A long while back I dumped the bios to an American PS2 Test unit. I have recently come into possession of a Japanese test unit which I'd like to do the same with. However I have forgotten the method, and it's quite difficult to nail how to do this with this unit. It has no hard drive/network adaptor ability, as it has a pcmcia card slot instead. The American unit had these things. It also won't boot mcboot which isn't surprising, but it is annoying. The best way I can think of is to burn out a disc with the bios dumping ELF and try to go into the unit that way. Regardless, I was hoping someone with a tad more experience might help walk me through the complexity of this process.
Asking a question on how to dump BIOS, shouldn't be in the downloads section to begin with. Until you have dumped it, then you share it here obviously.
What do you want to make the dump for? If it's just for collection/research purposes, please consider using PS2Ident as it makes an actual dump of the boot and DVD (If it exists) ROM instead of separated parts of them. It's also newer and has been updated to record more data that the old PCSX2 dumpers don't. If you're just interested in making dumps that will work with PCSX2, please just use their dumper. Regardless of which one you end up using, you need to have a way to run homebrew software on your Debugstation. The earlier DEX consoles do not support MagicGate file decryption, while the later ones do. However, these newer DEX units will refuse to work with files flagged as DVD-players and were made to not be compatible with files that were signed for use on a consumer unit (CEX). Hence why current versions of FMCB will never boot and are not transferrable between CEX and DEX consoles. In summary, you need to burn uLaunchELF to a blank CD/DVD-R disc after master-patching the disc image, since you do not have FMCB for DEX installed on a memory card. Use uLaunchELF to boot your dumping software. Please use a suitable (CD image for a CD-R, DVD image for DVD-R) ISO disc image from the uLaunchELF thread on PSX-scene. You MUST master-patch the disc image before burning. On a side note, the Japanese DEX unit has a network adaptor and HDD unit. They were based on the first PlayStation 2 console (SCPH-10000), which had different peripherals and a slightly software design from "modern" PlayStation 2 consoles. The network adaptor for these early sets is a SCPH-10190 and the HDD unit is a SCPH-10210/SCPH-20400.
What? You don't ask questions on how to dump the BIOS in the downloads section. It's not a download. When you are able to dump it, post it in the downloads section. :\
Ok, so I am somewhat familiar with the process of test patching for master discs, I have previously owned test units. I gave it a shot under a few different discs. I can't read japanese, but I know the screen for memory card or disc when it comes up. I tried both mastered CD and mastered DVD but each time I select the discs (It looks like they're saying they are PS2 discs) it goes dark for a moment before kicking me back into the bios. I'm thinking there's a step I'm missing
Assuming that you did the master-patching and burning right, what discs are you using? For DVD discs, Verbatim DVD-R by either Mitsubishi or Taiyo Yuden would be best. A DTL-H10000 would have a SONY KHS-400A, which is not very good for reading your discs or is already very worn due to its age.
Been trying Maxell and memorex. I'll have to order some of those. I'm fairly confident it'll work eventually, I used an actual mastered disc from a ps2 prototype and the drive works fine. Definitely showing it's age though!
Well, I tried Verbatim DVD-R, no go. Tried 8x, 6x, 4x, 2x. Tried on CDs. Tried on DVDs, same result every time, it just kicks me out into the bios every time i try to start the disc. I'm getting my ISOs here: http://sksapps.com/index.php?page=launchers.html Are these just no good?
Also it claims to be a SCPH-10000 in the bios screen. However it does launch master discs. Is there some variable to these systems that I am unaware of? The previous one I dumped was a DTL and stated so in the bios. http://i.imgur.com/IUuLpC4.jpg
The early DTL-H10000 consoles had a boot ROM that was similar to the SCPH-10000, which had the model number hard-coded into the browser. These early consoles had no support for the Model Name function within the MECHACON chip, and so the chip doesn't know its own name (only the internal model number, which is used for i.Link support). Even though SCEI customized the ROM for the Debugstation, they never changed the displayed model name. Did you master-patch your disc image? Not sure if I can help to test the master-patching procedure that you're describing here, as my only development console is a TOOL unit (doesn't run homebrew software well). But if I can, I'll try to at some other time and let you know what I did to make it work.
The Patcher program doesn't work if the name of the executable doesn't follow the Sony naming rule. Check here: http://assemblergames.com/l/threads/debugging-station-ps2.33418/
Hey unclejun, big fan of those weird korean games you dumped! I was curious if you knew if these ISO based ELF launchers from my previous link fall into line with the "naming rule" you mention. I'm unfamiliar with it. Going to go read your link, perhaps that'll open some doors.
YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY! Unclejun, those ISOs you provided on the other topic worked like a charm. It booted up, AND it already had the bios dumper on the disc. Wonderful. I'm going to upload it and put it online for people to download =)
The korean on-rail shooter betas? I didn'tdump them myself, just gave some help to dr.daichi and convinced him to release some of them. Of course they worked! And they are online already, a bit buried here on the forums though. Once you know the limits of the Master disc patcher, it's easy enough make bootable discs of homebrew software...
I always had an easy time patching retail games for my old test unit. Never did homebrew before though
It doesn't because the Debugging station (unlikely modded PS2s do) actually decrypt and check the PS2 logo (like a unmodded retail console does) and the logo obfuscation relies on the name of the disc boot file. There's a extra region inserted by the patcher (or put by the sony mastering program, the Master Disc header sectors) which contains data which would be obtained (by a retail PS2) from the disc wooble/toc area.
