PS SCPH-9001 NTSC-U/C with lens "stuck" and... better video?!? (Heavy, many pics)

Hi guys, first let's go to the real problem.
The lens of my PlayStation is stuck (glued, no moviment... anyway. I'm not referring to the movement of the motor), I had read a lot about it, but now know this happens when he gets super heated.


When this happens he stop reading and just back to normal when I give some hits (usually two) on the lens, to unstick it.
The question is, is there a way to prevent this?
Something other than leave the fan on top of the PlayStation every time, I need a solution less expensive and more practical and permanent.
Is there any good mod of internal fan for the PS1 or exists better solution?
Can I put thermal paste in the PS1, to not heat so much? If Yes, where do I put?
Or better, I can do something on the lens, that even the PS1 warm, she will no longer have this problem?


The lens is 100% and I think it's been over 12 years since I don't have a PS1 in such good condition, he reads the discs every day as if I had purchase it as new. I sincerely wish to prolong your life.




Now, go to the second "problem"...
My PlayStation has better video/image, something that makes him look better than any other.
It does not show the normal serrated and their colors are stunningly better. I feel playing PS1 games on a PS2 with component cable.
This is not something of my imagination, I showed it to several friends what happens and in addition I've tested almost 20 PlayStations with the same AV cable and the same tv, and all had normal results, with its serrated and default weak colors.


I tested the models:
SCPH-1001 NTSC U/C (3)
SCPH-5501 NTSC U/C (3)
SCPH-7001 NTSC U/C (5)
SCPH-7501 NTSC U/C
SCPH-9001 NTSC U/C (2)
SCPH-101 NTSC U/C (2)
SCPH-102 PAL
The interesting thing is that I tested plus two SCPH-9001 models and they don't have the same image than mine, that made me very curious.


So enough talking, let's see the pictures.
The "normal" images are the PSone SCPH-101 and the betters are the PlayStation SCPH-9001




Normal Start Screen


Better Start Screen


Normal (closest)


and Better...




Well, I'm not having how to put more pictures, then download this file that contains all the images for comparison and draw their own conclusions.
http://www.4shared.com/rar/tnErTLGice/PS1_Comparison_images.html
Another link:
http://www.4shared.com/rar/5GdZS-yyba/PS1s_video_differences.html
The photos show well, but live the difference is much bigger, better "resolution" because of almost non-existent serrated, and best and pleasant colors.

In short, how can I solve the problem of warming of my PS1 or simply make the lens does not suffer from it? And why my PS1 has better picture than the others?

 

The first thing to do is work out which part of the system is causing your sticky lens problem - the easiest way to do this is to swap over the entire optical pickup unit from another console - the SCPH-900x and SCPH-750x models all use the KSM-440AEM and don't have any servo adjustments, so there is no problem doing this.

If you find the problem is with the optical pickup (which is, IMO, the most likely case) then check for foreign objects in the lens positioner - it contains some fairly strong magnets, and even quite small pieces of metallic material will tend to jam the lens up if they get stuck to the polepieces.

If the problem stays with the console even with a new pickup, then it's an electronic fault - the most likely part is the BTL driver chip having developed a leaky transistor. This is the chip to the left of the 4-pin connector that goes to the spindle and sled motors - it's most commonly a Rohm BA5977FP, but some consoles use a Panasonic part in this location.

Have you tried multiple TV sets / monitors? If this is all based on the same display, then it could simply be that this one specific console happens to have a reference oscillator that's running at exactly the same frequency as the one in your TV.

 

What cables are you using? RGBS via SCART/JP-21 (best cables to use on PS1), S-Video, Composite video (yellow RCA jack), or RF?

 

TriMesh, thanks for the reply.
I'm using the lens of another SCPH-9001 and I go start the tests.
If the problem is in the unit, I can remove these strange metallic objects of the lens this way?


Yes, my chip is the BA5977FP. If the problem is with him, I have that exchange it or is there a simpler solution? He looks a lot like physically with the BA of the Dreamcast.
I had tried only on a TV, but now that you mention it, I tried it on my mom's TV and also made the comparison on EasyCap (USB video capture) and the result was the same as always.

When you say frequency, you refers to 50 Herz and 60 Hertz, or is it something else?
I would like to know what causes this best picture and if that can be done on other PS1s, because I'm afraid that if there is a problem I will never get another mainboard with this improved image.

Comparison in the EasyCap:
Normal PS1 image


Better PS1 image


Maybe the "problem" is not on the PS1 with better image, but in fact is in all other PS1 with normal/bad image?

