PS3 Bypass BluRay looped 4.81 to 4.82 OFW?

Delita

Delita

Member
Hello,

*Deckard Cain voice* Stay awhile, and listen...

I have a PS3 Fat CECHL, BluRay drive not connected due to ZIF connector and ribbon cable breaking during cleaning. I purchased this system on Craigslist and the previous owner was a heavy smoker. I figured I would try to install CFW on this thing and just use the HDD since the ODD is giving me issues. The console was at OFW 4.81, and in my quick research I found out that 4.82 is where you wanna be to get started. I snagged the PUP of 4.82 and as you guessed, it looped on me since apparently a BR drive must be present in order to update.

I followed this guide from another forum (is this kosher? linking other forums? have mercy) and reformatted the HDD in order to get restarted. I found out there are things called BDB or 'patched OFW' that bypass the BR drive check, and I stumbled on a lot of information, with many broken links/photos. Something involving patching your own and needing BR keys, etc. Currently with the formatted drive I am back in the recovery menu and just tried running CEXFERROX 4.81 Cobra No BD pup by renaming it to the naming convention PS3UPDAT and putting it in the correct USB root, etc and got 'The data is corrupted. (8002F225) message after waiting awhile. I realize this was a longshot since this Cobra NoBD seems like it might be CFW?

This individual appears to have had the exact issue I am having.

Am I just SOL? Are people supposed to predict the future and already be on CFW before their BR drive dies in order to switch to a No BD? Or do I need to patch my own PUP? Surely there must be a repository of patched pups right? Or does every BR drive have a unique code that I need to extract somehow

TL;DR - is there a way to get a 4.81 console to 4.82 with a dead BR drive?

Cheers guys
 
Even if the connector is broken... it can be fixed by inserting the ribbon cable together with a plastic sheet
 
I think your only option at this point is to repair the broken items, or to get your hand on a hardware flasher . Both will be able to bypass the update loop you are experiencing. The cfw that are patched will only install over another cfw already, not ofw. If it was on 4.82 already then you could use ps3xploit to patch for nobd cfw, but seeing as you ain't a repair or flasher are the only options you have
 
Thanks guys, I had already tried the plastic sheet method with no luck. It ended up sheering off the end pins of the ribbon. The blue plastic flaps that are present on the flex ribbon also fell off due to the adhesive apparently wearing off. I'm telling you, the console was in rough shape when I got it, still runs though. And like I mentioned the system is a CECHL, so its the 24 pin ribbon model, so its like just long enough to make the fold...

I had time to kill today and got to the point of probing the pinouts of the ZIF connectors on both the BR drive and the console itself today. Had to tape sewing needles to my test leads to match the pitch. On the BR (mine is a BMD-031) I was able to find the locations VIAs of 20 of the 24 pins, 8 which are to ground, 4 are unknown / unused(?) and on the console end only like 4 pins, and ground.... Any schematics floating around? I could only find some from the early models. I'm crazy enough, and frugal enough, to just solder at this point. Maybe first I should try shaving down the broken ribbon and solder that first before I try and source some thin wire. Its that or I need to use the plastic trick to 'set / pack' the ribbon down to make contact and use hotglue or something to keep it set. I swear, the slightest, tiniest movement and that cable is moving and releasing contact...

Ebay / Amazon / insert shipping to USA company here does not seem to have any replacement flex cables for me at this time at least.
 
You don't even need the actual drive, just the controller board.
This might ease up the task you are looking to do.
I've had an occasion where the ribbon cable had an issue, and I had to sort of...rig a solution by cutting/shaving the end to expose copper and connect that way temporarily, but only long enough to install a no-bd cfw. LONG time ago. Wasn't entirely fun, but it worked. :)
 
Interesting, I may give that a shot, thanks! Shaving material off this flex is pretty awful, might try melting off the layer will iron on low temp.

I just messaged an ebay seller if they ever get new stock in for flex cables. Maybe it can be a last resort
 
If the ribbon cable have the pins of a side damaged what you can do is to cut it with scissors, then "peel it" at the cut line either by sandpapering it, or by "shaving" the external plastic layer with a razor blade

The ribbon cables usually are longer than needed, if what i explained goes wrong, you can cut it again and repeat... the point is you can cut it several times (not much but probably 2 or 3)
Or just buy a ribbon cable

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What matters is if the pins inside the connector are fine
If the pins are fine (not bent, not broken) then the trick with the plastic sheet solves the problem completly

If it was not working for you is either because:
1) It was too thin, in that case look for a different plastic sheet, or cut several thin plastic sheets and insert them together inside the connector
2) the thickness of the plastic sheet was very irregular... what you need is a plastic sheet with the same thickness all along the connector (this way all the pins will be "pushed" with the same pressure)

The point is... the pins inside the connector needs to be "pushed" with pressure when you insert the ribbon cable + the plastic sheets
The goal is to have a good contact "metal-to-metal" (the copper pins in the ribbon cable ...VS... the connector pins)
Without pressure it will not work because the electrons cant make the "jump" in between the 2 metals


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Never use glue:
1) Is a "one way" procedure, after the glue dryes there is no way to step back
2) The glue doesnt adds any "pressure" on the pins, and it could act as a barrier in that contact i mentioned "metal-to-metal"
 
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Hmm, so question guys - seeing as I am having a *fun time* trying to mend this ribbon cable, (if we can even call it a ribbon cable anymore at this point) are flex cables, or at least the ones that Sony used in PS3s / ZIF slots a standard pitch size? What I'm asking is as the time of posting this there does not appear to be any seller currently offering the 24 pin ribbon for ~5 dollars free shipping, which is what I consider max value. Because of this I am wondering if I can purchase a 40 pin and just cut the 16 that I won't use or even fold them over in order to 'make' a 24 pin ribbon?

Are they following a standard?

Maybe I should stop searching 'PS3' and just 24 pin ZIF ribbon?
 
Well, yes, i guess you could buy a cable with 40 lines and cut 16
If you do... is better to cut them (dont fold them), by folding them it would increase the thickness in a irregular way and the pins at the border of the connector will have more pressure than the pins at center, you should avoid that

I dont know the pitch in between lines, thats the most important thing
For the materials used in it dont worry, are just traces of copper
 
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You made me remind something. Sony was using the same bluray parts in the PS3 and in some bluray players
The bluray player BDP-S350 uses the same laser pickup than your PS3 CECHL ;)
So... i guess the ribbon cables are compatibles (the lenghts could be different though)

Search also for BDP-S300, is and older model but maybe the cables are the same (not sure though)
 
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