Search found 510 matches

by rama3
June 2nd, 2020, 12:08 am
Forum: Hardware
Topic: SOLVED: black screen with 60hz/no composite after crystal mod
Replies: 2
Views: 4651

Re: SOLVED: black screen with 60hz/no composite after crystal mod

You probably followed a tutorial for PU-18 or ealier boards. Your PU-22 is very different, as you noticed with the 17.73 oscillator feeding a PLL, that then generates the required system clocks. Your PU-22 can be modified, but you need to keep the PLL circuit for PAL mode. For NTSC mode, you need to...
by rama3
June 1st, 2020, 3:05 pm
Forum: Members Downloads
Topic: UniROM 8.0.K - GDB Debugging, install/backup to/from memory card, homebrew from memcard, etc
Replies: 616
Views: 5277637

Re: UniROM 8 (2nd beta's released!)

I have the same cart ("Pro Power Replay" here).
You can use the override function to flash it: Press and hold L1 + L2 while sending the command to flash.
It may soft brick the cart if the flash chip doesn't work with the override though.
by rama3
May 14th, 2020, 3:19 am
Forum: Hardware
Topic: PSone - What kind of mod is this?
Replies: 8
Views: 11638

Re: PSone - What kind of mod is this?

Very curious. I agree with shadow on the hardware VCD player.
That is the most likely modification that would warrant such an amount of logic in the early 2000s.
by rama3
May 7th, 2020, 10:15 pm
Forum: Sound/SPU
Topic: Desperation about Sounds/SPU
Replies: 15
Views: 26577

Re: Desperation about Sounds/SPU

I was going to point you to that PDF :)
It has the background to XA and how you carefully need to prepare your files and whatnot.
It's not easy to use, but it performs better than CDDA for a similar quality.
by rama3
April 25th, 2020, 9:34 pm
Forum: Members Downloads
Topic: UniROM 8.0.K - GDB Debugging, install/backup to/from memory card, homebrew from memcard, etc
Replies: 616
Views: 5277637

Re: UniROM 8.0.b1 Released!

Sounds like good improvements :)

I also noticed that one game seems to overflow the stack.
Battle Arena Toshinden 4 PAL (now an Anime game for some reason) seems to crash into a region where UniROM variables are stored :p


by rama3
April 23rd, 2020, 7:54 pm
Forum: Members Downloads
Topic: UniROM 8.0.K - GDB Debugging, install/backup to/from memory card, homebrew from memcard, etc
Replies: 616
Views: 5277637

Re: UniROM 8.0.b1 Released!

Small suggestion: Could the circle / cross button order be swapped, so that circle is okay and cross is cancel/reboot? This would make it consistent with the embedded Caetla button layout and prevent accidental reboots when going back and forth between the 2 a lot :) Oh, and I think a slow blinking ...
by rama3
April 23rd, 2020, 6:28 am
Forum: Members Downloads
Topic: UniROM 8.0.K - GDB Debugging, install/backup to/from memory card, homebrew from memcard, etc
Replies: 616
Views: 5277637

Re: UniROM 8.0.b1 Released!

When you guys tweak the laser pots, be sure to never turn it more than 45 degrees. If you can make it work at such extremes, the real problem is somewhere else, most likely dirt on the mirrors (ultrasonic bath!). Don't even attempt to measure Ohms. That's pointless, due to the various diode characte...
by rama3
April 22nd, 2020, 5:57 am
Forum: Members Downloads
Topic: UniROM 8.0.K - GDB Debugging, install/backup to/from memory card, homebrew from memcard, etc
Replies: 616
Views: 5277637

Re: UniROM 8.0.b1 Released!

Apache Thunder: Just get some / any other disk. I find that it's pretty random which disks work well with your burner. Also try the PSX upside down (or sidewards) trick, as the real problem is the worn drive anyway. All PSX drives today can be considered worn and uneven, hence this often works. The ...
by rama3
April 21st, 2020, 1:01 am
Forum: Members Downloads
Topic: UniROM 8.0.K - GDB Debugging, install/backup to/from memory card, homebrew from memcard, etc
Replies: 616
Views: 5277637

Re: UniROM 8.0.b1 Released!

The hex editor is set for one CD sector per line. Everything else would be insane for working with CD images ;p There are many differences between the J systems and the rest of the world, but this stuff would be in the BIOS shell code. It just checks whether the license data and the PS symbol (geome...
by rama3
April 20th, 2020, 10:44 pm
Forum: Members Downloads
Topic: UniROM 8.0.K - GDB Debugging, install/backup to/from memory card, homebrew from memcard, etc
Replies: 616
Views: 5277637

Re: UniROM 8.0.b1 Released!

