PS3 Fault finding YLOD with the SYSCON - First steps and Error reporting

Sometimes in electronics the ground plain is called negative volt when youre dealing with one voltage or zero volt rail. Either way any copper on the outer ring is the ground plain. If you're getting voltage on that then you have issues with components or traces.

As for the python stuff im dealing with im in a spot where im not super into computer stuff and looking for things online to help understand it makes it much more confusing as im looking for a specific thing or how to do a certain task.

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db260179 said:
So I started this thread to have a deep discussion about the YLOD on the PS3 (mostly FAT versions) and how to use the SYSCON to understand further what can be done to repair the ps3.

My main reason that drives me to do this is that I've seen alot of miss informed threads on how to fix YLOD ps3, there is alot of valid pointers but the basics have to be done first.

DISCLAIMER:

Before attempting this procedure, PLEASE PLEASE make sure you are confident in basic soldering and diagnostics, I will not be held responsible for you breaking your ps3!!!

NOT all PS3 boards have the known serial connection or capability to connect!!
So far - COK-001,002, SEM-001 and DIA-001,002 can be connected

READ THE GUIDE AND ASK QUESTIONS IN THIS FORUM, THANK YOU!

Ok, thats the disclaimer over and done with:

So in case everyone has missed a thread about the syscon discovery - https://www.psx-place.com/threads/s...oxao-what-does-it-mean.26148/page-10#comments

This thread will be more of a deep dive in using the syscon.

What I hope from this thread is that people contribute their error codes they get from their syscon and we can create a database of error code and whats issues are related to that error codes that come out of it.

So to get everyone started, I will share my first draft syscon connection guide:

This guide covers what tools to use, software to use and versions of PS3 boards (known to access syscon) with identification of pins to connect to.

As this thread grows overtime we should have a good grasp of the errors and what needs fixing to keep these old PS3 consoles alive.

SYSCON Guide

Further changes are in the git repo

https://github.com/db260179/ps3syscon

Please contribute on this git repo in the issues section
New error messages, python script improvements
NOT PERSONAL SUPPORT ISSUES!

In this guide we will be:

  1. Identfy the motherboard and its pins - RX, TX, GND and DIAG pin
  2. Solder the jumper cables to the correct pins - RX, TX and GND go to the USB uart serial cable and DIAG get shorted to GND once the eeprom has set its mode to allow diag mode
  3. Run python syscon script to interact with the syscon - 'auth' command is used to access the high level commands on the syscon, and internal and external commands to run actions.
  4. External commands - used mostly to do basic stuff - activate internal commands
  5. Internal commands - Spend most of our time running - 'errlog', 'bringup' and other common used commands to help identify YLOD issues.
  6. Identify the YLOD issue based on the error code - and investigate with basic multimeter - voltage checks, resistance etc
  7. Tweaked fantables - use supplied tweaks from the my gitrepo for each motherboard

Big thanks and shout out to Mina for his help and patience!

Recorded errors (errlog) in the syscon shell:

POWER ERRORS:

0003001 POW_FAIL

A0093004 RSX_POW_FAIL

A0201B02 RSX VRAM FAIL - Faulty vrams (core would read a 0.2 ohm reading)

A0093003 CELL_POW_FAIL

BE ERRORS:

A0213013 BE_SPI DI/DO ERROR - CELL not communicating to syscon via SPI (1.2V MC2_VDDIO and 1.2V BE_VCS no output) = Possible shorts on the line, check C4001 and trailing caps. Possible CELL dead?

A0213011 BE_SPI CS ERROR

A0203010 BE_INIT OR BE_POWGOOD OR CLOCK ERRORS

A0801200 CELL overheating - poor thermal paste or no heatsink attached

RSX ERRORS:

A0404002 RSX_SPI DI/DO ERROR

A0404411 - ERROR ON RSX SPI?

