Need help to fix off-spec refresh-rate of PS2/PSX

[Turom]

Hi peeps,

My modchipped (Modbo 5) PAL PS2 outputs an off-spec 59.40 Hz signal while playing PSX games (with the PSX FIX option enabled that corrects aspect ratio) and while it works on my CRT it gives me a blank screen on the Framemeister required for recording due to the wrong refresh rate.

I'm looking for options to fix this issue, here's my progress so for considering options:

• - Toggling between PSX <=> PS2 switching RGB SCART cable and Component cable and RGB/YPbPr in the BIOS each time since the XRGB accepts 59.40 Hz through RGB, a bit of a pain but it works

• - Buying an NSTC PSX to get correct refresh rates and use it separately

• - I found some users talking about this PS1ModeNeg hack though reading through feedback it doesn't seem to work well along the ModChip fix, sounds a bit of a pain to use VS the "plug and play" experience of the modchip while using discs and the source downloads aren't even online anymore

Any ideas ?

[nmalinoski]

I'm not sure I understand why you're switching between RGB and YPbPr; why not use just RGB?

[rama]

You can disable any PSX fixes your modchip provides.
Just get PS1ModeNeg working and your PS2 will behave exactly like an NTSC console.
The PS1ModeNeg method is actually the proper way, and whatever modchips do is the hack ;p

I don't know whether that'll fix your recording issue though.

[Turom]

I'm not sure I understand why you're switching between RGB and YPbPr; why not use just RGB?

Because I use component cables for PS2 480p games.

You can disable any PSX fixes your modchip provides.
Just get PS1ModeNeg working and your PS2 will behave exactly like an NTSC console.
The PS1ModeNeg method is actually the proper way, and whatever modchips do is the hack ;p

I don't know whether that'll fix your recording issue though.

Sounds like something I may try. So for this I need to setup a memory card with FreeMcBoot right?

And by the way the website that hosted the PS1ModeNeg files seems offline, do you have a copy of the files by chance?

My PS2 is a 90k model so from what I read it's a bit tricky to setup. Does it imply a disc swap everytime I need to boot a game? Does it work with multi-disc games?

[nmalinoski]

I'm not sure I understand why you're switching between RGB and YPbPr; why not use just RGB?

Because I use component cables for PS2 480p games.

If PS1ModeNeg doesn't pan out for whatever reason, and you have some money to spend, one approach to full-time RGB that would get you 480p RGBS would be one of Ultimarc's PS2/PS3 to Arcade Monitor cables[url] (The $26 one that says "Connects PS2 or PS3 AV port to J-PAC or Multi-Frequency monitor, and PC-type speakers. D type VGA connector.") and an Extron RGB interface. The RGB interface can get you full-time RGBS whether your PS2 is outputting RGBS (15kHz) or RGsB (31kHz+), and the Ultimarc cable is to strip sync, since the RGB interface can't accept composite video or luma as sync.

If you're handy with electronics, there's also [url=https://shmups.system11.org/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=60996]a way to disable sync-on-green, so your PS2 will continue to output RGBS when it switches to 480p+, rather than switch to RGsB.

[RocketBelt]

And by the way the website that hosted the PS1ModeNeg files seems offline, do you have a copy of the files by chance?

You can find the project here: https://sites.google.com/view/ysai187/home/projects

[Konsolkongen]

PS1ModeNeg never worked for me on my 50004 console when I had a Modbo or Ghost V2 chip in the console. Only when I installed a DMS4 (good luck finding one) did I manage to get it working, and it’s a pain because I still have to go through a lot of loops for it to actually boot games (all original discs).

First I have to launch uLaunchELF, insert the game, access the disc in ULaunch so the files show on screen, THEN I can boot PS1ModeNeg and boot the game.
If I just run that program directly it will never see the game disc.

No idea why this is the case and I remember that it made no sense to the author of the program as well because it works fine running PAL games on his NTSC console.

I just ended up buying a JAP PS1 instead.

