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PS2 DESR-7500 Disc not spinning

nino

Member
Original poster
Jan 7, 2021
8
3
3
I recently replaced a broken laser (Sanyo SF-DB11) in a DESR-7500.

Before replacing the laser, discs were not recognized (except in PS2-mode when booted with FMCB), but the motor was spinning. Reading discs in PS2 mode worked fine.

Now, the motor won't spin. In PSX-mode, the PSX-laser laser also does nothing and absolutely nothing happens. In PS2-mode, the PS2 laser will try to focus on the disc and is able to move around, but the disc won't spin, either.

I fully disassembled and reassembled the console, checking every single connection (including inside the drive).

There is some blinking red LED on the main board, that is normally not exposed to the outside. Since there are no service manuals available, I have no idea what that LED stands for. It might stand for some kind of hardware fault, but the console still boots up normally to XMB.

I also reinstalled the original laser, but it still didn't spin. After that, I installed some brand new matching flex cables (for both, 50 pin 0.5mm data and 16 pin 1mm power/PS2-Laser), just to rule out damage to the old flex cables. All of this didn't change anything. Even the blinking red LED on the main board is still there (which can be seen from the sides through the vents, if the plastic covers aren't on).

Also, what function does the daughterboard with the large FPGA and that unused connector (for factory programming?) have in the console? When following the traces, it is connected to the data cable between the main board and the drive board.

Any advice?
 

Tokimemofan

Well-known member
Registered
May 30, 2019
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I recently replaced a broken laser (Sanyo SF-DB11) in a DESR-7500.

Before replacing the laser, discs were not recognized (except in PS2-mode when booted with FMCB), but the motor was spinning. Reading discs in PS2 mode worked fine.

Now, the motor won't spin. In PSX-mode, the PSX-laser laser also does nothing and absolutely nothing happens. In PS2-mode, the PS2 laser will try to focus on the disc and is able to move around, but the disc won't spin, either.

I fully disassembled and reassembled the console, checking every single connection (including inside the drive).

There is some blinking red LED on the main board, that is normally not exposed to the outside. Since there are no service manuals available, I have no idea what that LED stands for. It might stand for some kind of hardware fault, but the console still boots up normally to XMB.

I also reinstalled the original laser, but it still didn't spin. After that, I installed some brand new matching flex cables (for both, 50 pin 0.5mm data and 16 pin 1mm power/PS2-Laser), just to rule out damage to the old flex cables. All of this didn't change anything. Even the blinking red LED on the main board is still there (which can be seen from the sides through the vents, if the plastic covers aren't on).

Also, what function does the daughterboard with the large FPGA and that unused connector (for factory programming?) have in the console? When following the traces, it is connected to the data cable between the main board and the drive board.

Any advice?
Check the connectors for oxidation or damage
 

nino

Member
Original poster
Jan 7, 2021
8
3
3
I found and fixed the issue in the meantime. I already wrote about in another forum, so I'll quote myself here:
Totally forgot to mention that in the end this actually worked and the drive is working again now. Fuse blew due to an incompatible revision of the Sanyo SF-DB11 laser. Be careful about this!
I marked the locations of the relevant fuses for the 5V and 12V that power the disc drive. Please note that a blown 5V fuse will also disable the USB port, as it is powered by the same 5V rail. The fuses is a KOA CCP2E50TE (datasheet), as is written on the board itself (how nice of sony!).

Also note that this is only for the XPD-005 motherboard that is found in DESR-x500 and DESR-x700 consoles. On the XPD-001 motherboard from DESR-x000 and DESR-x100 consoles, the 5V fuse is located next to the drive power connector, just like the 12V fuses.

wg4fGIl.jpg

About the SF-DB11 laser; it is also found inside some Sony and LiteOn PC DVD burners from around that era, around 2004-2005.

Inside the PSX, I have seen 2 different revisions of the SF-DB11, T02 and T05. Others might work as well, but T14 definitely does NOT work, as it burned the laser flex cable and blew the fuse. Interestingly it destroyed neither the PSX drive board nor the laser itself; the board was still working fine inside the PSX afterwards, and the laser was working as well after being put back into its original drive. (I needed to buy a new flex cable and a new fuse for the PSX, of course). I got the incompatible SF-DB11 T14 from a sony DW-Q28A (which uses a Mediatek MT1828EAF chipset, unlike the PSX drive and the PC drives I found to be compatible, which all use a Mediatek MT1828E).

In my case, I got a compatible SF-DB11 from an old PowerMac G5 drive, a Sony DW-U21A. This drive also uses the Mediatek MT1828E chipset, just like the later (XPD-005) PSX does. Please note that several revisions of this drive MIGHT exist which MIGHT use the incompatible SF-DB11 revision(s). The incompatible revisions of the SF-DB11 have significantly different traces on the PFC coming from the connector. On the other hand, you really need to think twice about wether it's actually worth sacrificing a PowerMac G5 (which is a nice piece of technology in itself) disc drive for a PSX. Also, other drives from that era do exist which use the same laser, and possibly also some other devices like DVRs. But a complete list for this does not exist.
 
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vitas155

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www.ps-gamers.ru
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Fuse blew due to an incompatible revision of the Sanyo SF-DB11 laser. Be careful about this!
I am having this problem just after trying to replace a laser head, how can I tell if the SF-DB11 is not compatible with my PSX drive, and how do I find a compatible laser?
 

vitas155

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Registered
Aug 2, 2019
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www.ps-gamers.ru
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AG Join Date
13/03/11
and another question, which fuse is responsible for the mechanism that pulls the disc into the drive?
 

nino

Member
Original poster
Jan 7, 2021
8
3
3
I am having this problem just after trying to replace a laser head, how can I tell if the SF-DB11 is not compatible with my PSX drive, and how do I find a compatible laser?
As I said, I know for sure that T02 and T05 do work fine, and I also know for sure that T14 doesn't. The revision number is written on the laser itself.
and another question, which fuse is responsible for the mechanism that pulls the disc into the drive?
Sadly, I don't know. But it's not the 5V fuse from above, since the mechanism was still working when mine blew. Ideally, you'd just measure all the fuses on the board, and sony was kind enough to give us little charts on the PCB that tell us which fuse is from which type.
 

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