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Flash Equipment > Explanation of hardware necessary for homebew files

#128140 - Archangel013 - Tue May 08, 2007 11:43 pm

Ok, I'd like to start saying I'm very, very new to DS modding (As in just found out it was possible via these forums a few days ago) and by apologizing for asking such a question, but I've searched the forums over and over and I haven't yet found a post that answers it.

What I'm wondering is why the R4DS card (or something similar) is necessary to have homebrew UI's or games playable on the DS... I don't understand why just simply putting a card in slot 1 and selecting it from the DS menu won't launch it into the UI. If anyone could clear this up for me, I'd appreciate it :)

EDIT: And is the R4DS some kind of card expansion that fits into slot 1, and then the microSD card fits into the R4 card? That's how I understand it...

#128152 - Tikker - Wed May 09, 2007 12:55 am

yup

you use the R4 to hold the Micro SD card

the R4 OS then supercedes the DS's OS and allows you to run homebrew and [yarr]

#128160 - Archangel013 - Wed May 09, 2007 2:46 am

Alright, thanks, that clears things up :)

#128184 - Lynx - Wed May 09, 2007 2:06 pm

Wow.. I think that is the simplest way I have ever seen it said. If you are happy with that answer, then it is correct. But there is a little more technical detail behind it. The reason you can't just plug any card into the DS it just work is becuase of the handshaking done between the card and the DS to make sure it is a liscensed Nintendo game. The Slot-1 devices these days have that handshake built in.

So, as long as the device in Slot-1 is able to pretend to be a liscensed DS game card, you can run code from it. It doesn't have to be a media adapter like the R4DS, M3 Simply, SuperCard One, etc.
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#128240 - Archangel013 - Wed May 09, 2007 10:28 pm

Alright, that answers my next question, heh. Thanks for the responses. You've been very helpful :)