PlayStation Architecture: Architecture of Consoles: A Practical Analysis, #6

By Rodrigo Copetti

Sony knew that 3D hardware can get very messy to develop for. Thus, their debuting console will keep its design simple and practical... Although this may come with a cost!

 

Architecture of Consoles: A Practical Analysis

 

Looking at the evolution of video game consoles is fascinating. While conventional PCs tend to evolve 'incrementally', new generations of consoles introduce completely new ways of working. What you see here is a series of articles that will hopefully uncover the rationale behind the latest trends in technology. They will also demonstrate why each system can't be summarised by its 'bits', megahertz, amount of RAM and whatnot.

 

This is not a developer manual, just an in depth introduction to how each system worked internally. Bear in mind that tech has gotten really complicated lately, so if you struggle to follow my latest articles, try reading the early ones first. They introduce many concepts and definitions that are constantly revisited. Basic knowledge of computing is preferable, however, I try really hard to adapt my content for wider audiences, so please don't be afraid to give it a try!

 

About this edition

 

This edition originates from the article initially published on my personal website, it's been re-styled to take advantage of the capabilities of eBook documents.

While identical content-wise, interactive widgets have been simplified to work with a static environment - in other words, anything that physical pages allow us :), though these will offer a link to the original article in case the reader wants to try the 'full version'. Please keep this in mind when you see references to interactivity throughout the writings.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Rodrigo Copetti
• Release date: Aug 8, 2019
• ISBN: 9798201013707

Book preview

1 About this edition

This edition originates from the article initially published on my personal website, it’s been re-styled to take advantage of the capabilities of PDF/eBook documents.

While identical content-wise, interactive widgets have been simplified to work with a static environment - in other words, anything that physical pages allow us, though these will offer a link to the original article in case the reader wants to try the ‘full version’. Please keep this in mind when you see references to interactivity throughout the writings.

As always, the original manuscript of the articles is available on Github to enable readers to report mistakes or propose changes. There’s also a supporting reading list available to help understand the series. The author also accepts donations to help improve the quality of current articles and upcoming ones.

1.1 Open to feedback

Last but not least, for any comments and/or issues regarding this edition of the article, please get in touch using the links provided on the About page.

2 A quick introduction

Sony knew that 3D hardware could get very messy to develop for. Thus, their debuting console will keep its design simple and practical… Although this may come with a cost!

3 Supporting Imagery

The original PlayStation. Released on 03/12/1994 in Japan, 09/09/1995 in North America, 29/09/1995 in Europe. [1]

The PS One (slim revision). Released on 07/07/2000 in Japan, 19/09/2000 in North America, 29/09/2000 in Europe. This is what you get after cramming so many custom ICs into a single one. [1]

Motherboard [1]. Showing model ‘SCPH-1000’. Remaining chips are fitted on the back. Later models included SG-RAM instead of VRAM and removed most of the external I/O and video outs.

Motherboard with important parts labelled.

Main architecture diagram. The Bus Interface Unit is also connected to special ports of the GPU and SPU.

4 CPU

This section dissects the Sony CXD8530BQ, one of the two big chips this console houses. It’s what we would call a ‘System-on-Chip’ in today’s world.

4.1 The origins

The main processor is one of those ‘x designed by y, based on z and second-sourced