[Possible Concept] Accessory Port as USB OTG & A/V Output?

[edukarlo]

I own a PS Vita PCH-1001 since launch and I'm still curious about that mystery port. Because until now, it still has no use.

As of writing, many people are already suspecting it as a USB OTG port, and Sony customized it a little for their propriety considerations.

To satisfy my curiosity, I peeked inside the accessory port, and it somehow looks identical to a male mini USB port's inside part when you remove the shielding.

(male mini USB w/o shielding)

So, will a female mini USB fit in there? Hmmmm., obviously it won't fit. But since we now know that the original vita accessory port is a customized male mini USB, refabricating (removing the shield and filing the pins' plastic base to make it thinner) a female USB can possibly fit. and there she goes.


Perfect Fit!

Oooops! accidentally destroyed one pin while removing from my unit, I need to buy a new one to use once this mod will be officially confirmed.

female mini USB without shielding

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Now, remember Sony's plug-n-play Cybershot Cameras' audio/video out with USB and RCA cables to view camera contents on TV?


Could Sony have possibbly implemented the same thing for the PS vita's accessory port?

Some pinout/wire cross-matching between the vita accessory port (thru refabricated mini USB) and Cybershot's A/V cable might make it work?

I'm a little bit scared to brick my vita, so I'll leave the testing for the more knowledgeable modders here.

Hope this may have hinted some little idea and possibly implemented in the future. I'm a little bit short in budget for the HDMI mod. And I'm not really satisfied with PS TV (not all games are supported).

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[haxxey]

I'm pretty sure you can't brick your vita like that. Just a hunch.

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[yifanlu]

It's likely not OTG because OTG is for sharing one USB port to act both as UDC and EHCI. Because the bottom port is a UDC port, the top one is likely USB EHCI. No video signals though (and no analog video converter in the Vita either). Regardless, to conserve energy, the Vita doesn't always turn the accessory port on, so you may need a kernel exploit before you can even use it.

[SILENT_Pavel]

So... This is not video/audio cable? This is not OTG cable? This is not data transfer cable? This is not even "serial" port as on dreamcast and playstation phat? Then what is it exactly?

[samsara]

So... This is not video/audio cable? This is not OTG cable? This is not data transfer cable? This is not even "serial" port as on dreamcast and playstation phat? Then what is it exactly?

It's obviously an accessory port...

[yifanlu]

So... This is not video/audio cable? This is not OTG cable? This is not data transfer cable? This is not even "serial" port as on dreamcast and playstation phat? Then what is it exactly?

It is a USB EHCI port. The VitaTV has it too, except exposed with a regular USB type a port.

(In theory if you hack the Vita and build a custom cable, you can connect your dualshock 3 to it)

[josh_axey]

No video signals though (and no analog video converter in the Vita either).

Yep. And no digital converter on handheld units either.

@OP: You could save yourself the trouble/cost with buying another cable to test that with, I've already done it.

Video out in general has been looked at thoroughly by a few different people now, myself included. It is possible to make a conversion board via several methods that uses the video lanes that go to the LCD (and bring them out to a connector, like say, a mini HDMI), but the practicality of install for most people is low - and the initial price to go to fabrication is high enough to not warrant any real interest (especially considering unit sales of the Vita itself).

[edukarlo]

Sony people already said something about this:[spoiler]

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2014-10-13-073011.jpg (158.27 KiB) Viewed 11684 times

[/spoiler]

Theoretically, a total boycott of PS/Vita TV, resulting to poor sales, will eventually force Sony to release an Official Firmware supporting access to that mystery port, and official accessories (like video out) that can be used with it.

PS/Vita TV hardware is basically same as of the original vita except the screen and controllers, so the original one can do whatever the TV version can? It just needs the cables and the ports. I think?

Release Firmware 5.00 now sony!!

[josh_axey]

Sony people already said something about this:[spoiler]

2014-10-13-073110.jpg

2014-10-13-073011.jpg

[/spoiler]

Theoretically, a total boycott of PS/Vita TV, resulting to poor sales, will eventually force Sony to release an Official Firmware supporting access to that mystery port, and official accessories (like video out) that can be used with it.

PS/Vita TV hardware is basically same as of the original vita except the screen and controllers, so the original one can do whatever the TV version can? It just needs the cables and the ports. I think?

Release Firmware 5.00 now sony!!

I think you may have misread / are under a misconception of what we're saying. This topic has been discussed to death and beyond the grave again.