topic. I want to know something about these:
Are these samples of the "Honk Kong Silvers"? I've found inconsistent information about them regarding the ability to self-boot on unmodded consoles.
I've found the following contradicting statements:

• Hong Kong Silvers contain wobble data and start on unmodified consoles much like the Datel CDs or PS-X-Change
• They are just simple pressings. People might have thought they are self-booting since EVERY console in some areas was modded, sometimes by retailers

I'd like to know which one is true.
==============

I don't know if they are Hong Kong Silvers, only that they are pressed. My dad bought them in a big CD folder back then. And they don't boot on a unmodified console. Back then I sometimes used to play videogames with the daughter from the neighbor, she had a unmodified PS1 and these discs didn't boot.

The version of games on those discs can be PAL, NTSC-U or NTSC-J but it isn't mentioned. I've attached a picture of some of those discs.

My dad said that nearly all PS1 consoles sold in Hong Kong back then were already modded when you bought it. That's why he bought me a SCPH-9002 console from Hong Kong too together with the discs. He said "don't buy one in The Netherlands because they cost the same in Hong Kong but there they are pre-modded to play copies". I still have this console working, inside it has a modchip (12C508A PIC) with only 4 wires soldered.

 

[KleinesSinchen]

I don't know if they are Hong Hong Silvers, only that they are pressed. My dad bought them in a big CD folder back then. And they don't boot on a unmodified console. Back then I sometimes used to play videogames with the daughter from the neighbor, she had a unmodified PS1 and these discs didn't boot.

The version of games on those discs can be PAL, NTSC-U or NTSC-J but it isn't mentioned. I've attached a picture of some of those discs.

My dad said that nearly all PS1 consoles sold in Hong Kong back then were already modded when you bought it. That's why he bought me a SCPH-9002 console from Hong Kong too together with the discs. He said "don't buy one in The Netherlands because they cost the same in Hong Kong but there they are pre-modded to play copies". I still have this console working, inside it has a modchip (12C508A PIC) with only 4 wires soldered.

Thanks for clarifying this.
Have been wondering for pretty long. The "love" reaction is for the information and that photo. Super interesting picture.
=====

Unfortunately I have no idea what to do with the problem, which should be a reason for a "" reaction. Maybe a new laser unit? If it is worth the hassle.

 

[Fien]

I spend another 2 hours on this unit and I hope tomorrow it's not degraded by itself...

First I did the lubrication a second time. Then done the "pot tweak" starting from the beginning (1100 Ohm). First it seemed like it was booting fine at 882 Ohm, but it stopped reading burned discs just after I reassembled the whole console Not with the modchip and not with the softmod.

So I dissembled it another time to adjust the potmeter. After a lot of small steps it's now at 780 Ohm which plays the most games, even after reassembling

I played Crash Team Racing for 30min and after that it booted the Colin McRAE Rally and Mighty Hits Special backups fine with only the modchip. Also the Bust-a-Move 2 original is finally seen as game instead of audio CD and Crash 2 & Crash Bash originals boot fine.

Now I've just turned off the power and left the unit on the table. I really hope it's not somehow degraded tomorrow, otherwise I'll be very upset...


Btw. Crash Team Racing was a frustrating one. It has LibCrypt and every time it crashed there on this SCPH-102, even with a fresh copy (burned with SBI-tools and CloneCD) on a Platinum CD-R which plays fine on my other 2 PS1's. I finally got it working on this one SCPH-102 by finding a burner which can do 4x on the Platinum CD-R.

Post automatically merged: May 13, 2023

And the next morning it's degraded by itself...

I have the feeling the laser is getting better when warm?

Both the Colin McRAE Rally and Crash Team Racing backups didn't boot. Not using the modchip and not using the softmod. And the Bust-a-Move 2 original booted very slow on the second attempt.

The Colin McRAE Rally backup was detected as audio CD and I decided to play the audio. It's choppy but after about 2-3 minutes it became less choppy

Then I rebooted it and Colin McRAE Rally booted on the second attempt. But Crash Team Racing was still not bootable (red screen).

I leave Colin McRAE Rally on for 45min and after that the Crash Team Racing backups booted on the second attempt and is completely playable

So somehow it's definitely better when it's warmed up. Should it be just the worn laser or can it be something on the board?

 

[benone]

Hello!
First, just wanted to say that I am amazed by this post. I should get more interested into electronics. I'm very happy to hear about people working hard on repairing and doing trial and error to make something work. I don't feel alone anymore!!