Well, I will continue testing the lens for a while.
Thanks again.



MonkeyBoyJoey, I'm using standard Composite cable. Now that you mention it, I wonder how his image on the SCART cable would be even better.

 

Regreasing the CD track + gears with white lithium grease may help.

 

You don't need to dismantle it that much - the lens positioner is the bit that's under the guy's thumb in that photo, so all you need to do is remove the cover and check for things stuck to the magnets. Use a magnifying glass, since the debris can be quite small and still jam things up. Another thing to check is the plastic suspension - this can break in one place and allow the lens to twist out out of position - but in this case there is not a lot you can do about it.

If it's faulty, then all you can do is replace it - if you can run the console with the board exposed then check the voltages going to the lens positioner and see if they look plausible - since it's a BTL driver, the outputs should move together, but in opposite polarities - normally with the lens in the middle they are both about 3.8V and if one side goes up say 0.5V then the other side should go down the same amount. When they are bad, typically one side ends up very close to either the power rail or ground, and the chip gets hot. If you know anyone with a hot air station that's by far the easiest way to remove it. And yes, it's a very similar part to the one in the DC and performs the same functions.

On those models (well, everything since the SCPH-700x / PU-20) there is a single crystal that produces a master clock that everything is derived from. Some TVs don't like signals that are slightly off, especially in composite mode.

But from reading the rest of your reply, I see you ARE using composite, and that can be pretty nasty, especially on these later consoles (they went to a single component combined video DAC and encoder, and it seems to have worse performance than the old two-chip solution) - if you have a TV with a RGB wired SCART socket, then get hold of a RGB cable and see what results that gives you.

Some of my consoles have slight banding, but none of them are a bad as your "bad' example.

 

Mord.Fustang, thanks for the reply.
I usually use silicone grease and the results are good.

Well, the tests are completed.
After use other lens, the PS1 is powered on to two uninterrupted days and the problem no returns.
It's a relief to know that the problem is not on the PS1 Board.
I've cleaned the original lens despite not having seen the debris, but I cleaned it anyway and I'm keeping it.
TriMesh, thanks also for the instructions of the BA chip, will serve me in the future, and I really need to buy a hot air station...

Yes, i'm use a composite cable, but I've never seen any TV in all these years (I play PlayStation since its launch) with an image as good as this my PS1 produces with the composite cable. And by the way it still remains a mystery for me.
I would love to find a TV with SCART socket, but here in Brazil (and I believe outside of Europe) must be a little hard to find.

But what about my good example? Have you ever seen a PS1 with sharp image and impressive lack of serrated like this, using a composite cable?
Still seems like a dream to me. I searched for a long time a "PS1 Component Mod", but all I found (I think here in Assemblergames) was a very complex scheme that my knowledge would not be able to build.
so was playing PS1 on a PS2 with component video, until that a few months ago my PS2 broke, and I still prefer to play each game in its original console.

My hope is that we can leave this good image in any PS1, so should I continue researching this.


Well, I shouldn't touch it anymore, just that I really need to know, so I decided to open my PS1 again and compare it with the board of another SCPH-9001, and I ended up finding some differences.
The upper board is the PS1 with better image, and the bottom one is a normal SCPH-9001 board.
I managed to find 3 differences between the boards.


1 - The First Difference

This component has the reference "TXC - 14.30244 - 18HBM", is on the plate normal and not in the Board with better image. He is soldering on the component "14.318 - KDS 902" that is on the main board. (The reference written on the main board, just below this component, is "X201")

2 - The Second Difference

This wire is connecting two points in the main board, and also is not present on the board with better image.

3 - The Third Difference.
This is the unique difference that the board with better image have more than the board with normal image.
The components (I don't know if they are capacitors or resistors) reference "15" and "SO 919" (or "916", is too small to see), was made a bridge linking their two ends of they. Something similar to a direct connection when a fuse burning.

Some of these differences explain the best image of one of the SCPH-9001 boards? Is there anything else I can check how the video chip?

I think I'll buy the S-Video cable and a TV with S-Video to have a better experience of this PS1.

 

If you have a TV with a 240p-compatible Component video input, you could use a SCART to Component converter. You will need a SCART audio extractor if you go that route.

If you have an HDTV, you can use a SCART to HDMI converter. Amazon.com carries some decent ones. The XRGB mini Framemeister upscaler will give you the best performance but it is expensive and it uses RGB JP-21 cables.

For either of those methods, you will need an RGB SCART cable for the PS1. Make sure it uses Sync on Luma and it is fully shielded. Make sure pin 16 on the SCART cable has 1-3V so RGB mode works.

