====== Linux on my Playstation 2 ======

Running linux on a Playstation 2 ? What a strange idea... Absoulutlely not, it's
a very good and cheap way to try coding games and graphic demos on a real graphics oriented
architecture (and also try a MIPS based computer...).

You will not find any incredible hardware or software PS2 hacking here since I
run linux on my gaming machine by using the official Sony's PS2 Linux
distribution. It's only an elegant way to thanks the [[http://playstation2-linux.com|Linux for PS2 community]] and add a few words about my own experience on this hardware.  

My PS2 is plugged on a nice Sony MFM-HT95 which accept VGA signals with Sync-On-Green
(SOG) (this simply means that the signal coming out the Multi-AV connector at the rear
of the Sony's machine does not have separate H-Sync an V-sync signals as usual :
the synchronization information is carried inside the green color component).
Your monitor must accept SOG (it's not a trivial caracteristic) or you'll never
be able to get a PS2 picture (I recommend that you read the [[http://playstation2-linux.com/faq.php|Linux (for PlayStation®2) Version 1.0 FAQ]] for all these technical information). 

Yes, the PS2 can generate CVBS (composite PAL/NTSC), S-Video, VGA (up to 1280x1024 60/75 Hz) and
even HD (with analog YCrCb connection : 780p, 720p & 1080i) signals (usable with
the linux kit). Why games do not use these high resolutions ? I clearly think
that the mains limitations come from the 4Mbytes of VRAM (double buffering at
high res. is impossible) : just compare it to the specifications of the modern PC
world graphic cards.

Note that you will find some precompiled binaries for PS2 on this website.
(mainly my own programs).

It's now time to start an overview of the hardware.

===== (Brief) Hardware specifications =====

**Base PS2 Hardware**

  * CPU Emotion Engine (MIPS R5900 core at ~300Mhz / 16k I-Cache / 8k D-Cache + extra peripherals)
  * Vectorial Unit 0 with 4k Data / 4k Instruction
  * Vectorial Unit 1 with 16k Data / 16k Instruction
  * Internal bus size 128bits
  * RAM 32MB
  * VRAM 4MB (Graphic Synthesizer / 8k Frame / 8k Textures)
  * USB x 2 / ieee1394 / controllers I/F...

**Linux Kit "Add-ons"**

  * 40GB Maxtor IDE HDD (more details...)
  * 10/100 Ethernet I/F
  * USB keyboad (QWERTY) & mouse

When you write code for the PS2 (eg. a graphic app.) you have to consider the
entire architecture, not only think CPU + Graphic Memory. For more details,
please read through the links at the end of this page. The linux kit also comes
with a complete set of PS2 hardware documentation.

===== /proc/cpuinfo =====

The famous one...

  cpu                     : MIPS
  cpu model               : R5900 V3.1
  system type             : EE PS2
  BogoMIPS                : 392.40
  byteorder               : little endian
  unaligned accesses      : 0
  wait instruction        : no
  microsecond timers      : no
  extra interrupt vector  : yes
  hardware watchpoint     : no
  VCED exceptions         : not available
  VCEI exceptions         : not available

and the /proc/interrupts file

   9:   872859   Ch-0 timer/counter
  16:        0 + VIF0 DMA
  17:        0 + VIF1 DMA
  18:    55657 + GIF DMA
  19:        0 + fromIPU DMA
  20:        0 + toIPU DMA
  21:     2841 + SIF0 DMA
  24:        0 + fromSPR DMA
  25:        0 + toSPR DMA
  33:        0 + GS FINISH
  41:    61991 + ide0, + PlayStation 2 Ethernet
  42:      144   usb-ohci

===== Screenshots =====

Some pictures of the PS2 running ctetris in an old KDE 1.x and gnuboy (a game boy
emulator which compile perfectly "right out the box") in wmaker.

{{gallery>ps2?150x150?3?lightbox&1024X768}}

===== Additional links =====

[[http://www.technology.scee.net/presentations|SCEE's presentations]]

[[http://www.technology.scee.net/files/presentations/gdw2003/IntroductionToPS2.pdf|Introduction to PS2 (SCEE's document)]]

[[http://www.technology.scee.net/files/presentations/kri2003/InsidePlayStation2.pdf|Inside  Playstation 2 (SCEE's document)]]

[[http://research.scea.com/|Sony Computer Entertainment US / Research and Development]]

\\ 

Article by Stellae (N. Lemouël) //November, 5th 2006// <website@stellae.fr>

PlayStation & PlayStation 2 are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.