PS4 Technical Discussion

[master_8ball]

Noticed on the weekend that the R2 button is broken on one of my controllers... Haven't dropped it or anything but its like whatever connects it on the inside is broken, if I push it down it stays and there is no spring action. A little disappointing considering I have had it since launch and have never had an issue with any controllers on any PS system... Maybe its just too much Destiny.

[Omegaice]

Originally Posted by master_8ball

Noticed on the weekend that the R2 button is broken on one of my controllers... Haven't dropped it or anything but its like whatever connects it on the inside is broken, if I push it down it stays and there is no spring action. A little disappointing considering I have had it since launch and have never had an issue with any controllers on any PS system... Maybe its just too much Destiny.

Stop following me!

[Derb]

Originally Posted by Omegaice

I must be in the minority then when it comes to the DS4. I have had mine since launch day & have not had any issues what so ever with it. I play reguarly too. Ha! Now watch I go home & they stop working.

Trust me once you have it for 2 years, it'll be dead regardless of how often you play.

[Omegaice]

Originally Posted by Derb

Trust me once you have it for 2 years, it'll be dead regardless of how often you play.

I'll just solder in a replacement battery then.

[SkillzthatKillz]

Originally Posted by wormraper

4 months

That sounds like something is defective with that controller then. I've had 2 DS4's since launch and haven't had any issues with them. I'd try taking that back to cosco and getting a new one

[dyne]

My brothers system randomly spit out a disc today. Then it kept making the disc eject noise. Unbelievable how shoddy systems are anymore.

[jsteinhauer]

Originally Posted by dyne

My brothers system randomly spit out a disc today. Then it kept making the disc eject noise. Unbelievable how shoddy systems are anymore.

It is a common problem. But if the console was built to a similar standard as the launch PS3, there would have been outrage over the price. And sales would have lagged XB1 terribly. Your brother knows the fix right? It happens to me, only on the unit I swapped the HDD from, sometimes every day for three weeks straight. Then will not happen again for a month. And it has only ever happened once in a day, within about an hour of firing it up.

[dyne]

Yeah we've checked some fixes. They all seem temporary, especially messing with the screw under the switch. It's just in a bad spot with heat from the spinning disc, heat from being in standby. I'm sure it's just every so slightly warping plastic.

[Derb]

Originally Posted by jsteinhauer

It is a common problem. But if the console was built to a similar standard as the launch PS3, there would have been outrage over the price. And sales would have lagged XB1 terribly. Your brother knows the fix right? It happens to me, only on the unit I swapped the HDD from, sometimes every day for three weeks straight. Then will not happen again for a month. And it has only ever happened once in a day, within about an hour of firing it up.

Ouch

I never had that happen yet but that's the solution?

[Scottie]

Originally Posted by dyne

My brothers system randomly spit out a disc today. Then it kept making the disc eject noise. Unbelievable how shoddy systems are anymore.

Mine did it twice today.

I'll go days without beeping or disc ejecting and then boom, strings of it nonstop.

[jsteinhauer]

Originally Posted by Derb

Ouch

I never had that happen yet but that's the solution?

I assume you mean "what's" instead of "that's".

Power down completely. Unplug PS4. Press power button repeatedly until it stops beeping when you press it. Wait about 2-3 seconds between presses and press firmly, in my experience. It usually takes 4 presses for me. Then plug back in and use normally. This has come up before in the Tips and Tricks thread.

[Derb]

Originally Posted by jsteinhauer

I assume you mean "what's" instead of "that's".

Power down completely. Unplug PS4. Press power button repeatedly until it stops beeping when you press it. Wait about 2-3 seconds between presses and press firmly, in my experience. It usually takes 4 presses for me. Then plug back in and use normally. This has come up before in the Tips and Tricks thread.

A sarcastic "that's"

Seriously though, that is not a solution. If it's common & is software related, Sony should be on the ball with a firmware fix. I simply would not tolerate my PS4 acting like a POS.

[vindicated08]

Don't know if this is really the right place but it's PS4 related.

I was able to hear a poster here using the default headset that comes with the PS4 but after I got the Sony Wireless headset recently, I can't seem to get the chat thing to work. It's frustrating 'cause I can't hear my friend who I've been playing a couple of missions with on Destiny lately. I have NAT Type 2 and can't seem to get it to NAT Type 1 which is open.

Is this a common issue and does it vary when chatting with people? Any solutions?

[jsteinhauer]

Originally Posted by vindicated08

Don't know if this is really the right place but it's PS4 related.

I was able to hear a poster here using the default headset that comes with the PS4 but after I got the Sony Wireless headset recently, I can't seem to get the chat thing to work. It's frustrating 'cause I can't hear my friend who I've been playing a couple of missions with on Destiny lately. I have NAT Type 2 and can't seem to get it to NAT Type 1 which is open.

Is this a common issue and does it vary when chatting with people? Any solutions?

Destiny had more NAT issues than I have had with other games. Inexplicably so. I would not be able to chat with one party member in game chat, then switch to party chat, and it would be a different member. NAT 2 should be good enough. Even with NAT 3, I was able to chat with about 80% of other players.

You have your headset output set to prioritize chat, right? Make sure of that, and also make sure that when you are playing Destiny, you and the party you want to communicate with are all on the same page about game chat versus party chat.

[Ray O. Blu]

I'm noticing a lot of Themes or backgrounds becoming available for the PS4.
I wish they would at least let you sample them all so that you're not chuckin' money down the drain with a crappy theme.

One is called "3 Epic 3D Galaxy Themes in One Theme".
What's that really all about?