A0A02031 - Thermal monitor DI/DO not communicating to RSX (possible dead Diodes in RSX)

A0403034, A0404402,A0404411 - Poor BGA solder connections for RSX ( you will see errors like - [POWERSEQ] Error : BitTraining RSX:RRAC:RX0:GLOBAL1:RX_STATUS )

A0232102 - IC6301 faulty (1.5v RSX_VDDIO) or in that area

SB ERRORS:

A0302203 SB_SPI DI/DO ERROR

A0313032 SB_CLOCK OR INIT ERROR

A0902203 SB GLOD issues, system update to repair nand/nor hashes


OTHERS:

A0022110 MK I2C ERROR (OR OTHER CLOCK's ERRORS)

A0401001 - BE VRAM Power Fail. It can be NEC Tokins

A0401002 - RSX VRAM Power Fail. It can be NEC Tokins

A0402120 - HDMI Error (IC2502)

A0401301 - BE PLL Unlock

Please submit your full error messages and what you did to resolve that error!

Look at the git repo - 'syscon error log codes.pdf'
Click to expand...
do I use a teensy for this?
 
hi, i managed to connect the cechb to the pc and i got "A0093003 CELL_POW_FAIL" so i checked the voltage and on the RSX the voltage rise up and on the CELL no. I tried to use the piggyback capacitor technique but still no voltage. i soldered 2 470uf tantalum capacitors. any suggestion?

UPDATE: ok strange news... today i opened the garage and i tried to turn on the console and the ylod got longer but this time the error is A0022110 but how? i didn't change or touched anything.
 
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Hello, sorry for stupid question but I am new to this stuff. I managed to find some usb convertors in my country, but dont seems to understand what I need exactly.
All USB to TTl cables I manage to find are as follow:
White - RXD (3,3V)
Green - TXD (3,3V)
Black - GNR
Red - VCC (5V)
This is a USB Uart convertor Prolific PL2303-TA.
I didint find at any place to name a DIAG cable. Only a VCC cable for 5 V power. Can someone explain in more details. What is the DIAG cable in the guide and where to find the right uart convertor for the PS3 syscon
 
Oh I think I finaly understood. The Diag cable shold be soldered to the motherboard, and after that soldered to ground. So I wont use the uart convertor VCC at all. He is just there, but no use at the motherboard. Am I right?
 
Hi, so I've gotten a step further. Now I'm getting a new error, but from python I think. Its

UnicodeDecodeError: 'ascii codec can't decode byte 0xfe in position 411: ordinal not in range(128)',

Gonna step back and try to figure out what I'm doing wrong, because at least this means the ps3 is now sending something back rather than just sitting there.
 
nightmareflash said:
Hello, sorry for stupid question but I am new to this stuff. I managed to find some usb convertors in my country, but dont seems to understand what I need exactly.
All USB to TTl cables I manage to find are as follow:
White - RXD (3,3V)
Green - TXD (3,3V)
Black - GNR
Red - VCC (5V)
This is a USB Uart convertor Prolific PL2303-TA.
I didint find at any place to name a DIAG cable. Only a VCC cable for 5 V power. Can someone explain in more details. What is the DIAG cable in the guide and where to find the right uart convertor for the PS3 syscon
Click to expand...
diag goes into ps3 motherboard ground you have just to ground the diag. on the adapter you need 3 cable rx tx and ground
 
Think to start to reball one cok002 board. Now I would like to know if this soft will detect ps2 ic issues? Past years have reball multiple ps3. Only those cok002/001 have to reball all 3 ic : cpu/gpu ps2 ic.
I did not reball for a while this type because it takes a lot of time.
I never fail with reball cpu/gpu on rest of models up to super slim with last tiny gpu.
There is another story.
Did some reballed both cpu and gpu on this cok002 boards and had different errors without start?
 
I have changed 3 caps with 12 tantalum caps still my PS3 is YLOD,
Can j buy this serial cable ? Please let me know the below one is correct or not for UART
PL2303HX USB to TTL to UART Converter | RS232 COM Cable Module Converter
 
Kazama said:
I have changed 3 caps with 12 tantalum caps still my PS3 is YLOD,
Can j buy this serial cable ? Please let me know the below one is correct or not for UART
PL2303HX USB to TTL to UART Converter | RS232 COM Cable Module Converter
Click to expand...

Yes, any PL2303 3.3v rx/tx usb ttl lead will work, not RS232 5v! this will kill the syscon!!
 
