There are many version 4 motherboards. Looks like GH-010 - GH-013. I've noticed that there are even different versions within the GH-013. Some have gap, some have no gap, some have 030 bios, some have 040 bios. Anyone by chance know for any reasons for this? Thanks
I've seen: GH-010, GH-012, GH-013, GH-014 and GH-016. Might sound funny but GH-016 is a D type while GH-015 is of E type (V5) The changes probably come from production variations, price cuts and other fixes/changes of project... If you compare an 10000 to an 50000 you will notice how much metal and plastic they managed to save with the re-design while keeping the unit almost identical functionality wise. Like I said on other post, units with 1 chip ROM have ROM and DVD driver in a big mask rom. 2 chips mean the bios is separated from the DVD driver.
Cool. Figured as much. Didn't expect it to be much of anything too interesting, but still worth asking. At least the changes are not so significant as to effect modchip releases. Otherwise I bet we'd have 25+ versions out there.
What affect modchips the most is software re-desgin. Back on 2005 Sony introduced a new method for region setting on the PS2 hardware. Originally the DVD drive CPU (mechanics controller) would have an specific firmware ROM for each region. So they had multiple versions of the mechacon. After the redesign they had a new mechanics controller chip which was capable of changing region with a simple EEPROM setting change (the new mechacon chip protects the EEPROM in a way it's impossible to change these settings without SONY software tools and service/diagnosis hardware.) That change alone forced Matrix Team to release a new version of their matrix chip (both firmware and CPLD had to be modified and that's identified by a green dot painted on the edge of the ACTEL chip) This was made for ease of manufacture as a single board would work for all regions once properly set up. Nowdays all SONY systems are built with that concept in mind. First system I saw with such method for region setting was the Dreamcast. Now, I did thinker a lot of region changing on PS2s and all I needed to swap was the ROM and the Mechanics Controller to make a system change it's region. (I didn't swap the EEPROM because I had software tools to re-write it's contents. EEPROM vary per region too but it's writable.) I once had a US PS2 V3 system converted to japanese.
That's really cool. Did you just get your hands on these tools and start messing with it yourself? Been messing with the hardware more myself so far. I haven't pondered trying to edit any software on one yet. I've been trying to get my hands on a schematic and repair an old GH-013. I just wanted to learn how but I can't get it to boot. Worked great till I shorted the pins on the power/eject ribbion a while back and blew out a fuse. Repalced the fuse but no video/audio. Powers up, ejects the dvd drive, powers back to standby. No video / audio. I stuck a 040 bios on it (it came with a 030) and it did boot "really slow" and then the screen locked up. Would not boot a 2nd time. Just back to as it was with only powering up and controlling the dvd drive. Don't really know why, but i've been way more interested in messing around with these old models. I just came across a gh-004. Think it's the first one for US. I got a DMS3 2.0 that needs a home. Maybe I'll install it on that this evening,. Hopefully i'll go back to chasing the girls again soon. lol
if you stick from 040 bios and then change it to 030 its has this sound silly but there are driffernt revsions bourds thats why