Newbie grain of salt:
But after reading all this, in my humble opinion, a new laser or cleaning the moving parts of the PS1 might be a good idea.

I don't know if it can be related, but I own a used Sony Radio-Cassette cd player, I listen to cds often.
My cds playing on this device don't play very well. It strangely depends also of the cd, but another day the same cd would skip all the time and the music stops completely like the cd music was at the end of album. Maybe shorter albums would suffer less of this problem. Maybe when the cd is packed with information (let's say closer to 700mb), it's harder for the laser.

I use to clean the metal ramp on which the laser is traveling simply using a brush and hoping it would get off the potential dust. And it would work well for a day and then... the same problem occurs the next day.

In my point of view, the problem could have similarities ... or not? So the laser or the 'ramp' ?

 

[Fien]

On the PS1 the "ramp" where the laser unit slides on is plastic. Tomorrow I'll try to clean it one more time.

I think the difference with this is that it's bad the next day, but it looks like can become better when letting it runs for longer time.

A replacement laser unit isn't easy to find. There are a lot in places like Amazon, eBay and AliExpress. But everywhere I only read bad experiences with those imitation lasers. Maybe just 2-3 places I've read someone got a working one.

Some say just buy another PS1 to take the laser unit from it, but bad PS1's with good laser is something which nearly doesn't exist. I don't like the idea to buy and scrap a good console to repair the other.

 

[benone]

Thanks for infos!
I didn't know that the 'ramp' was on plastic.

I understand better! You are right about the rarity of good lasers and bad PS1 with good laser, haha! I also think that it's not an appealing idea to buy a console to repair another one...

To do some testing after cleaning, to make move your laser or the slide, maybe you can run the PS1 cd player and use a music cd from track 1 to track 20, for example and then make it travel often the whole slide a couple of times... Then from the middle track (ex. 10) from the begginning, ending track, etc.

good luck and thanks for the updates!

 

[Fien]

I've cleaned and lubricated the laser-unit another time, without success.

But... maybe the problem isn't the laser...

I've turned the potmeter back to 1020 Ohm and tested the laser in my working SCPH-9002. There it played backups fine. It even plays the Tekken 3 backup on a Verbatim AZO disc without problems (while in the PS One no single AZO disc booted)

So I can safely assume the laser is fine? And the problem is on the mainboard?

Maybe really bad capacitors?

 

[SylverReZ]

It's not hours, but only minutes, multiple tries.

Some backups (I have both burned and some old pressed backups), mostly the pressed ones, do turn at full speed, but the SCEE logo never loads.

The drive is really bad, I suppose, as it sometimes even not reading the wobble of the original Bust-a-Move 2 disc. When "pot tweaking" it, it started at original value of 1100 Ohm and now it's on 800 Ohm (I tested/adjusted it in 50 Ohm steps). I'm afraid to go low futher because I don't know at which point it will burn out the laser.

The modchip was programmed with a Willem Programmer and the IC Prog software. I have programmed and installed one in a SCPH-5552 succesfully in the past.

I've a picture of the installation in the SCPH-102.

But I think the tip to try a softmod is a good one. i don't have a whole spare memory card at this moment, but I have one with some free blocks. I see that Tonyhax International do support the SCPH-102 and a save exploit using the Crash Bandicoot 2 game. That's a game I have on original disc, so I can try that.

Post automatically merged: May 12, 2023

I think the problem is mainly the CD drive.

I've tried a "big" amount of backups and also the softmod. It seems like some will boot without softmod, especially the ones I burnt a year ago on 10+ years old media:
- (Sometimes) Mighty Hits Special burned on old Plilips (Ritek) CD-R.
- Point Blank on old Emtec (Plasmon) CD-R.
- Point Blank 2 on old Imation (CMC Magnectis) CD-R.
- Point Blank 3 on old Philips (Ritek) CD-R.
- Colin McRAE Rally PAL burnt on a Platinum (CMC Magnetics) CD-R.

The Colin McRAE Rally is an exception, this is a fresh copy but I don't know how old the Platinum CD-R is because I bought it second-hand.

So I suppose the modchip is working so far.

A lot of other copies doesn't boot (detected as audio CD, "insert PlayStation format disc" or simply no disc is detected). But some not-booting backups can be played using the Tonyhax International softmod and the Crash Bandicoot 2 exploit.

