PS2Ident

Changelog

Update 2018/12/08: v0.835 released.

Update 2018/10/27: v0.834 re-released.

Update 2018/10/21: v0.834 released.

Update 2018/08/25: v0.833 released.

Update 2018/07/04: v0.832 re-released.

Update 2018/06/28: v0.832 released.

Update 2018/06/23: v0.831 released.

Update 2018/06/19: v0.830 released.

Update 2017/03/04: v0.825 re-released: updated model data.

Update 2016/12/16: v0.825 re-released.

Update 2016/12/15: v0.825 released.

Update 2016/06/10: v0.824 released.

Update 2016/05/21: v0.823 re-released.

Update 2016/01/04: v0.822 released.

Update 2015/08/29: v0.821 released.

Update 2015/06/21: v0.820 re-released. Corrected README file because I saw a CXD9686R.

Update 2015/05/30: v0.820 released.

Update 2014/10/19: Added a link to the PS2Ident database page.

Update 2014/10/13: v0.810R released.

Update 2013/10/14: v0.805 released.

Update 2013/08/25: v0.804 released.

Update 2013/07/26: v0.803 released.

Update 2013/07/18: v0.802 re-released - stability fix.

Update 2013/07/17: v0.802 released - labels update.

Update 2013/07/14: v0.801 released - minor bugfix.

Update 2013/07/11 03:19: Added a translation template.

Update 2013/07/11 02:09: Initial public release, with minor fix. Please re-download if you downloaded before I re-released it!

Introduction

PS2Ident is an identification tool that allows dumps of a PlayStation 2 console's ROM chips and MECHACON NVRAM to be made. It will also gather data from the console, for research purposes.

It has the following features:

  • Dumps ROM chips (BOOT and DVD ROM) as a whole, not according to their contents (rom0, rom1, rom2 and erom)
  • Displays the actual addresses for DEV1 (rom1, rom2 and erom) that are set by the ROM filesystem drivers.
  • Coloured user interface that is easy to use.
  • Supports dumping to memory cards and USB mass storage devices.
  • Supports multi-languages, which include the 8 supported languages by the PS2
  • Gathers data of all known parts of the PS2.
  • Attempts to automatically match the chip/part name with the version number of the part.
  • Supports all PlayStation 2 consoles, including the SCPH-10000 and SCPH-15000, and the PSX (DVR unit).

Note: Chip and mainboard identification is currently very incomplete and inaccurate, due to a lack of data. Sometimes, Sony makes hardware revisions without changing the chip implementation numbers as well, hence why chip identification may be inaccurate. The chip and version IDs are, however, accurate since they are taken directly from the hardware.

Its database, which contains the parts and mainboard data, is managed and updated with the PlayStation 2 Ident DataBase Management System (PS2IDBMS) tool.

I made such a change because it wasn't possible to get a complete list of all PlayStation 2 models in existence. With PS2IDBMS, a spreadsheet containing all recorded models can be generated automatically.

Not to mention that the whole PS2Ident tool would have to be recompiled, whenever model data was added.

Data recorded

If the database has your console's data in it, PS2Ident will attempt to determine its mainboard model based on:

  • ROMVER string - ROM version string
  • Model name - The "name" of the console's model.
  • EE revision
  • FPU revision - Revision of the EE chip's FPU.
  • IOP revision
  • GS revision
  • MECHACON revision and region - Revision and MagicGate region of the MECHACON
  • SPU2 revision - Revision of the sound processor.
  • Revision of the SS-BUS I/F Controller.
  • Model ID - Uniquely identifies the console's model. Even more accurately than the model name.
  • Console model ID - Another (2-byte) version of the model ID. Obtained from the i.Link ID data.
  • EMCS ID - Uniquely identifies the Engineering, Manufacturing and Customer Services (EMCS) system that made the console.
  • M Renewal Date - What this represents is unclear. It's something related to the MECHACON (date of firmware build or EEPROM settings update?)
  • ADD0x010 - An ID that is used by the SONY service tools to identify major revisions (which historically existed at word offset 0x10).

