X Station PS1 ODE

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bahamutfan64
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Re: X Station PS1 ODE

Post by bahamutfan64 »

It's the micro SD card slot itself that's the issue.

I've done about a dozen installs and half of them wouldn't recognize that a micro SD card was directly inserted. Using the SD card extender and giving it some extra thickness within the slot with Kapton tape is what helped me. The SD card extender by itself had the same issue of not being recognized.
Alfie's Games
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Re: X Station PS1 ODE

Post by Alfie's Games »

I've been installing these for the past few months and they are fantastic. Quick and every game I've thrown at it works.
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RoboArmy
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Re: X Station PS1 ODE

Post by RoboArmy »

I've finally got it in the mail this week (after preordering first day on castlemania -- thanks brazilian Correios!!!) and after a surprisingly easy install (seriously I feared the pin lifting so much but turns out it's no big deal, it was probably the easier part of the whole install) it works with everything I throw at it. Really cool, I just have to figure out how to swap the A/V Out port with one from another console since my sole SCPH-5501 was in quite a state when I got it, the main board is fine though and looks great inside another well cared for PS1.

I tested the XStation with an 8gb card and later on with a 128gb SDXC one, both worked well, but on Driver 2 sometimes the whole game will lag out or just stop for a second or two to load the next portion of the open world map, and going from the save menu and back crashed it once (it stayed on the Wait a moment... screen). My QSB didn't stay 100% aligned and soldering to the exposed pads per instruction was a bitch (lots of flux before a connection was formed) but I checked each pin to a test point with a multimeter and it seemed fine. Can't tell if it's a device or install issue, or just the game -- Driver 2 isn't exactly the most robustly programmed game on the console :lol:
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Kez
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Re: X Station PS1 ODE

Post by Kez »

RoboArmy wrote:... but I checked each pin to a test point with a multimeter and it seemed fine. Can't tell if it's a device or install issue, or just the game -- Driver 2 isn't exactly the most robustly programmed game on the console :lol:
With the multimeter, it can be misleading as the pressure from the probes is enough to temporarily make a connection so if you keep noticing issues it may well be the QSB install (the overwhelming majority of problems are caused by this - some I had early on included).

Sometimes it's down to the SD card as well though. If you can get onto the discord there is a beta firmware there that touts better SD reading performance - might be worth trying!
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TooBeaucoup
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Re: X Station PS1 ODE

Post by TooBeaucoup »

I just installed the PS1 in-game reset by pyroesp. This might be one of the best mods to go with the X-Station. Nobody wants to have to get their fat ass up off of the couch to reset their console! I can't recommend this enough! I'm sure, now that I've installed it, they'll somehow figure out how to add an in-game reset to the X-Station, but whatever. LOL!

I got mine at http://www.consolesunleashed.com but he must've just sold out. Pretty amazing, cause he had about 30 in stock last week when I ordered.

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RoboArmy
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Re: X Station PS1 ODE

Post by RoboArmy »

Kez wrote:
RoboArmy wrote:... but I checked each pin to a test point with a multimeter and it seemed fine. Can't tell if it's a device or install issue, or just the game -- Driver 2 isn't exactly the most robustly programmed game on the console :lol:
With the multimeter, it can be misleading as the pressure from the probes is enough to temporarily make a connection so if you keep noticing issues it may well be the QSB install (the overwhelming majority of problems are caused by this - some I had early on included).

Sometimes it's down to the SD card as well though. If you can get onto the discord there is a beta firmware there that touts better SD reading performance - might be worth trying!
Oh I checked continuity against the QSB connector pins. But I'll be keeping an eye on things, so far I've only put serious time on Driver 2 exclusively... now that I beat it I'm probably going to branch out into other games and see how they actually react. Thanks!

(what's the discord channel? There was one link a few pages ago but it seemed to be expired).
hellbelly
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Re: X Station PS1 ODE

Post by hellbelly »

Pretty sure it’s remember reading Driver 2 but on PS1 was pushing the game engine to its limits and resulted in performance issues and lockup’s.
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Kez
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Re: X Station PS1 ODE

Post by Kez »

RoboArmy wrote:(what's the discord channel? There was one link a few pages ago but it seemed to be expired).
It's a channel in the Classic Gaming Discord
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TooBeaucoup
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Re: X Station PS1 ODE

Post by TooBeaucoup »

I posted this on the official xstation GitHub, but I figured someone here would likely know so -

My Xstation has been working great, however, I've found that my lid switch is a bit finicky which can lead to issues booting, obviously. I've applied a bit of Deoxit to the switch on the motherboard and that has seemed to help, however, that's clearly not going to likely be a permanent fix. Is there any way to make the console just think the lid is always closed? Perhaps by bridging 1 or 2 of the four metal contact points on the bottom of the motherboard, under the lid switch? I've done some Googling, but mostly come up empty. Or, is it possible the Xstation will be able to disable the lid switch functionality in a future firmware update? I don't even know if that's possible. Just curious, so I thought I'd ask. It seems the lid switch is definitely an issue for many people with this hardware and it'll likely only get worse in the future as these original model Playstations get older. There's got to be some points on the motherboard or the bottom of that lid switch that can be bridged to disable the switch. I, however, am just a lowly peasant without the knowledge.
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darcagn
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Re: X Station PS1 ODE

Post by darcagn »

Yes, I did this on mine while doing XStation troubleshooting.