Yep, it's the CD-Gen 1.54 tool. It simply empties the first 16 sectors, unlike other XA2 CDs I've seen. It does work fine on hardware, as I've just flashed UniROM 8 to my Xploder V1 256kB. Love the UI! :D https://i.imgur.com/DSijYCf.png Edit: My guess is that they didn't want to include the license ...
by rama3
April 20th, 2020, 9:42 pm
Forum: Members Downloads
Topic: UniROM 8.0.K - GDB Debugging, install/backup to/from memory card, homebrew from memcard, etc
Replies: 616
Views: 5277637

Re: UniROM 8.0.b1 Released!

Awesome, I'm already testing it :)
First odd thing that I haven't seen before, is having the first sectors like this legal?
I suppose it works on real hardware.
by rama3
March 23rd, 2020, 3:57 am
Forum: General Chat & Messaging
Topic: mkpsxiso help
Replies: 6
Views: 9074

Re: mkpsxiso help

All these tools..
Isn't it enough to simply create a new .iso in imgburn, with XA Mode2 / 2352 selected, then patch the .iso with a psx license tool?
Or is that missing something?
by rama3
March 21st, 2020, 2:46 pm
Forum: Hardware
Topic: Motor won't spin + cursor dead
Replies: 3
Views: 6772

Re: Motor won't spin + cursor dead

There are some guides in this forum.
The problem is the laser.
by rama3
March 21st, 2020, 11:27 am
Forum: Hardware
Topic: Motor won't spin + cursor dead
Replies: 3
Views: 6772

Re: Motor won't spin + cursor dead

That's correct, the spindle motor doesn't start until the photodiodes report some laser light back. Ie: If the laser doesn't "see" a disc, the spindle never moves. So you have a laser problem, most likely. This is what the lens moving up and down is doing, by the way. It's trying to find a...
by rama3
March 21st, 2020, 5:35 am
Forum: Homebrew (General)
Topic: Newer X-Flash Builds
Replies: 146
Views: 207809

Re: Newer X-Flash Builds

It would be a project that wouldn't generate any money, due to extremely low demand.
But once or twice a year, I expect that someone needs such a cable, or else they won't develop for the PSX.
It's a pity, too, since other than the interface, the hardware is greatly accessible!
by rama3
March 18th, 2020, 12:16 pm
Forum: Research
Topic: Forcing NTSC mode in BIOS on SCPH-1002 PU-8 PAL PS1 (with the older 160-pin GPU)
Replies: 3
Views: 15490

Re: Forcing NTSC mode in BIOS on SCPH-1002 PU-8 PAL PS1 (with the older 160-pin GPU)

The modchip only works on late revision BIOS chips. It doesn't have any logic to it, other than dragging a single bit low at a certain time during startup. This bit determines the region (between NTSC-U and PAL), and some later code sets the video mode accordingly. I don't know which BIOS revision s...
by rama3
March 13th, 2020, 10:08 pm
Forum: Homebrew (General)
Topic: Newer X-Flash Builds
Replies: 146
Views: 207809

Re: Newer X-Flash Builds

Well, the psxdev world (however big it truly is :p) needs a good source of serial cables. It has to be cheap, be available to buy, but also have all the features + decent speed. I was using a CD to flash the cart, but it sure was a hassle (again. It's always a hassle to re-learn how to work all thes...
by rama3
March 13th, 2020, 6:56 am
Forum: Homebrew (General)
Topic: Newer X-Flash Builds
Replies: 146
Views: 207809

Re: Newer X-Flash Builds

Yeah, they have a mature solution that everyone likes using. I'll give them that. It's just that manufactured hype, and the notorious device bricking, all over a pretty basic function, that irks me :p On topic, I've successfully flashed a cart using nxflash the other day. It was good to see the load...
by rama3
March 12th, 2020, 12:14 am
Forum: Homebrew (General)
Topic: Newer X-Flash Builds
Replies: 146
Views: 207809

Re: Newer X-Flash Builds

Great info there, thanks :) Just wanted to mention that, if you think about it, that FTDI original stuff is really outdated. These modules perform an operation that every popular microcontroller has had a dedicated hardware unit for since maybe 15 years. An STM32 blue pill for $3 would probably run ...
by rama3
March 11th, 2020, 7:28 am
Forum: Homebrew (General)
Topic: Newer X-Flash Builds
Replies: 146
Views: 207809

Re: Newer X-Flash Builds

So an MBit? That's often the point where some chips fail, some cables are too long, data gets corrupted in some cases.
If the PSX works with it, then advise to keep the serial connection short and use a good and short USB cable as well.
It should be fine then :)