If your console is not recognized, its mainboard model will appear as "unknown". While it is true that Sony consoles might be physically similar across releases from different territories, I've decided to treat each region's release as being different because I would also want to have a complete list of existing PlayStation 2 models. With such data it is possible to determine what models Sony has released in every terrirory, and at which series did they start at.

Making Submissions

How to submit new model data, starting from this release:

  1. If your console model is not recognized, its mainboard will appear as "unknown" and a new database record file in this naming convention will be generated among the dumped files: __database.bin (e.g. SCPH-10000_0500044_database.bin).
  2. Open your console, and take note of the mainboard model number. Take note of the models of all chips that were unrecognized by PS2Ident, so that we can get an updated chip model list for all components.
  3. Submit this file to me, along with the mainboard model and other missing chip models via e-mail.
  4. When recording down the model of the MECHACON chip, please take note that the model number should include its firmware version as well (e.g. CXP103049-401GG instead of just CXP1013049).
  5. New: if possible, please specify the chassis model, the true model number (i.e. SCPH-39006a) and the colour of the console (if not the standard black version).

Please understand that the database record file alone is useless to me, since I need the mainboard model name to update the database with PS2IDBMS.

The model database file will be updated every week, or whenever I can commit to do so.

If your model is already recognized, the database record file (*_database.bin) will not be generated.

As for the chassis and EMCS ID (For Dragon-series units): At the lower right-hand corner of the product information sticker that is either on the bottom or back of the unit, there will be something like "H FOXC". In this example, the letter 'H' is the chassis model, while "FOXC" stands for FOXConn (the EMCS that made the console). Please contribute this information if necessary.

Glossary/terms

Known parts of a PlayStation 2 console:

  • EE - The Emotion Engine, which is a MIPS R5900. The "main CPU" of the PlayStation 2.
  • FPU - The VU0, which also acts as the 2nd coprocessor to the EE.
  • IOP - The I/O processor, which is a MIPS R3000A. The "sub-CPU" of the PlayStation 2. Although insignificant in power, it's actually in control of every part of the PS2, and provides access to the peripherals from the EE.
  • GS - The Graphics Synthesizer (aka the "GPU" of the PS2).
  • SPU2 - The Sound Processor.
  • SSBUS I/F - The SS-BUS InterFace (I/F) Controller, provides an interface to the SS-BUS from the DEV9 expansion device. Also known as a "SSBUS buffer" on consoles sporting an expansion-bay. Connected to the PS2 as DEV9.
  • MECHACON - The drive MECHAnics CONtroller. Connected to the PS2 as DEV5.
  • DVP - I'm not sure about this one, but it's a very powerful and smart processor that is connected directly to the MECHACON.
  • Boot ROM - The ROM chip containing the default IOP modules, the OSDSYS program, PlayStation driver and the self-test facility (On the SCPH-18000 and up). Connected to the PS2 as DEV2.
  • DVD ROM - The ROM chip containing the DVD player, and the Chinese font on Chinese PlayStation 2 consoles. Newer consoles may have a single chip instead of a separate boot and DVD ROM chips. The SCPH-10000 and SCPH-15000, and all TEST, TOOL and PSX (DVR unit) units do not have a DVD ROM chip installed. Connected to the PS2 as DEV1.
  • NVRAM/EEPROM - The Non-Volatile Memory storage that the MECHACON/DVP has, for storing settings (system, RTC and CD/DVD drive).
  • SPEED - The expansion device that gets connected to the DEV9 expansion interface. May provide Ethernet support, a UART (for a dial-up modem), a DVRP, flash storage (For storing boot files), and an ATA interface.
  • SMAP - The PlayStation 2 Ethernet interface. Connected to the SPEED device.
  • Ethernet PHY - The PHYceiver device that is connected to the SMAP interface. The earliest models included a National Semiconductor DP83846A that has auto-negotiation issues with Gigabit Ethernet. Later models had a ST Microelectronics, while late slim PS2s come with a Broadcom.
  • DVRP - Only found on PSX (DVR unit) consoles, the DVR Processor is a Fujitsu MB91302A that is connected to the SPEED device. It seems to be emulating the PS2's standard ATA interface and provides the DVR functionality. Contains its own firmware.
  • i.Link and USB interfaces - The Firewire/IEEE1394/i.Link interface and USB interfaces. Their controllers are built into the IOP. Consoles that don't have an i.Link port still have the i.Link controller, but just have no physical connections to the outside world.
  • AIF - On a DTL-T10000(H), the CXD9566R is connected through the AIF. The AIF also provides a RTC and IDE controller.
  • MPU - See MRP.
  • MRP (BoardInf) - The MRP is the interface between the PS2 and PC sides of a DTL-T10000(H). All DTL-T10000(H) units have a MPU 4.0 board as the MRP.
  • EMCS ID - Contains the part of the IEEE1394 EUI-64 address that uniquely identifies the console, the model ID and EMCS ID.
  • i.Link ID - Uniquely identifies the Engineering, Manufacturing and Customer Services (EMCS) system that made the console.
  • Model ID - Uniquely identifies the console's model. Even more accurately than the model name.
  • Console ID - Contains the EMCS ID, (another version of) model ID and serial number.
  • M Renewal Date - What this represents is unclear. It's something related to the MECHACON (date of firmware build or EEPROM settings update?)
  • ADD0x010 - An ID that is used by the SONY service tools to identify major revisions. Originally at word 0x010 of the EEPROM, it was moved to word 0x01 for the Dragon models. It does not always correspond with the chassis models (i.e. C and D-chassis have the same ID). It can also identify the loadout of the console, like its CEX/DEX status and the OP block installed (i.e. SANYO or SONY).
  • PS1DRV Version - The version number of the PlayStation driver. The earliest ROMs do not have PS1VER in ROM. For Japan, only the SCPH-10000 and SCPH-15000 lack this file. "1.01" is hardcoded. For other territories (should be only the earliest SCPH-30001), "1.10" is hardcoded. The SCPH-75000 and later have a universal PS1DRV module, while earlier versions were tailored for the region of PS2 (Japan, USA, Europe, Asia or China).
  • DVD Player Version The version number of the built-in DVD player, if applicable. Note: Slimline consoles that had the SSBUS I/F Controller integrated into the IOP will report their SSBUS I/F controllers as version 0x31 as well. Due to some controllers reporting the same version number (0x31), they will be all identified as a "CXD9611" since they are supposed to be fully compatible anyway.

