Random observations on Vita logic board

While I’m waiting for more tools to arrive, here’s some things I’ve found while playing around with the continuity test on a multimeter. There is no stunning discovery here, just bits and pieces of thoughts that may not be completely accurate.

On Video Out

The unfilled pads next to the eMMC has something to do with video. The direction of the trace goes from the SoC to the video connector. A continuity test shows that all the pads comes from the SoC and leads to some point on the video connector. Could they be pads used for testing video in factory? Looking at the VitaTV teardown from 4gamer.net shows that traces in a similar location coming out of the SoC goes through similar looking components and then into the Op-Amp and to the HDMI connector. This is a stretch, but could these traces output HDMI if connected properly? As a side note, I could not find any direct connection between anything on the video connector to either the mystery port or the multi-connector. If Sony were to ever produce a video-out cable, there needs to be a software update as there doesn’t seem to be hardware support.

On the Mystery Port and USB

The first two pins on the mystery port appear to be ground (or Vdd and Vss). The last pin could be a power source. Pins 3 and 4 goes through a component and directly into the SoC. What’s interesting is that the D+/D- USB line from the multi-connector on the bottom goes through a similar looking component and that they are very close to the pins that handle the mystery port. Looking at 4gamer.net’s VitaTV teardown again, we see that the USB input port has two lines that go through very similar paths (the various components that it goes through) as the Vita’s USB output, but the position of the traces going into the SoC on the VitaTV is the same position of the trace on the Vita coming from the mystery port. Could the mystery port be a common USB host/USB OTG port with a custom plug?

On the Mystery Chip

Also 4gamer.net speculates the SCEI chip on the top of the board has something to do with USB, but I think that’s not true because USB lines go directly into the SoC. Which means that we still don’t know what the SCEI chip does (it is the only chip on the board that has yet been identified by any source). My completely baseless hypothesis is that it’s syscon because it would be reasonable to assume that the syscon is outside of the SoC since it would decide when to power own the SoC.

On the eMMC

This may be public knowledge but the Vita’s eMMC NAND is 4GB (same as VitaTV and Vita Slim). The new Vitas do not have any additional storage chips. This also means that the 1GB internal storage on the new Vitas is just another partition or something on that NAND (no hardware changes).

Comments

  1. hashcheck

    Hi you are correct in your think re Video out point on the vita MB

    http://www.3dsvideocapture.com/product-list/6

    Uses these point to connect to their usb daughter board for USB connectivity and output to computer :)

  8. minime

    Hashcheck thats what happens when you have a locked device. If there was a CFW i bet a similar homebrew as RMJ, for Vita would have been developed and saved everyone $390 lol!

  10. abdou005

    Thank you Yifan lu finally we are getting to understand the vita more and more.

    I see you talking about Davee, is this what you are searching ? https://github.com/DaveeFTW

  12. minime

    you know about the video output i was wondering, did SKFU showcased it’s dev kit Vita mobo? maybe we can see what the HDMI connector is using for signal. Where it leads to. And maybe we could reproduce it on regular vita’s too right? then it will remain the software. But maybe someone can make a custom driver for it just like they managed to make one for the Vita capture card. Can all this be possible? could a consumer Vita’s motherboard still have HDMI capability just like a dev kit?

  17. abdou005

    Hi Yifan lu, I was reaching and find that guide. maybe it could give you some help :D.

    http://www.ifixit.com/Device/PlayStation_Vita

    and this : http://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/PlayStation+Vita+Teardown/7872

    Wish you the best :D

  19. Thrawn

    Hmm… looking at those ps vita video out mod which is using those pins I suspected to go into the NAND, that looks so strange, it makes no sense, regardless.

    The mystery chip (SCEI 1148KM458 or 1144KM427) you mention on your blog, it could be related to the ps vita proprietary game cartridge, I have seen no direct lines to the CXD5315GG plus this strange chip sits directly on the opposite side of the slot, this would vouch for some kind of controller or a security chip. On techinsights.com they speculate this chip to be an AKM magnetic compass, but this is in my opinion bullsh*t as there is already the gyro (st? 3GA51H) and the 3 axis mems (Kionix KXTC9). Also why would a magnetic compass need to be emi shielded? This limits its capabilities. Plus there is another strange chip (st 32P10SoE / GK09093) which could possibly be the magnetic compass.

  23. Elliot

    I know this is a really old article but I just discovered your blog and I was wondering if it seems possible to make a cheap HDMI out? It seems possible but I’m no expert.

  28. SavedEmperor

    do you have a tutorial video or schematics or something to show how to solder those components to capture video from psv?

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