My dual internal memory card mod

[Mariownage]

Thank you. I knew that. I built the memory card switcher box and it works but my Katana cards still light up dimly when there is no vcc going to them. I have all the cards on parallel with everything except for 7v(cuz it's not used) and 3v and data(cuz those are the ones I'm switching)

I tried putting a transistor inline with the ground of the Katana to also cut ground when there is no 3v(have that hooked up to the base of the transistor with a 3kohm resistor) the collector hooked up to the gnd of the mc and the emiter hooked up to the ground. However, what I find is that the ground is ALWAYS active. What is wrong with my circuit? I will try to draw you a diagram so if you can PLEASE help me!!!???

█
S means it's switched at my 2 pole six position rotary switch
So basically S denotes entire column as switchable
█
P means it's parallel
So basically P denotes that all cards/slots share same wire
- is for the 7v since I don't use that at all so it's neither parallel nor switched

The following are labels for pins (notice dat next to cmd on first two columns)
                    dc 7g3 sca
                    am vnv elc
                    td  d  1ok
                            c
                            k
                    ██  ██ ███
MC_interface_cable  SP -PS PPP 

     MCslot1        DC 7G3 SCA

     MCslot2        DC 7G3 SCA

     MCslot3        DC 7G3 SCA

internal MC1        DC 7G3 SCA

internal MC2        DC 7G3 SCA

internal MC3        DC 7G3 SCA

Now, this "works" to save and load but when the rotary switch is not selected to
one of the slots with the Katana 32mb card(with lights to show which pages is 
selected via a small push button they built into the card) then the page lights 
are still lit.  That is my "problem".  They are getting power from all data/serial
lines (not 3v cuz that's switched off of course) and using the same GND.  If I can 
switch that GND, that'd be great but I don't want to add more switches to the box.
I want it to look clean and only use the rotary knob.  

However, when I attach a transistor like so:
mps2222a Transistor
Collector to MC slot1 ground (just mcslot1 for now to test)
Base to 3kohm resistor to MC slot 3v
Emitter to MC_interface_cable GND

The slots gnd should switch off when there is no 3v going to it's base 
(when the rotary is switched to say slot 3 or 2 etc...)

But it IS still "on".  There is still a ground and the katana's lights still 
flicker as you load or save with another card in the switcher.

Did I wire the transistor incorrectly or is it a broken transistor?

[Mariownage]

Ok, I fixed the part where the katana leds are always on (using a diode to prevent current from going back into the transistor turning it back on again) but now the problem is the diode drops the voltage down too much, from 3.5 down to 2.8. My next theory is going to be to put a bigger resistor to drag current for the base of the transistor. This will take some more current but should not effect the voltage for the rest of the circuit. Also, the "leak" power coming from the serial lines shouldn't be enough to "get through" the larger base resistor. Gosh I hope this works. I am so fed up with this thing I'm literally contemplating bypassing the rotational switch and just making it like a telephone operator setup with multiple outputs and one input with which you switch a dsub connector back and forth manually.

[Mariownage]

Ok. I got it to work with a rough prototype (I've been soldering up to this point but this most recent dimly lit led problem has forced me to prototype my theories by just twisting together components.) I bought some "bread board" i guess it's called. I should have the circuit wired up and installed into the switcher pretty soon. I will try to get that tutorial up asap. If everything works out fine. My main concern now is twofold. First is that I want everything to be "harnessed" nicely and "organized" wire wise inside the project case which is already cramped, which brings me to my second worry; that when I install the circuit board, there will be enough room for everything and there will be no shorts. I'm trying to figure out a good material to put in between the circuit board and the internal Memory cards. I think I will "mount" the circuit board to the project box where there are raised screw mounts. Then the internal mcs just slide in under that(with a buffer plastic + foam + plastic in between). That should yeiled a tight but well thought out internal structure. If it all turns out, this this will be about as small as a person without a CNC machine can make it.

[spud42]

sorry i missed the previous posts. been very busy moving house and i still have a lot to do.

glad you worked it out.

[Mariownage]

No problem mate. You don't HAVE to keep up on the post or respond. It's all good. I learned A LOT and without your help on transistors this would not be possible. I still need to do what I mentioned, but once it's built and I have a clean, setup, working switcher, I will post the most thorough tutorial possible to give back to the community. Of course few people need such a switcher but I do know about some folks on the internet with 200+ ps2 game collections that need to have a stack of memory cards that constantly get "abraded" when inserting, removing, inserting...etc... so a switch like this could benefit them. I'm also going to try to add in a little "spice" to the switcher. It's just another "youtube mod" but it's a good idea since I got all this solder and all these resistors left over!

Good luck and I wish you the best with your new home!

