Finalman's Console Mods: Finalman's Sony PlayStation 2 FAT in a PC Case Mod

THE IDEA

This mod is to basically develop a PS2 FAT motherboard adapter plate and wiring adapters that are able to be transplanted between different PC cases.

NOTE: Will support motherboard revisions GH-004 (SCPH-300xx) to GH-029 (SCPH-550xx), except GH-008 (SCPH-180xx). Includes some PS2s models that have 10 case screws and all PS2s that have 8 case screws.

NOTE: Will not support PS2 launch model motherboard revisions GH-001 to GH-003 and GH-008 (SCPH-10xx - SCPH-180xx) due to the HDD being connected through a PCMCIA port. These PS2s have 10 case screws.

REASONS

Use a PS2 motherboard that has no case or missing case parts
Allow the motherboard exposure to more air rather than being in a confined space
Motherboard steel classis's rust and the rust particles fall on to the motherboard and cause shorts.
Easily change the internal motherboard clock battery.

Testing.

PERCENT COMPLETE

90%

TASKS

Complete:

Create the PS2 FAT controller and memory card adapter mounting hardware

Create the USB port adapters

Create the heatsink base plate

Create the PS2 motherboard adapter plate

Create the motherboard bottom VRM heatsink hardware

Create the network adapter mounting hardware

Create the Hard Disk Drive adapter mounting hardware

Create the PS2 to PC case On button and LEDs wiring hardware.

Create the ATX power supply adapter wiring hardware

Create the Processors heat sink adapter hardware.

Not Complete:

Create the port wiring and solder to motherboard.

Extras: (Not important so I might do later on)

PS2 MOTHERBOARD

Dimensions:

The PS2 FAT motherboards GH-010 to GH-029 measure about:

Width = 150mm
Length = 243mm

ADAPTER PLATE

The purpose of the adapter plate is to combine the standoff holes from the PS2 motherboard and PC case onto the one plate.

Details:

The PS2 motherboard is to be mounted onto a custom made ATX aluminium adapter plate measuring 305mm x 245mm x 2mm thick which is the same size as a standard PC ATX motherboard.

Design:

I have designed hardware to work between the PS2 motherboard and adapter plate depending on either if the ports are left in-place or removed.

NOTE: Motherboard models GH-004 - GH-007 don't require the ports to be removed.

NOTE: Motherboard models GH-010 - GH-029 if the ports are left in-place the motherboard will sit on 35mm high standoffs. This is to provide enough height to so that the ports do not collide with the adapter plate.

NOTE: Motherboard models GH-010 - GH-029 if the ports are removed the motherboard will sit on M2.5 or M3mm, 7mm high standoffs. This is to provide enough height to clear the network adapter hdd power cable on GH-010 to GH-029 motherboards.

Orientation:
The PS2 motherboard will be oriented so that the controller and memory card ports will be accessible through the PC case rear IO port area and the rear ports on the PS2 motherboard will be facing toward the front of the PC case.

GH-004 to GH-007 Motherboards.

GH-010 to GH-029 Motherboards.

Procedure:

I used the PS2 and PC motherboards as templates to drill the standoff adapter plate holes depending on the motherboard version. The basic process is as follows:

1. Clean the aluminium plate edges of any burs
2. Clamp the motherboard in place
3. Use a bench drill-press to lightly mark the standoff holes using the following drill sizes:

2.5mm - PS2

3.0mm - PS2

3.5mm - PS2

4mm - PC

4. Remove the clamps and motherboard

5. Drill the marked holes all of the way through using the following drill sizes:

2.5mm PS2

3mm - PS2

4mm - PC

6. Remove the burs from the drill holes

Example PS2 slim.

HINT: For the most accurate standoff hole locations in the adapter plate get faulty PS2 and PC motherboards. Then grind the motherboard bottom till all of the SMD components and protruding through hole component legs are gone and the motherboard bottom surface is flat.

WARNING: YOU SHOULD WEAR A FACE MASK TO STOP INHALING PARTICLES THAT MIGHT CAUSE INJURY OR ILLNESS.

Grinded PS2 FAT motherboard.

Grinded PC motherboard.

PS2 MOTHERBOARD

COOLING:

CPU - GPU:

GH-004 - GH-007

Due to the configuration of these early PS2 consoles I will be using the original heatsink but mounting a fan on the adapter plate that will blow over the heatsink.