If you have a PU-18 motherboard, solder a wire from any ground (e.g. that big open ground plane next to it) to this point to close the lid permanently.
Wire it to a switch to switch it on and off as desired

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Kez
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Re: X Station PS1 ODE

Post by Kez »

TooBeaucoup wrote:Is there any way to make the console just think the lid is always closed? Perhaps by bridging 1 or 2 of the four metal contact points on the bottom of the motherboard, under the lid switch?
There are a couple useful functions tied to having the lid open though, firstly the memory card manager is accessible via bios so you wouldn't be able to use that, also disc swapping in the X Station is triggered by opening and closing the lid. darcagn's suggestion of wiring up a switch makes sense though and would work really well. Then it's just a case of figuring out where to put it.
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darcagn
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Re: X Station PS1 ODE

Post by darcagn »

Kez wrote:There are a couple useful functions tied to having the lid open though, firstly the memory card manager is accessible via bios so you wouldn't be able to use that, also disc swapping in the X Station is triggered by opening and closing the lid. darcagn's suggestion of wiring up a switch makes sense though and would work really well. Then it's just a case of figuring out where to put it.
You can still get to the memcard screen by ejecting the SD card from the XStation.
But yeah, a switch is definitely for the best
RottenToTheGore
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Re: X Station PS1 ODE

Post by RottenToTheGore »

Is there a on/off switch in the same style as the lid button? Maybe there's a way to replace it and be able to press the button to make the system think the lid is open, then press again to close it.
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Lawfer
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Re: X Station PS1 ODE

Post by Lawfer »

Kez wrote:
TooBeaucoup wrote:Is there any way to make the console just think the lid is always closed?
Yes, there is a small button that gets pushed when you close the lid, so use something to keeps that button pushed all the time.
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Kez
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Re: X Station PS1 ODE

Post by Kez »

When I was a kid we would stick blutack in there for the disc swap trick.
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Lawfer
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Re: X Station PS1 ODE

Post by Lawfer »

Kez wrote:When I was a kid we would stick blutack in there for the disc swap trick.
I know that because of an action replay trick to play imported games without a modchip, for a bit this was the only way to bypass the anti-modchip protection that started to show up in some games from 1999.
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TooBeaucoup
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Re: X Station PS1 ODE

Post by TooBeaucoup »

My issue was my lid button wasn't always registering as closed, even if I held it down manually with extra pressure. I just added a wire to that solder point and it works great. I have like, 5 spare PS1s and 3 PS2s, so if I ever need to manage memory cards to the extreme, I'll just plug one of those in. I have a feeling these lid switches are going to become an issue for a majority of people in the future.

I also don't play many multi-disc games. I got my multi-disc RPG fix back in the day when the console was new, so I'm not too concerned about a switch. However, I like to tinker, so I might add a switch in the future.
LukeEvansSimon
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Re: X Station PS1 ODE

Post by LukeEvansSimon »

I got my Xstation running this weekend, along with a 1TB SDXC Sandisk SD card and a 32-inch JVC D-Series CRT. I kept a Playstation with a laser just in case. I thought my Playstation’s laser was good, but the Xstation’s faster loading times make me wonder if my laser was dying and I just got used to it. How much faster is Xstation’s load times compared to a perfectly new laser?

Any chance a future XStation firmware update can add a turbo load speed option for games that are compatible with faster load times. I bet some games would break if load times were too fast, but then many would have no issue, so making it an option when loading a ROM would be nice.
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TooBeaucoup
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Re: X Station PS1 ODE

Post by TooBeaucoup »

LukeEvansSimon wrote:I got my Xstation running this weekend, along with a 1TB SDXC Sandisk SD card and a 32-inch JVC D-Series CRT. I kept a Playstation with a laser just in case. I thought my Playstation’s laser was good, but the Xstation’s faster loading times make me wonder if my laser was dying and I just got used to it. How much faster is Xstation’s load times compared to a perfectly new laser?

Any chance a future XStation firmware update can add a turbo load speed option for games that are compatible with faster load times. I bet some games would break if load times were too fast, but then many would have no issue, so making it an option when loading a ROM would be nice.
According to ramapcsx2 (The designer), The X-Station has access times about the same as a PS1 CD-ROM drive in optimal condition. If you're noticing that much difference in load times, it's likely your laser was just worn down. I wouldn't rule out the possibility of faster load times, although, that likely has unintended side effects on many games.
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RoboArmy
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Re: X Station PS1 ODE

Post by RoboArmy »

My PSOne laser that I had installed in another 7501 is noticeably faster in a few instances, it actually does feel like loading times are a bit slower on the XStation... but it's a smallish gap in performance and brand new optics like mine are almost impossible to find and guaranteed to lose performance very quick so I don't really mind.