[Mariownage]

I cannot post links. I have made every effort to make this memory card switcher and have finally succeeded. However, according to the forum rules, I cannot post links and or pictures. I might post the tutorial I might not. For those looking to make the memory card switcher, sorry for not being as thorough as I promised (but it's not my fault, this forum will not let me), but I will leave you with this thought:

For a basic memory card switcher, make all the pins parallel except for the following:
DAT
VCC (+3v)
and the 7v since that's not used at all for memory cards

Then, simply wire up a two pole, multiposition switch so as to switch both the dat and vcc to the memory card you want to be on
The above will not work with katana multipage memory cards. I mean, they can save and load, but the page lights on the card itself will flicker when the card is off.
To fix that, use either a 3 pole switch(hard to come by) and switch the GND pin as well (As in don't make it parallel) or use transistors as I did (It was a tuff ordeal since I never made complex circuits in my life before this. Next time I'd much rather track down a 3 pole rotary.)


For effect (to know which card your switcher has currently selected) you can put LEDs in parallel with the 3v and combine their grounds to the main ground with a diode to protect reverse current going to the LEDs from the switching action. Of course use the proper resistor as well. THis can also be in line with the ground so as to save space and reduce the amount of soldering you have to do.

K, that's it for now. Come to think of it, I kind of lost all of my hope in this forum as far as the "rules" are concerned. Why wait 30 days to be productive and contribute to a community. If a filanthropistic donator came in today to a charity, it would not wait 30 days to recieve a donation now would it? If I make a tut, it will be on my website, but no one will find it since it's not a PS2 website so why bother. Anyway, for those who may or may not be "lost" as I was, I hope my hard work (making the MC switcher work, not the tutorial since I was not able to make it as I wanted) helps you out at least a little.

[urmele]

@Mariownage

Nice work

Could you uploaded some Pics now, the 30 days are over and i realy would like to see it?

[jknee00]

bro help i just have mcboot ,, but when i try whith the v19 consoles it doesnt boot and the worst thing is it brick the mc pls help

[urmele]

bro help i just have mcboot ,, but when i try whith the v19 consoles it doesnt boot and the worst thing is it brick the mc pls help

Try that one:
http://psx-scene.com/forums/f153/fmc...tml#post440514 (FMCB and 128mb Mem Card a success!)

[HEKTakun]

I was going to make a new thread for this till I found this one. So I’ll just post what I've done here.

I don't like seeing a card sticking out of the PS2 and I didn't want someone to bump it while switching out controllers. Before making this mod I was considering different places to mount the chips. I didn't want something attached to the top of the case because I’d have to disconnect something each time I open the consol. It’s not that often but it just makes it easier. I was going to use a header/ pin set up to make disconnecting a breeze. But I’m poor and cheap and didn’t have any ribbon cable lying around. So I had to think of another solution, which I actually like better. After making this mod and typing up this post I came across this form. I really like the way urmele did his mod (back in post # 17 of this thread). I had similar design concept before attempting my mod. I didn't have the proper materials to do what he did though. Also I like to keep my consoles looking unchanged from the outside. But I really do dig the switch, got me thinking of how I would make something like that but stealth.


I installed FMCB on this card then took it out of its comfortable little shell. This was my first test in case I effed something up. So I used a card I didn't care too much about. But I made sure to use a card that I knew worked. I’ve owned this one for a while and has never failed on me.



I used speaker wire, I don't remember what gauge. The gauge will matter though, it can't be too big and it can't be too small either. The exposed copper should be about the thickness of a paper clip. I'll find out the gauge and post it when I know (probably won’t ever get around to doing this). I found the measurements (length of the cable) didn't have to be super pierces, but it made everything a lot easier to keep it uniform. I twisted the longer exposed copper and left the shorter exposed wire un-twisted. While twisting I kept it as straight as possible. Keeping them straight is important because I basically turn them into a pin. I brushed over them with solder to make them firm and keep them straight.



Just some prep work here. Cleaned the card with alcohol. Placed a strip of electrical tape on the metal housing part on top. Didn't want any conductivity or shorting out or whatever.



Soldered the wires on onto the card from 8-1 making sure to try and keep them as close to the same length as possible. There was a tiny fray coming off of 4 getting close to 5 so I used a pair of tweezers to bend it back.



Once soldered to the Memory Card the wires were fairly lined up at the ends. I cut a bit of excess off in an attempt to make them the same length. This made it a breeze sliding them into the MC Slots. I had to be careful not to cut off too much though. It was a very small amount probably 1 mm.



Once all the pins were in I used a flat head screw driver to hold down them while making a slight bend. Took them out and used a needle noise to make a better 90° bend. Once bent, I inserted the pins back in and held them in place with my finger. I pushed the memory card back, carefully bend at the wires, till it was resting on top of the MC/Controller slot where I placed the first strip of tape. Once there, I held it place with more electrical tape.



Put some more tape over the MC slot to keep it closed. Don’t want people putting cards in it or mess with it or whatever.



Put the controller / MC port connector thingy back in place. This is what it looks like.


Once I closed up the console there was no telling that there was anything done to it from the outside, looks totally normal. Unless you try to use the memory card slot 2.


(Also on a bit of a side note, to any forum moderators reading this, I would like to make the suggestion to move this thread to...
Forum -> PlayStation2 Forums -> PS2 Hardware Help -> PS2 Memory Card Hacking