YET ANOTHER person seeking guidance for ps2 portable and modding in general

[wrympire]

Hey all, complete new guy here.
I saw some videos recently and since I have a compatible ps2 I figured I could give making a ps2p a shot.
I'm not planning to start working on this immediately (Uni and j*b), but also because I barely know a thing about circuits and how they work.

what should I learn to be able to pull this off?
I have mostly everything bar a few tools
so do you guys know a good online resource to learn how pcb's work and how to cut/connect them?
(I do know some circuit theory but thats mostly from physics in college and it was mostly problems)
as in, where/how can I learn how to understand what these diagrams with the colors mean?

so basically, what I'm asking is what should I know beforehand before I even attempt the ps2 portable?
also, If theres any resources for specifically the ps2p I'd love to have that too.

I know I'm going for an airball with this but either way:
Thank you for your time.

 

[Lightning]

so basically, what I'm asking is what should I know beforehand before I even attempt the ps2 portable?
also, If theres any resources for specifically the ps2p I'd love to have that too.

I know I'm going for an airball with this but either way:
Thank you for your time.

Well sir, that's a pretty big question. Considering how much information on the topic is contained in one form or another on this forum alone. My suggestion would be that you begin your project, and come back to post more specific questions about the process as you come up against them. Truly we are all very happy to help anyone on here, so lets see what you got!!

Those images you posted look like excerpts from the PS2 Compendium, and they deal specifically with powering the system, the wiring of the controller, and where to connect the signals if you decided to trim the board. This however is merely one small facet of PS2 portables, so again, if you have any specific questions, please ask!

Have you given any thought to what size screen you want to use, and how you want to interface it with the video signals? How about game loading; are you going to try to retain the full DVD drive, or use USB, or Ethernet, or MCS2IO? Would you prefer to use an official controller, or perhaps one of the ones developed here in the modding community? Some of these even allow for the use of Switch style Joycon analog sticks! How about batteries? Would you prefer cylindrical, or prismatic cells? Want to charge it over USB-C, or a barrel jack? How much of this do you want to try to design yourself? Are you given to PCB design? Or would you prefer to use off-the-shelf components?

Lots and lots to think about, and we would all love to see what you choose. Just lose yourself in the research. Believe me, it's quite seductive once you get into it.

 

[wrympire]

Well sir, that's a pretty big question. Considering how much information on the topic is contained in one form or another on this forum alone. My suggestion would be that you begin your project, and come back to post more specific questions about the process as you come up against them. Truly we are all very happy to help anyone on here, so lets see what you got!!

Those images you posted look like excerpts from the PS2 Compendium, and they deal specifically with powering the system, the wiring of the controller, and where to connect the signals if you decided to trim the board. This however is merely one small facet of PS2 portables, so again, if you have any specific questions, please ask!

Have you given any thought to what size screen you want to use, and how you want to interface it with the video signals? How about game loading; are you going to try to retain the full DVD drive, or use USB, or Ethernet, or MCS2IO? Would you prefer to use an official controller, or perhaps one of the ones developed here in the modding community? Some of these even allow for the use of Switch style Joycon analog sticks! How about batteries? Would you prefer cylindrical, or prismatic cells? Want to charge it over USB-C, or a barrel jack? How much of this do you want to try to design yourself? Are you given to PCB design? Or would you prefer to use off-the-shelf components?

Lots and lots to think about, and we would all love to see what you choose. Just lose yourself in the research. Believe me, it's quite seductive once you get into it.

Yeah I know, this is a huge airball. I appreciate how understanding your reply was. I have settled on a few ideas:

I will NOT trim the board (because I WILL screw it up + my hands are big enough for this not to matter), though I did remove the disk drive.
7" screen (will buy from t*mu) as to how I would connect it, I will likely cut the standard connection cable to make it shorter and plug it in the screen's av inputs.
I have a freemcboot memcard + usb stick for games, so I should only need the power, AV out, 2 controllers, 2 mem cards and the usb ports at the front.
for the controller, I thought about cutting a cheap 3rd party one in half but Idk how to connect the inputs after that, so maybe Ill get a board?
The biggest problem will be powering the thing. I want it to charge with usb-c but since I'm not cutting the board I assume it will draw more power, a LOT more power. And I'll also need to power the screen so that's the biggest problem now. I don't know how much the battery shape matters but I'll hazard a guess and say a cylindrical form would be better solely for fitting in the limited amount of space (correct me if I'm wrong on this).
So my biggest question right now would be CAN I make the power work without trimming the board? I'd ask GPT for some info but I doubt its a good source for stuff like this.

