Firmware 31 - FAQ

[Yoc]

Here is a live FAQ compiled with excellent Jones23 posts and others to facilitate people to install this new firmware. Crystal Chips is a very good chip, but often misunderstood. I hope this FAQ will help people get the basic of the chip.
Please, tell me if I'm wrong or if something important is missing.

1. What's new with fw 30 ?

In short :

• "Shortcuts" allow you to assign a shortcut to one of the 7 "user buttons": L1, L2, R1, R2, Triangle, Square, and Start. Just hit select, highlight the line you want to assign the shortcut to, hit the user button of your choice, and validate with the cross button.
• "In-Game Reset"(IGR) allows you to reset your PS2 simply by pressing(and holding) L1+L2+R1+R2+Start+Select on your controller ! (this have to be enabled in the BM configuration).
• some change in PBAT scripts (that's why you have to update your APPINFO.PBT, see below).

If you want a more complete and detailed list, download the official firmware and read the readme.txt included.

2. There is a downloadable version on the official CC website, but I saw some hacked version on the forum. What version do I have to download ?

If you want to read your own burned CD and DVD, you'll need the hacked 31 version. Grab the red pill, follow the rabbit and find jones23 thread to get the ISO download link. This is the 30 version, but the bug corrected on the official 31 is corrected here also.

If you want to stay clean and just want homebrew facilities without been able to play copied games, grab the blue pill and download the official firmware from the CC website. You'll have to create an iso with Windows from the files you downloaded.

3. Ok, I made my choice. Now, how do I install this new firmware on my PS 2 ?

Upgrading the firmware consists of 2 things : upgrading the firmware and upgrading Boot Manager. Here is how to do this.

First burn the ISO on a good media and at the slowest possible speed (if you can, 1x is a good choice !).
Then, put the CD into your PS 2.
If your chip is brand new or you've never installed Boot Manager :

• Boot from the CD by reseting the PS 2
• Install the firmware
• Install BM (on Memory card if you have a CC 1.x, on the DATAFLASH if you have a CC 2.0).
• Eject your CD and reset the PS2.

The PS2 should now boot on Crystal Chips Boot Manager. Congratulations !

If you've already installed Boot Manager (version 2.0 or lower), you'll need to reset the PS 2 three times to enter the recovery mode before starting the CD. Here is how to do this, from a switched on PS 2 :

• push the reset button one time, wait 1 second, push the reset a second time, wait 1 sec, push the reset a third time.
• You'll know that you are in recovery mode because the PS 2 starts on the Sony Browser instead of the Boot Manager. If this is not the case, try again.
• push the eject button
• insert your firmware CD. The Boot begins.
• install the firmware
• install Boot Manager on your DATAFLASH for CC 2.0 or on the Memory Card for CC 1.x. Your old Boot Manager and all your installed apps will be erased on the chosen destination device.

4. I've heard that I can do it by USB key or network. How does it work, cause I don't want to waste a CD ?

For Network, follow this link on the wiki
TO BE TESTED. If you want to upgrade from 29 or earlier, it won't work. But you can try to add a SHUTDOWN "MM" in the run section of PS2link and tell us if it works

There is also a new menu item starting with BM 2.1.0 which let select a CCI file on a USB drive or a host path. It should work for upgrading to the next release, but we won't know until the... next release

5. I've follow all what you said, but it still doesn't work.

It seems that some users have problem installing this new version. The boot of the firmware CD stucks at the CC splash screen, or/and the firmware upgrade fails with the error "Failed Programming Firmware File".
We can't tell today if this is a firmware related trouble but I'm sure CC investigates this. Detail your configuration on this thread to help them (PS 2 version, HDD or not, PAL or NTSC...)
UPDATE
Ranmachan have found that there is a bug in the 30 and 31 CD which prevent from upgrading CC 1.1 hardware. So, if you had this failed programming error, he made a new firmware that is accepted by the 29 CD and you can now upgrade your chip to 31 !

• Download the ISO from the same thread as above (post #11)
• Boot on this CD and upgrade the firmware (and only the firmware)
• put your 31 CD, boot, and upgrade the BM.

6. Fine, I manage to upgrade the firmware. Now, how do I install homebrew applications ?

First of all, download the new Mega Pack for Boot Manager 2.1.0.
Scripts have changed from the Boot Manager 2.0 version provided with the firmware 29. You'll see for example that the installation routine have changed to something like this :

:INSTALL
    IF FAIL COPY "$PWD$" "$ARG2$:/BM/APPS/PS2LINK"
        MESSAGE "Failed installing $TITLE$!"
        RRM "$ARG2$:/BM/APPS/PS2LINK"
        RETURN -1
    ENDIF
    EXIT 0

Either use the scripts provided by the Mega Pack for applications that are provided, or create your own script while inspiring you by provided script (see below).

So, copy your BM folder (the folder itself, not the included applications folders) to a USB drive, plug it in your PS 2, restart (hot plug doesn't work) and enter the Application Manager.

You can also do it via network by following this wiki link.

7. Some folders on the Mega Pack are empty of ELF binaries. Why ?

Be aware that with some scripts on the Mega Pack, you'll have to add your own ELF binary. They are not provided due to copyright reasons (for example : HDLoader).
Don't forget that the ELF binaries are perhaps not up to date (this is true for ULE or SMS). Just replace it with the latest version on the application's official website (or search for the official thread here on psx-scene.com forum for ULE, SMS and others).

8. I want on install my own application and it's not in the Mega Pack. How can I do that ?

The easiest way is to customize the Mega Pack.

The structure of the Mega Pack is simple :
You have a folder named BM. In that folder, you have a folder for each application. Just duplicate one of this folder and rename it to with the name of your application (without spaces and strange characters). In this application folder, replace the application by your own (APPLICATION.ELF) and open the script named APPINFO.PBT with a text editor. This is the script you'll have to customize for the new application. That's it.

9. I installed SMS and ULE from Megapack but they don't work. Why ?

For those too applications, you'll need to shutdown BM before running them. You'll do this by adding the following line in the RUN section of the APPINFO.PBT script :

SHUTDOWN "MM"

For example, the RUN section of the ULE script will became :

:RUN
    SHUTDOWN "MM"
    LOADEXEC "PBAT" "$BM.SCRIPTS$/LOADEXEC.PBT" "$PWD$/ULELF.ELF"
    EXIT "0"

Don't forget the excellent CC wiki. You'l find a lot of answers to your more general questions here.

[spedmetal]

This is a nice compilation of the current events with the CC! Thank you.

[d3xion]

I vote that this should be stickied!

[stripio]

sorry dont work in reset mode 3 times and nothing just frezze in the cd with crystal chip logo and dont work i make 3 disc with slow speed and nothing i have the version 2.0.6 what is the problem

[d3xion]

sorry dont work in reset mode 3 times and nothing just frezze in the cd with crystal chip logo and dont work i make 3 disc with slow speed and nothing i have the version 2.0.6 what is the problem

Um. First off, start a new thread with your problem. Obviously this thread isn't your problem so your question isn't related.

Secondly, provide more information about your system. Which chip, who installed it, what version, and when did this start happening.. It makes us understand the problem better so that we can provide solutions.

It sounds like your CC isn't installed properly. That's all I can tell you.

[tonybologna]

The new shutdown code information needs to be implemented over to the CC Wiki tutorials now. I know it hasn't been long since the new BM & firmware was released but for the ones using the Wiki now may not know to check the FAQ thread. They will be banging their heads if they don't know this! Thanks!