Posted May 28, 2006 at 01:40PM by Pranav T Listed in: Hacks & Exploits, Mods, News Tags: Undiluted Platinum, modchip
Ó

Well, I'm just finishing off the 'PSP Hacking History' article and I notice this! Guys, the modchip is for real! We've just received some great info from them. Call it a 'Press Release', if you will. Anyways, on with the details:
 

The U.P. (Undiluted Platinum) is a flash replacement system for the PSP™ which allows the use of previous flash updates or custom firmware builds, opening up the possibility to run unsigned homebrew code on even the latest PSP systems. The U.P. contains 32MB NAND flash which is programmable from the PC via a high speed USB connection, using our user friendly software. You may boot the PSP from either its onboard flash or the flash contained on the U.P; the flash which is used is determined by a button press as the PSP is powered on (U.P. flash is used by default, hold L1 to use the PSP onboard flash). Since U.P. provides a secondary flash which the PSP can boot from, it can even be used to restore a PSP which has been "bricked". Every effort has been made to make our flash updater software, which will be freely available for download, both as easy to use and reliable as possible. The software also contains diagnostics which can be used by installers to determine if an installation has been successful or not.
 Undiliuted Platinum
The U.P. has been designed to minimize installation difficulty and effort. A FPC (flexible printed circuit) cable is included which routes the essential signals from the PSP motherboard to the U.P. main board and U.P. USB connector. Copper enamel wire is included, which will provide the connection between the FPC cable and the motherboard signal traces. The FPC cable also helps by reducing the mechanical stress placed on the solder points, making a U.P. modified PSP shock resistant which is important for handheld systems. Installation aids are included, and installation diagrams for all PSP hardware revisions will be available for download, together with flasher software application, from our reseller's websites. More about installation together with install pictures closer to release.

The FPC cable end to which the USB connector board attaches is routed into the battery compartment and sits above the battery. The battery cover can be replaced after flash updating and the cable remains safely in the compartment until the next update is required, whereupon the USB connector can be clipped in place within a few seconds. This means that the U.P. is completely contained within the PSP under normal usage and avoids any unsightly external modifications to your PSP. PSP is after all portable, let’s keep it that way!

In order to maximise the benefits that U.P. can provide its users, we have decided to take an open source approach with U.P and will be releasing source code for any software we release as well as full documentation for the U.P. hardware interface - including information on how to control U.P. from within PSP programs. This will allow anybody to create software which can take advantage of what U.P. has to offer. We have also sent a few prototype units away to some of the scene's best software hackers in order to give them a headstart at working on custom flash replacements - cant wait to see what people will come up with!

Features Announced:
  • Ultra reliable and feature rich Actel ProASIC Plus FPGA
  • Full Speed USB 1.1 ASIC onboard
  • Branded 32MB NAND flash onboard (same flash as used in PSP)
  • Stable and reliable flashing software freely available for download
  • Installation verification using flashing software
  • Ultra compact four layer PCB
  • High quality Japanese connectors
  • USB cable included
  • FPC cable included, reducing installation effort and improving shock resistance
  • Copper enamel wire included
  • Open platform development system for software developers
  • Installation has been optimized to fit entirely inside PSP
  • All PSP hardware versions/regions supported
  • User updatable flash
  • Low power consumption
  • Flash select via button press
  • Ultra compact PCB has been designed to avoid signal bounce
Bundled Stuff:
  • U.P. MAIN MODULE x1
  • U.P. USB BOARD x1
  • USB CABLE x1
  • INSTALLATION AIDS 1 SET
  • COPPER ENAMEL WIRE 1 SPOOL
  • FPC CABLE x1
It will be priced at around 75 Euros, or $90. A bit high, if you ask me. But completely worth it. I guess this is enough to silence the skeptics. And making the PSP 'brick-proof'? Wow, that's something which will excite everyone. This would obviously lead to more hacks since the hackers can experiment without fearing bricking their PSP.

Anyways, we will keep you posted with the latest developments to this latest hot news!


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369 Comments


Sort by:
   by soundinsekt (Unregistered) - 2006-05-28
 » yeah@#!

this definitly rocks #@!

   by brammster (Unregistered) - 2006-05-28
 » halleluya

halleluya :D

   by dude (Unregistered) - 2006-05-28
 » chyea

excellent excellent

   by GHenrik - 2006-05-28
 » Heh: it unbrickable

I read the news before qj.net O ye.

ITS SOOO COOL YOU CANT BRICK YOUR PSP. you can easy restore the flash.

   by finnr (Unregistered) - 2006-05-28
 » America! ***** YEA!

tis' a great day for the psp, tis' true!

   by PSP HERO (Unregistered) - 2006-05-28
 » Sony brake down

SONY tha GAME is OVER for you MUUUUUUUUUUHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHAAAA

   by s0m30n3_sp3cia1 (Unregistered) - 2006-05-28
 » GREAT

everyone rejoice!

   by IronLung (Unregistered) - 2006-05-28
 » EXCELLENT

The Xbox modchip I bought and installed was $20 shipped but at $90, this may bring out new value in my ol' PSP. Cheers folks, raise one 'cause Sony is out of the picture for real and it'll stay that way. Bring on v3.0 Sony, I'll happily upgrade (my local) firmware...

