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PS4 with BLOD - Getting UART enabled ?

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    #1

    PS4 with BLOD - Getting UART enabled ?

    Hi everyone !

    So a friend gave me a ps4 to rescue but it just pulses blue and never boots. I can't get it to safe mode either (maintaining the power button never gives a second beep, except after like 15 seconds to force turn off). Nothing visible on the board and removing the hard drive doesn't change anything (SMART data are OK on PC).

    I'm trying to enable UART on the PS4 to get info on what it stops on, if a memory is bad, something is corrupted... as explained here : https://repair.wiki/w/PS4_UART_Guide

    However, the software that everyone used, "BwE PS4 NOR Validator", went paid in early 2023, at a hefty price (155€ / 165$), and without any trial (because it was abused).
    There is no single use price or something like that, and it seems everybody relied on this only software. I can't really pay this much for one PS4, especially if it's just going to tell me that a memory bank is dead and I can't do anything. And I probably don't need all the extra features the validator offers (because it's probably a physical problem, the ps4 was stored in a drawer for months before this incident).

    So, my goal is to find a way to enable this UART flag in the NOR without this program. It's probably a simple flag to enable if I have the correct offset and flash back on the NOR. I have found some leads in a program called ps4-permanent-uart that lists offsets for the flags for different firmware versions : https://github.com/JTAG7371/ps4-perm.../uart_helper.h
    The problem is that I'm unsure of the version of the PS4, and if I can use these offsets directly on my dump.

    Hope you can help me !
    Tags: None
    #2
    Re: PS4 with BLOD - Getting UART enabled ?

    Okay guys ! So it has been a few days and I managed to find an old version of the BwE PS4 NOR Validator that I successfully used to enable UART on the PS4. I won't link to it directly (as I don't want it to be taken down, it's useful stuff) but I can give it to you via private message if you need it.

    I don't know if it can be done on all versions on the same offset, but for my BIOS version (ps4 dump checker identified it as firmware 1.62.0000 ?), it changed the FF at 1C931F to 01, according to HxD (it's in an FF block, so the address seemed random, but it worked).

    So now that I have UART enabled on the PS4, I can look at the logs. I tried to use pins 2 & 5 on a serial port on an old Dell D600 on linux but didn't manage to make it work, I don't know why (I've set the correct baud rate of 115200 but I seem to only get garbage).
    I have a CH341 that have another mode than bios dump (written something in chinese TTL on the back) that I can change with a jumper and gives me a COM port on my PC, I just had to connect the TX & GND points of the PS4 to the RX & GND points of the CH341 and use PuTTY.

    So what did I get ?
    "ERROR: DCT[0] is disabled" "ERROR: DCT[1] is disabled"
    Which means the first bank of RAM is dead.

    However, putting pressure on the ram with my finger, it managed to boot correctly. I even put a game disk and played for 15 mins, no problem...
    ... until I walked a bit too hard near it and it crashed (with an MC4 corrupted message or something like that).
    I think a ram chip has a cracked solder ball or something like that, I'm going to reflow them and see.

    Comment

      #3
      Re: PS4 with BLOD - Getting UART enabled ?

      Hi again !

      I've had some people reach to me in PM for the validator, but I've found an open source alternative to the Bwe NOR Validator : https://github.com/andy-man/ps4-wee-tools

      So first thing, I can confirm that the UART flag is indeed at 0x1C931F : https://github.com/andy-man/ps4-wee-...ls/nor.py#L116
      So you can easily edit this with an hex editor to 01 to enable UART, but this new tool eases the process, can validate part of the dump too (I think ?) and provide more useful info.


      Second thing is that I need help. I think I'm at the limit of my hot air station alone.

      The ps4 motherboard is notoriously already hard to unsolder from (for hdmi repair), but for the RAM chips, even at 480°C and full blast for what seemed like minutes, the solder balls doesn't seem to melt (tapping the corner with my tweezers doesn't make the chip dance on the pads).