Again, Thank you.

 

[JamesPi]

Yeah I know, this is a huge airball. I appreciate how understanding your reply was. I have settled on a few ideas:

I will NOT trim the board (because I WILL screw it up + my hands are big enough for this not to matter), though I did remove the disk drive.
7" screen (will buy from t*mu) as to how I would connect it, I will likely cut the standard connection cable to make it shorter and plug it in the screen's av inputs.
I have a freemcboot memcard + usb stick for games, so I should only need the power, AV out, 2 controllers, 2 mem cards and the usb ports at the front.
for the controller, I thought about cutting a cheap 3rd party one in half but Idk how to connect the inputs after that, so maybe Ill get a board?
The biggest problem will be powering the thing. I want it to charge with usb-c but since I'm not cutting the board I assume it will draw more power, a LOT more power. And I'll also need to power the screen so that's the biggest problem now. I don't know how much the battery shape matters but I'll hazard a guess and say a cylindrical form would be better solely for fitting in the limited amount of space (correct me if I'm wrong on this).
So my biggest question right now would be CAN I make the power work without trimming the board? I'd ask GPT for some info but I doubt its a good source for stuff like this.

Again, Thank you.

I don't have experience with PS2 portables specifically, but I would highly recommend not buying parts from temu for serious projects like this. I would recommend using aliexpress instead for cheap stuff, or buying from reputable companies who actually make the product. I'm also not entirely sure how big you're planning on your "portable" to be if you aren't going to trim it. I don't recall seeing a portable PS2 without a trimmed motherboard ever, at least with a built in screen, and I'm not sure if it's even possible to make a reasonably sized one without some modifications to the motherboard.

Nevertheless, I wish you the best of luck on your project, and am excited to see progress on it. Good luck!

 

[cy]

The PS2 Trimming guide is going to be one of your best resources for this. It looks like you've already started looking there which is a good start. As you've already identified, one of the biggest challenges here is going to be your power management solution. @Legend designed and released a PS2-PSU which can regulate PS2 voltages; something like this would be good to study if you're going to make your own PS2 PMS, but it won't have everything since you'll need stuff like a low battery indicator.

With all that said, since you're new, I would recommend learning how to solder before you take anything like this on (assuming you don't already know how to). I've seen too many people attempt something as streamlined as the G-Boy only to make fatal mistakes like burning off pads, accidentally removing or shorting critical components, or putting the batteries in incorrectly (although that's less of a skill issue and more of a knowledge issue). These types of mistakes can be extremely costly, and could easily be prevented with the right knowledge and skills.

For now, I would focus on learning how to solder since soldering skills play a huge role in how successful you are. From there, I would recommend looking at some worklogs. These should help you learn the basics.

 

[wrympire]

I don't have experience with PS2 portables specifically, but I would highly recommend not buying parts from temu for serious projects like this. I would recommend using aliexpress instead for cheap stuff, or buying from reputable companies who actually make the product. I'm also not entirely sure how big you're planning on your "portable" to be if you aren't going to trim it. I don't recall seeing a portable PS2 without a trimmed motherboard ever, at least with a built in screen, and I'm not sure if it's even possible to make a reasonably sized one without some modifications to the motherboard.

Nevertheless, I wish you the best of luck on your project, and am excited to see progress on it. Good luck!

Where I live, temu and aliexpress are on the same level of quality so I'll think about it. Maybe go to an open-air market or something.
I'll try to make it as it is, but if it's too much even for me, I'll try to cut it down.

Thank you, I can only hope to deliver.

