Playstation 2 DMS3 Actel FPGA Info
FPGA stands for Field Programmable Gate Array and although that name describes exactly what is inside, I can image that many non-electronic people might look like this: Field Programmable Gate Array? Yeah whatever
I will try to explain in laymans terms. An FPGA contains a lot of cells. Each of these cells contain some logic. These logic elements are the very basic type like an AND gate, OR gate, Flip flop etc etc. (check the web if you don't know what they are). If you buy an FPGA all these cells (and the logic in them) are not connect to each other at all!!! So if you go to Farnell and buy the exact same Actel FPGA as on your DMS3 it will do nothing. Absolutely nothing.
The trick in programming an FPGA is that you can connect these cells (and the logic in them) together. It's like wiring up different components inside the FPGA. The netlist describes how the cells are connected together and therefore determine its function!!!!!! The netlist also describes which and how the cells are connected to the pins on the outside.
This is why a FPGA is so powerfull. I can buy a certain type of FPGA and program it as a modchip (like DMS did) or program it as a running light for my knightrider car. Be creative I would say.
This also means that the number you see on the Actel FPGA only tells you what kind of cells are inside and how many. It says nothing about how these cells are connected together. The FPGA that the DMS3 uses has for example 75000 system gates, 3072 registers, 27kbit of RAM, 12 blocks of 256 9bit RAM, two phase locked loops and 158 input/output pins. So you can image connecting all of these together in exactly the right way to make a modchip is not that easy.
( For more info on the Actel ProASICplus APA075: http://www.actel.com/products/proasicplus/index.html )
So if you have to change your design you can reprogram your FPGA with a new netlist. (This is different from reprogamming your flash, stay with me guys!). I think this is what DMS did. The changes from v9 to DMS3+ are in the FPGA only. A different way of connecting the parts inside of the FPGA. No change to the little circuit board at all. So why throw away the v9 board if it is exactly the same as the DMS3+ circuit board? Because it says v9 on it? Well they solved that problem by pasting a small + over this. And that is the sticker everybody is peeling of in this threat.
