Hello, I'd like to know if it is possible to control the playstation2 from another computer. By 'control', I mean to perform the following functions by sending TCP or UDP messages to the Playstation's IP:
- Power Off
- Reset
- Enable/Disable a joystick
I own a cibercafe, and we have several playstations and PCs for the customers. We can control and audit the usage of PCs, but we have no way to control/audit the playstation usage.
If it is possible, then I would make a computer program to send messages to the playstation with commands. There should be a software running in background in the playstation that interprets these commands and perform the requiered function (block joystick1, 2, 3 or 4, reset, etc.).
As far as I know, I would need the following:
- Software at the PC to send commands (I can do it easily)
- Memory card to store IP configuration on each Playstation2 (easy)
- Software running in background to receive and perform the commands (no idea!)
Please let me know your comments.
Thanks,
German
Control Playstation2 from LAN / Ethernet
IMHO, It'd be much easier to do this kind of access control in hardware, rather than using software running in the background.
Using say a Microchip PIC micro-controller, you could easily control which pads are active by switching the power line for each pad (using a spliced ext. cable or something).
Console power could be done one of several ways (AC switch, open ps2 and use the standby button, etc), as could reset (use dev9 reset pins, use reset button as above, etc).
Going the software root is hard, since reliably running software in the background isn't trivial, especially if it uses the network.
Just some ideas.
Using say a Microchip PIC micro-controller, you could easily control which pads are active by switching the power line for each pad (using a spliced ext. cable or something).
Console power could be done one of several ways (AC switch, open ps2 and use the standby button, etc), as could reset (use dev9 reset pins, use reset button as above, etc).
Going the software root is hard, since reliably running software in the background isn't trivial, especially if it uses the network.
Just some ideas.
Yes, I agree it is easier to do it by hard.
Doing by software would be hard, but it would be much much cheaper its distribution. As easy as plugging the network cable.
I've already made a circuit controlled by the parallel computer port, that uses a rele to turn on and off the power of the playstation remotely. It works fine, but I'm planning to install this in several other playstation, and I'd prefer to do it by soft. But, if not possible, a friend of mine will design a circuit that has ethernet connection (so that I don't have to use the parallel port) and converts it to serial TTL, which will be connected to a PIC that decodes the commands sent and control the power of 4 joysticks, the power of the playstation, and the reset button. But that will be expensive for massive distribution tough.
Thank for your comments, please let me know what you think.
Regards,
German
Doing by software would be hard, but it would be much much cheaper its distribution. As easy as plugging the network cable.
I've already made a circuit controlled by the parallel computer port, that uses a rele to turn on and off the power of the playstation remotely. It works fine, but I'm planning to install this in several other playstation, and I'd prefer to do it by soft. But, if not possible, a friend of mine will design a circuit that has ethernet connection (so that I don't have to use the parallel port) and converts it to serial TTL, which will be connected to a PIC that decodes the commands sent and control the power of 4 joysticks, the power of the playstation, and the reset button. But that will be expensive for massive distribution tough.
Thank for your comments, please let me know what you think.
Regards,
German
I've actually put some time into a similar project (different goal though) and found using a PIC micro and a SPI ethernet controller is a nice combination, you could also get one PIC/ENC circuit to control multiple PlayStations if they're in close proximity to each other.
If you do decide to go the software route, you'd obviously need something very custom running on the PS2, which will require extremely good knowledge of the PS2s inner workings. Not many people possess such knowledge.
(The issue is that most games assume they have full control over the hardware, and that nothing else is running, some even explicitly check that this is the case. This makes getting a program to sneak around in the background tricky, and the more hardware that program uses, the trickier it gets).
Also, you have the problem of running the program on boot, every boot, which may require a mod chip.
On top of this, getting such a program to work reliably with a large selection of games would take quite alot of time.
I'd say fabricating a few PCBs with ENC/PIC chips and some relays on would be the easiest way, and not really all that expensive. If you make it flexible enough you could get it to control xbox/gamecube/etc too.
(Such hardware may be available pre-built too)
Hope this helps. Just trying to stop you from going on a possible poultry chase. :P
If you do decide to go the software route, you'd obviously need something very custom running on the PS2, which will require extremely good knowledge of the PS2s inner workings. Not many people possess such knowledge.
(The issue is that most games assume they have full control over the hardware, and that nothing else is running, some even explicitly check that this is the case. This makes getting a program to sneak around in the background tricky, and the more hardware that program uses, the trickier it gets).
Also, you have the problem of running the program on boot, every boot, which may require a mod chip.
On top of this, getting such a program to work reliably with a large selection of games would take quite alot of time.
I'd say fabricating a few PCBs with ENC/PIC chips and some relays on would be the easiest way, and not really all that expensive. If you make it flexible enough you could get it to control xbox/gamecube/etc too.
(Such hardware may be available pre-built too)
Hope this helps. Just trying to stop you from going on a possible poultry chase. :P
Ok, you are right, you convinced me. Also I like the idea that it could control other console platforms too. I'll get into the PIC, Ethernet Controller and relays.
Can you give me more details about assigning the ENC28J60 a fixed IP address, and make it listen to an specified port? Does it have to be done on the PIC, or does the ENC28J60 supports it by itself?
Thanks and regards,
German
Can you give me more details about assigning the ENC28J60 a fixed IP address, and make it listen to an specified port? Does it have to be done on the PIC, or does the ENC28J60 supports it by itself?
Thanks and regards,
German