 

[wrympire]

The PS2 Trimming guide is going to be one of your best resources for this. It looks like you've already started looking there which is a good start. As you've already identified, one of the biggest challenges here is going to be your power management solution. @Legend designed and released a PS2-PSU which can regulate PS2 voltages; something like this would be good to study if you're going to make your own PS2 PMS, but it won't have everything since you'll need stuff like a low battery indicator.

With all that said, since you're new, I would recommend learning how to solder before you take anything like this on (assuming you don't already know how to). I've seen too many people attempt something as streamlined as the G-Boy only to make fatal mistakes like burning off pads, accidentally removing or shorting critical components, or putting the batteries in incorrectly (although that's less of a skill issue and more of a knowledge issue). These types of mistakes can be extremely costly, and could easily be prevented with the right knowledge and skills.

For now, I would focus on learning how to solder since soldering skills play a huge role in how successful you are. From there, I would recommend looking at some worklogs. These should help you learn the basics.

I took a look. It seems very interesting and I'll look into it when I have the time. One question: in the photo, theres the cut mb, connected to a PSU, with a single wire coming out of it towards the screen. So can one wire actually transfer the whole output? thats cool.

I don't know how to solder, but I do have my dads soldering gun + a few broken light bulb PSU blocks. (I don't know if that's a global standard but basically, when you buy a light bulb (or a light "pane"? idk how to describe it), it also comes with a box connected using a twisting barrel mechanism at the end of it, which I assume serves some kind of power supply function. If the problem was just the bulb, you can just plug out the old one and insert the new one, but if the box failed, you have to untangle the actual wire ends on the box and intertwine the new one.)
So I'll likely crack them open and see if there's something to be practised with.

I'll check out the worklogs. Thank you.

 

[Customledmods]

you can build a ps2 without trimming the motherboard it’s just going to be big, you’ll need a 2s bms for the battery’s.

I released my files here if you want to trim the motherboard. Or you can always edit the files to fit your untrimmed MB.

https://bitbuilt.net/forums/index.php?threads/updated-ps2-21700-use-these.6725/

 

[cy]

I took a look. It seems very interesting...

Technically Composite video needs two wires in order to work: Composite signal, and Ground. Everything in electronics needs Ground in order to function, so other than needing to be connected to ground, yes, it works with just one wire.

In your case you're probably going to want to use the VGA video standard though since that's better quality. VGA has more wires, but provides a better picture quality overall. With that said, Composite is great for testing since it really is only one wire (and Ground if you're connecting it to an external monitor).


As far as soldering goes, I would STRONGLY recommend against using any sort of solder gun! There's a lot to be said for trying to use what you already have on hand, but a soldering gun is NOT the way to go with this hobby. If you want to get into this hobby for real, you'll want to pick up a good temperature controlled soldering iron. It doesn't have to be real expensive, but you will have to spend some money on it and the other tools you'll be using for this project.

I use a Weller WE1010NA which looks like this:

I got mine for my birthday, so I don't know exactly how much it cost, but I found it on Amazon for a little over $100. I understand that that's not the cheapest, but that's just how this hobby is. If you pay for good tools, they'll pay you back tenfold.

While I'm at it, I'll also recommend you some flux. If you want to solder well, you're going to need some sort of flux. Flux is a stick substance that helps the solder to stick to the copper (or whatever surface you're trying to solder to). I personally use Chipquik SMD291 and it hasn't let me down.

Finally, for solder, I'd recommend using leaded solder. I don't remember specifics about solder, but I know that a 60/40 mix of lead solder is usually sufficient. I will warn that since the solder has lead in it, you'll want to take care to wash your hands whenever you're done soldering or handling it at all. It's just a good safety measure to prevent lead poisoning is all.

 

[wrympire]

you can build a ps2 without trimming the motherboard it’s just going to be big, you’ll need a 2s bms for the battery’s.

I released my files here if you want to trim the motherboard. Or you can always edit the files to fit your untrimmed MB.

https://bitbuilt.net/forums/index.php?threads/updated-ps2-21700-use-these.6725/

good to know. I dont know what 2s bms but I'll throw ANOTHER airball and say that 2s means 2 batteries connected in series and bms is something like battery managing system or smth. Thanks for the files, I'm actually learning fusion 360 for this. Pic related if you're interested

green is the mb and transparent one is the screen. All dimensions are in centimeters.

