How do you get a PS2 Tool dev kit to read discs?

I realise there is a thread about this particular topic posted some time ago, but the advice offered in that does not appear to work for me. I also realise there are several ever growing threads on the PS2 Tool. This query is very specific and I wanted to keep it separate as it might be a question other Tool owners (as a few have recently bought units) will be turning up and asking soon.

So, if you are PS2 Tool owner and successfully running retail (or other) titles on your unit can I please get some assistance?

The original advice suggested to go into the prompt on the Tool and type:

dsreset 2 ox1a0

Which I believe is tried and tested, but having read the original thread nobody actually said "Yep, thanks that's it!" the subject just ended.

I've got the unit set correct regarding dipswitches on the rear, plus the unit is set too DVD / TOOL. When I attempt this procedure I get an error on the Tool screen:



Suffice to say, I am probably doing something wrong

Every hour I spend in the company of this machine makes me admire the simplicity of the Xbox dev kit, which I had up and running in slightly over an hour. Sony seem to love making things complicated.

I really just want to see something on the PS2 side working and testing the CD drive as I am not 100% convinced the IC cable is any good. I'll need to find out fast as I have someone willing to take a look at it and do any necessary repairs. I don't like messing people about and having them waiting for an answer.

Thanks!

 

I thank the person who PM'd me. To spare his blushes, I am going to name no names, but he was generous enough to admit that he too had been on this forum, found the thread I mentioned and attempted the procedure only to find it didn't work! So, it is not necessarily me - lol

So, as this person also appears to admit that he too has never managed to get his unit running retail.

Has anyone achieved this feat and can it be done from the Tool rather than me having to lug my PC downstairs whenever I want to try it?

I have an image (somewhere) of a Tool sitting at an conference running a title, so it must be possible without a PC surely.

 

Parris, at conferences titles are ran many times on DVD emulation.

Also, think about it:

The tool can run Retail discs (Theoretically) but can it run CD-r disks? (UJ has answered in the negative to this question)

Putting the pieces together:

1) if there was a conference , who in their right mind would drag a TOOL to it to show-off a game, when they could just take a TEST kit with them?

2) The fact that they *had* to have a TOOL and couldnt have a TEST shows that the game was far from complete - in a state that they didn't even bother burning it on CD-R.

in the light of the above constructive steps, I doubt it was running retail in a conference - since even a retail PS2 would be a more friendly alternative than a TOOL.

 

I totally agree with your comments, I am just attempting to establish whether anyone HAS managed to get the Tool running retail. The image from the conference might be faked, it could have been a PC for all I know, it's been done countless times before. It really was thrown in there as circumstantial evidence (which as someone studying law knows isn't enough to convict) of the Tool's possible use in running a title.

I'm not asking questions because I think I have the answers, but because I know I don't. It's helpful to get this input, even if perhaps misunderstanding my initial reasoning. Nobody is being criticised, I am just keen to get things moving along so that HOPEFULLY I can see a result.

If this proves the notion that PS2 Tools can cope with retail is WRONG, then so be it!

I just think there must be some way of telling the PS2 Tool to look at it's fecking CD drive and turn the spindle, start the laser and read without Prof. Stephen Hawkins being shipped in for a wee chat with it!

 

From what I know, UJ has been able to run retails on his TOOL.

Then again, UJ is no ordinary human, he's a TOOL wizard :lol:

 

I know, it is scarey the mans knowledge of this machine!

 

As I know I am not the only person asking these questions, I guess I can only hope that the procedure is explained. If it is via ProDG only, then again that's atleast confirmed it is necessary to use a PC.

 

Actually I believe the TOOL can't run retail - only master discs. It's a bit like a DTL-H10000 in that respect. See here, half way down the page a post by uncle jun.

http://www.assemblergames.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7223&page=3

Also, if a TOOL was taken to a conference and a disc was run on it, what's to stop a laptop from being connected to the TOOL, and then once the game is running, you disconnect it. Agreed, emulation was probably the way though. Good point from Barc0de - why take a TOOL when you can take a TEST PS2.

