PS1 Memory Card Mod . . . would this be possible?

Hey Guys,

I had an idea for a mod, but I'm not sure the how possible it would. Sure I get the saying, "anything is possible", but this is a little different.

Do you think it would be possible to build a PSX Memory Card adapter. What I'm thinking is taking a PS1 Memory card and converting it so that you can put in either a micro SD card or a SD card and save games to it that way. Giving you an easy way to backup saved games.

Yes I know you have devices like Dex Drive but I want to know if something like this is possible.

What do you think? Would it be possible? If so, I might start doing some research into seeing if I could build something like this . . .

Thanks
Disjaukfia

 

Well it's possible, just you'd need to spend a VERY long time on making it.

 

Possible? Yes. Can you do it within the week? Not unless you build NAND flash for a living.

 

A good way to start would be using that multipages PS1 memory cards. Those have the lcd and a memory load system that let's you chose what "page" you want.

I have one that has 8 pages ( = 8 memory cards). I don't use it very much, since people say it's not reliable. Anyway, a project like this would be very cool for the PS2 memory card.

 

Um ok . . . from everything I just read, this is complete over my head . . . doesn't sound like its something that I have the knowledge or know how to do . . .

-Disjaukifa

 

well, it would be possible. Just buy a Datel Memory Disk Drive and the HcX SDCard Floppy Emulator:

http://media.photobucket.com/image/floppy+playstation+/irndemon/playstationmemoryfloppydrive001.jpg
http://hxc2001.free.fr/floppy_drive_emulator/index.html#SDCARDFloppyemulator

Remove the floppy drive from the Datel Disk Drive, install the Floppy Emulator and you're done

 

Actually I have a VMEM, only problem is that it seems card 4 is corrupted and I'm hesitant to put anything else on it in fear of the whole device getting corrupted . . .

-Disjaukifa

 

Sounds like a intresting project.
Sure there are documents about the ps1 memory? swichting between "cards" can be done on all kinds of ways. buttons and a lcd screen is 1 way.
I do have some mem-cards here, maybe Ill take a look at the schematics.
Arduino ?

 

AFAIK PS memory cards contain a custom SEEPROM speaking the PS serial protocol (hardware is similar to SPI). It can definitely be done with a fast MCU but it would be a daunting task for even a professional engineer and there's very little payoff. I would personally make each block a binary file in folders representing whole cards. The MCU could walk the directory and translate on the fly.

 

Found a working card... But I think I remember the original was faster, maybe because they fitted everything in 1 IC and I saw a oscillator by its side. indeed maybe because of the sort of SPI protocol with is "simulated" maybe by the GA5211yr371 chip.
Data-sheet of the W29, http://www.ec66.com/market/sheet/W29C010.pdf
and full size photo of my ps1 memory card (BIG!) http://kernelpaniq.com/images/web/sl733723.jpg

found a picture on google http://microblog.routed.net/wp-content/uploads/2006/11/card.jpg
Ill take a look at my own official one soon.
Thx anyway Calpis AFAIK your logic sound good

 

While late cards are exactly like Calpis described, early cards were like this:


Which is basically an Motorola/Freescale microcontroller dealing with the PS serial protocol and an 128KB ATMEL NOR flash.

 

I like this topic a lot

I hope you get it working and spend time working on it :thumbsup:

 

While I do keep an eye on your hdd hack.
I must say that this one is "easier" done I believe.

Im thinking of documenting or at least try to find more info about the memory card communications. Then try to implement it to a MCU and then we look at the future.
I did find this on a quick google search,http://jledger.proboards.com/ looks promising.
Im off to bed now.

 

I can't image those early cards were anywhere near as cheap to produce as the later ones either. At least one knows it can be done.

 

Quite a lot of info in this document, towards the end of it..

http://hitmen.c02.at/files/docs/psx/psx.pdf

 

(I am holding a little contest here)


Who knows, what the max transfer speed of the PS Memory Card is?

Please post what you think.


(if you want to know the answer, highlight the invisible text below)

[FONT=&quot]It runs at a speed transfer rate of 10KB/s. There is no access for 20msec after writing 1 sector to the card. The MC is only good for a guaranteed, 100 000 writes.[/FONT]

 

If you have SwapMagic or FMCB or any way of running an elf on your PS2 then you can easily use uLE to backup/restore of your PS2 memory card saves to a USB pen or HDD

Never tried it with a PS1 card though...

 

A friend of mine had one of those "Performance Mega Memory Cards" (the one with the LCD on it), and "yes" it failed like I knew it eventually would. Honestly, considering the size of a PS1 memory card (only 128K) it'd be kind of funny if you made some 16GB SD memory card. Good luck if you try it.