PSM - Playstation Micro

[lovablechevy]

ok, got some more work done today. all of the painting is done. only the top part of the PSM is needing a coat of clear.

i got the umd door done

i got the controller "wired up" but have yet to do testing (gotta wire up the PSM side of the controller port first). i kinda screwed up the 360 dpad on the board, so had to improvise.

and the PSM controller (mostly done)

 

[lovablechevy]

i forgot to show you guys the final front of the controller. i still have yet to test it all. didn't work on it yesterday and i dunno if i'll work on it tonight. i have a lot of visa paperwork to take care of if i want to actually get married in april...

 

[lovablechevy]

so, i have hit a snag. before i do all the wiring on the console side, i thought it'd be a good idea to make sure that the umd drive is still working properly.

it's not.

i mean, it is. there is nothing wrong with the umd drive. i have popped it into my other psp, and it boots up just fine.

but when it's in the psm, it doesn't read disks. it spins fine. the laser moves left/right and up/down like it should...

there are only 2 things i can think that may be the issue.

1) the paint is just thick enough on that part that it can't focus right. i plan to scrape it all out tonight on the inside. it's not needed anyway. that is the easy option.

2) it's the connector for one of the 2 ribbon cables for the umd drive. it connects tight, but one side is broken. it doesn't look like it's preventing it from making a very secure connection so i don't see why it'd be this. it's not the flip up/flip down style connector. it slides out by pulling on the tabs on both sides. and one tab has broken away from the bar.

but that is the only other thing that is different from my psp.

so that's where i am right now. i hope i can get it figured out soon... if it's the ribbon connector, then i don't know what to do from there. i am not good at all with removing/replacing those. i fear i'd just mess things up more.

 

[lovablechevy]

ok! i got the umd working. turns out it was due to the ribbon cable connector. it was not allowing 1 of the very edge connections make contact. after i accidentally bridged 2 of the pins together, then almost made a total mess trying to get them unbridged... then almost ruined it entirely by a pin coming loose...

anyway, it's working. i don't know how i managed to save it. lol!

i ended up ripping apart my 2 other psps to try to figure out what was wrong. my work station looks kinda funny with all those psp parts everywhere!

 

[lovablechevy]

well, things didn't go exactly as planned today. turns out i really need a lot of new tiny tips. soldering to the PSP board is a lot harder than i anticipated. heh...

anyway, i got the controller port installed in the PSM. its not wired up yet, but its good and secure.

 

[lovablechevy]

sadly it looks like the PSM is going to have to go on hold until i can afford to get this new soldering iron. the 2 tip choices for the cheap radio shack iron i have simply cannot handle this small of soldering. and i don't want to risk ruining my PSP board (any more then i possibly already have) by attempting to finish it with this soldering iron...

i am trying to save up to get this.

 

[vskid3]

i am trying to save up to get this.

I have the analog version, its great. I still need to get a smaller tip, though.

 

[lovablechevy]

i have some amazing and great news! a dear friend of mine is gonna loan me her hakko soldering iron! so the PSM will only be on hold till it gets to me through the mail. some of you may remember her: tibia.

 

[ttsgeb]

I am now viewing this as a tibia/lovablechevy collab, and am appropriately excited to see more.
I mean, not really, but I want it to happen.


Fine pitch soldering with a ratshack iron is the best. In the past, I've taken the tips and put them in a drill, then spun them on sandpaper until I was happy with how pointy they were.

 

[lovablechevy]

well, i have the base system done. i just don't have any of the carts finished yet. lol!

this isn't an actual pnp cart, just a famicom cart to show height

this isn't an actual pnp cart, just a famicom cart to show height

the mushrooms!!!

now i can really hunker down and get these carts rollin.

 

[ttsgeb]

*cough*
Wrong thread, yo.

Now give me a *real* PSM update.