Known limitations/bugs

  • Chip and mainboard names/numbers are very limited. Please help by contributing data!

Supported languages

For more information on supported languages and how support for languages can be completed, click here. A template for translating this software is provided in the downloads section of this page.

Supported languages and their translation status

  • Japanese* - Unassigned
  • English (completed) - Completed and built-in.
  • French - Translated by ShaolinAssassin.
  • Spanish (completed) - Translated by ElPatas
  • German (completed) - Translated by Delta_force.
  • Italian* - Translated by master991.
  • Dutch* - Translated by someone who wishes to remain anonymous.
  • Portuguese (completed) - Translated by Gillbert.

* Not updated for v0.830 and newer.

Changelog for v0.835

  • Added font glyph caching system, to improve rendering performance.

Changelog for PS2IDBMS v1.06 (Previously Released)

  • Added GH-029 as J-chassis.
  • Added mask to unset the KSEG1 bits of the physical addresses for the boot and DVD ROMs.

Downloads/Links

PS2Ident v0.835: https://www.mediafire.com/file/1nmt016l6gebl70/%5B181208%5DPS2Ident-0835-bin.7z/file

PS2Ident v0.835 (Source code): https://www.mediafire.com/file/dxoadvm7qb7wq39/%5B181208%5DPS2Ident.7z/file

Latest database file/models list: Here

Translation template for v0.830 and later: http://www.mediafire.com/file/hi2zfumydivbso4/%5B180619%5DPS2Ident-translation-template.7z

PS2IDBMS v1.06 (database management tool): http://www.mediafire.com/file/qw9q0wayxvqqt4o/%5B180619%5DPS2IDBMS-0106-bin.7z

PS2IBMS v1.06 (Source code): http://www.mediafire.com/file/mtgbcta0ozbbzg8/%5B180619%5DPS2IDBMS.7z

As usual, please do not hotlink to the files as the link/filename will change with every release.