Project: Discovering out how PSX HDDs are married to the PSX units.

Swapmagic isn't a normal CD. The PS3 can't read it correctly either. The DVD version of Swapmagic kind of works sometimes, but the CD does not, at all.

 

Not normal CD - true. However CD version boots on my PS3 (60Gb HK CECHA), just checked to be sure.

 

After reading some old article about DATEL discs and the PSX, the PSX reads discs LIKE A PC first using the KWS laser. These pirate discs are "haxxored" to not read on CD/DVD writers and that will prevent them from working with the PSX. You will only be able to boot actual SCE made discs.


Oy, SP193, I might have a decrypted version of that bcertifyH.irx file, now.

 

Hi, I take the time to read all your post about the HDD PSX unit. I have a desr-7700 with dying hardrive so it's iompossible to replace it by a new one ?

 

Would cloning the drive onto another hard drive of the same size work? Or what about cloning it onto one that's the exact same model?

 

PSX harddrive has customized firmware. (It has the PS2 DRM commands)

Only a drive which was originally in a PSX will work for another PSX.

It's possible to use an official 40GB HDD from a normal PS2 as well, with some hackery.

 

Where is the Disk Firmware physically located? Can't we just either dump the flash memory off the HDD's drive pcb and flash to an identical "retail" disk or simply swap flashes?
I'm assuming the firmware is the only physical difference between the custom SONY disk and a "retail" counterpart?
Or does DVRP rely on both FW and security sector (which can't be easily written) to unlock?

anyway to emulate a HDD's security sectors?

PS: sorry if I've asked this before, I've been away and I forget things sometimes haha
as for faulty disks, anyway to tell if it's a platter issue or mechanical, like a bad head?

 

The folks who are more experienced in this field told me that it's not that simple because modern disks (which unfortunately, is what the SCPH-20401 and similar disks are) have their firmware mostly stored within the reserved tracks of the HDD. Simply swapping the PCB will not do.

But if you want to talk about somehow being able to flash a dumped copy of the HDD firmware onto a similar (retail) disk, it's possible and @l_oliveira had done it before. It's not doable by just anyone, as the tools used were prohibitively expensive.

Personally, I am really just hoping that someday somebody who knows how to work with Fujitsu MCUs will attack the DVRP. We have a dump of its flash (should allow us to understand how the update mechanism works too)... but I can't do that myself because I am only proficient with working with the Intel x86 and MIPS.

It's not locked. It's just usually not accessible, as with the firmware of the disk.

If somebody was to build a pass-through device that emulates everything proprietary, yes.