GH-010 - GH-029

I have used a 100x60mmx3mm thick copper plate and cut it to form the perfect shape for the base and I then soldered a heat pipe heat sink directly to it. The shape that you see is so that it does not collide with any surface mount components and will fit on all FAT model PS2s except the launch models.

Copper Baseplate.

If the ports are in place or removed determines the heat sink that can be used. Ports inplace requires the use of a low profile heat sink soldered to the copper base plate due to case width clearance restrictions. Ports removed either a low profile or tower heat sink can be used.

Low profile heat sink.

Tower heat sink without Fan.

NOTE: To prevent the motherboard bending under the pressure of the thermal pads / putty and stressing the solder joints I will hot glue, depending on if the ports are inplace or removed 35mm or 7mm (H) x 5mm (W) nylon spacers under the center of the CPU and GPU.

Pic to be added...

Result:

Ten degrees Celsius lower temperatures than an actual PS2.

RAM:

I will be using small heat sinks on the RAM chips.

MOTHERBOARD VOLTAGE REGULATOR:

GH-004 - GH-005:

Info to be added...

Pic to be added...

GH-015 to GH-029:

Out of all of the PS2 motherboards only GH-015 to GH-029 have a voltage regulator chip that requires cooling. Out of all of those there are only two locations for the voltage regulator chip. Both have been added to my adapter plate to support either location.

GH-015 to GH-023 location.

GH-026 - GH-029 location.

Ports Removed

If the PS2 motherboard has had all of the ports removed and it will be sitting on 7mm high standoffs. I will be using a 3mm thick piece of copper, some thermal paste and pads to sync the heat from the voltage regulator chip into motherboard adapter plate.

Two voltage regulator copper block locations.

Ports In-place

If the PS2 motherboard still has all of the ports it will sit on 35mm high standoffs. I will be using a 2mm thick shaped piece of aluminium, some thermal putty or pads to sync the heat from the voltage regulator chip into piece of aluminium.

PC CASE

Although my mod is not specific to an individual PC case I have chosen to use the....

POWERING:

I soldered wires directly to a PC 20 pin connector that will be connected to the PC power supply motherboard connector. The PS2 expects always-on 12v power so to make the the PC power supply always on I bridged the PWR ON and a GND pins, see here for the workaround section for details.

If the power connector port has been removed I will just solder directly to the motherboard.

If the power port is still there then lugs/crimps will be used to connect to the PS2 power prongs using regular Female Molex connectors the same ones that can be found in the main power supply 20/24 pin, CPU 4/8 pin, PCIe 6/8/12 pin connectors. You have to buy them new unless you have a tool to remove them.

PORTS

Controllers and Memory Cards:

Accessible through the rear IO port area. To make the ports perfectly centered within the IO port area it will be sitting on two 13mm standoffs at the edges and a 19.5mm standoff in the center (not Pictured). A square cut into the adapter plate because otherwise the circuit board on the rear where the ribbon cable attaches would collide with the adapter plate.

Adapter plate hole.

AV:

Optical Audio:
I will be able to use the following Optical adapter to suit. The PCI bracket cut-out was done by myself. This will be attached to one of the PCI slots.

USB:

Ports In-place

I have created USB port to 2.54 header pin adapters out of the USB port from faulty flash drives.

Ports Removed

I will direct solder the USB wires to the motherboard.

HARD DISK DRIVE AND NETWORK:

Ethernet

I have mounted the Ethernet and dial-up port from PS2 network adapter model SCPH-10350 To the adapter plate.

I have then custom made an Ethernet PCI port bracket. I pulled the RJ45 port from an old laptop, cut the square hole out of a PCI bracket blank and soldered the port to the PCI bracket. I then soldered an Ethernet cable to the RJ45 port pins. This will be attached to one of the PCI slots.

Hard Disk Drive

I will be using the Bitfunx PS2 IDE to SATA adapter PCB.

BUTTONS AND LIGHTS:

PS2 Power Button and Power LED to PC Case:

For GH-004 to GH-005 motherboards I designed a 40 pin adapter PCB. For GH-006 to GH-022 motherboards I purchased a few 7 pin adapter pcbs. For GH-23 to GH-029 motherboards I purchased a few 12 pin adapter pcbs.