forums.ps2dev.org

Is it at all possible to use a non-sony memory card with any of the homebrew software? (I've searched and not been able to find an answer.)
I have an ARMax 8MB card which I paid good money for but is going to waste because I can't be bothered to load up the (uber-fragile-non-scratch-resistant) ARMax disc to enable it.
Ideally, I'd love to be able to use it within my games, but I'd settle for just being able to copy to/from it from within a homebrew app.
Thanks...

Prob not unless someone codes for it. Great way for you to get involved in PS2DEV homebrew! Hop on board! :)

Not sure what is the problem with loading with the ARmax disc. It is more scratchable than regular disks ? Do you mistreat and otherwise abuse your discs ? I guess I am always mystified over how so many people manage to be so mean to their discs. :)

However, the chicken and egg problem exists so long as your strong desire to justify your purchase by using the 8MB card is at odds with an equally strong fear of taking normal precaution with the boot disc required to use that 8MB card. But like I said, if you can channel those emotions into dev, awesome!

I don't consider myself a coder... If I have a bunch of code in front of me that doesn't quite do I want, I can usually hack it up to my liking...
I don't think I saw a (sdk) driver for MC access -- isn't rom0:MCMAN or rom0:MCSERV the MC drivers? So I'd basically have to rewrite those?

I bought the ARMax w/ MC quite a while ago, mostly for the cheats (so I get stuck on some games!), not knowing the memory card wouldn't work without the bootdisk.

As for "scratchability", it might be me, but I treat all my discs pretty much the same and this one has more scratches. It reminds of the difference in quality between a cassette you'd be in a record store and those you'd order from ColumbiaHouse.

I see two quick-n-dirty ways that might work:
-figuring how to use (if it's possible) the driver which must be on the ARMax disk.
-somehow patching the existing mc driver like some people patch the ATAD.IRX
But then they would be only personal solutions -- I couldn't really share them...

I still haven't read enough of the code to understand how everything ties together, or even found what each of the drivers does.
Is there source anywhere for a memory card driver of any kind or does everything use the driver on rom0:?

Actually the ARMAX discs ARE really that bad. They are QUITE fragile compared to a normal PS2 blue disc, and if you arent' very careful they will actually snap in half with ease!

They've been advertising special sleeves you can buy for CDs to keep them from getting scratched that don't affect how they play. You might buy one for your ARMax CD if it really scratches that easily. The ads are all over TV because of Xmas. Watch for the dude hitchhiking and the truck stops for him.

The Datel memory cards are useless for the ID exploit since the PS1 emulator in the PS2 can't read from those memory card.

Also, they are of no use for home brew code unless you have a mod-chip. Any homebrew programs are not going to be able to read from them without the firmware extention that the Datel memory/AR disks install when booted first. Trying to add support to read these cards without any assistance from Datel is going to be a huge effort with little pay-off. It is to our advantage to focus on more important things such as an USB stack.

Getting Datel to provide assistance is also never going to happen. There have already been several developers that have tried contacting Datel about the compression method used for the MAX save file format. Heck, I can't even get Datel to complette an order they charged me for back in May 2004 and that issue got esclated all the way to Doug Parsons!

If you have a Datel memory card, I recommend chucking it. Not only does it require Datel software to be booted first for games to read/write it, but only Datel's memory manager can be used for copying/moving/deleting and there are known bugs in the memory manager that several customers have reproduced which causes the memory card to become corrupt. It seemed from one of the forum threads that Datel was going to actually look into the problem but then the forums became too much of an embarressment to Datel and they took them down.

Lastly, an improved CD sleeve or case will not help the scratch issue for Datel disks. The problem is not with the storage but with the use. The slightest amount of dust in the PS2 tray can render the disk unbootable. The story goes that Datel worked with Fire International to steal the disk lead-in from the PS2 copy of Crazy Taxi. So, while the PS2 believes it is booting a legit Sony approved Crazy Taxi disk, the actually data program is whatever Datel decides to put into the next track. They had to revise the trick for newer copies of the AR Max since the older ones would not boot on the SCPH-50001 series. But regardless of if you have the older or newer brands of Datel's products, it still appears to be very very sensative to scratching and the only solution seems to be to just avoid using it. Of course, using the Datel unoffical memory card requires extensive use of the disk. And Datel seems to be banking on the fact that the disk will fail more prematurely than standard offical PS2 disks and that Datel's "customer service" is worse than useless such that to continue to get access to your saves on the Datel memory card the path of least resistence is buying another disk.

fluke wrote:The Datel memory cards are useless for the ID exploit since the PS1 emulator in the PS2 can't read from those memory card.

Incorrect, I am currently using a 32mb Max Memory card (the one that doesn't require a boot cd) without any issues.

Details:
http://uk.codejunkies.com/shop/product. ... ProdID=242

fluke wrote: Lastly, an improved CD sleeve or case will not help the scratch issue for Datel disks. The problem is not with the storage but with the use.

This isn't a storage sleeve, it's a special cover you put on it for use in the player. It's specifically designed to prevent scratches on often-used/abused discs while not interfering with the playing of the disc.

Here's the one currently advertising like crazy on TV.
http://www.d-skin.com/intro.html

Cool. All the advantages to a caddy without the downside. :) It is too bad that most places only carry the 5 pack for $6. BestBuy online has the 20 pack for $20 and BuyItNow has 105 for $80. But this doesn't change the way I feel about Datel and how they treat their customers.

Nope, Datel can really suck sometimes. But at least this may help preserve those flimsy discs a little better. If anyone gets some of those sleeves, be sure to report how well they do (or dont) work.

(I was sure I had replied yesterday)

Thanks Fluke... several factors, including your explanation have convinced to concentrate on other things.
The newest LaunchElf, with the browser that works with mc, hdd, and usb -- the only thing it doesn't do for me is write to usb, makes the 8mb armax card useless.
And thank-you for confirming that the Datel discs are way more fragile than any normal pressed game.

boomint: Yeah, the new 32mb cards apparently have a an ic labelled 'gatecrasher' that allows them to behave exactly like an authentic mc.
But we're talking about the ones that require a boot disk to work.

Datels NEW memcards have something called a "Gate-CRASHER" chip by RAWSCiENCE, which is of dubious legality under the DMCA, but allows their cards to work on the new slimline models, and not require a disc.