Your laser was probably a bit tired.
bahamutfan64
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Re: X Station PS1 ODE

Post by bahamutfan64 »

There's no laser pickup travelling either, so you shave off that time too.
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Lux
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Re: X Station PS1 ODE

Post by Lux »

Would you say having an Xstation installed on a PAL PS1 without a DFO (i.e. running NTSC games at ~59,28Hz instead of ~59,82Hz) could be a problem peformance wise (speaking of possible bugs more than speed itself) ? Or is it a negligeable difference that won't affect how games run ?
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Kez
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Re: X Station PS1 ODE

Post by Kez »

It's pretty much fine, in some rhythm action games the audio would be out of sync but the vast majority of the library is perfectly playable.
jeffez
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Re: X Station PS1 ODE

Post by jeffez »

Does anyone know if this works with light gun games? It may seem like a silly question but i just want to be sure first as I recently discovered the ps2 free mcboot OPL method of running ps1 games doesn't seem to support them.
Also i have 2 5502 and 2 7002 PS1s. Haven't checked the motherboard versions yet on the 7002 ones but if given the choice is it still better to just use a 5000 series?
fernan1234
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Re: X Station PS1 ODE

Post by fernan1234 »

jeffez wrote:Does anyone know if this works with light gun games? It may seem like a silly question but i just want to be sure first as I recently discovered the ps2 free mcboot OPL method of running ps1 games doesn't seem to support them.
Also i have 2 5502 and 2 7002 PS1s. Haven't checked the motherboard versions yet on the 7002 ones but if given the choice is it still better to just use a 5000 series?
For both systems light gun games should work regardless of how you load them as long as you're using a CRT. On PS2 OPL you're not really launching games using the PS2's native PS1 game loading, but instead it uses a third party emulator for PS1 games, so that may be why you can't use light gun games on it. But XStation doesn't work like that, it's just acting as the CR-ROM controller but not emulating any other part of the PS1 hardware.

PS1Digital recently included Sinden Lightgun support too for use on flat panels.
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NoAffinity
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Re: X Station PS1 ODE

Post by NoAffinity »

Confirmed, light gun games work with xstation and crt

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
jeffez
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Re: X Station PS1 ODE

Post by jeffez »

fernan1234 wrote:
jeffez wrote:Does anyone know if this works with light gun games? It may seem like a silly question but i just want to be sure first as I recently discovered the ps2 free mcboot OPL method of running ps1 games doesn't seem to support them.
Also i have 2 5502 and 2 7002 PS1s. Haven't checked the motherboard versions yet on the 7002 ones but if given the choice is it still better to just use a 5000 series?
For both systems light gun games should work regardless of how you load them as long as you're using a CRT. On PS2 OPL you're not really launching games using the PS2's native PS1 game loading, but instead it uses a third party emulator for PS1 games, so that may be why you can't use light gun games on it. But XStation doesn't work like that, it's just acting as the CR-ROM controller but not emulating any other part of the PS1 hardware.

PS1Digital recently included Sinden Lightgun support too for use on flat panels.
NoAffinity wrote:Confirmed, light gun games work with xstation and crt

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
Awesome thanks.
Interesting, so maybe there's a hint input lag with OPL running ps1 games. I ran an original disc which worked but ripping and running the exact same game, the light gun would fail to register.
fernan1234
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Re: X Station PS1 ODE

Post by fernan1234 »

jeffez wrote:Awesome thanks.
Interesting, so maybe there's a hint input lag with OPL running ps1 games. I ran an original disc which worked but ripping and running the exact same game, the light gun would fail to register.
Yeah again OPL is running your PS1 games on an emulator, not the way PS2 runs PS1 discs, so I'm guessing that's why. If you want to run PS1 game ISOs in the native way on a PS2 you have to wait for a PS2 ODE. Supposedly there's one in the works but it will probably take a while still.

Another thing that could be happening is that OPL is forcing a higher resolution, though that may only be possible for PS2 games.
jeffez
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Re: X Station PS1 ODE

Post by jeffez »

fernan1234 wrote:
jeffez wrote:Awesome thanks.
Interesting, so maybe there's a hint input lag with OPL running ps1 games. I ran an original disc which worked but ripping and running the exact same game, the light gun would fail to register.
Yeah again OPL is running your PS1 games on an emulator, not the way PS2 runs PS1 discs, so I'm guessing that's why. If you want to run PS1 game ISOs in the native way on a PS2 you have to wait for a PS2 ODE. Supposedly there's one in the works but it will probably take a while still.

Another thing that could be happening is that OPL is forcing a higher resolution, though that may only be possible for PS2 games.
Makes sense, thanks for the info. I have now ordered an xstation.
yoZe
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Re: X Station PS1 ODE

Post by yoZe »

Is it normal to pay 51$ for shipping to Europe to order an xstation ?!
No because at that price it's just no way as far as I'm concerned.

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