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[timlot]

SEOUL, South Korea --(Business Wire)-- Jan. 13, 2005 -- Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., the world leader in advanced memory technology, today announced that it will supply high-performance multi-functional multi-chip package (MCP) solutions for Sony Corporation's PlayStation(R) Portable (PSP) game system and to manufacturers of digital cameras. Well known as an essential memory solution for mobile phones, MCP solutions offer consumer electronics manufacturers a higher level of functionality and data storage for multimedia applications in extremely small packages.

With the world's fastest MCP processing rate of 1.3GB/s, the MCP devices supplied for the Sony PSP have a capacity of 64 megabytes and consist of 256 Mb NAND flash memory and high-speed mobile DDR (double-data-rate) DRAM memory.

http://www.tmcnet.com/usubmit/2005/Jan/1107823.htm

 

[Deg]

So this is where software is kept. Why force people to use memory sticks to save games then?

 

[mr2mike]

"the MCP devices supplied for the Sony PSP have a capacity of 64 megabytes"

64MB? isn't that... significantly more than than the PSP specs tell us?

 

[kaching]

Something screwy about this article...

 

[Rhindle]

"the MCP devices supplied for the Sony PSP have a capacity of 64 megabytes"

64MB? isn't that... significantly more than than the PSP specs tell us?

I think they're saying that's the total capacity of the combination chip, which consists of 32MB RAM and 32MB of flash.

 

[doncale]

this isnt for PSP' main chip/chipset is it? i thought PSPs SoC was being fabbed at Sony

 

[Argyle]

Wow, if those are really being used for PSP, then maybe the flash is how the sleep mode is implemented?

Also, the firmware has to be stored somewhere...

 

[kaching]

I think they're saying that's the total capacity of the combination chip, which consists of 32MB RAM and 32MB of flash.

But that's about 32 meg more than current specs suggest. There's supposedly 32 and 4 (2+2) in there. Not 64, however its subdivided.

Either this article is wrong, or the published specs are wrong, or Sony is upgrading the PSP specs.

 

[teiresias]

Maybe the published specs simply don't indicate dedicated FLASH memory that Sony only plans to be used for Sony approved and sanctioned BIOS updates and software.

 

[kaching]

Pana!!!

 

[Arcticfox]

Maybe the flash memory is just the 32MB Memory Stick that comes with the value pack.

 

[Crazymoogle]

Maybe the published specs simply don't indicate dedicated FLASH memory that Sony only plans to be used for Sony approved and sanctioned BIOS updates and software.

256megabit (stated in the article) = 32 megabyte, so yeah, definitely sounds like 32+32, which is actually kind of surprising to me if that's really the case. 32 megs of flash was definitely forward thinking on Sony's part, and probably verifies that "upgrade executable" story floating around.

 

[Amir0x]

Panajev2001, can we have some elaboration on this story? Please?

 

[cja]

32MB of flash embedded in western PSPs would be my guess. No need to buy a memory stick for game saves will make it far more attractive to consumers.

Don't buy the idea that the JPN PSP has this much Flash, Samsung say they've only started making shipments this quarter. Also Flash isn't ideal for the bios, standard eeprom is a better alternative.

 

[OniShiro]

32MB of flash embedded in western PSPs would be my guess. No need to buy a memory stick for game saves will make it far more attractive to consumers

Makes sense considering there are rumours there won't be a value pack in Europe or USA. I definitely hope that's the case and the western units have a 32mb flash embedded for savegames.

 

[Gattsu25]

32MB of flash embedded in western PSPs would be my guess. No need to buy a memory stick for game saves will make it far more attractive to consumers.

If true then...wow!

 

[Kung Fu Jedi]

It would be great if the Western versions of the PSP had built in flash memory. No need to buy an extra memory stick unless you wanted to use it for MP3's, movies, etc. Should be an interesting development to follow.

 

[Deg]

Well its a good move. It was a serious disadvantage if they didnt fix it.

 

[p_xavier]

32MB of flash embedded in western PSPs would be my guess. No need to buy a memory stick for game saves will make it far more attractive to consumers.

Don't buy the idea that the JPN PSP has this much Flash, Samsung say they've only started making shipments this quarter. Also Flash isn't ideal for the bios, standard eeprom is a better alternative.

I'm more thinking about the 32MB flash memory is used for the PSP XMB OS. Since it's possible to upgrade the firmware, there must be a place to put it. And with the talk of a web browser, word viewer, it's probably that.

 

[kaching]

Panajev has said XMB OS already uses 8 meg of the existing 32 meg DDR ram. If true, developers are already designing games around this memory restriction, with 500K PSPs out there. I doubt Sony is changing memory configuration and utilization so drastically, if this news is accurate. If its accurate, I'd buy cja's scenario as the most likely one - 32 meg for non-OS related content - a general user storage area for "free".

