How To Backup Playstation CD's With Your Amiga.
This article has been written for those of you who wish to BACKUP your Playstation discs for legitimate BACKUP PURPOSES only. The copyright laws regarding the backup of software are somewhat rather sketchy, but you are allowed to:
1) To make one backup copy of any PSX game you own (providing it is only for your own use and for backup purposes only).
2) You own the original game you are backing up.
3) If you sell your original copy, you MUST destroy your backup copy.
4) The backup is for your own use only, and is not to be distributed, loaned or sold to anyone. Doing so is a breach of copyright.
5) You may not sale copies of copyright software. This is illegal and an infringement of international copyright laws.
6) You may not 'patch' the game you are backing up. The internet is abound with patches for applying to reburnt PSX discs. Such patches are illegal !
"THE CRYPT and it's writers do not authorise or condone software piracy. This article is only intended for those who wish to backup their Playstation discs and nothing more. Failure to comply with the above is an infringement of copyright and may render you liable to prosecution. This article has been submitted in good faith, but THE CRYPT or it writers shall not be held directly responsible for damage to your Playstation or yourself or of misuse of this article herein."
Backing up your original Playstation discs is always a good idea. At �40 a game they are not cheap. Having a backup handy is always a good idea. Believe it or not, it is possible to backup PSX discs on your Amiga, but to begin with your going to need to get your Playstation 'chipped'. Chipping isn't 'strictly' legal. Sony tried to recall all supplies of modchip kits from computer stores nationwide, but they failed (the modchip used is a basic integrated IC which is available from any electronic retailer such as Maplin's). Most retailers will be happy to sale you a prewired modchip kit complete with installation instructions PROVIDING you fit it yourself.
Fitting your modchip involves taking your Playstation to pieces, removing the laser unit, and PSU leads to the motherboard, removing the main board, and soldering 6 wires to your modchip. The flying leads from the modchip are then soldered to various positions on the Playstation's motherboard. What points on the board the wires from the modchip need to be soldered to varies considerably on the model number of your Playstation. Since space is cramped inside the Playstation's case, there's no room for an IC socket: the modchip's legs need to be bent out at 90� and the modchip held in place by a sticky adhesive pad on your PSX's motherboard. It is not a procedure to be taken likely and is a delicate procedure: if your crap when it comes to soldering you can get a friend with the necessary expertise to chip your Playstation for you. Modchip kits are available from most places and will set you back a meagre �5. Once fitted, the country/region code protection is bypassed on each disk and your PSX will play ALL imported discs and CDR backup's! Original discs will boot just as before.
Modchips do get relatively hot after a long period. It's widely rumoured in Japan due to the hotter climate that Japanese Playstation owners like to fit a cooling fan just above the modchip to keep it cool. You don't have to go to these extremes, just as long as you don't leave your chipped machine on a carpeted floor (as airflow needs to get underneath your machine to keep things cool). If you really want to fit a fan, I suppose a 486 CPU cooler will do the trick: just bear in mind your going to need to find some place on the Playstations board to power the fan and to mount it.
Right, I'm assuming your using MakeCD here and that your reading and writing drives are all set up. I use MakeCD 3.2b, which does the job nicely, with the CD_ATAPI driver for my main reading drive, and the CDR_SCSI3_ATAPI driver for my CD-Rewriter. I tend to start MakeCD by 'booting with no startup-sequence' so I can safely burn 'on the fly' without extra programs gobbling up CPU cycles and risking buffer underuns (You'll need at least an 8 megabyte memory buffer to do this, coupled with your writer/rewriters own internal 1 megabyte buffer and the burning speed set to 1). You will also need to be registered for MakeCD Disk-At-Once.
1) Start 'MakeCD'
2) Select Setting's from MakeCD's pull down Global settings window. Ensure your reading and writing drives are configured correctly. Set user level to 'Expert', then click on the Hardware Compatibility Settings... button. This brings up MakeCD Hardware Compatibility settings... menu. Go to step 3...
3) If your writer/rewriter supports buffer overflow intelligently (most modern writers/rewriters do these days), then select 'Ignore Overflow'. This means your writer/rewriter's own internal 1 megabyte buffer will be used combined with MakeCD's 8 megabyte buffer so to avoid buffer underuns. Close the 'Hardware Compatibility Settings...' window so you are returned back to MakeCD's global settings menu. Onto step 4...
4) Click the 'Speed' button. and set the following values:- Normal Speed = 1 On The Fly ISO Image = 1 Fixation = 0 Write Speed For Audio = 1 Read Speed For Audio = 1 Read Speed For Data = 0
Now click the close gadget to close the 'MakeCD:Speed' menu. We are now returned to MakeCD 'global's settings window'. Click the 'Use' button.
5) From MakeCD's pull-down menu (top of screen) and select 'CopyCD'. MakeCD's Copy window now opens...
