Maybe a problem with disk control feature

[JoeTorres]

About two months ago using a friend's slim PS2 the lens got stuck and it sounded funny, that time I thought it was a lens issue because that console is a little worn out, but now I got a fat PS2 and that problem came again, my console is almost new, I would say, almost brand new. Thinking about this I realised that I had 'Disk control' option turned on in both consoles, so yesterday I turned it off, the result was that that issue didn't come again. Could be this a real uLe problem? I asked this because I know this feature stop the disk from spinning, maybe the lens doesn't go back to its normal initial position or maybe I'm wrong.

[dlanor]

About two months ago using a friend's slim PS2 the lens got stuck and it sounded funny, that time I thought it was a lens issue because that console is a little worn out, but now I got a fat PS2 and that problem came again, my console is almost new, I would say, almost brand new. Thinking about this I realised that I had 'Disk control' option turned on in both consoles, so yesterday I turned it off, the result was that that issue didn't come again. Could be this a real uLe problem? I asked this because I know this feature stop the disk from spinning, maybe the lens doesn't go back to its normal initial position or maybe I'm wrong.

On a healthty console this should never happen, so you do have a problem with those consoles, and that problem interacts with the "Disc Control:" setting of uLE, which makes the problem more visible, though it is not responsible for creating it.

If you had not used uLE at that time, but tried to boot a game instead, the problem would most likely have had some other effect instead. Such as causing some extra head movement retries for a boot attempt, or even stalling the boot completely, forcing you to open the lid/tray and close it again in order to boot properly.

This sort of thing can happen with any console, but slim consoles are especially prone to suffer from it, due to the oversimplified lid sensor construction. I see some oversensitivity of the lid sensors in both my current consoles, and I had to return another to the store earlier because of extreme hypersensitivity. Its lid sensors could switch from 'open' to 'closed' if I just stamped on the floor, or dropped a paper-clip on the desk. And even on the 'healthy' slim consoles such false sensor results can occur if I just tap the top of the console with my finger semi-hard, but still without opening it. So basically the sensors of a slim PS2 are quite bad quality...

The "Disc Control:" setting not only indicates that the disc rotation should be stopped, but also that the program should identify the disc type of any disc detected in the disc tray, and it is this disc type identification that fails when the lid sensors spontaneously switch between 'open' and 'closed' this way. Simply opening and closing the lid often fixes this for a slim console, allowing a stalled boot to proceed again, as the sensor state is reestablished properly.

For your case it may also be something else, as I never got exactly the same problem on a fat console myself, but I am still convinced that it is primarily a mechanical problem of the drive assembly, the ejectable disc tray, and the sensors.

Like I said above, this never happens on a fully healthy console, so something about yours is unhealthy and needs to be checked and fixed. Disabling "Disc Control:" is just a way of hiding the symptoms though the real problem remains and may even cause secondary damage of some kind. (Incorrect mechanical usage tends to give abnormal wear & tear)

Best regards: dlanor

[JoeTorres]

Well, I have to live with it, I can't check if the problem is from de console and I don't want to open it either, but I'm not convinced. My console is in good conditions, it reads every disc I put in it without make any noise. That noise came when I turned 'Disc control' on. When I tried to eject the tray it got more noisy, I don't know but maybe I did something that triggered that issue. Thanks anyway for your explicit explanations as always.

[dlanor]

Well, I have to live with it, I can't check if the problem is from de console and I don't want to open it either, but I'm not convinced. My console is in good conditions, it reads every disc I put in it without make any noise.

It may very well be (or seem) in good condition for many of the normal operations.

But even so, it is obviously not in good condition when it behaves differently from all other similar consoles definitely in good condition, which never produce that noise when used in the same way.

Abnormal noise from any mechanical assembly usually indicates that something is mechanically damaged or that something is being incorrectly controlled (as when two parts of a mechanism try to do two things that conflict). It is clear from your description that this problem only affects your drive assembly in the operation of stopping the disc (as far as we know anyway). But to disable that feature means that the drive will be constantly spinning and the laser diode constantly active throughout most homebrew sessions, which will significantly shorten the useful lifetime of that unit.

That noise came when I turned 'Disc control' on. When I tried to eject the tray it got more noisy, I don't know but maybe I did something that triggered that issue.

I suspect that something has happened to the drive/tray mechanisms, as normal consoles do not behave that way (and I nearly always have "Disc Control:" ON).

Have you by any chance done any 'disc swapping' on this console...?
(The kind where you mechanically force the tray to open, without using eject button.)

Best regards: dlanor

[JoeTorres]

Well, I have never done a disc swap, and I don't think I'm going to do it, I'm not interested. Right now I have 'Disc control' turned on and the problem haven't shown up again, maybe that issue came due to a bad DVD. For me is important to have 'Disc control' turned on because it saves lens life. Thanks for your explanations.

[dlanor]

Well, I have never done a disc swap, and I don't think I'm going to do it, I'm not interested.

Good. I feel the same way about it myself. That method can harm both the discs used and the drive assembly, but unfortunately some people use it anyway, and many have no other way to start homebrews for installing FMCB.

Right now I have 'Disc control' turned on and the problem haven't shown up again, maybe that issue came due to a bad DVD.

Let's hope so. Unreadable discs can sometimes cause weird retry cycles that give off odd noises as the mechanism repeatedly performs a number of read attempts with head repositioning each time.

For me is important to have 'Disc control' turned on because it saves lens life.

That is its main purpose, thought it also helps with some other things.
(Without it disc replacement is not always recognized, resulting in incorrect disc access.)

Personally I always have Disc Control enabled, even on consoles that I normally use with an empty disc tray.

Best regards: dlanor

[JoeTorres]

Confirmed, the rails of my PS were sticky, so that was the problem, not uLE, sorry about this missinformation.