PS2 [MX4SIO/SIO2SD] SD Card Adapter and SD-driver for the PS2 SIO2 interface

T

TnA

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2020-05-15_sio2sd_02.jpg

(PCB Prototype Micro-SD-Version in a crystal blue SONY-MC-Case)

(A new video recorded by Maximus32, which shows listing of folders and files on the root and a read-speed-test!)

https://www.trisaster.de/file/sony/ps2/sio2sd/2020-05-16_sio2sd.mp4
(older Short Test-Video)
​
@Takeshi made the first semi-professional versions, which are currently meant to be used by developers!
The PCB is professionally produced, but the case is "borrowed" from another MemoryCard!

Great progress! Once we have this implemented in some tools/apps (like wLE or even OPL), I hope you people out there spread the news, haha! :)

Info Software Hardware Sony-MC Port-measurements Credits Gallery Reference & Discussion OPL with MX4SIO support MX4SIO's compatibility list SD Cards' compatibility list
 
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I know the end goal here is to expand the size of an MC, allowing for way morw apps and such to be stored there, but does that also mean save game files can also be stored there?

I like the idea of every save game on a single MC
 
Well, the "Kickstarter-campain" is "in the air", but it is also meant to be easily replicable via spare parts!

No dead-line and no pre-order as of yet!
We are doing it for the fun and the plan is to even sell a product for relatively cheap (max. 10€/$, including shipment, packaging, booklet, adapter, etc.)!
 
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It is rather meant to reuse old SDs which are laying around, getting a USB-Port free, being able to play online with it (not possible via LAN, currently)...!

This will not work with a normal game, except if it is loaded through OPL and saves onto a VMC on the SD...!
The SD is treated similar like a USB-Storage-device an internal HDD, or a LAN/SMB-Share... It needs its own driver to access it! Everything else would need more complex hardware!
 
Yes, I know many people with 2-32GB-Cards laying around and this Dongle would be perfect to reuse these cards!
A 32GB-Card could hold a collection of fighting-games and another card RPGs and another card etc. and so on! :)
 
TnA said:
Yes, I know many people with 2-32GB-Cards laying around and this Dongle would be perfect to reuse these cards!
A 32GB-Card could hold a collection of fighting-games and another card RPGs and another card etc. and so on! :)
Click to expand...

How would this workout for compatibility?
How does the MC interface with the ps2 hardware?

Faster, or slower than USB 1.1?
 
The current available things like the SIO2SD-Driver have been done by @wisi and @Maximus32 (AFAIR).

I think Maximus32 even uploaded either a Test-App for testing the speed or a modified OPL-Testbuild!
 
Any links? Photo's? News?

If there's a nice sio2sd card lots of people can buy, then I'm willing to make the drivers work in current ps2sdk and OPL.
That will also help sell the sio2sd card I think.

EDIT: The BDM (Block Device Manager) based ps2sdk driver can be found here. The OPL BDM branch can be found here. NOTE: these haven't been updated for 2 years.
 
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No PCBs or Devices yet!
We are at the beginning!


@dekkit Would you mind adding the pictures from the Discord, since/because you made them (I can download them from the Discord as well and attach it to the first post. I just thought the people should kind of see, that you made them!)?

...and yes...
"chop chop TnA! Measurements of the SONY-MC-Case and PCB... (down to 0.05mm)" :D

I will add them here and on the Discord today!


@Maximus32 THX for all the work you and @wisi have already done, regarding this (along all the other things)!

THX for the links as well!


@MrMario2011: Awesome!
 
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I forgot to mention that suggestions are welcome!

If you have any ideas, please share them @everyone!


Some ideas:

Hardware-wise:
-Pop-in/out-SD-slot (press it in and the SD-card "clicks" and is "locked", press it again and it pops out! @Tupakaveli posted a sample-picture on the Discord and I would be glad, if he could attach it here! Ignore the price, because that is not the price we would get in bulk (ordering thousands)!

-an Access-LED during reads and writes or a power-LED

-maybe the SD-card could entirely be in the case and there is a "rounding" where the card is, where it is "pressed" to "pop" it out of the Slot

Software-wise:
-I hope and think it MIGHT be possible to "refresh" the "SD-Page" (however it's name in OPL would be), if an SD is unplugged/changed! IF that is possible, users could even exchange their SD-Cards during runtime!


SD-Cards really could be used like "Modules" in a GameBoy and if the P'n'P-Support is possible (in OPL), it would be better than those old consoles with modules even! Why? You could "cycle" through "modules" (different SD-Cards) and games during runtime!

This is great for "recycling" old/small SD-Cards (especially because PS2-games are generally ~2.36GB [that's an older calculation by @dlanor, with 200-250 direct dumps from original discs WITHOUT ripping them]) and not bigger then a DL-DVD/~8GB and can often be ripped from a lot of junk without loosing features!) and up to 2TB-cards (or higher?), if someone really wants to have his entire PS2-Collection on one SD-card!
 
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tl;dr
This is VERY similar to "SD-Gecko"/SD-Media-Launcher for the Wii and the GC or SD2SP2 (@Citrus3000psi) for the GC or similar projects for other consoles!

This is not meant to be a complex hardware with many chips!
Most schematics, driver-sources and so on are already open and that is what it is meant to be!

The Adapter should be of a good quality (no "squeeching" plastic @MrMario2011, haha!) and for a decent price, but if someone wants to rebuild it at home they should be able to do that!

Hardware-wise it's meant to be an ADAPTER and not an ODE or so, but the sources (hardware and software) are open and anyone can contribute (or even build something more complex, if they really want to)!

This is not meant to gain (much) money (...at least I don't want anything... I gladly spend the excess-adapters to developers!), IMO!
I personally really see it as a hobby!

Even if this MIGHT become kind of "famous" and if some companies would copy it, that's alright as well in my opinion!


If we would only have a few more adapters in the end which we could ship to the developers which contributed to this and the PS2-Scene and have it produced in a good quality, that would be enough for me personally!

Sorry for the multiple posts!
 
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20200418_180152.jpga-59460-sd-card-sio2-driver-img_20171022_214044.jpg 20200417_162045.jpg

A few WIP pics.

The hand drawn schematic isnt mine but is being used as the reference point.

As for the pcb, i may need to change that grounding capacitor to an smd one if its too chunky.

Great that we have dev onboard, will work to finish the pcb design.

All - please review the schematic to ensure the pins are mapped correctly as the pin abbreviations vary.
 
I'd skip on the pop in/out slot. It seems like a great idea until it fails. Just more headaches than anything. I've seen more than a few of them break in cameras and flashcarts. Better off saving the pennies and just going with slide in and out, imo.
 
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