Nix McRetro
First up, a little information on the PlayStation modchips and programmers I was experimenting with around 2016.
A lot of my original notes were based on forum posts and trial and error, so let’s separate the things I actually observed from the things that can now be documented more confidently.
Programmers
My GQ-4X gave me trouble programming some of these PIC devices, particularly around configuration data. That describes my setup rather than proving that every GQ-4X behaves the same way.
The MiniPro TL866CS became my preferred programmer for these chips.
My K150 was also unreliable in my setup and repeatedly lost communication.
I originally wrote that PICkit 2 supported the PIC12F508 but not the PIC12F629. That was wrong. The official PICkit 2 v2.61 device list includes both the PIC12F508 and PIC12F629. The older PIC12C508 is a different matter and does not appear in that support list.
MultiMode3
MM3 uses the PIC’s internal clock source. One advantage is that it works across earlier PlayStation motherboard revisions where Mayumi V4 cannot use the same mechacon-clock arrangement.
Mayumi 4
Mayumi V4 uses the PlayStation’s mechacon clock on supported motherboards, giving it highly consistent timing. On PU-22 and later boards it also uses the XLAT signal as part of its stealth behaviour.
OneChip
OneChip is specifically aimed at the PAL PS one and includes the additional boot-ROM patch needed for that machine.
I also eventually discovered why some Mayumi-programmed PICs would not read back normally: the supplied code had code protection enabled. That was why the behaviour differed from some of the MultiMode3 chips I had programmed.
Thanks again to Master991 and Bad_Ad84 for helping me work out what was happening.
Related posts
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[Mayumi 4 PIC12F629 SCPH-7502 PU-22](/mayumi-4-pic12f629-scph-7502-pu-22/) -
[Mayumi 4 PIC12C508A SCPH-7502 PU-22](/mayumi-4-pic12c508a-scph-7502-pu-22/) -
[Mayumi 4 PIC12C508A SCPH-5502 PU-18](/mayumi-4-pic12c508a-scph-5502-pu-18/) - Creating a Sony PlayStation Modchip