      Do you know how I can do this more easily ? I suppose the problem is that the board is huge and dissipate a lot of heat, more than the hot air station can easily provide.
      Maybe putting something on it to prevent too much heat dissipation ?
      Maybe using another heat source to assist the hot air ? (would a hair drier on the back of the board be enough ?)
      Maybe putting the board on top of these kind of thing while using hot air ? :

      Comment

        #4
        Re: PS4 with BLOD - Getting UART enabled ?

        What hot air station are you using? What airflow and temps also? Are you using a nozzle to direct the heat?

        All of these will have an affect on how well you can get heat into the board, not to mention 480*c on a cheap station is not the same as 480*c on a Quick, Weller or similar.

        A pre-heater will always help, but I would go for the PUHUI T8280 over what you have posted above (the PUHUI can usually be picked up cheap 2nd hand), it is large enough to heat up the full board so then you only need a little bit of additional heat from the top to get things to de-solder.

        No, a hairdryer will NOT do anything, so don't waste your time with that.

        Comment

          #5
          Re: PS4 with BLOD - Getting UART enabled ?

          Originally posted by orion78fr View Post
          Okay guys ! So it has been a few days and I managed to find an old version of the BwE PS4 NOR Validator that I successfully used to enable UART on the PS4. I won't link to it directly (as I don't want it to be taken down, it's useful stuff) but I can give it to you via private message if you need it.

          I don't know if it can be done on all versions on the same offset, but for my BIOS version (ps4 dump checker identified it as firmware 1.62.0000 ?), it changed the FF at 1C931F to 01, according to HxD (it's in an FF block, so the address seemed random, but it worked).

          So now that I have UART enabled on the PS4, I can look at the logs. I tried to use pins 2 & 5 on a serial port on an old Dell D600 on linux but didn't manage to make it work, I don't know why (I've set the correct baud rate of 115200 but I seem to only get garbage).
          I have a CH341 that have another mode than bios dump (written something in chinese TTL on the back) that I can change with a jumper and gives me a COM port on my PC, I just had to connect the TX & GND points of the PS4 to the RX & GND points of the CH341 and use PuTTY.

          So what did I get ?
          "ERROR: DCT[0] is disabled" "ERROR: DCT[1] is disabled"
          Which means the first bank of RAM is dead.

          However, putting pressure on the ram with my finger, it managed to boot correctly. I even put a game disk and played for 15 mins, no problem...
          ... until I walked a bit too hard near it and it crashed (with an MC4 corrupted message or something like that).
          I think a ram chip has a cracked solder ball or something like that, I'm going to reflow them and see.


          You must replace the RAM according to the attached picture
          Attached Files

          Comment

            #6
            Re: PS4 with BLOD - Getting UART enabled ?

            Thanks for the confirmation, I already saw a crop of this image.
            The RAM on the opposite side of these are part of the same bank right ?

            Comment

              #7
              Re: PS4 with BLOD - Getting UART enabled ?

              hi, orion78fr.
              I have same issue(BLOD) with you. Try to enable UART, still not working.
              I tryed with "ps4 wee tools" and refered to https://repair.wiki/w/PS4_UART_Guide.
              My ps4 is NVG-002 pro model. fw version is 10.50.
              Can you share me "BwE PS4 NOR Validator"?

              Comment

                #8
                Re: PS4 with BLOD - Getting UART enabled ?

                Originally posted by orion78fr View Post
                Thanks for the confirmation, I already saw a crop of this image.
                The RAM on the opposite side of these are part of the same bank right ?
                Hi orion, could you send me the BwE ps4 nor validator old version with trial period. Thanks in advance!!! My e-mail: pavlo13g@gmail.com

                Comment

                  #9
                  Re: PS4 with BLOD - Getting UART enabled ?

                  or use the free software
                  https://github.com/andy-man/ps4-wee-tools/releases

                  Comment

                    #10
                    Re: PS4 with BLOD - Getting UART enabled ?

                    Hi, can you post the free version of the software? I already tried PS4 Wee Tools v0.8.7 but it doesn't work. Thank you.
                    Last edited by SMDFlea; 09-25-2023, 03:24 AM.

                    Comment

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