5 ms·

Repairing the only known prototype of Nintendo PlayStation [video]

121 points by Jerry2 10y ago

quxbar 10y ago
My roommate and I really had a great time watching this over a couple of beers. We're not even especially gifted in the realm of solder and circuits, but it was fun speculating and marveling at the thorough breakdown.
drakenot 10y ago
For anyone who likes this video, you should also checkout Sega Saturn CD - Cracked After 20 Years[0]. [0] - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOyfZex7B3E https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOyfZex7B3E
mschwaig 10y ago
The first part of the video[1] is also worth watching. It has the current owner explaining how he got it and some careful investigation of the device before the actual repair. Ben Heck has some impressive videos in general, watching him work always makes me wish I was better at electronics. [1] https://youtu.be/ug-CyGXMabg https://youtu.be/ug-CyGXMabg
agumonkey 10y ago
Let's hope some Sony engineer drops an anonymous archive online to try the CD features.
- eropple 10y ago
  If anybody's even still got it. There is a lot of missing stuff from that era of game development and earlier.
  - agumonkey 10y ago
    You never know what's stacking dust in peoples houses. A CD isn't something hard to take home or forget. That said the system feels like a slightly pimped SNES (mosty the embedded ram in the cartridge), so there's not a lot to expect from it.
    - eropple 10y ago
      There were SNES carts with embedded RAM, AFAIK. It's hard to find an exhaustive list of SNES cart models like you can with NES carts (which definitely had RAM expanders), but IIRC many Super FX carts had their own embedded RAM.
- kalleboo 10y ago
  The ROM BIOS was released online a little while back and there's already emulator support and homebrew software for the thing[0]. The jury's out on how accurate/compatible it is though [0] http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2016/07/play-a-homebrew-game-designed-for-the-mythical-snes-cd-rom-drive/ http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2016/07/play-a-homebrew-game-d...
covercash 10y ago
Related story - someone developed a game for it: http://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/unreleased-snes-playstation-gets-first-homebrew-game/ http://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/unreleased-snes-playstat...
codewritinfool 10y ago
Based solely on this video, I feel sorry for this guy. First he doesn't bother to use a lab supply to current limit the input - nope, just plug it into a wall supply and let 'er rip. Next, he doesn't have a microscope? Using a hand magnifier instead. Ok. Then he's clamping to the PCB for scope ground instead of soldering a fly lead for that purpose. He doesn't want to use desoldering braid on this "one of a kind" board, so he's heating and levering the caps off. That's a recipe for a lifted trace for certain. Then there's the iron. That thing is way way too large for what he's trying to do. I know, I know, he fixed it. Before you yell at me, I've been doing this stuff for 30 years and I'm here to tell you I'm shocked that he doesn't have better equipment. The thing is, the guy is talented. If you coupled that with decent equipment, he'd be amazing.
- blhack 10y ago
  HOW does he not have a bench supply? Looking around the rest of his shop at least gives the appearance of a functioning lab. To any budding hardware hackers, a benchtop (or rackmount, because they can be had for very cheap if they're old) power supply is one of the FIRST thing you should buy, probably before you get an oscilloscope, and probably right after you get a soldering iron. edit: Actually, at 3:00, isn't that a bench supply that is sitting in front of him? edit2: And at about 7:34 you can actually see the terminals for it.
  - laumars 10y ago
    I've recently started to play around with hardware hacking, completely self taught. "Bench supply" isn't something I'm familiar with, are you able to explain a little more about what one is (I have looked online and still not entirely sure) and why I would need one?
    - ddeck 10y ago
      The first result from googling "why do i need a bench supply?" seems informative. http://www.eevblog.com/forum/chat/does-a-hobbyist-need-a-bench-power-supply/ http://www.eevblog.com/forum/chat/does-a-hobbyist-need-a-ben...
ChrisRR 10y ago
I'm surprised replacing the electrolytics wasn't the first thing he did. If you have a 30 year old piece of technology that isn't working, it's almost definitely the caps. This is why so many console recapping services exist online.
- MatthewWilkes 10y ago
  I'm not sure if I should replace the electrolytics on my SEGA Master System. Everything works on it in standard mode, but a few games are glitchy in 60Hz and controls are sometimes very laggy in either. I would expect something more extreme, though.

