Hard Drive

Overview

Connecting a hard drive to the PS2 requires a Network Adaptor.

All official hard drives run special firmware, which implements some additional proprietary ATA-commands. Additionally, they have a special sector containing security information. Thus, official software requires official Sony PS2 hard drives. Homebrew software such as OPL does not require any of the proprietary commands, which means that a generic hard drive can be used as well for this purpose.

The PSX's internal hard drive implements the same proprietary ATA-commands, which are required for the console to boot. That's why the PSX's hard drive can only be replaced by another PSX's hard drive or one of the official Sony PS2 hard drives (which however only have a capacity of 40 GB, vs. 160 GB or 250 GB in the PSX). Note: DESR-x500 and DESR-x700 require the DVR-partition to boot. Thus, these consoles can NOT boot from a 40 GB PS2 drive!

The Konami Bemani Python 2 arcade system, which is built around a standard SCPH-50000MB PS2 console, also uses hard drives customized by Sony in the same way.

For external hard drives (used with early SCPH-1X000 consoles), a special expandable vertical stand (SCPH-10220) was available separately, which allows the external hard drive to be placed vertically next to the vertical PS2 console.

Official PS2 software does not support 48-bit LBA, so drive size is generally limited to 128 GiB. In practice, this doesn't matter much, since the only drives supported by official software are the official drives sold by Sony with their firmware customizations, which are all 40 GB in size. The only exception is PS2 Linux 1.0, which supports 48-bit LBA and also works on third party hard drives without any modding/hacking.

Most homebrew software supports 48-bit LBA, so this isn't an issue here.

DVRP of the PSX will emulate the PS2's ATA interface for PS2-mode software (while PSX-mode software obviously natively uses the PSX's ATA interface, which supports 48-bit LBA, since the drives have a capacity of either 160 GB or 250 GB). For some reason, it also tries to emulate 48-bit LBA in PS2 mode and properly reports the full disk size, but fails any access beyond the 128 GiB limit in PS2 mode.

Models

SCPH-20400

• Japan-only external hard drive for use with the PCMCIA type Network Adaptor (SCPH-10190) on SCPH-1X000 consoles.
• Actually contains a drive with SCPH-20401 branding inside the external enclosure, the same drives that are used in the internal hard drive kit (see below for OEM model list)
• Requires an external power supply (SCPH-10200)
• Capacity: 40 GB

SCPH-20401

• Internal hard drive for use with an expansion bay type Network Adaptor (SCPH-10250, SCPH-10281, SCPH-10350) on any console that has the expansion bay (SCPH-3XXXX or SCPH-5XXXX)
• Comes with mounting brackets preinstalled (bracket type depends on height of the actual OEM drive)
• Power is provided by the console through the Network Adaptor
• Capacity: 40 GB

DTL-H20400

• External hard drive for use with the development variants of the PCMCIA type Network Adaptor (DTL-H10100 and DTL-H10040) on DTL-H TEST and DTL-T TOOL consoles.

OEM drives used

This list might be incomplete; please add yours if it's not in the list.
For PSX hard drives, see PSX Hard drives

All official PS2 hard drives are 40 GB 3.5 inch IDE/P-ATA drives. They are all rebranded to Sony SCPH-20401, including those used in the SCPH-20400 external hard drive assembly for early PS2 consoles with PCMCIA slot. In the reported HDD ID however, the SCPH-20401-branded drives taken from an SCPH-20400 case report SCPH-20400 as part of their ID.

• IBM "DeskStar" DTLA-305040 (standard height bracket)
• Maxtor "DiamondMax D540X-4D" 4D040H2 (standard height bracket)
• Maxtor "Fireball 3" 2F040L0 (low profile bracket)
• Seagate "U Series 5" ST340823A (standard height bracket)
• Seagate "Barracuda 5400.1" ST340015A (low profile bracket)

Sony custom ATA commands

The firmware of official PS2/PSX hard drives implements the following non-standard/vendor-specific ATA commands:

enum ATA_C_CODES {
	//left out standard commands
	ATA_C_SCE_SECURITY_CONTROL	= 0x8e,
};

enum ATA_SCE_SECURITY_CODES {
	ATA_SCE_IDENTIFY_DRIVE		= 0xec,

	ATA_SCE_SECURITY_SET_PASSWORD	= 0xf1,
	ATA_SCE_SECURITY_UNLOCK		= 0xf2,
	ATA_SCE_SECURITY_ERASE_PREPARE	= 0xf3,
	ATA_SCE_SECURITY_ERASE_UNIT	= 0xf4,
	ATA_SCE_SECURITY_FREEZE_LOCK	= 0xf5,

	ATA_SCE_SECURITY_READ_ID	= 0x20,
	ATA_SCE_SECURITY_WRITE_ID	= 0x30,
};

Source: ps2sdk/common/include/atahw.h

Security and authentication

Every original PS2, PSX and Python 2 drive has a special sector containing security information which can be requested using the custom ATA_SCE_IDENTIFY_DRIVE command (0xEC).