[jeff_rigby]

New PS4 teardown:

New power supply ADP-200ER replaced ADP-240CR and is 80g lighter.
New BD drive.
New 8Gb GDDR5 chips (Samsung K4G80325FB-HC03) more power efficient (half the chips and shorter traces)
New main board SAC-001 replaced SAB-001 and has 60mm less width.
The APU could be a AMD version @ 28nm but using Global foundries and their process which is slightly more space and power efficient..

Launch CUH-1000 PS4:
APU: CXD90026G
secondary: CXD90025G

CUH-1100 PS4:
APU: CXD90026AG (minor revision A)
secondary: CXD90025G (same)

CUH-1200 PS4:
APU: CXD90037G (major revision 37)
secondary: CXD90036G (major revision 36)

Following chips existed at previous models are now missing:
- Fujitsu USB 3.0-SATA bridge => moved into Southbridge
- Marvell Ethernet LSI => in the HDMI chip or southbridge
- Genesys Logic USB 3.0 hub controller LSI => moved into southbridge

The secondary processor CXD90036G (Southbridge) now has direct connection to all of them

HDMI transmitter is MN864729 by Panasonic. Again this chip is not listed in the Panasonic site but it's larger with many more pins. One of the features the previous chip didn't have which is supposed to be part of a HDMI chip is the Ethernet LAN pin where the internet can be accessed through the HDMI cable from another device in the chain from STB to optionally a Connected Receiver then to a Connected Smart TV. I suspect this chip has it and with HDMI 2.0 it needs an internet connection to firmware update the HDCP scheme which it probably now has internally to Southbridge or via the HDMI Ethernet pin which is also connected to Southbridge in some way. The Ethernet LSI may be part of the Panasonic HDMI chip or it could be in Southbridge.

The 4 small rectanular parts between the HDMI port and the HDMI chip are optoisolators which could be to protect against transients or to isolate for direct DC power supply provided by or for external devices. It could provide power for head mounted glasses connected to the HDMI port.

Edit: plainly visible from the HDMI chip to Southbridge are EXPOSED traces so this means it is a custom chip and HDCP takes place in Southbridge just like the previous PS4 HDMI chip. In a TV these traces from the HDMI receiver are required to be layered inside the board and inaccessible. In the PS4 it's only slightly more expensive to do the same but you can see LANS (connection pads) on those traces likely for diagnostic/repair purposes. If the video exiting Southbridge were not already encrypted then the PS4 couldn't be certified for DRM. Also watermarking is required and that is before encryption and uses some IDs like Mac number and IP address to track down piracy.



Previous PS4 HDMI chip below and the optoisolators are also there too.

[doctorD]

^^^Hi Jeff, thanks for posting. Is this info about the new 1TB PS4 or is this something that came out of no where?

[Mavrick]

Originally Posted by doctorD

^^^Hi Jeff, thanks for posting. Is this info about the new 1TB PS4 or is this something that came out of no where?

No this is the new model CUH-1200 that just came out in Japan and will eventually launch in other regions.

The 1TB launched in the UK is still running the old hardware.

[jeff_rigby]

Originally Posted by Mavrick

No this is the new model CUH-1200 that just came out in Japan and will eventually launch in other regions.

The 1TB launched in the UK is still running the old hardware.

Yes, and my guess is: 1) cost reduction where Sony moved functions from secondary chips that Sony would have to buy, into the Sony custom Southbridge they designed and contracted to have forged. 2) Power reduction and simplification for power mode control.

The second custom chip as Southbridge is always on for Network standby and more. CEC (from HDMI), LAN, WiFi, USB all have to be monitored with the USB connected to Camera and Microphone for Wake on key phrase. The Hard Disk will be used for DVR functions when the PS4 is in rest mode.

All features except possibly the HDMI port providing Ethernet functionality would be the same between PS4 models.

Again, the PS4 second custom chip as Southbridge could be used in NEW Sony 4K blu-ray players being released this year. The PS4 is essentially a ARM SoC, connected 4K blu-ray player with AMD APU attached for games. The OS would also be BSD and the native programs the same but in the case of the Sony 4K blu-ray player, it would likely be Android using those same native libraries the PS4 uses to support the WebGL UI.

Sony can make a 4K blu-ray player using the Southbridge for about $100 less than the PS4.

[jmy2469]

Originally Posted by jeff_rigby

Yes, and my guess is: 1) cost reduction where Sony moved functions from secondary chips that Sony would have to buy, into the Sony custom Southbridge they designed and contracted to have forged. 2) Power reduction and simplification for power mode control.

The second custom chip as Southbridge is always on for Network standby and more. CEC (from HDMI), LAN, WiFi, USB all have to be monitored with the USB connected to Camera and Microphone for Wake on key phrase. The Hard Disk will be used for DVR functions when the PS4 is in rest mode.

All features except possibly the HDMI port providing Ethernet functionality would be the same between PS4 models.

Again, the PS4 second custom chip as Southbridge could be used in NEW Sony 4K blu-ray players being released this year. The PS4 is essentially a ARM SoC, connected 4K blu-ray player with AMD APU attached for games. The OS would also be BSD and the native programs the same but in the case of the Sony 4K blu-ray player, it would likely be Android using those same native libraries the PS4 uses to support the WebGL UI.

Sony can make a 4K blu-ray player using the Southbridge for about $100 less than the PS4.

Hopefully we will see this later on at the end of the year once UHD/4K blu-ray players hit the market. Maybe PS4 slim model? Don't know how they would even do a slim model, it's pretty darn slim right now!