 

The devices that have been replaced with solder blobs on the top board are just fuses - I assume they blew and someone didn't have any spares so they just shorted them out.

The mods on the lower board look like they are for PAL-M support, and they certainly would affect the video - the added xtal is to change the subcarrier frequency to match PAL-M, and the wire link is to force the video encoder into PAL mode even though the console is outputting 60Hz.

It should be possible to just remove the crystal and wire and return the unit to standard NTSC output, like the top one. When removing that red wire, take a close look at the board to make sure none of the tracks have been cut or pins lifted on the GPU and restore them if they have.

 

Not over yet...

Well, several things have happened, but I'll try to summarize.
After some tests, I saw that the problem that occurs in the lens are not in all games, and it is only when the console heats up.
So I decided to put two fans under the console and I soldering in the PS1's power supply, but this caused a problem in the sound of the console (I think that's what caused the problem in the sound, because the problem it started as soon as I put the fans).
The sound of the games goes and back, sometimes I play for a long time with the sound completely functional, and all of a sudden the sound begins to fail and after some time it goes back, sometimes the sound is already beginning to fail when I power on the PS1, but then he some in minutes go back working well , and so on.
The fans that I used are of the PC processor and it has 4 wires: blue, green, black and yellow (probably are 12volts). They have no description of amperage. I put them together in the power supply of the PS1, the yellow wire on the 8V and the black wire in GND. All working perfectly, except the audio.
After that, despite the sound problem, the fans solved the sticky lens problem, and the PS1 does not heat anymore.
It is very complicated to fix this problem in the sound?
I can change any piece of other board SCPH-9001.



TriMesh, you're right...

I removed the crystal and the wire, and the board took the image equal to plate with better image.
Unfortunately the lens (none of them) not working in the "new" board.
then I called just the wire to run some tests and the "new" board presented strange problems, like intermittent sound and black boot screen. I think blew this main board, but I still have one more SCPH-9001 to test.


My biggest goal right now is to fix the sound of the board SCPH-9001 with better image and also I want know if the fans caused this problem because if didn't cause I soldering again on power supply.



SCPH-7001...

I managed do working a SCPH-7001 and he has the image almost as good as my 9001. Even better is I can use the gameshark, I remember the old days...
I was determined to use it in place of the SCPH-9001, when I turned on again the 9001 and could compare which still exists large difference in the images. The SCPH 9001 with better video is something that I had never seen before, very comfortable and colorful. So I removed the crystal of the SCPH-7001, but the video stayed green...
I opened two SCPH-7001, one has only the crystal and the other has a mini-circuit with a few components. This second is what has the image almost as good as the SCPH-9001, but still not so perfect.
In both SCPH-7001, if I remove the crystal or the mini-circuit, the image becomes green. Is there any scheme to just take the no green image without having to convert the signal for PAL-M?
Why does my TV can reproduce the image of the SCPH-9001 in NTSC color and can only reproduce the image of the SCPH-7001 in NTSC with wrong colors? (green in this case)



I want to repair the sound of the SCPH-9001 and the video of the SCPH-7001 without having to pass it to PAL. In addition I want to solve a way to connect the fans again using the power supply of the PS1, but now in the right way. (the 9001 spends more time with sound than without sound, but I really want to figure how to fix this)

Thanks TriMesh, now I know what causes this difference in the image of the PS1, I just have to learn to do with all the others, removing the PAL converter without leaving the green image.

MonkeyBoyJoey, thanks for the tips and informations. In the future I think in acquiring some option that will leave the PS1 video even better.

 

At this point, it's hard to tell - the sound circuits in the PU-23 are pretty simple - it's just a buffer amplifier driven directly from CD/DSP chip.

Does the problem go away if you remove the fans or not?

One other thing to check on the board that used to have the PAL-M modification is pin 157 on the GPU - this may have been lifted from its pad when the wire link was installed, and this would give you unstable video.

For the SCPH-7001, maybe you could take some photos of the modification? The clock generation in the SCPH-700x is in principle exactly the same as the one in the SCPH-900x, and the modifications should be similar. There is a fairly high-resolution image of a PU-20 board here:

https://wiki.assemblergames.com/lib/exe/fetch.php?media=wiki:sony:pcbphotos:pu-20.jpg

The clock generator is the section on the left side of the board next to to the GPU - the clock chip and the xtal are just above the label "IC204" - try comparing this area of the board with your SCPH-7001 to see if any parts look like they have been removed.