PlayStation Development Network

First of all, a short introduction:

My name is Mark, 23 years old and from the Netherlands. I collect PS1 games for over 4 years now and managed to get around 800 different titles (all PAL).

I managed to get my hands on a Sony PlayStation Debug Console (Model DTL-H3001, NTSC version). My problem is the standard FMV skipping. Since I paid a lot for this and the seller won't accept returns, i've got to fix this problem. I think changing the laser would work. I am afraid I will brake something in the PS1, so only if this is the only option (seems like it...).

tldr; which laser type is in the DTL-H3001? So I can buy a new one.

MarkNL wrote:First of all, a short introduction:

My name is Mark, 23 years old and from the Netherlands. I collect PS1 games for over 4 years now and managed to get around 800 different titles (all PAL).

I managed to get my hands on a Sony PlayStation Debug Console (Model DTL-H3001, NTSC version). My problem is the standard FMV skipping. Since I paid a lot for this and the seller won't accept returns, i've got to fix this problem. I think changing the laser would work. I am afraid I will brake something in the PS1, so only if this is the only option (seems like it...).

tldr; which laser type is in the DTL-H3001? So I can buy a new one.

You can't buy new lasers. You're rather off repairing the existing one or swapping it out for a newer model laser deck from a later modelled PS1. I believe the H3001 is a PU-8, so a KSM-440AEM should work. You just got to modify the plastic a bit and coil up the data ribbon. Before you do that though, make sure you disassemble the laser mechanics and clean the diode, mirrors and the eye with IPA. A little lithium grease on the rails and the motors gear reduction system doesn't hurt to prevent wear either. If you have an analog scope, bring up the eye test and calibrate it so it's all in phase. I suggest calibrating it with a CD-R at first, as if I recall, those seem to use more power from the diode and are more troublesome to boot.

The Net Yaroze is a bit of a waste of money to be honest. On another note, the debugging kits are even more useless. The HC05 firmware was dumped, and it's possible to replicate it, plus, it's nothing a modchip wont do either. All you're paying for at a high price is a coloured case and the un-locked HC05 logic, plus, if I remember correctly, the BIOS enabled printf output to the serial port by default instead of the parallel port, but I have not tested that statement as it was something I read once in a document somewhere, so don't assume it's true.

I want to see what it is worth more than this.

Why there is no option to buy a new laser?

The laser assemblies are not manufactured anymore. You can buy "new" (old stock) assemblies from various sellers on Ebay though.
For PU-8 boards, it's common and recommended to use a BAM assembly sourced from a PSone unit. They fit the PU-8 cases perfectly, once the grey top is replaced with the black one from the original.

Shadow, do you know if someone produced a HC05 clone?

Nope, I don't know of any HC05 clones that exist, but I was going to replicate it myself using some new old stock blank HC05's and write the debugger HC05 firmware to it, then, swap it out with the older 80-pin chip in my PU-8 board, thus making my regular retail PlayStation into a debugging unit. I found the right chips from a supplier, but I never bothered ordering them (mostly because they were really expensive).

Really though it's a lot of work for nothing because a simpler modchip install bypasses the need for all this. If anything, it's just an experiment to see if it can be done.

Well, maybe this should be done on an Arduinio then!
Bypassing any need for modchips is nice, but I'm also interested in optimizing the disk access strategies for modern CD-R media (with their 80 minute playtime).

Well the HC05 has been dumped and disassembled, so if you know some Motorola MCU based assembler logic it's possible to re-create it or change the logic to however you want. Just need to wire the hardware correctly too of course (I don't even think an Arduino (I assume an ATMEGA328) can do it)

I haven't begun to dig into the logic this controller does, but from afar, it looks like a housekeeping chip.
It'll manage the read head position, interpret the occasional seek request, spin up and down the disc motor and such things.
I'm fairly sure it doesn't have to be in 68000 ASM, nor does it have to be particularly fast.
All the high speed stuff is already done by the DSP

Note however that I do believe the software is quite complex. It won't be a small sketch and call it a day ;p