With the softmod:
- The CD-drive doesn't like Verbatim AZO media, not a single game on this media plays (Tekken 3 EU, Bishi Bashi Special, CTR).
- Even pressed (silver) copies not always work. Crash Bash PAL is not loading, Crash Bandicoot 3 NTSC-J works fine, Duke Nukem: Time to Kill is choppy and Gran Turismo 2 NTSC-J is also very choppy and takes minutes to load.
- Fresh backups burnt this year on Cheap CMC Magnetics CD-R (Verbatim, Xlyne) do play, but the audio is very choppy (WipeOut 3, Harmful Park).
- Old (10+ years) Tekken 3 NTSC-J burnt on Emtec disc (Plasmon Data Systems) plays fine, no choppy audio.


So even CMC Magnetics CD-R is not the same if the brand is different? Old Philips/Imation boots and even Platinum boots, all with good playing FMV/audio. But Verbatim and Xlyne only boots with softmod and is choppy.

And I'm surprised that the pressed copies (my dad bought them in Hong Kong for my back in the '90) are choppy and not better then all burned backups.

Those are some really rare bootlegs. I so love your collection.

 

[Fien]

The PS One is getting way better. I found this: https://immerhax.com/?p=240

A bad capacitor C705 is described as possible cause for bad CD reading. I decided to give it a try.

Because I didn't have a 0,47uF/50v SMD capacitor but found 2 pieces 1uF/100v through-hole caps, I put them in series making 0,5uF which is near and soldered it on the board.

The improvement is big: with the laser pot set to 1080 Ohm it boots originals, CD-R and presses copies fine. Sometimes it needed multiple tries (especially when the console is cold). But even the Verbatim AZO's are playing fine, something this PS One not did before.

I leaved it rest for 2,5 hours and it booted Crash Team Racing directly, only the intro skipped. It's really a big improvement compared to before Now I hope tomorrow it still boots this good...

Those are some really rare bootlegs. I so love your collection.

I think they a rare nowadays, especially in Europe. But back then they were everywhere in Hong Kong

 

[master801]

The PS One is getting way better. I found this: https://immerhax.com/?p=240

A bad capacitor C705 is described as possible cause for bad CD reading. I decided to give it a try.

Because I didn't have a 0,47uF/50v SMD capacitor but found 2 pieces 1uF/100v through-hole caps, I put them in series making 0,5uF which is near and soldered it on the board.

The improvement is big: with the laser pot set to 1080 Ohm it boots originals, CD-R and presses copies fine. Sometimes it needed multiple tries (especially when the console is cold). But even the Verbatim AZO's are playing fine, something this PS One not did before.

I leaved it rest for 2,5 hours and it booted Crash Team Racing directly, only the intro skipped. It's really a big improvement compared to before Now I hope tomorrow it still boots this good...



I think they a rare nowadays, especially in Europe. But back then they were everywhere in Hong Kong

You seem to always run into these incredibly unique situations with the Sony consoles

I've never heard of a bad cap causing bad reads, but it does make sense. I guess those full console recap kits aren't complete bullshit.

 

[CMDreamer]

Whats your PS console model number?

I've seen a YT video for using a RPI Pico for ISO loading from SD card, but so far its compatible with very specific models.

Check on their GitHub:

https://github[DOT]com/paulocode/picostation

 

[master801]

Whats your PS console model number?

I've seen a YT video for using a RPI Pico for ISO loading from SD card, but so far its compatible with very specific models.

Check on their GitHub:

PicoStation isn't compatible with PSOne models iirc.

Not even the MODE or XStation (which PicoStation is based off of) support the PSOne models.

 

[Fien]

You seem to always run into these incredibly unique situations with the Sony consoles

I've never heard of a bad cap causing bad reads, but it does make sense. I guess those full console recap kits aren't complete bullshit.

The cap really seem to repaired it. Now the next day it still boots backups. I put a Tekken 3 backup in it and the first attempt it detected it as audio CD, but on the second attempt it played fine. Then I tried Crash Team Racing which booted fine too

Whats your PS console model number?

I've seen a YT video for using a RPI Pico for ISO loading from SD card, but so far its compatible with very specific models.

Check on their GitHub:

It's a SCPH-102 with PM-41 board and is not supported.

 

[SylverReZ]

It's a SCPH-102 with PM-41 board and is not supported.

PicoStation is still in the prototyping stages, your best bet for now would be to install a ONEchip or PSNee.

 

[Fien]

I have a MultiMode3 installed now because I only had a spare 12F629 PIC at home. The Onechip code is not available for 12F629 and the 12C508A is difficult to buy in The Netherlands.

PSNee needs other chips for which I don't have a programming device and it's not very well documented.

With the MM3 I can play PAL backups, out-of-region stuff needs the softmod.