Modbo 4.0 Installation
Installing a mod chip into your Playstation 2 can be a bit of an intimidating task. Unless you've been glued to a soldering iron and have the utmost confidence in your soldering abilities - you're probably scratching your head wondering if you'll be able to do it. There is a good side to all of this though. Most PS2 Mod chip manufacturers have realized that not only do they need to ensure that their ps2 mod chips have features on top of features, but that they must also be relatively easy to install. I mean lets face it, not every single Playstation 2 owner has worked with electronics and soldering irons.
In fact, many of us have probably never touched a soldering iron. Having said that, it certainly is not difficult to install a mod chip into your Playstation 2 console.
I am by no means an expert when it comes to chips and soldering, but I found it to be medium on the scale of difficulty. Modchip installation is not however for everyone. And I would urge anyone, that has not yet purchased their Playstation 2 system but plans to purchase it and immediately add a mod chip, to check out the various Pre Modded PS2 systems available for sale online. There are several online stores that have pre modded ps2 systems for sale and often times you're paying just a nominal fee for the pre installation of the mod chip, when you consider that you would have to purchase the mod chip, ps2 system as well as the soldering tools and supplies, if you don't have them already. The added bonus is that you won't have to solder at all, and you can also rest a bit easier because most web sites will actually offer a lifetime warranty on the installation itself, and replace the 30 - 90 day manufacturer warranty and cover the unit if it is defective or not working in any way. Alright, now let's move on to the tips and suggestions to ensure you have a successfull PS2 Mod Chip Installation.
I recently bought a PS2 and a mod chip (Modbo 4.0) I installed the chip using 18 gauge and 24 gauge wires. I put it all back together and when I. The Modbo chip I will be talking about in this article is the version 5.0 with USB support. All of the information in this article and diagrams are still relevant to the Modbo 4.0, the only difference is that the Modbo 4.0 doesn't support USB HDD's – only internal HDD's via a network adapter or E-sata mod.
You need the right soldering iron: You don't want to get a soldering iron with a tip the size of your pinky finger, or one that heats up to the point of melting the ps2 main board. You want a soldering iron that has a small, fine tip, making it easy to install the ps2 mod chip when you have to solder to the smaller sections of the motherboard. You can get a fine tip soldering iron for less than $15.00 at most Radio Shack stores. Make sure to get one that is rated at 15 Watts, this will provide enough heat for the soldering job, without actually hurting your console. Use thin, 15 AWG Wrapping Wire: You can also get this wire at almost every single Radio Shack Store. Far too often, an ps2 mod chip installation is bothced simply because of the wiring that is used.
If the wire is too thick, you'll have a hard time attaching it to the right places, without the wire touching another part of the main board. It also helps that wrapping wire is insulated, because this ensures you won't short out your main board. Use Solder with Flux in it: For those of you that don't know, flux helps solder melt and attach itself to both the wires you're using as well as the solder points. Far too often people are using solder without flux, and buying flux seperately. Doing it that way will mean that you could potentially use too much flux, and corrode / eat away at the solder point as time goes on, forcing you to re-solder at a later date.
Keep your wires as short as possible: Because you're actually sending data / information FROM the modchip, to your Playstation 2 motherboard, the less of a distance that the data / information has to travel, the better. Many customers that initially thought they had done an incorrect ps2 mod chip installation were simply wiring up their mod chips with wires that were far too long. The Playstation 2 is a bit picky, make sure to keep your power and ground wires as short as possible. Probably the most important tip is simply to take your time. We all like to rush, and getting that ps2 mod chip in the mail means sitting down and wanting to install it right away, as fast as you can. Some of the solder points are small, requiring precision. While you don't have to be an expert a soldering, you DO have to take your time, making sure and double checking every single connection.
Make sure that the wires ARE actually attached, and more importantly, that they're attached to ONLY the soldering points they should be, without touching any other wires. Get the RIGHT chip for YOUR Playstation 2 console model number. There are 16 different versions of the Playstation 2 Main Board, and you have one of them. The question is which one do YOU have. Before you buy your ps2 mod chip, make sure to check which version you have. You can do this by going to Google.com and searching for PS2 MODEL IDENTIFICATION and you'll see results from numerous web sites offering a listing of all PS2 Model numbers. You can of course opt for a Universal PS2 Modchip, this will do away with having to find out your model number in advance, because the universal ps2 mod chips like the Modbo 4.0, will work in every single Playstation 2 console on the market today.
