- Mod Chip Frequently Asked Questions - PSX-Mod Chip Frequently Asked Questions -
- PSX-Activator Frequently Asked Questions - PSX-Mod Chip Frequently Asked Questions -
I'm new to the PSX. Could you please briefly define how the PSX-Activator
improves the performance of the unit?
There are many companies today that specialize in the import of the newest
titles directly from Japan. These titles come out 6 months to a year before
they hit the U.S. shores. This chip will allow the PSX to correctly play
those titles with perfect sound and no other problems. Also, law provides that
the purchaser of any piece of software be allowed to make an archival backup
to guard against loss due to damage of the original. However, the PSX has a
protection scheme that essentially removes the ability for one to use that
archival copy. This modification will bypass that and return to you your
right to use backups of software that you own and keep your originals safe
from harm.
What tools/additional items do I need to install the PSX-Activator myself?
You will need a medium sized Phillips screwdriver and a low-wattage soldering iron,
like the $8 one at Radio Shack. All units will include the small piece
of electronic solder needed for tacking the wires to the board.
If I should suffer a sudden fit of insanity and feel the urge to remove the PSX-Activator
from my system, can I do so without leaving any adverse effects?
The PSX-Activator is easier to remove than it is to install (if that's possible) and will
leave your console just like it was before the installation.
I really like the thought of backing up my expensive games so (insert destructive family member or friend here)
won't ruin them, but I wouldn't know how to begin. Can you help?
There are many good resources out there on the net for information on how to do this.
One of the best places to start is the X-files section at this site.
Do you sell $7 CD-R/HK/Silver/Gold Games and will the PSX-Mod Chip allow me
to play these games?
HK/Silver/Gold/etc. games are *pirated* copies. They are therefore illegal
in the U.S. and just about any other country (outside of China, thus the name
HK or Hong Kong). I do not sell, accept responsibility for
nor do I condone the use of HK's (by any name) with the PSX-Mod Chip.
Furthermore, what you do is your business, but I *must* deny service to
anyone *stating* an intent to use it for such purposes. Sorry.
I have this chip I got from (insert your favourite fly-by-night operation
here) and received no documentation. How do I hook it up?
While I like to try to be as helpful as possible, there are only so many hours
in the day. I really need to conserve those hours for individuals from whom
I receive compensation (ie. Our customers and folks who advertise for us).
My advice is to contact the person who sold you the chip, or failing that,
smash it with a hammer and buy a PSX-Mod Chip. We are always more than happy
to answer questions from new customers.
I see other organizations selling 4-wire chips. Are they better?
The answer to this one is a little technical and somewhat long, but I'll do my best.
In the beginning the mod chips commonly available used 10(!) connections to the mainboard.
It turns out that most of these were unnecessary and were things that could reliably be handled
internally in the modchip through some refined code. So here we are at the end of all those
refinements with only 5 wires. Their functions are: Power, Ground, Block, Send, and CLOCK.
Now, what some individuals have done, is coded some self-calibration routines for the chips
internal "RC" clock because the technology of Resistor-Capacitor timing circuits can be affected
greatly by heat and other outside forces. This would allow them to remove the CLOCK line and
allow the chip to run at the PSX's 4mhz data speed.
Now this is where the philosophical viewpoint comes in. It is my opinion that there are some
things that one shouldn't do just for the sake of doing it. The CLOCK line is a very important connection
because if the chip and the PSX aren't in perfect sync with each other, the chip won't do what it is supposed to.
The CLOCK connection is the second largest pad to solder to on the PSX's mainboard and it's there for the
taking, giving the modchip a *PERFECT* 4mhz timing signal that will *ALWAYS* keep the chip running
at the speed of the PSX. To give that benefit up for the sake of being able to spare *one simple connection*
to the board seems a bit foolhardy. And to be honest, if you've just connected 4 wires (3 of them more challenging
than the CLOCK line), you should be able to do one more.
So, to finally answer the question, *NO*, they are not a better product, in fact they take shortcuts that don't
really need to be taken and it's my opinion that they give up more than they gain. And in case you were wondering,
I do have 4 wire versions, we just don't sell them for the reasons stated above.
Does the PSX-Activator work on the newest PSX's?
At this time, it has been tested on consoles manufactured April 97
and before. My supplier has no reason to believe that there would be any problem on newer units,
be we won't tell you it will work until we are certain of it ourselves.
Will the PSX-Mod Chip allow the use of multi-disc games?
All the multi-disc games we have tried to date have functioned perfectly. We also have reports from our customers that FF7 works flawlessly.
I've just installed the chip and my originals work fine, but when I try one
of my backups I have problems like FMV skipping or it never makes it past
the "black" logo screen. What's wrong?
This is a relatively *rare* problem with the PSX itself that we believe to be loosely related to the infamous "FMV" problem.
We have seen this in less than 1% of the PSX's that try to read CD-R's. Most of the units I have modified (including my own) work *flawlessly* with *any* media.
Anyone who tells you this *absolutely* won't happen with their chip is LYING to you to get your money! They have *NO* way of knowing whether you might be one of the unfortunate ones with a PSX that doesn't like certain CD-R's because it has absolutely nothing to do with the chip!
The console sees all disks as the
same once the chip is installed (ie. it can't differentiate the backups from
the originals or a USA disc from a Japanese disc), so were it a chip
problem, *all* discs, including originals, would behave badly and not just CD-R's.
This would seem to point to a marginal component or adjustment somewhere in
the console that is just fine for reading the black disks (which mind you, is what
it was designed for), but doesn't perform well when reading a CD-R. The
problem may also lie in the method used to backup your original or even the
type/brand of media used. Just so you don't think the PSX is the only piece of
hardware with these problems, you can take heart in knowing there are even
some CD-rom drives for the PC that can't read discs mastered on certain
CD-recorders, so your actual milage may vary depending on the equipment used
to make the backup and the media used.
The best advice in this situation is to experiment with different media,
ie. gold, blue and green, to see what works on your system. Once you find it,
*stick with it*. A couple folks have told me that their systems won't read
the golds, and others have said theirs would read *only* golds (and originals,
of course). It depends entirely on the individual unit and seems not to be
something that can be traced to a serial number or manufacture date.
I just removed the board from my console to install the chip, but it doesn't look
anything like the ones in the diagrams! What should I do?
Flip it over. :-)
More to come as they develop.......
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