Author Topic: [POC] SD Card as Memory for PSP (Read 159653 times)

aliander · « **on:** January 23, 2008, 04:00:44 PM »

Hi there!

I did some adapter modifying to get an sd hc -> memory stick pro duo (well, no magic gate) thingie.

So here it is:

1. I took a microSD -> memory stick pro duo adapter from transcend to translate the signals and a cheap memory card reader as sd card slot

2. Well, taking apart and getting rid of mostly use less stuff like the usb connector from the card reader

3. Soldering a flat cable to the adapter (sorry, img has bad quality)

4. Solder the card reader part
this is quite straight forward. you just have to know that sd has one more ground pin than micro sd and so you go

5. Well, here it is - the final proof of concept

I also did some measuring and here I've got a question, cause I don't have a memory stick pro duo card reader here to test the adapter itself, without the psp

Here are the results:
[Card]: [min Result] -> [highest Result] => [average Throughput]

sandisk 2gb: 5,45 MB/sec -> 5,72 MB/sec => 5,6 MB/sec
transcend microSD 1gb + Adapter: 3,10 MB/sec -> 3,58MB/sec => ~ 3,50MB/sec
mod with 512mb sd card: 4,53 MB/sec -> 4,66 MB/sec => 4,6 MB/sec
mod with 16gb sd hc card: 3,7 MB/sec -> 3,96MB/sec => 3,8 MB/sec

This were all tested plugged into psp.
Testing the 16gb sd hc card without psp I get results at ~16MB/sec

So, does the psp do some bottlenecking or is it the micro-sd -> ms pro duo adapter (maybe the build in translator chip can't handle such high transfer rates, cause micro sd is of course much slower, so maybe it isn't just build for this speed)

I can tell you more, when I have an accurate memory card reader, that can handle ms, so I can test the builded adapter without the psp...

Btw. here are some costs:
Adapter + 1gb sd: 10€
Card Reader: 5€
16GB SD HC: 70€

So there is price gap between 16gb ms pro duo and of course also to some ready to use 4-1/2-1 adapters, wich cost from 70€->150€

So, hope someone may help me with the speed issue...
Ah, btw. does someone know how to fake a "card change" to the psp?
Changing the SD Card doesn't trigger an memory stick update of the psp... so maybe I have to cut some connections or something... ?

Thx,
Ali

P.S.: It's the first time I work with picasa online albums, so I don't know if it supports direct linking...
If there are no images, here is the link to the webalbum: http://picasaweb.google.at/thenaeap/PSPSDCardMod

zbblanton · « **Reply #1 on:** January 23, 2008, 04:07:17 PM »

nice!!!

*FuFa · « **Reply #2 on:** January 23, 2008, 04:25:21 PM »

OH GOD JESUS CHRIST THIS IS AWESOME...

BRB buying parts needed, and a 16 gb SD Card... I mean jesus 16 gb in my PSP without spending a fortune...

S-ATA to SD anyone?

PspKicks316 · « **Reply #3 on:** January 23, 2008, 05:43:48 PM »

Just as an FYI that's not a POC unless you how it working.A pic or vid of it showing the memory being read or something is a POC,this isn't.
But either way that's a :censored:en AMAZING find!!! I knew it could be done but I never thought it was SO easy!

ra1n · « **Reply #4 on:** January 23, 2008, 05:54:11 PM »

ZOMG thats so cool

kizashi777 · « **Reply #5 on:** January 23, 2008, 06:03:05 PM »

Video please? At least several pics of it saying it has 16gb.

I'm sorry... but I just feel it's just too good to be true. I mean, come on, it's that easy?

BTW, was that the regular psp or psp slim? If it's the regular psp, you think the slim has better hardware that may support faster transfer rates for the 16gb?

*FuFa · « **Reply #6 on:** January 23, 2008, 06:08:47 PM »

Quote from: kizashi777 on January 23, 2008, 06:03:05 PM

Video please? At least several pics of it saying it has 16gb.

I'm sorry... but I just feel it's just too good to be true. I mean, come on, it's that easy?

BTW, was that the regular psp or psp slim? If it's the regular psp, you think the slim has better hardware that may support faster transfer rates for the 16gb?

Yes it's that easy, it's just a bunch of converters, and he said that it might be that slow because of the micro sd converter, since micro sd cards run slower then other ones.

Also, it's a fat, you can tell from the picture.

zbblanton · « **Reply #7 on:** January 23, 2008, 06:10:04 PM »

yea its that easy all u have to do is cooresponed the wires and split the ground

kizashi777 · « **Reply #8 on:** January 23, 2008, 06:12:01 PM »

Quote from: *FuFa on January 23, 2008, 06:08:47 PM

Yes it's that easy, it's just a bunch of converters, and he said that it might be that slow because of the micro sd converter, since micro sd cards run slower then other ones.

