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.
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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.)

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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: Today at 12:35 PM

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.
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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.
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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.

 

[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.
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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.