Edit: You could also just install a Dual Frequency Oscillator mod in a PAL PS1 to achieve proper speeds

[Turom]

If PS1ModeNeg doesn't pan out for whatever reason, and you have some money to spend, one approach to full-time RGB that would get you 480p RGBS would be one of Ultimarc's PS2/PS3 to Arcade Monitor cables (The $26 one that says "Connects PS2 or PS3 AV port to J-PAC or Multi-Frequency monitor, and PC-type speakers. D type VGA connector.") and an Extron RGB interface. The RGB interface can get you full-time RGBS whether your PS2 is outputting RGBS (15kHz) or RGsB (31kHz+), and the Ultimarc cable is to strip sync, since the RGB interface can't accept composite video or luma as sync.

If you're handy with electronics, there's also a way to disable sync-on-green, so your PS2 will continue to output RGBS when it switches to 480p+, rather than switch to RGsB.

I already have a Crosspoint + Extron interface stack so it may fit pretty well here, nice to know you can force RGB on 31kHz+ video from PS2!

You can find the project here: https://sites.google.com/view/ysai187/home/projects

Great ressource, thank you.

PS1ModeNeg never worked for me on my 50004 console when I had a Modbo or Ghost V2 chip in the console. Only when I installed a DMS4 (good luck finding one) did I manage to get it working, and it’s a pain because I still have to go through a lot of loops for it to actually boot games (all original discs).

First I have to launch uLaunchELF, insert the game, access the disc in ULaunch so the files show on screen, THEN I can boot PS1ModeNeg and boot the game.
If I just run that program directly it will never see the game disc.

No idea why this is the case and I remember that it made no sense to the author of the program as well because it works fine running PAL games on his NTSC console.

I just ended up buying a JAP PS1 instead.

Edit: You could also just install a Dual Frequency Oscillator mod in a PAL PS1 to achieve proper speeds

Thanks for the feedback, that indeed sounds like a real pain to use, that's exactly what I wanted to avoid.

Having this off spec video output just calls for more problems the more I dig into it. I may just do the same as you did and get an NTSC PSOne that will do just fine.

Thanks for the help everyone!

[Konsolkongen]

You should be aware that a JAP PS1 apparently needs a boot disc to run imports, even with a mod chip installed. I just swapped the BIOS with a PAL console I had handy to bypass this, so that worked out well enough

So a US console is probably the one to get.

[rama]

You need to be aware of the auto boot method that modchips employ.
They have to decide whether an inserted disk is a PS2 CD game or a PSX title.
I have 2 different chips here and both go for "PS2 CD" by default.
The fix is easy: Force the chip into PSX mode by holding down a controller button while it boots.

Next step is to have a FreeMCBoot card inserted that loads uLaunch.elf.
From there, a shortcut to PS1ModeNeg could be created that uses the same button as the chip PSX mode one.

This setup then works by inserting a PSX disk, resetting the console while holding the PSX button and waiting a little.

[Pikkon]

You should be aware that a JAP PS1 apparently needs a boot disc to run imports, even with a mod chip installed. I just swapped the BIOS with a PAL console I had handy to bypass this, so that worked out well enough

So a US console is probably the one to get.

I have read about this as well but I have a jpn scph-5500 with a modchip and it boots my original US games and backups just fine.

[nmalinoski]

If PS1ModeNeg doesn't pan out for whatever reason, and you have some money to spend, one approach to full-time RGB that would get you 480p RGBS would be one of Ultimarc's PS2/PS3 to Arcade Monitor cables (The $26 one that says "Connects PS2 or PS3 AV port to J-PAC or Multi-Frequency monitor, and PC-type speakers. D type VGA connector.") and an Extron RGB interface. The RGB interface can get you full-time RGBS whether your PS2 is outputting RGBS (15kHz) or RGsB (31kHz+), and the Ultimarc cable is to strip sync, since the RGB interface can't accept composite video or luma as sync.

If you're handy with electronics, there's also a way to disable sync-on-green, so your PS2 will continue to output RGBS when it switches to 480p+, rather than switch to RGsB.

I already have a Crosspoint + Extron interface stack so it may fit pretty well here, nice to know you can force RGB on 31kHz+ video from PS2!

To be fair, the mod would force RGBS with clean composite sync. The PS2 will output all video modes in RGB, it's just that it uses RGBS for 15kHz modes, which is expected by SCART devices, and RGsB for 31kHz+ modes, which isn't normally recognized by SCART devices; they're both RGB, as is RGBHV/VGA, just with different ways of transferring sync.

