Test points/MechaCon UART

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These are the test points exposing MechaCon's UART interface e.g. for CDVD Drive calibration using PMAP. These test points have also been used by Sony service centers via official service tools.

Source of some of these pictures

To put the console into service mode, the RMC/test mode test point needs to be grounded. This is necessary when recalibrating the drive and doing other stuff.

Depending on how you connect to the console, you might have to swap RX and TX with each other.

The publicly available service tools only support consoles up to the G-chassis (up to including SCPH-37000 and SCPH-39000 series).
PMAP additionally supports H and I chassis consoles (most SCPH-50000 series consoles).

Currently missing (please contribute):

  • GH-008, GH-016, GH-017, GH-018, GH-026, GH-029, GH-032, GH-036, GH-040, GH-041, GH-061 (some sub-revisions), GH-062

Notes

  • RX and TX are sometimes swapped in these pictures. This is due to the contributors not having unified their naming conventions, with some marking RX and TX as seen from the MechaCon's side and others marking RX and TX as seen from the PC's (or it's interface's) side. If you can't establish a connection one way, you should try swapping RX and TX and try again. There are plans for unifying the naming in the future.
  • The 3.3V marked on most pictures are actually 3.5V, since that's what MechaCon runs off. If you are using e.g. a RS232-to-TTL level shifter (like e.g. a MAX3232-based level shifter), the PS2's 3.5V need to be connected to your level shifter's Vcc. However, it should not be connected to anything that has it's own 3.3V regulator (like e.g. some USB-to-TTL converters), since the regulator on the PS2's board and your converter will end up in a feedback loop, potentially causing damage. There are plans for unifying the naming in the future.
  • RMC is actually named TEST_MODE0. This mistake comes from the fact that the generic microcontroller that the SPC970-MechaCon is based on has an alternate function on the same pin called RMC (ReMoteController), which is an internal remote control signal decoder. This alternate function is unused on PS2 and does not exist on the Dragon-MechaCon. There are plans for unifying the naming in the future.

Playstation 2 Fat Motherboard Models

GH-00X

GH-001

S43vRdP.jpg

GH-003

Identical to GH-001
RDPT7ax.jpg

GH-004

Identical to GH-005

GH-005

6jokfw1.jpg

GH-006

VOfzfpA.jpg

GH-007

Identical to GH-006

GH-008

GH-01X

GH-010

E2cm6MO.jpg

GH-012

Identical to GH-010

GH-013

Identical to GH-010

GH-014

Identical to GH-010

GH-015

3noGpdf.jpg

GH-016

GH-017

GH-018

GH-019

3BN1Nib.jpg

GH-02X

GH-022

Identical to GH-019

GH-023

3XVAvq3.jpg

GH-026

GH-029

Playstation 2 Slim Motherboard Models

GH-03X

GH-032

GH-035

GH-035 test points.png

GH-036

GH-037

GH-037 test points.jpg

GH-04X

GH-040

GH-041

GH-05X

GH-051

GH-051 MechaCon UART.png

GH-052

GH-052 UART.jpg

GH-06X

GH-061

For GH-061-42 and GH-061-42: On the top side, next to the Ethernet connector
Slim79.png

For GH-061-12 and GH-061-51: unknown

GH-062

GH-07X

GH-070

On the top side, next to the Ethernet connector
Test points GH-070-71-72.png

GH-071

Identical to GH-070

GH-072

Identical to GH-070

PSX Motherboard Models

XPD-001

Identical to XPD-005

XPD-005

Hz1QY2W.jpg