 

So now the question is whether in actual fact it can cope with retail at all? I'd be happy just knowing which side of the court the ball is landing. No point banging your head against a brickwall if in fact it's a non-starter. I've read people's comments that it can, plus obviously instructions on how to do it, which have not worked in my case.

Well, the question is, has anyone seen / had this thing running any retail or other titles (not on emulation)?

 

Let's think straight. Back to the basics!

Why would Sony designers include (unlike the GDEV) an optical drive in its major development kit?

answer: to test, decompile, and analyze software that has been burnt in the master disc image form, without the use of a Host computer nor its drive needed to dump the date and then transfer it to emulation.

Thus, i m 100% sure that the TOOL can read either retail or CD-R for the forementioned purposes. it's just a matter of how.



Please note that the PS3 devkit, like the GDEV, accepts hard-drives, and can just like the GDEV, do DVD-emulation over the hard-drives. Nevertheless, in the spirit of DTL-10000 "TOOL", it can also accept Blu-ray recordable disks.

 

from the little I've read of this discussion it looks like your missing the dsreset program. Don't have any manual or anything around here.. and won't have access to any of it for the next two weeks so I can't say how much of this really is true..

but first of all.. is this the orignal setup that came with the kit or something you've installed your self? if so.. have you installed all the ps2 stuff on it? have you installed ps2 sdk?
the program dsreset (default path /usr/sce/bin/ I think) should come with the SDK..
I'm not sure if you can execute it on the TOOL or if you have to do it from a PC thought.

 

is it possible that DSreset is part of the PC-side applications, that has to be transfered over to the TOOL subsequently? (ie it's not to be found in the original redhat distro packed with the TOOL)

 

nope, it's part of the SDK.

 

Thanks for that as this might be the root of my problem as although I can see the dsreset application in the SDK file structure PRIOR to it being set up in C drive, I do NOT see it in the file structure (unless you have the wrong path) in the version that has been installed on my PC. They are potentially therefore different versions I have messed around with at different times as I have staggered the work I was doing on the PC. The easiest thing for me to do is uninstall and start again I think. I'll let you know. Certainly, at present there is NO dsreset application on my PC, when I thought there was (it's there <points!> in the file I downloaded).

 

I have successfully run the demo disc from the european console(the one with yabasic), the metal gear online disc from famitsu and the gt4 first preview disc, so a PAL disc and 2 NTSC/J, all retail.
I thought having read in one of the docs that the Tool checks for the presence of a disc upon boot and launches it, I may have dreamt it though...I should recheck the docs...

Parris, dsreset is in usr/local/sce/bin, but it isn't a win32 executable, you should use the target manager, but if your pc is far from the Tool, it will be annoying...

 

Thanks for confirmation UJ. I uninstalled ProDG and the libraries and started again as although they were IN the original, for some reason they were not installed properly. I did noticed that the first time around I was asked on several occassions whether I wished to replace particular files. This time I hit YES TO ALL and let it run through unhindered.

I then tried linking to the PS2 Tool from PC and discovered my crossover cable had developed a fault (only found when I tried using another console I know worked with the PC). Found a replacement.

Anyway, before I proceed any further I am going to ask whether the RESET image below is the dsreset application via target manager that I should use? It has the boot parameters of EE / IOP so I assume I delete what is currently there and replace them with 2 & ox1a0. Before I do that however, can I confirm that on the next boot the unit will return to normal?

I don't want to do anything at all without confirming just in case I screw it up.

 

Yes the reset button next to the disconnect one is what you'll use.
Just put in the parameters 0x2 for the ee and 0x1a0 for the iop.
On the next boot, the parameters will be back to normal, although prodg keeps whatever settings you input, if that's what you were talking about...
You can also read the docs diskboot and dsnet found in usr\local\sce\doc\tool, if you want to know what are the various parameters for when resetting the ps2 side of the Tool.

 

Excellent, you've covered it all - thanks! Now to see if my laser or IC cable are screwed! Back in a bit. :dance:

 

OH: Nothing!

My screen on the TV goes black, then nothing. I guess the IC cable or the laser are at fault here. I've rebooted and back to Network Information.

Thanks UJ! Well, it's back into the machine we go...

 

Do you hear the dvd drive spin at least?
Are you trying to run a retail or a burned disc?