 

[wrympire]

Technically Composite video needs two wires in order to work: Composite signal, and Ground. Everything in electronics needs Ground in order to function, so other than needing to be connected to ground, yes, it works with just one wire.

In your case you're probably going to want to use the VGA video standard though since that's better quality. VGA has more wires, but provides a better picture quality overall. With that said, Composite is great for testing since it really is only one wire (and Ground if you're connecting it to an external monitor).


As far as soldering goes, I would STRONGLY recommend against using any sort of solder gun! There's a lot to be said for trying to use what you already have on hand, but a soldering gun is NOT the way to go with this hobby. If you want to get into this hobby for real, you'll want to pick up a good temperature controlled soldering iron. It doesn't have to be real expensive, but you will have to spend some money on it and the other tools you'll be using for this project.

I use a Weller WE1010NA which looks like this:
View attachment 38398

I got mine for my birthday, so I don't know exactly how much it cost, but I found it on Amazon for a little over $100. I understand that that's not the cheapest, but that's just how this hobby is. If you pay for good tools, they'll pay you back tenfold.

While I'm at it, I'll also recommend you some flux. If you want to solder well, you're going to need some sort of flux. Flux is a stick substance that helps the solder to stick to the copper (or whatever surface you're trying to solder to). I personally use Chipquik SMD291 and it hasn't let me down.

Finally, for solder, I'd recommend using leaded solder. I don't remember specifics about solder, but I know that a 60/40 mix of lead solder is usually sufficient. I will warn that since the solder has lead in it, you'll want to take care to wash your hands whenever you're done soldering or handling it at all. It's just a good safety measure to prevent lead poisoning is all.

The whole signal stuff is so interesting, I'll have to look into it.
As for the other issue. Funny thing that, I actually have the same kind of soldering IRON as you. Yeah, I just called it a soldering gun because I've heard it before and assumed that's what it was (ESL-three-fingers.webm), boy was I wrong. Mines' tips bendy, like an ice scraper for a car windshield but yeah, that's what I was referring to.
As for the solder, that should be easy enough to get.
Thanks.

 

[cy]

good to know. I dont know what 2s bms but I'll throw ANOTHER airball and say that 2s means 2 batteries connected in series and bms is something like battery managing system or smth. Thanks for the files, I'm actually learning fusion 360 for this. Pic related if you're interested

green is the mb and transparent one is the screen. All dimensions are in centimeters.

Looks like you're off to a decent start! Yeah, BMS stands for Battery Management System kind of like how PMS stands for Power Management System. I don't know much about the PS2, but I remember there being two trims: an advanced trim, and a less advanced trim. What I'm about to say is speculation, but I think for the advanced PS2 trim, you would want your batteries in parallel since it requires a lower voltage. I seem to remember the non-advanced PS2 trim just relying on the PS2's voltage regulators and taking a higher voltage in - something you'd probably want your batteries in series for.

I've not done any work on the PS2, so I can't really say for sure if what I just suggested is correct, but from the little research I did a while back, that's how I remember it working. What I do know is that putting your batteries in series doubles the output voltage, and putting them in parallel essentially doubles your battery life. This is definitely something you'll need to do a lot of your own research on though. Know that the community is always happy to help clarify anything you're not clear on though.

Looks like you're off to a good start modeling your case! Learning the basics of modeling is a critical skill to have in this hobby! Looking forward to seeing where this project takes you!

 

[Customledmods]

That’s true if you do an advance trim and use a custom pms or custom regulator board like that of @Mister M and @Legend the batteries are connected in parallel.

https://bitbuilt.net/forums/index.php?threads/ps2-voltage-regulator-board.5168/

if you do a standard trim you’ll need that 2s bms and batteries are connected in series.

Take a look at the batteries guide for more info

https://bitbuilt.net/forums/index.php?threads/portables-and-batteries-a-guide-and-explanation.2228/