Also, it's a fat, you can tell from the picture.

Huh...

well then again, I can't really tell what's slim or fat.

*FuFa · « **Reply #9 on:** January 23, 2008, 06:13:01 PM »

Quote from: kizashi777 on January 23, 2008, 06:12:01 PM

Huh...

well then again, I can't really tell what's slim or fat.

wifi switch on the side, non-clear backplate, fat looking, speaker holes.

kizashi777 · « **Reply #10 on:** January 23, 2008, 06:24:32 PM »

Quote from: *FuFa on January 23, 2008, 06:13:01 PM

wifi switch on the side, non-clear backplate, fat looking, speaker holes.

Don't need to rub it in

Ok, so I'm a noob fine.

Anyways, if it works for a regular adapter/converter, is it possible to use the neoflash if it supports up to 32gb by cutting a wire?

aliander · « **Reply #11 on:** January 23, 2008, 06:29:43 PM »

alright
gonna put up a vid or a pic farm showing the 16gb on the psp...

I also wondered why nobody did this before, because it really IS an damn easy hack...

till soon
Ali

kizashi777 · « **Reply #12 on:** January 23, 2008, 06:45:11 PM »

Quote from: aliander on January 23, 2008, 06:29:43 PM

alright
gonna put up a vid or a pic farm showing the 16gb on the psp...

I also wondered why nobody did this before, because it really IS an damn easy hack...

till soon
Ali

and I'll be waiting

aliander · « **Reply #13 on:** January 23, 2008, 07:02:54 PM »

and here it is...
(actually I'm currently waiting for google to set the vid free... *watching simpsons and southpark while waiting*)

not really impressiv, but ok-ish

sorry for the shakes, but I don't have real camera here - I used a little digi-cam instead and that was freaky to use without free hands :P

the psp itself shows up 14gb, not 16gb. I didn't tested this out at the moment. Either it comes from the psp formatting (2gb overhead would be kinda much...) or it is some sort of calculation error. Anyway, it shows that it works - of course, as I said (and others before) it is a quite easy mod.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5375546851079297860

bye then
Ali

el_nivek · « **Reply #14 on:** January 23, 2008, 07:17:01 PM »

WOW!!!

I really hope it works Because I'm Trying this first thing this Friday. A friend at college already told me if this works he would help me do this internal. Maybe a bigger cover for the battery could do well for hiding it! Sorry for my English! Its not really my language...

GOOD JOB!!!

Slimby · « **Reply #15 on:** January 23, 2008, 08:45:25 PM »

You officially win.

Slimby

kizashi777 · « **Reply #16 on:** January 23, 2008, 09:28:15 PM »

Just curious now.

You are the first person I've seen to actually prove the limit is above 8gb. Congratz on that

Anyways... this makes me curious if you can now use neoflash's (or maybe even datel's) converters to get a 32gb compact flash working... I'm not sure about datel though...

gawl47 · « **Reply #17 on:** January 23, 2008, 09:31:37 PM »

First: Awesome mod!

Second: Where did you find the Transcend adapter, the only ones I've seen are no-name brands?

Third: What kind of flat cable did you use?

Electro · « **Reply #18 on:** January 23, 2008, 10:58:00 PM »

Cool, with some more proper work this will turn out really great.

If U take out the UMD drive and replace it with 1 or 2 of these (if 2 U need to use a Switch) U could have allot of space.

kizashi777 · « **Reply #19 on:** January 24, 2008, 12:42:12 AM »

Quote from: Electro on January 23, 2008, 10:58:00 PM

Cool, with some more proper work this will turn out really great.

If U take out the UMD drive and replace it with 1 or 2 of these (if 2 U need to use a Switch) U could have allot of space.

It would be great if it can read both at the same time like the double expand memory thing. (I dunno if it uses a switch though)

BTW, you have a pic of inside the cardreader with the wires connected and the sd card inside? Sorry, I'm still confused on what was soldered.

dedafmonteur · « **Reply #20 on:** January 24, 2008, 02:53:31 AM »

WHAHAHAHA you pwned pvp with his memory mod.

this one rocks.

aliander · « **Reply #21 on:** January 24, 2008, 04:08:30 AM »

hi everybody!

Well, never have thought this little thing would trow waves that big... but thanks

So, first: yes, make it intern is a good aim. I want to find a place for a sd slot and cut up the psp at this place ( plus making a switch from old ms pro duo to sd).

as next I don't think it would be much of a problem to get two of these up and running. There is a 2 ms pro duo mod out there. Just combine it with this one and you got it.
but as you can imagine you wouldn't just have really doubled your space, cause you have to switch cards - and that seems to suck...
Well, there is also the possibility to add the memory up to virtually one big card. _BUT_ this would work without a chip that does the address management and as the ready to go solution doesn't work properly it isn't a good idea to get their chip doing that.