 

[p_xavier]

Panajev has said XMB OS already uses 8 meg of the existing 32 meg DDR ram. If true, developers are already designing games around this memory restriction, with 500K PSPs out there. I doubt Sony is changing memory configuration and utilization so drastically, if this news is accurate. If its accurate, I'd buy cja's scenario as the most likely one - 32 meg for non-OS related content - a general user storage area for "free".

When used probably, but the software must still be somewhere in memory to be flashed no? If the 8/32 megs are continously used, the software must still be read somewhere.

 

[kaching]

True, but it probably needs less storage space than memory space.

*shrugs* Don't want to speculate much more about it...just want someone who actually knows what they're talking about to clear up perceived discrepancies.

 

[Tulkas]

Cache for cutting loading times?

 

[OniShiro]

Cache for cutting loading times?

That would be awesome as well, and it could improve battery life.

 

[duckroll]

http://forums.ps2dev.org/viewtopic.php?t=935&sid=543d9f25b5b195abfa94cd5603ad6058

Yes its true, I managed to repeat Oopo's success in applying the faux PSP firmware update that masquerades a game.

This provides a fabulous opportunity to learn how to reverse the effects of bad firmware updates.

For example, as documented already on many Japanese sites dedicated to the PSP, the unit contains a Samsung MCP (multi-chip package) ram chip. In other words, its a single chip package that actually has two "chips" inside.

It is a Samsung K5E5658HMC-D06 (from memory) you can search on it.

Anyhow, it contains a full 32MB NAND FLASH *plus* 32MB DDR SDRAM.

Imagine, how much extra software Sony can put into the PSP ?

But this begs the question, there *must* be a way to reset a PSP in case of a bad flash. While no doubt Sony would test any REAL firmware updates as thoroughly as possible, it is too easy for something to go wrong in expensive consumer devices.

However, if the PSP in its "store-bought" condition already operates off a pre-loaded firmware that ends up being replaced by future updates, then reverting is an impossibility. But that just doesn't seem reasonable.

But if not in flash, where does the PSP's stock embedded operating system reside ?

I am excited to join Oopo in exploring this tantalizing new direction of PSP homebrew development!

 

[kaching]

So its been there all along.

 

[mrklaw]

32MB Flash. 16 used for the current Bios/XMB interface, 16 reserved for uploading new Bios. Its a bit like the pronto uses. So you can upload a new firmware which sits in the 'free' 16MB bank, but if it screws up it can always revert to 'factory' state from the other bank.

Thats my guess.

The 8MB RAM comment from Pana might refer to the XMB interface using 8MB RAM when running. There is a definite pause when you press the 'home' button, which I would think is the XMB program downloading from flash and initialising.

 

[Panajev2001a]

32MB of flash embedded in western PSPs would be my guess. No need to buy a memory stick for game saves will make it far more attractive to consumers.

This would be nice on one side, but on the other... well what do you do when it craps out ?

It should not be too bad, because by that time you should have bought a Memory Stick: still, people would lose their save files.

 

[mrklaw]

Pana, can you clarify your previous comments?

Where does the Bios sit, and how does the bios get updated?

Sony didn't want to put 32MB in it in the first place, so they aren't going to suddenly put another 32MB in there out of the goodness of their hearts. Especially if that means you don't buy a memory stick (and they've always required you to buy one of those since PS1)

I still vote for Bios flash space.

 

[Panajev2001a]

32MB Flash. 16 used for the current Bios/XMB interface, 16 reserved for uploading new Bios. Its a bit like the pronto uses. So you can upload a new firmware which sits in the 'free' 16MB bank, but if it screws up it can always revert to 'factory' state from the other bank.

Thats my guess.

It would be like they do on their PDAs basically.

Maybe, that 32 MB would include some free storage space to save further bios/XMB add-ons, etc... as well as storing the bios+XMB system (OS + GUI).

The 8MB RAM comment from Pana might refer to the XMB interface using 8MB RAM when running. There is a definite pause when you press the 'home' button, which I would think is the XMB program downloading from flash and initialising.

Exactly, this is the figure I heard from a source: he was pretty pissed as they advertise that the PSP has as much main RAM as PlayStation 2, but on PlayStation 2 the OS only takes like 1 MB of main RAM.

 

[Haibane]

*nevermind read it wrong*

 

[Panajev2001a]

Pana, can you clarify your previous comments?

Where does the Bios sit, and how does the bios get updated?

I'd vote for EEPROM/Flash memory and you would update it like you update the BIOS of your PC in a way.

Sony didn't want to put 32MB in it in the first place, so they aren't going to suddenly put another 32MB in there out of the goodness of their hearts. Especially if that means you don't buy a memory stick (and they've always required you to buy one of those since PS1)

I still vote for Bios flash space.

Bios + XMB OS and GUI + storage space for new add-on programs (but not for the data they would load: a new movie player would sit there, but the movies would ahve to sit in the user's Memory Stick) would be my guess.