There is absolutely no need to be intimidated by a ps2 mod chip installation. I myself am not very good at soldering, but was able to complete the installation from start to finish within 50 minutes. I am including taking apart and putting back together the Playstation 2 as well. Soldering time and wiring was about 30 minutes of the 50 minute job.
Now mind you, I do have steady hands, and I did buy all the right equipment for the job. What is also important to note is that the total of all the items you'll need to do the installation (soldering iron, wires, etc.) will not cost more than $20-$30 at your local Radio Shack store, certainly not a kings ransom considering you now have access to thousands of games.
If you're still uncertain after looking at the installation directions at the online stores, then opt to go for the pre modded ps2 systems. They're not expensive, and they are truly a plug in and play solution.
But be careful that the online store you're buying from is selling you a BRAND NEW Playstation 2 and that they will actually replace the original Sony Warranty, as you don't want to be in a position where you end up with a brand new PS2, without a warranty in place. Ring Of Fire Dream Tower Rarity.
Modchips also exist for the PlayStation 2 and allow for things like playing games from other regions, playing PS1 and PS2 backups, and running homebrew applications. This blog post covers the installation of the Modbo 4.0 modchip into my SCPH-70012 PS2 slim console. Things you’ll need • An SCPH-70012 PS2 slim console • Tools to take apart the PS2 slim • A or modchip. They are pin compatible, I bought my chip from.
• 30 AWG kynar insulated wire wrapping wire • A soldering iron and solder I initially installed a Modbo 4.0 chip, but ended up swapping it out for a Modbo 5.0 chip. The Modbo 5.0 chip allows booting homebrew directly off of USB flash drives, which is important since the PS2 slim doesn’t have support for an internal hard drive.
I’d also like to mention that I was able to install the modchip with a pretty standard 1.6mm chisel tip on my Hakko FX-888D soldering iron. In other words you don’t need a super special tip for your soldering iron.
You just need patience, good eyes, and a steady hand. At the time of writing this post I have installed a modchip into two different PS1 systems, two different PS2 systems, and soldered a Teensy to a PS3 slim. I’ve learned a lot along the way, so I’d like to share some tips that may help your modchip installation experience be a smoother one.
Since these tips apply across a lot of posts, I’ve put them into a. Modchip installation diagram Above is an an image of the installation diagram for the Modbo 3.0 diagram for NTSC V12 PS2 slim consoles. This diagram is the same for Modbo 4.0 and Modbo 5.0 chips.
If you need a diagram for another version of the PS2 just leave a comment and I’ll upload a copy for you. As you can see from the diagram there are a total of 21 wires that need to be soldered from the PS2 to the modchip. The chip comes with double sided tape that you use to stick it to the board. I chose to mount my modchip on top of the large chip in the middle of where all of the wires needed to go.
I’d recommend finding a lower point on the board instead, since I had to cut away some of the metal shield later on to get the system put back together. You can see an image of the board and where I mounted my modchip above. Modchip installation With the modchip mounted I soldered each wire to the board.
I started with the pads to the right of the chip, and then followed a counter clockwise pattern around the modchip once I finished soldering wires to the pads. Above is an image of what my installation looked like after I finished with the pads. I had the most trouble when it came time to solder wires to the holes, or vias, that are located under the modchip. Change Serial Number Android Device. Getting solder to stick to the holes was tricky, I’d recommend using some flux to help get the solder flowing.
I inserted an image of wires attached so some of the holes above. Eventually I finished soldering all of the wires to the board, and the image above is the result. As you can see I routed four ground wires to the ground pad in the diagram. I’d actually recommend routing the ground to whichever screw hole is closest to the modchip. It’s also a good idea to use more wires for the 3.3V line as well. Putting everything back together Once I had soldered the modchip to the board, I could put the console back together.
I started by taping over all of the points I soldered to, including most of the modchip. Taping prevents any of the connections from being shorted with the case, and also helps hold the wires in place. As I mentioned earlier, I didn’t choose the best position for mounting my modchip. I had to cut away some of the metal shielding to make room for the modchip.
Removing the shielding still resulted in a very tight fit when putting everything back together. Final thoughts I was able to install my modchip my first try in less than an hour. I found the installation process to be more difficult than the installation of a modchip on a PS1, or soldering a Teensy to a PS3 Slim.
Laser failure is a problem with V12 PS2 slim consoles, which can be prevented through various methods. From my understanding the best methods are fix, and the.
I also read that later date code V12 systems don’t have the issue. My PS2 slim is a later date code, so I’m going to see if anything bad happens, and just replace the laser if I have to. I’ll update this post if anything happens. This entry was posted in,,,. Bookmark the.