Anyway there will be 32gb sd hc cards out soon (in fact there should be some from panasonic around now, cause they wanted to release them in jan 08 (even if that wereonly 5000 or kind of)) and with 32gb I think we have reached the psp limit. But hey

let's try. And _then_ you can mod it up to 2 32gb sd cards and switch them...

So, at the moment I first have to repair my analog stick as I smashed it yesterday and then I will try to get some internal stuff working. But don't specially wait for it cause I'm studying and have to spent my free time coding to earn some money, due to there is not much time left (btw. sleep is no replacement for coffein!)

Ah, the question where I get the flat cable from...
Well as first I wanted to use one of this Cables used for IDE and stuff (don't know the english term for that one), but it came out that this is far to big to build into the micro sd adapter (so it can act as a ms pro duo). So I disassembled an rather old printer and found one of this really flat foil-cable thingies. Wasn't fun to solder, cause the plastic

starts rather fast to melt, but it worked quite well in the end.

bye
Ali

aliander · « **Reply #22 on:** January 24, 2008, 04:50:42 AM »

Ah, I forgot to mention where to get the Transcend microSD->ms pro duo adapter.
For myself I ordered it from an austria online shop. But I think you'll find enough just googleing for "transcend micro sd memory stick pro duo"

kypes · « **Reply #23 on:** January 24, 2008, 05:12:26 AM »

Oh man this mod is awsome >.<
Now its soooo easy to get the max of space for less work and less money

I want to see the Internal version with the Sd Slot

*FuFa · « **Reply #24 on:** January 24, 2008, 06:19:27 AM »

Quote from: kypes on January 24, 2008, 05:12:26 AM

Oh man this mod is awsome >.<
Now its soooo easy to get the max of space for less work and less money (btw how much cost such a 16Gb sd card?? )

I want to see the Internal version with the Sd Slot

70 us dollar, he stated it in his first post.

Also Kypes, check ebay I found one for 70 euro shipping not included :3

kypes · « **Reply #25 on:** January 24, 2008, 06:20:55 AM »

sounds like a good price for that capacity

brentbizzle · « **Reply #26 on:** January 24, 2008, 06:58:57 AM »

As I have never opened my psp, i'm not sure what the space is like in there, but it seems like it would be quite easy to make this mod fully internal...

If you could just desolder the the MS connector, take an SD connector and super glue or hot glue it to the board (Make sure the board is covered to prevent and connections obviously) and just have wires connecting to the points on the board going to the small pcb for the microsd-ms connector, then wires from that to the pins of the sd slot.

dremmel or file a little extra room on the sides of the case to make up for the extra width of the SD and you're set.

Does this even seem plausible?

gawl47 · « **Reply #27 on:** January 24, 2008, 09:50:36 AM »

Quote from: aliander on January 24, 2008, 04:08:30 AM

Ah, the question where I get the flat cable from...
Well as first I wanted to use one of this Cables used for IDE and stuff (don't know the english term for that one), but it came out that this is far to big to build into the micro sd adapter (so it can act as a ms pro duo). So I disassembled an rather old printer and found one of this really flat foil-cable thingies. Wasn't fun to solder, cause the plastic starts rather fast to melt, but it worked quite well in the end.

Darn, I hoping I could pick some up at radioshack or something, but I haven't had much luck finding it there. I guess I could use kynar wire and just heat shrink it all together

aliander · « **Reply #28 on:** January 24, 2008, 12:02:22 PM »

Quote from: brentbizzle on January 24, 2008, 06:58:57 AM

As I have never opened my psp, i'm not sure what the space is like in there, but it seems like it would be quite easy to make this mod fully internal...

If you could just desolder the the MS connector, take an SD connector and super glue or hot glue it to the board (Make sure the board is covered to prevent and connections obviously) and just have wires connecting to the points on the board going to the small pcb for the microsd-ms connector, then wires from that to the pins of the sd slot.

dremmel or file a little extra room on the sides of the case to make up for the extra width of the SD and you're set.

Does this even seem plausible?

Something like that is the plan yes

I also do think, that it should fit somewhere in the psp, then cutting a slot into the psp case to make sd card changing possible and a little switch to choose between ms pro duo and sd.

That was the target of the mod. Well, let's see when I find the time...

bye
Ali

a_jack · « **Reply #29 on:** January 24, 2008, 12:53:07 PM »

I wonder why are you all so Thrilled
this all ready exist it called "PSP Double Expand Memory Convertor"
here is the link

http://www.superufo.com/product_html/SONY_PSP_PSP_Double_Expand_Memory_Convertor.html?aff_id=24

is not the same?

-----------------

I correct myself cause the PSP Double Expand Memory Convertor does not work
with SD HC Memorys only with SD

so i must say

GOOD Job

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Author Topic: [POC] SD Card as Memory for PSP (Read 159653 times)