Kudos to the U.P. crew for doing it open source. That rules.

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   by ! (Unregistered) - 2006-05-28
 » yes

fricking AWESOME! cant wait:D

   by warder (Unregistered) - 2006-05-28
 » YES

woot, push me and then just touch me til I get my satisfaction. satisfaction. satisfaction. satisfaction. satisfaction. satisfaction. satisfaction. satisfaction. satisfaction. satisfaction. satisfaction. satisfaction. satisfaction. satisfaction. satisfaction. satisfaction.

   by Destructo - 2006-05-28

ZOMFG. This roxxorz my boxxorz.

   by Mike Tyson (Unregistered) - 2006-05-28
 » Amazing!

I haven't been following any PSP news for many months now, but a friend linked me to this article. Now I'm not quite sure what "unbrickable" means, since I haven't been around the PSP scene for a while, but does this ACTUALLY mean I can safely drop a brick on my PSP without damaging it?

Someone please respond, I've been contemplating this action for some time now, and I had almost lost hope. If this device will allow me to test my brick dropping skills at my own free will, then I just might shell out the $90!

   by Crazy-Virus (Unregistered) - 2006-05-28
 » GREAT JUST GREAT

i can't wait to buy this!!!!! thats soooo amazing!!!!

   by post_break (Unregistered) - 2006-05-28
 » well

The psp has now become the best handheld heh. Good luck trying to block this one sony.

   by MjW - 2006-05-28
 » heh

***** yeah

   by ITW (Unregistered) - 2006-05-28
 » The end off PSP?

If no one buy the games fore PSP, they will stop making games, and than PSP will die...
So i dont know how happy i am abaut this chip...

Look at the UMD movies.. no one buy them, than they stop making them, evereyone buy the chip, and no one will make games, becaus everyone downloda them...

   by danielsfbay - 2006-05-28
 » Cache?

So will this increase the systems cache too?

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   by jojo the clown (Unregistered) - 2006-05-28
 » allllllllllllllllover

hell yisel

   by (QJ. NET Staff) - 2006-05-28

Worth it. I'll get it wen it comes out

   by post_break (Unregistered) - 2006-05-28
 » .

I haven't been following any PSP news for many months now, but a friend linked me to this article. Now I'm not quite sure what "unbrickable" means, since I haven't been around the PSP scene for a while, but does this ACTUALLY mean I can safely drop a brick on my PSP without damaging it?


Hahahahahaha no this means you cannot break the psp's operating system. A bricked psp means you cannot fix it.

   by tsaikimon (Unregistered) - 2006-05-28
 » best of both worlds

my question is if you can update your psp's real flash to the latest sony update to take advantage of the new sony firmware stuff and use the chips flash as teh homebrew firmware?

   by pcnerd37 (Unregistered) - 2006-05-28
 » i hate my sense of timing.

Last monday i won a 1.5 PSP on ebay and it arrives tuesday. Now i wish i hadnt won it. I think i will resell it or my 2.6 on ebay and then just get this mod chip.

   by Destructo - 2006-05-28

@21: It says that you can switch to your old flash/firmware, and use it as normal.

   by GHenrik - 2006-05-28
 » Moneybag

O, these people will be stinking rich. This is a new history in PSP homebrew. From now on, everything will change.

   by tyler (Unregistered) - 2006-05-28
 » didnt u read the post that said it takes like mil to make a game?

Look at the UMD movies.. no one bought them because they were "expensive" to all these little cheap kids
but these kids will pay 90 bux happily to pirate stuff.

whoever releases this chip to the public is only DOWNGRADING the quality of future games because sony is going to get less money.


   by Darkatomz - 2006-05-28
 » !!!

WOW that is sik. cant wait for more info.

   by Parranoya (Unregistered) - 2006-05-28
 » VEry Nice

One quick question...when I was modding my XBOX I ffried it right away and had to go buy another one - How easy is this going to be to install? Can someone with limited soldering skills do it?

The PSP is about 250$ each - I dont want to go through many of them just to play homebrew.

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   by aykay (Unregistered) - 2006-05-28
 » wow

absolutely crazy. I can't wait to see what happens.

I'll buy one when I see a custom firmware.

   by Parranoya Parranoya (Unregistered) - 2006-05-28
 » Bricking

Yes many people are having problems with bricks falling on their PSP especially in the UK...where the building are pretty old. Those who like in North America do not have to worry for most of our buildings are very new ~50 years at the most.

This "unbricking" will fix any problems that the flash memory on the PSP might suffer from having bricks hit them. Easy eay to test it. HAve a friend throw a brick at you ----slowly so you dont get hurt -- then holding the PSP like a baseball bat try to hit the brick - keep trying unitl you really connect hard. This simulates the effect of a brick falling on the PSP with minumal risk to bodily injury. Then install the MOD CHIP and voila its back to new!


   by carno*****o (Unregistered) - 2006-05-28
 » wrong

totally wrong people who is sticking with 1.5 is because they don't care about games, this will allow people to hace homebrew and the posibility to play original games that require newer firmware


this is gonna be awesome, how hard will it be to install it by ourselves?



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