Hardware Forum! Finally =)

Discuss the development of new homebrew software, tools and libraries.

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Zenurb
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Hardware Forum! Finally =)

Post by Zenurb »

To help get this board started I am offering to host any images / spesifications / ANYTHING related to PSP hardware for this board. I think it's great that the admins have finally made this board.

Thanks guys! <3
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HaQue
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wireless chipset

Post by HaQue »

Im actually after any info on the wireless chipset.

I believe it is a Marvell chipset, possibly Libertas, as quoted on another site. The marvell website has 1 reference in the form of a quote of a media release saying they supply to the PSP. Of course their website reveals nothing and until I know exactly what chipset it is, theres no way I can go looking for data sheets to help me code my app.

I would love some photos of both sides of the wireless module and chip ID numbers.

I don't get a PSP for a couple of weeks, otherwise I would supply the info myself.

HaQue
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Post by Zenurb »

Well I saw on an xbox repair site, the wireless card for sale to replace your PSP's one if it gets broken, I'm sure if you emailed them they'd take some pictures for you.
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Dr. Vegetable
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Post by Dr. Vegetable »

The wireless module is rather hard to get to, and you probably won't be able to see much without completely destroying the PSP. A friend of mine dismantled his PSP beyond repair, so I have been borrowing it for post mortem examination.

The WIFI module is mounted on the underside of the SIRCS / Memory Stick daughterboard. It appears to be a complete self-contained module built on its own PC board. It is completely covered by an aluminum shield which is embossed with the MAC address and several other numerical codes, including the apparent part number: SWU-BXJ154N. It also says "Sony Corporation, Made In China." It appears that the top of this shield can be removed without destroying the module, so I will see if I can get a look inside and post more details.

Here is a picture of the daughterboard. You can see the WIFI module to the right:

Image

Click the thumbnail for a larger picture. (Sorry for the blur, I'll try to get some better detail pix later.)

My friend had removed the mini coax cable before I saw this, but he thinks that is the Wifi antenna. You can see the coax connector at the front-right corner of the module.

Again, sorry for the blurry pix. I'll see if I can get something better for you later.
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Post by Dr. Vegetable »

A quick update:

I popped the RF shield off of the WiFi module and got the part number off of the two chips inside:

88W8380-BDK1
88W8010-NNB1

When I popped these numbers into Google, I found this link which might lead you to other useful information.

I should mention that this was from a North American PSP (Zone 1) just in case there are different chipsets used in different localities.

EDIT:
After actually reading the supplied link, I take back the suggestion that it might lead you to some useful information. But it is worth viewing just to see a bunch of truly awful signature animations.
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thank you, great info

Post by HaQue »

Thanks alot, great solid info. The model numbers show definately a Marvell Chipset.

Id love to see photos.

The connector is almost certaily a U.fl common on wifi miniPCI cards.

Thanks again, this will help me alot.

HaQue
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Post by Dr. Vegetable »

Well Sony is simultaneously awesome and ******, er, I mean, not-so-awesome.

I have found that none of my digital cameras has a macro mode that will allow decent detail shots at close-enough range to take worthwhile pix of the PSP hardware. Then I remembered that my Sony Handycam can take still shots. I fired it up and tried it out and damn if that thing can't focus sharply from about 2 inches away from the subject!

So I've got a few halfway decent pix of the WiFi card in the camera. (On MiniDV tape - my low-end HandyCam doesn't have a Memory Stick slot.) Now I spent the last four hours screwing around with the camera software trying to capture them onto the PC. I've got the camera hooked up, streaming live video into their configuration app no problem. But the software doesn't seem to have any way to actually capture stills or video! Sure it will let me create a slide show or burn a DVD, but only with stuff that'a already been captured. Aaaarrrrggggh!!! Anyway, the camera battery is now dead and I can't find the AC adapter.

Anyway, sorry to ramble so far OT. Just wanted to let you know I am still trying to get those pix for you.
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Post by dot_blank »

i can supply you guys with some pretty
excellent high def pics of psp hardware
just say if your interested and what
hardware you are interested in and if
you require some parts to be dissassembled

here is a sample pic of what the camera
is capable of

http://s37.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=2LBD ... R0J7L11GQ9

cheers
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Post by Dr. Vegetable »

Wow, that is great resolution! I am curious what kind of camera setup you are using?

I had thought that it might be somewhat helpful to get a straight-on photo of both the top and bottom of various parts of the circuit board in order to create semi-transparent overlays to try to map out where some of the VIAs emerge. I am particularly interested in getting decent pix of the region around the NAND chip (shown in your sample) and around the two processors. I also believe that the SIRCS/Memory Stick/WiFi daughterboard would be very interesting to examine this way.

But I am torn. I hate the idea of yet-another-PSP suffering from having chips pulled up like this. (It is difficult to do without pulling up traces!) To get the shots I would want, the NAND and both processors would need to be lifted. On the daughterboard, the shield around the Memory Stick receptacle and the WiFi module would need to be removed. It appears that the board you have has already had some surgery performed, but I still feel badly about destroying PSPs for any purpose. And besides, the kind of analysis I want to do still needs to be verified using a good old continuity tester, so the photographic approach is only a shortcut.

I would suggest, if you do start removing components, that you first get some shots of the board in its original state. I regret that I didn't have the chance to do this before my friend started tearing his apart.

By the way, I found my HandyCam AC adapter hiding in my laptop case, so I'll have another go at uploading my pictures tonight. Hopefully I'll figure out what obvious step I am missing.
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Post by dot_blank »

well this psp mainboard is already
done for the count ;)
so any removal and analysis of chips is
pretty much all its good for and as
noted the board has suffered some
scratches and dents ... including on
one or two traces making the board
completely unuseable

as for the daughterboard i will see if i
can contact my buddy to take
some more excellent shots with his
awesome camera :) ...including shots
of original chipset on daughterboard
topside and down ....and shots of aluminum
covering removed and possibly shots of
chipset removed with traces and the like

hope this helps one person out and
i look forward to seeing this hardware
forum prosper ;)

OT: dont miss the new addition from
Team Emergency Exit Member McZonk
on his blog pertaining to his dual flash
research ... he is one intelligent guy
to perform such an undertaking :)
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Zenurb
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Post by Zenurb »

I kind of bricked my PSP, in the sense that I dropped it... and now it wont turn on ;o;

I'm guessing something's seriously fucked so I'll have to get a new PSP. How much are 1.0 ones going for on eBay?
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Post by pyrosama »

Dot's link above is from my Olympus C-740 UltraZoom 3.2 MegaPixel Cammera with 30X optical zoom. Very very nice cammera indeed!

I will ripp my psp apart again in the next couple days and get some photos of an intact motherboard aswell as photos of the wifi/ms daughter board.

I will pull off cpu and gpu maybe in next couple days


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dot_blank
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Post by dot_blank »

awesome news ;)

although removal of cpu is
useless since we can practically do
a lot with that ....but VME :)

theres those nice other chips
floating around can wait to see
my daughter in your hands :D
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Dr. Vegetable
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Post by Dr. Vegetable »

Zenurb:

I am sure that I don't need to tell you to hang onto that bricked PSP. It's a difficult operation, but it is possible (with a lot of hard work) to swap the main board into another PSP. The hardest part is getting the ribbon connectors back in - I've heard from a Sony service rep that there is no special tool available for this, just determination and patience.

Still, you might find that you'll have more luck buying a new PSP retail, swapping in your old motherboard, and selling any spare parts (monitor, analog joystick, etc.) on eBay.

And if anyone has a bricked or broken PSP in any condition that they want to get rid of, PM me and I will pay you a fair price for the remains!
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