Arcade Cabinets
The following arcade PCBs are known to be based on PlayStation hardware:
| Manufacturer | Board | CPU clock | GPU | RAM | VRAM | Additional CPUs | Audio | Storage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Konami | GV | 33 MHz | v0 | 2 MB | 1 MB | SPU, CD-DA | SCSI CD-ROM, optional flash daughterboard | |
| Konami | GQ | 33 MHz | v1 | 4 MB | 2 MB | 68000, TMS57002 | 2x custom PCM chip | SCSI hard drive |
| Konami | System 573 | 33 MHz | v2 | 4 MB | 2 MB | H8/3644 | SPU, CD-DA, optional MP3 decoder | 16 MB flash, optional ATAPI CD-ROM, PCMCIA cards |
| Konami | Twinkle System | 33 MHz | v2 | 4 MB | 2 MB | 68000, DVD player | SPU, Ricoh RF5C400 | SCSI CD-ROM, IDE hard drive, VCD/DVD, optional floppy |
| Namco | System 11 (COH-100 CPU board) | 33 MHz | v1 | 4 MB | 2 MB | Namco C76 | SPU (unpopulated), custom PCM chip | Mask ROM daughterboard |
| Namco | System 11 (COH-110 CPU board) | 33 MHz | v2 | 4 MB | 2 MB | Namco C76 | Custom PCM chip | Mask ROM daughterboard |
| Namco | System 12 (COH-700 CPU board) | 50 MHz | v2b | 4 MB | 2 MB | H8/3002, optional SH-2 | Custom PCM chip, optional XA-ADPCM | Mask ROM/flash daughterboard, optional ATAPI CD-ROM |
| Namco | System 12 (COH-716 CPU board) | 50 MHz | v2 | 16 MB | 2 MB | H8/3002, optional SH-2 | Custom PCM chip, optional XA-ADPCM | Mask ROM/flash daughterboard, optional ATAPI CD-ROM |
| Namco | System 10 | 50 MHz | v2 | 16 MB | 2 MB | SPU, optional MP3 decoder | Mask ROM/flash daughterboard, optional ATAPI CD-ROM | |
| Sony | ZN-1 | 33 MHz | v2 | 4-8 MB | 1-2 MB | Optional game-specific | SPU, optional game-specific hardware | Mask ROM/flash daughterboard |
| Sony | ZN-2 | 50 MHz | v2 or v2b | 4-16 MB | 2 MB | Optional game-specific | SPU, optional game-specific hardware | Mask ROM/flash daughterboard |
| Taito | FX-1A (ZN-1 + custom addon board) | 33 MHz | v2 | 4 MB | 1 MB | Z80 | SPU, Yamaha YM2610B | Mask ROM daughterboard |
| Taito | FX-1B (ZN-1 + custom addon board) | 33 MHz | v2 | 4 MB | 1 MB | SPU, custom Zoom DSP | Mask ROM daughterboard | |
| Taito | G-NET (ZN-2 + custom addon board) | 50 MHz | v2b | 4 MB | 2 MB | MN1020012A, TMS57002 | SPU, custom Zoom DSP | 8 MB flash, custom encrypted PCMCIA/CF card |
The following boards were mentioned in the original nocash page, but almost nothing is known about them:
- Atlus PSX
- PS Arcade 95
- Tecmo TPS
Currently only documentation for the System 573 exists. More information about other arcade boards could be obtained from MAME source code.
CPU
Most boards use the same CPUs as retail consoles and development units. The System 10, System 12 and ZN-2 feature a later CPU revision that allows for up to 16 MB main RAM (as opposed to 8 MB on the standard CPUs) and clock speeds of up to 50 MHz. The bus interface and memory control registers on these chips may behave differently from the ones found on standard CPUs due to the extended address space.
GPU
Most systems have a regular v2 GPU but expand VRAM to 2 MB, arranged as a 1024x1024 buffer rather than 1024x512. The Konami GQ and COH-100 (CPU + GPU daughterboard used in early System 11 units) have the v1 "prototype" GPU, which uses completely different commands from v0/v2 and is generally not compatible with any known version of Sony's development tools. Most System 11 games seem to support both GPU types.
Some System 12 and ZN-2 variants use a later revision of the v2 GPU (v2b). The differences between v2 and v2b GPUs are currently unknown.
Audio
Almost all boards extend the SPU's functionality with additional hardware, usually a custom fixed-function DSP and in some cases a separate sound CPU. The custom audio hardware is typically on a separate board, with some systems allowing it to be unplugged if the game does not require it. The Konami GQ, System 11 (both COH-100 and COH-110 variants) and System 12 omit the SPU entirely.
Controls
Most systems are designed to be connected to a cabinet through a JAMMA board edge connector, which carries power, a video output, player controls and coin/service button inputs. These inputs are typically accessed via custom memory-mapped I/O ports. As control schemes may vary greatly from game to game, many systems also provide means to connect additional inputs or expansion boards.
Some boards feature a JVS port (a standardized serial bus protocol used to connect controls and peripherals to modern arcade systems), allowing standard JVS I/O boards to be used if supported by games.
Storage
With the exception of Konami, all manufacturers used mask ROMs or flash memory for game storage. The wiring and layout of the ROMs varies for each board; on some systems the BIOS and game are part of the same ROM, while others have separate BIOS and game ROMs. Graphical and audio assets may also be stored separately or within the main game ROM.
Konami systems store game executables and assets on standard SCSI/IDE hard drives or CD-ROMs. The System 573 can also boot from its built-in flash or a PCMCIA flash card, using the CD-ROM drive only to install new games, however the vast majority of 573 games are too large to fit entirely in the flash and still rely on reading files from the disc after installation. The Twinkle System is particularly unusual as it has a CD-ROM drive accessed by the main CPU, a separate hard drive used by the audio board and an external DVD player unit for background videos.
The System 10 and System 12 are the only known non-Konami boards with CD-ROM support. The former can be connected directly to an ATAPI drive, while the latter requires an expansion module that provides an IDE interface and XA-ADPCM decoding through an integrated SH-2 CPU. Whether these boards support CD-ROM booting without any game ROMs installed is currently unknown.
Security
The implementation of anti-piracy measures varies for each manufacturer.
- Namco boards have their ROMs encrypted, with a CPLD ("KEYCUS" chip) wired between the CPU and ROM performing on-the-fly decryption. Some KEYCUS chips require the CPU to issue commands in order to unlock different sections of the ROM.
- Sony's ZN-1 and ZN-2 are fitted by each manufacturer with a custom BIOS ROM and security microcontroller, which are then verified by the games. This makes it harder to convert a ZN-1 or ZN-2 game to a different one by simply swapping out the game-specific daughterboard.
- CD-ROMs for Konami boards were typically shipped alongside a security dongle or cartridge that must be plugged in to boot the game. Some games write the system's serial number to the dongle during installation, preventing installation of the same game on more than one cabinet. The System 573's optional MP3 decoder board additionally features an FPGA used to decrypt MP3 files on the disc during playback.
- Taito G-NET games are stored on a custom manufactured PCMCIA card which is not readable by any normal means. The contents of the card are presumably encrypted as well.