121 points by Jerry2 10y ago

My roommate and I really had a great time watching this over a couple of beers. We're not even especially gifted in the realm of solder and circuits, but it was fun speculating and marveling at the thorough breakdown.

drakenot 10y ago

For anyone who likes this video, you should also checkout Sega Saturn CD - Cracked After 20 Years[0]. [0] - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOyfZex7B3E https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOyfZex7B3E

mschwaig 10y ago

The first part of the video[1] is also worth watching. It has the current owner explaining how he got it and some careful investigation of the device before the actual repair. Ben Heck has some impressive videos in general, watching him work always makes me wish I was better at electronics. [1] https://youtu.be/ug-CyGXMabg https://youtu.be/ug-CyGXMabg

agumonkey 10y ago

Let's hope some Sony engineer drops an anonymous archive online to try the CD features.

eropple 10y ago
If anybody's even still got it. There is a lot of missing stuff from that era of game development and earlier.
- agumonkey 10y ago
  You never know what's stacking dust in peoples houses. A CD isn't something hard to take home or forget. That said the system feels like a slightly pimped SNES (mosty the embedded ram in the cartridge), so there's not a lot to expect from it.
  - eropple 10y ago
    There were SNES carts with embedded RAM, AFAIK. It's hard to find an exhaustive list of SNES cart models like you can with NES carts (which definitely had RAM expanders), but IIRC many Super FX carts had their own embedded RAM.
kalleboo 10y ago
The ROM BIOS was released online a little while back and there's already emulator support and homebrew software for the thing[0]. The jury's out on how accurate/compatible it is though [0] http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2016/07/play-a-homebrew-game-designed-for-the-mythical-snes-cd-rom-drive/ http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2016/07/play-a-homebrew-game-d...

covercash 10y ago

Related story - someone developed a game for it: http://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/unreleased-snes-playstation-gets-first-homebrew-game/ http://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/unreleased-snes-playstat...

codewritinfool 10y ago

Based solely on this video, I feel sorry for this guy. First he doesn't bother to use a lab supply to current limit the input - nope, just plug it into a wall supply and let 'er rip. Next, he doesn't have a microscope? Using a hand magnifier instead. Ok. Then he's clamping to the PCB for scope ground instead of soldering a fly lead for that purpose. He doesn't want to use desoldering braid on this "one of a kind" board, so he's heating and levering the caps off. That's a recipe for a lifted trace for certain. Then there's the iron. That thing is way way too large for what he's trying to do. I know, I know, he fixed it. Before you yell at me, I've been doing this stuff for 30 years and I'm here to tell you I'm shocked that he doesn't have better equipment. The thing is, the guy is talented. If you coupled that with decent equipment, he'd be amazing.

blhack 10y ago
HOW does he not have a bench supply? Looking around the rest of his shop at least gives the appearance of a functioning lab. To any budding hardware hackers, a benchtop (or rackmount, because they can be had for very cheap if they're old) power supply is one of the FIRST thing you should buy, probably before you get an oscilloscope, and probably right after you get a soldering iron. edit: Actually, at 3:00, isn't that a bench supply that is sitting in front of him? edit2: And at about 7:34 you can actually see the terminals for it.
- laumars 10y ago
  I've recently started to play around with hardware hacking, completely self taught. "Bench supply" isn't something I'm familiar with, are you able to explain a little more about what one is (I have looked online and still not entirely sure) and why I would need one?
  - ddeck 10y ago
    The first result from googling "why do i need a bench supply?" seems informative. http://www.eevblog.com/forum/chat/does-a-hobbyist-need-a-bench-power-supply/ http://www.eevblog.com/forum/chat/does-a-hobbyist-need-a-ben...

ChrisRR 10y ago

I'm surprised replacing the electrolytics wasn't the first thing he did. If you have a 30 year old piece of technology that isn't working, it's almost definitely the caps. This is why so many console recapping services exist online.

MatthewWilkes 10y ago
I'm not sure if I should replace the electrolytics on my SEGA Master System. Everything works on it in standard mode, but a few games are glitchy in 60Hz and controls are sometimes very laggy in either. I would expect something more extreme, though.