DoublesAdvocate said:
I just keep getting the same errors over and over no matter what I try, "Answer length" and "Auth1 response invalid" I'm using a CECHA01 that has a GLOD, ubuntu, and python 2. As far as I can tell all my wiring/soldering is fine and the wires are protected under electrical tape when the metal plate is back on. Any ideas? I saw a suggestion saying to switch Rx and Tx wires but as far as I can tell they're both already on the correct points.
View attachment 28646 View attachment 28647 View attachment 28648
Click to expand...

Im assuming the yellow is ground? - make sure it is ground!

If this is the first attempt, make sure to not connect the diag to gnd on the CXR mode, this is only used in the CXRF mode

Also im not sure about your FDTI lead?, best get a PL2303 usb lead.

To make sure the tx and rx are correct, first do a 'screen /dev/ttyUSB0 57600', turn off ps3 then back on, should see OK message, if not swap the rx and tx around

If still isnt working, you will need a multimeter and measure the leads, should be 1.5v for RX and 3.3v for TX, if both or one has no voltage, then im afraid your syscon serial power is broken.
 
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Bobzilla said:
Hiya, new to all this, trying to diagnose a CECH C console with a COK-001 board.

First, I think, from my research, that the picture in the guide for this board is wrong - I think that the outer copper strip is ground rather than 3v3. Can anyone confirm?

Secondly, having trouble with the python script. Using VS Code on Win 10 64. In the Problems tab at the bottom, I am getting the errors

"unresolved import 'Crypto.Cipher'",
undefined variable 'raw-input'
undefined variable 'xrange'
undefined variable 'long'

In the Script3.py file, I only get the top two errors.

I've tried to install pycrypto, but that's throwing up errors

warning: GMP or MPIR library not found; Not building Crypto.PublicKey._fastmath.
building 'Crypto.Random.OSRNG.winrandom' extension
error: Microsoft Visual C++ 9.0 is required. Get it from http://aka.ms/vcpython27
----------------------------------------
ERROR: Command errored out with exit status 1: 'c:\python27\python.exe' -u -c 'import sys, setuptools, tokenize; sys.argv[0] = '"'"'c:\\users\\user\\appdata\\local\\temp\\pip-install-ulzyb6\\pycrypto\\setup.py'"'"'; __file__='"'"'c:\\users\\user\\appdata\\local\\temp\\pip-install-ulzyb6\\pycrypto\\setup.py'"'"';f=getattr(tokenize, '"'"'open'"'"', open)(__file__);code=f.read().replace('"'"'\r\n'"'"', '"'"'\n'"'"');f.close();exec(compile(code, __file__, '"'"'exec'"'"'))' install --record 'c:\users\user\appdata\local\temp\pip-record-wnlgi_\install-record.txt' --single-version-externally-managed --compile --install-headers 'c:\python27\Include\pycrypto' Check the logs for full command output.

So I've used pycryptodome which has installed fine.

Any suggestions please?

Using Python 2.7.18 as I gather that 3 is troublesome.
Click to expand...

Windows is an unknown to me, for now just do an ubuntu install then run the scripts, are vm or windows store way?
 
Hi! I've got a CECHC04 with the cok-002 mbo.
I've got it with a yold (the short one) and the previous owner said it was sent for a "repair".
I've delided the CPU, GPU and I removed the NEC/TOKIN capacitors. I am currently waiting for replacement capacitors to come in the mail.

I've connected it over the uart and got these errors
https://ibb.co/pjn0n7v
Can these errors be because of the removed capacitors or do I need to start thinking about replacing the RSX or the CELL?
 
AnteLo said:
Hi! I've got a CECHC04 with the cok-002 mbo.
I've got it with a yold (the short one) and the previous owner said it was sent for a "repair".
I've delided the CPU, GPU and I removed the NEC/TOKIN capacitors. I am currently waiting for replacement capacitors to come in the mail.

I've connected it over the uart and got these errors
https://ibb.co/pjn0n7v
Can these errors be because of the removed capacitors or do I need to start thinking about replacing the RSX or the CELL?
Click to expand...

If you haved removed the nec caps, and nothing in place then yes you will get these errors

If you type in the mullion shell, 'lasterrlog' and also 'errlog' - errlog gives a full history of all the errors, please post the full errlog so we can see the history before removing the nec caps.
 
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