[Konsolkongen]

You should be aware that a JAP PS1 apparently needs a boot disc to run imports, even with a mod chip installed. I just swapped the BIOS with a PAL console I had handy to bypass this, so that worked out well enough

So a US console is probably the one to get.

I have read about this as well but I have a jpn scph-5500 with a modchip and it boots my original US games and backups just fine.

Mine is a 5500 too. Not sure I actually tried it with the JAP BIOS I just ripped that out when I installed the mochip. Maybe that was completely unnecessary:D

[rama]

All Japanese consoles made after the initial batch have the region lockout built into the BIOS.
If such a console boots a non NTSC-J disk, then the disk is patched, or the BIOS chip has been replaced.
There is no other way around it.

[Konsolkongen]

Hey rama, you’re the guy who made the PsNee, right?

Any way to make my JAP console display the PAL BIOS screen in 60Hz? Not that it matters much I would just prefer it to be 60Hz all the time

[Pikkon]

Going to check mine,guess it's under the shielding and it should be a 40 or 32 pin chip?

[rama]

Konsolkongen:
Yep
For the 60Hz option, that's possible, if you installed a PAL BIOS chip (of some revision or later, up until last revision, but I don't know where it started).

The method is the same as the PAL PSOne BIOS patch, so you'll need PsNee recompiled with that option, or a Onechip PIC, and you'll have to install the 2 patch wires.

Pikkon:
No SCPH-5000 ever came with a non-protected BIOS.
That stopped maybe 3 months or so after the initial release consoles were built.
Everything made after first quarter of 1995 is protected.
If you want to check whether your BIOS chip was swapped, I think you can see the IC below the shielding (so no need to desolder it).

[Pikkon]

Mine is definitely swapped,has some left over flux on a bunch of the legs and on the chip all it says is SE-55.

I bought this ps1 at a thrift store,didn't know it had a modchip until I opened it up for a cleaning,just thought it was normal to boot up ntsc games but the bios swap is a awesome bonus.

Thanks for clearing everything up rama.

[rama]

Sure!
Getting a new PSX is always fun.
With so many consoles out there, and so many mods, you never know what you get

[Konsolkongen]

You need to be aware of the auto boot method that modchips employ.
They have to decide whether an inserted disk is a PS2 CD game or a PSX title.
I have 2 different chips here and both go for "PS2 CD" by default.
The fix is easy: Force the chip into PSX mode by holding down a controller button while it boots.

Next step is to have a FreeMCBoot card inserted that loads uLaunch.elf.
From there, a shortcut to PS1ModeNeg could be created that uses the same button as the chip PSX mode one.

This setup then works by inserting a PSX disk, resetting the console while holding the PSX button and waiting a little.

I missed this reply. Unfortunately the DMS4 Pro doesn't seem to have a PS1 boot mode :/

For the 60Hz option, that's possible, if you installed a PAL BIOS chip (of some revision or later, up until last revision, but I don't know where it started).

The method is the same as the PAL PSOne BIOS patch, so you'll need PsNee recompiled with that option, or a Onechip PIC, and you'll have to install the 2 patch wires.

I used the 5504 BIOS in my 5500 console

So basically I just compile the arduino the exact same way that I would do if I install the PsNee in a PAL PSone, and then solder two additional wires?

[rama]

So basically I just compile the arduino the exact same way that I would do if I install the PsNee in a PAL PSone, and then solder two additional wires?

Yep, but remember that you need to SPI flash the Arduino (just like with a PSOne) to get rid of the bootloader and its delay.
Note that I don't think I ever tested this on a 5000 series BIOS. As I said, I don't know when they introduced the final region routine.
So it'd be nice to hear back, even if it's a negative ;p

[Konsolkongen]

I might not have time for a while, but if I try I'll be sure to let you know. Thanks

[Classicgamer]

What does a "force PS1" mode do when you have a mod chip? I have an American PS2 with a Matrix infinity mod chip and all PS1 and PS2 games from any region just boot automatically (backups and originals). It does this from both disc and hard drive.

Are there some mod chips that don't switch between PS1 and PS2 automatically?