Start	End	Length	Description
0x00	0x1F	0x20	ASCII string: "Sony Computer Entertainment Inc."
0x20	0x2F	0x10	ASCII string of the drive's model number (or the console's model number in case of the PSX and some or all units from the "BB pack" bundle, or the model number of a HDD kit, e.g. SCPH-10210)
0x30	0x33	0x04	ASCII string containing the drive's capacity in GB. De facto "40" on all PS2 drives and "120" on all PSX drives, despite the latter being larger than that. (There is at least one HDD from a Python 2 unit with "120" at this adress)
0x34	0x3F	0x0C	Probably padding. 0x00
0x40	0x43	0x04	Sony serial number of the drive as 32-bit integer.
0x44	0x45	0x02	Probably padding. 0x00
0x46	0x49	0x04	Unknown.
0x4A	0x4B	0x02	Probably padding. 0x00
0x4C	0x4F	0x04	Currently unknown. Always 0x01031101 on retail drives/systems? Always 0x00031101 on DEX drives/systems?
0x50	0x7F	0x30	Related to DNAS and encryption; details currently not (publicly) known.

Bundles including the hard drive

Japan

Hdd, external (SCPH-10210)

• Japan-only bundle meant for use on SCPH-1X000 consoles which have a PCMCIA/PC-Card slot instead of the expansion bay. Contains:
  • PCMCIA Network Adaptor (SCPH-10190)
  • External hard drive 40 GB (SCPH-20400)
  • Power supply for the external hard drive (SCPH-10200)
  • Network Utility Disc
• Released July 19, 2001

Hdd, expansion bay (SCPH-10260)

• Japan-only bundle meant for use on any console that has the expansion bay (SCPH-3XXXX or SCPH-5XXXX). Contains:
  • Expansion bay Network Adaptor, old revision (SCPH-10250)
  • Internal hard drive 40 GB with mounting brackets (SCPH-20401)
  • Network Utility Disc
• Released July 19, 2001

Linux kit, external (SCPH-10270 K)

• Japan-only bundle meant for use on SCPH-1X000 consoles. Contains:
  • PCMCIA Network Adaptor (SCPH-10190)
  • External hard drive 40 GB (SCPH-20400), pre-formatted for Linux
  • Power supply for the external hard drive (SCPH-10200)
  • USB mouse (SCPH-10230)
  • USB keyboard, japanese (SCPH-10240)
  • VGA cable, Sync on Green, stereo cinch audio jacks (SCPH-10320)
  • PS2 Linux Beta Release 1 (1 Disc)
• Released July 2001
• PS2 Linux Release 1.0 software (2 Discs) became available at a later date for owners of the kit

PlayStation BB Unit, external (SCPH-10390)

• Japan-only bundle meant for use on SCPH-1X000 consoles. Contains:
  • PCMCIA Network Adaptor (SCPH-10190)
  • External hard drive 40 GB (SCPH-20400)
  • Power supply for the external hard drive (SCPH-10200)
  • BB Navigator Disc
• Released June 12, 2003

PlayStation BB Unit, expansion bay (SCPH-10400)

• Japan-only bundle meant for use on any console that has the expansion bay (SCPH-3XXXX or SCPH-5XXXX). Contains:
  • Expansion bay Network Adaptor, newer revision (SCPH-10350)
  • Internal hard drive 40 GB with mounting brackets (SCPH-20401)
  • BB Navigator Disc
• Released June 12, 2003

PlayStation 2 BB Pack (SCPH-50000 MB/NH)

• Japan-only
  • All contents from SCPH-10400 (see above)
  • SCPH-50000 console in special "Midnight Blue" transparent case (similar to the limited SCPH-37000 consoles, but without the special cooler design)
• Released November 13, 2003

US

Final Fantasy XI

• US-only bundle. Contains:
  • Internal hard drive 40 GB with mounting brackets (SCPH-20401), pre-formatted and preloaded with software
  • HDD Utility Disc
  • Main game + manual
• Does not include the Network Adaptor (required, had to be purchased separately)
• The US PS2 release of Final Fantasy XI was only available in this bundle; no standalone release
• In the US, the hard drive, too, was only available in this exact bundle (except as part of the Linux kit)
• Released March 23, 2004

Linux kit (SCPH-97047)

• Contains (incomplete, WIP):
  • Internal hard drive 40 GB with mounting brackets (SCPH-20401), pre-formatted for Linux
  • Network adapter, Ethernet-only version (SCPH-10350)
  • USB mouse (SCPH-10230)
  • USB keyboard, US (SCPH-10240 E)
• Released in May 2002 (announced in January 2002)

Europe

Hdd (internal) + Network Adaptor kit (SCPH-10310 E)

• Only available as part of the european release of the Linux kit or the University Development Kit

Linux kit

• Contains (incomplete, WIP):
  • Internal hard drive 40 GB with mounting brackets (SCPH-20401), pre-formatted for Linux
  • Network adapter, Ethernet-only version (SCPH-10350EE)
  • USB mouse (SCPH-10230)
  • USB keyboard (SCPH-10240)
• Released May 22nd, 2002 (announced in January 2002)