6) For 'Temporary Images', select 'Direct to CD Writer'.
7) For the 'Delete File' option, you don't have to bother changing this, we aren't using image files since we are burning 'on the fly'.
8) Change write mode to 'Disc At Once' (you must be registered for Disc-At Once) otherwise you can't use Disc At Once mode.
9) Change the Data Format cycle gadget until it reads 'Raw Block Contents'. By enabling this option rather than MakeCD copying the PSX disc in the format of your writer/rewriter, it will burn the disc using a Raw Block Content, this transfers ALL transfers for each block including the management, checksum and error correction data, which will give you a precise copy as possible! Raw block contents is can only be used for burning on the fly. Your going to need a pretty fast Amiga to use it, but my 040/25 copes with it okay...
10) Insert your original PSX disc in your CD-ROM drive and your blank CDR in your writer/rewriter. Hit the 'Copy CD' button... MakeCD will now 'scan' your original PSX disc. Once MakeCD has scanned your original disc, MakeCD's 'Write' window appears. Onto step 11...
11) Set Fixation to CDR. Set 'Test Mode' to 'off'. Click 'Start'. MakeCD will now read your original disc. The 'lead in' track is written to your CDR first of all, and then the PSX disc will be read. Once MakeCD's buffer has filled up the tracks will begin to be written to your CDR. Since we're burning in single speed (this is needed for PSX backups to copy correctly and to avoid buffer underuns when burning 'on the fly'), burning the CDR will take about roughly 1 hour approx. to backup a 650 megabyte PSX disc, (so I suggest you go and make yourself a nice cup of tea or go and watch TV for an hour). Fixating the disc (writing the lead out) normally takes another 3 minutes on top of this figure.
Troubleshooting:
Q1) My PSX doesn't run backed up discs.
A1) You need a 'chipped' PSX to run copies. Doh !
Q1) I've got my PSX chipped, but copies don't work...
A2) Could be your modchips a duff one, or your laser unit is faulty. Try fitting a new one...
Q2) I've backed up a PSX disc onto a CDRW disc. The disc doesn't boot.
A2) The Playstation's drive CANNOT read CDRW discs (CDRW discs have different characteristics: they have a more reflective surface than a CDR or an original disc).
Q3) FMV is jerky on my copies why? My laser units fine so what's the problem?
A3) Newer PSX's don't chip as well as old ones... Mine has the same problem with backup discs: there's not a lot you can do about this, apart from buy an older machine.
Q4) What CDR discs are best for backing up PSX discs ?
A4) It should be noted that Playstation's are very fussy as to what brand of CDR is used. This is mainly because the surface of a CDR is different to an 'original' copy and certain colour branded CDR's are better than others (it's all to do with the pigmentation used on the underside of the disc). Some people swear by using Verbatim CDR's, others use Richo brands. The only advice I can offer you is to experiment until you find what brand works best for you.
Q5) I've chipped my PSX and now it doesn't work.
A5) Oh dear... it's important to take precautions against electro-static discharge when taking anything electrical to pieces. Check you've plugged the laser unit back onto the motherboard, and that the PSU leads to the motherboard are connected up. Try desoldering the modchip from the motherboard. If that doesn't work, you have knackered your Playstation :-(
Q6) I don't have a Writer/Rewriter for my Amiga. Can I use my PC instead?
A6) Yep. Although you need specialised software such as CDRWin, PSXCopy and/or BlindRead/BlindWrite for backing up PSX discs on a PC.
Q7) I don't want to risk 'chipping' my PSX. Is there any other way of running my backed up discs?
A7) Yes, there's a hardware interface called `Plug Mod' it plugs into the expansion connector on the back of the Playstation (no soldering is required). It costs around �10-�15.
Q8) I heard PSX's can play imports and copies without any additional hardware and without chipping. How's this done ?
A8) You refer to the `grand master method', or `disk swap trick'. It involves propping a bic biro refill between the Playstation's lid open and the grey button underneath the PSX's lid to 'fool' the Playstation that the lid is closed so you can see the disc spinning. You then need to 'snatch' the disk out of the drive while it's spinning and substitute it for your import/copied disk at various intervals. It is not recommended, so hence I'm not even going to explain in detail how to do this, since it can result in serious Playstation knackerage. You would be far better off fitting a modchip or a plugmod for playing backup/imported disks anyway.
Q9) My PSX is still under it's one year warranty, shall I get it modchiped ?
A9) Don't bother. If your PSX goes wrong during the warranty period, Sony will not touch your machine with a six foot barge pole if you've chipped it.
Q10) I own a PSX 2. Can I buy a modchip for that as well ?
A10) Yes you can. I don't know much about how they are fitted to the PSX 2, but there are plenty of places on the internet you'd be advised to visit
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