Skip to content
ArcStation

Uplink

Uplink communication is data sent from the ArcStation menu (running on the PlayStation) to ArcStation hardware.

When you select a game, browse folders, or change settings, the menu needs to tell ArcStation hardware what you chose. The original CD-ROM drive is effectively a read-only device, so the PlayStation does not provide a dedicated “uplink” channel for sending data back to the drive.

To work around this, ArcStation uses one of two uplink channels:

  • Peripherals serial bus (SIO0): fast and preferred.
  • CD-ROM motor control signals: slower, but available on PSone (PSone has no SIO0 connector without soldering).

In practice, the slower channel means you may wait a bit longer after selecting a game or changing settings while the hardware receives the data.

To check whether you’re using the SIO0 uplink channel, open the ArcStation menu and press → About. If Peripherals Bus (SIO0) shows Connected, uplink is using SIO0.