Extending PS2 RAM, idea !!! ^^;

[chacyung]

My idea was a flop, but my issue was resolved.

I've been using FMCB to load ULE to load OPS2Loader so I can play my backup of my JP operation genesis game off my flash drive.

And ok, I edited it a little bit to unlock all dig sites.

But now whenever I get too many people in my park, the game keeps freezing on me.



So I had an Idea...
FMCB alters the way the system works, right?
Is it possible to create an adapter (for say, a PS2s external HDD port){or another port}
that connects it to a faster CPU and larger RAM sticks.
Then add a setting to FMCB to tell it to use the new (or back to the original) hardware upon reset.
And do that to expand memory and processing power.



I know we don't have anything like that, right now.
I just want to know if it's possible to TEMPORARILY extend the system abilities like that.

It is possible ???
~hopes~

[indirect76]

What you are suggesting would be terribly difficult to implement.

[chessplayerj]

Awww I was kinda sorta hoping that would work

[chacyung]

Awww I was kinda sorta hoping that would work

LOL, me too.

What you are suggesting would be terribly difficult to implement.

Saying it would be difficult, is not saying it's impossible...
The hardest thing would be to create an adaptor that adds RAM sticks and a more powerful CPU through a connector port.

Part of the problem is that a part of FMCB (ULE/OPL2Loader) stays in ram during gameplay.
(because I know my game didn't have a soft reset before) o_O
It lessons the amount of ram the game can work with.

I don't know how FMCB was programmed, but it can already alter how the PS2 runs upon restart.
If it can be reprogrammed to latch onto to startup software like that to add options,
maybe it can redirect which CPU to process with, and which RAM location to load stuff into.

Because lack of processing power and memory is the PS2s BIGGEST pot-hole >.<

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Now you said it would be terribly difficult...
But could it be done at all ??
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[SP193]

This isn't possible... since the PS2 was really designed to operate in the way it currently runs. >_<

Games and other programs will individually gain total control of the console, and recognize whatever they were developed to support (E.g. a ~295MHz EE, 36MHz IOP and ~31MB of usable RDRAM only).

Unlike a program running under a full OS, tasks such as memory allocation is handled by the running program itself instead of the OS, and that means that hardware support really depends on the program (E.g. Games running off the CD/DVD drive will support running off the CD/DVD drive only, hence OPL/PS2ESDL/USBAdvance/USBExtreme/HDLoader will load a fake CD/DVD drive driver to redirect requests to the CD/DVD hardware to another device).

Yes, a lack of RAM is the biggest issue yet encountered while extending the functionality of the PS2.

If one would like a more powerful console, getting a PS3 would be a solution as adding a CPU and memory to the PS2 is not the same as upgrading the CPU and memory of a regular Intel-x86 PC.

It is false to say that FMCB really alters the way the PS2 works. In fact, it runs from the Sony OSDSYS program updating feature, like the Sony OSDSYS/Browser 2.0 update for the SCPH-10000 and SCPH-15000 consoles does.

The only thing that FMCB changes is the functionality of rom0:OSDSYS, since it adds support for more devices, more menu options and support for launching unsigned ELFs from all supported devices.

FMCB can do that since it loads rom0:OSDSYS into RAM, modifies it and boots it as usual.

But at the end of the day, it works about the same way as the Sony OSDSYS/Browser 2.0 update does - it loads a replacement OSDSYS/browser program and runs it.

[Blagus]

I think it's not problem with too low RAM at all.
First, why do you use uLE to load OPL? Can't you do that directly from FMCB? That would prevent uLE to (theoretically) stay in RAM after game is loaded.

Second, did you use any compatibility modes?
Try launching game with Mode 3 and 6. And avoid uLE, load OPL directly.

[yoshi314]

So I had an Idea...
FMCB alters the way the system works, right?
Is it possible to create an adapter (for say, a PS2s external HDD port){or another port}
that connects it to a faster CPU and larger RAM sticks.
Then add a setting to FMCB to tell it to use the new (or back to the original) hardware upon reset.
And do that to expand memory and processing power.

- there is no faster cpu that's 100% compatible with EE cpu. even ps3 models with hardware ps2 compatibility used actual ps2 chip.

- memory in ps2 is really tightly linked to the hardware with high bandwidth link. the only way would be to replace ram chips with different ones, with the same timings. external adapter wouldn't cut it, performance-wise. also, a lot of games are written in a way that expects to throw a lot of data around in ram, due to ps2's design. ram speed is crucial.

- cpu might be hardware-limited to only address 32mb of ram,
- most software is most definitely also simplified to adress data in that range.

such a mod would require an extensive redesign of ps2 hardware, and it's not guaranteed the cpu/software would make use of extra ram once it would start working.

[indirect76]

Oops, I meant to say:
What you are suggesting would be terribly difficult to implement, if not impossible.

[SP193]

I think it's not problem with too low RAM at all.
First, why do you use uLE to load OPL? Can't you do that directly from FMCB? That would prevent uLE to (theoretically) stay in RAM after game is loaded.

Well, it doesn't matter, since the LoadExecPS2() syscall will wipe the PS2' memory before the game (or any Sony software) is loaded anyway.

When a program is loaded, the program is responsible for it's own memory management, and it is free to assume that all user memory is available for use.

As for the original topic, yoshi314 has already given a really good explanation to why it wouldn't be possible to just replace any part of the PS2 with faster versions - like the PCSX2 development team mentioned before, the different parts of the PS2's hardware are tighly integrated with each other, and replacing any one of them with a replacement that has specifications that are a little too different (Especially in terms of speed!) from the original might break the PS2.

All existing programs are also programmed to assume that user memory only lies from 0x00100000 (1MB) to 0x02000000 (32MB). Anything else is either non-existent, secret (lol Sony) or is kernel code.

[chacyung]

This isn't possible...

- there is no

Oops, I meant...

Well, it doesn't...

I think it's not problem with too low RAM at all.
First, why do you use uLE to load OPL? Can't you do that directly from FMCB? That would prevent uLE to (theoretically) stay in RAM after game is loaded.

Second, did you use any compatibility modes?
Try launching game with Mode 3 and 6. And avoid uLE, load OPL directly.

I would load OPL directly... but I don't know how to add it to the main menu (yeah, I'm an idiot) v.v;
And how do I change modes?

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If the PS2 hardware is so propriatory... then basically, I'm screwed.

Especially if the PS3 uses the actual PS2 hardware or simply emulatates what's expected.
Not that FMCB can run on PS3s... to my knowledge.

Is there no hope to keep it from freezing ???