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DS development > Free upgrade from R4 to R4i with SDHC support

#168633 - slashbot28 - Tue May 12, 2009 11:16 am

R4 ultra team has released the R4i kernal (kernal for the flashchip)
http://www.r4ultra.com/download/Flash_update_For_EUR.zip

Run "ultrai_update.nds" on English System to reflash the chip of R4i, and don't power off when flashing.
This is an .NDS file that upgrades the internal working of the 0fc2 flashchip.


So we have the code to upgrade our original R4 card or other clone card to a card with R4i kernal.
After the upgrade you have SDHC and R4i support.

The only problem is that the R4 ultra team has protected the rom to flash/run on an other flashcard.

ive checked the R4ultra card:
Chip ID:0fc2
HW: 8181

original R4 card:
Chip ID:0fc2
HW: 0000

Is there anyone out here who can change/hack the ultrai_update.nds rom and disable the HW 8181 check?

If this can be done, everyone who has a flashcard with chip ID: 0fc2 can upgrade his flashcard to new kernal with DSi support.

Hope someone can help us out.

#168635 - Mighty Max - Tue May 12, 2009 3:54 pm

Is there more difference in the R4DS and its SDHC version?
I mean, the SDHC is only a protocol issue, but might it be that the original r4 isn't that updateable?

Well i guess i have a look at the binary and check a bit if the firmware (not the part that is stored on the SD) is changeable on the original one too. If noone has done it already.
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#168637 - headspin - Tue May 12, 2009 4:58 pm

Okay I did a little hex hack on the binary (zero'd out $6AC-$6AD) and it seems to flash an original R4 card okay. I don't have a DSi or sdhc card to test if it works though. Can someone download it from here and let us know if it works?
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#168638 - DiscoStew - Tue May 12, 2009 6:13 pm

slashbot28 wrote:
So we have the code to upgrade our original R4 card or other clone card to a card with R4i kernal.
After the upgrade you have SDHC and R4i support.


It might be me just being paranoid, but looking at the actual website on this information, they seem to only be talking about the upgrade to the R4i and R4 Ultra, with nothing pertaining to the R4DS. Kinda like they are continuing to work around Nintendo's attempts to block the cards and improving them, rather than giving the older cards additional improvements. I'm probably wrong, but that's how I interpret it.

But, if this does work, and it does give the original R4DS cards the added support, could that also include the M3DS Simply? I believe it's considered a clone to the R4DS, but I'm not sure.
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#168640 - slashbot28 - Tue May 12, 2009 7:44 pm

I flashed a new R4 card with the update.nds
This means the R4 cards firmware is writeable.

I let you know if it works on DSi now.

#168646 - Dwedit - Wed May 13, 2009 4:08 am

New R4?

New R4's are all fake. Does any of this stuff work on the original R4?
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#168660 - slashbot28 - Wed May 13, 2009 9:42 pm

I think it don't work because it does not erase the full R4 card and write a complete new bios on it.
It just flashes a sector with new code!

Here is the link to the original file:
http://www.r4ultra.com/download/Flash_update_For_EUR.zip

Here is the link to the file without protection:
http://members.iinet.net.au/~freeaxs/nds/ultrai_update.zip

Run "ultrai_update.nds" on English System to reflash the chip of R4i or R4, and don't power off when flashing.
This is an .NDS file that upgrades the internal working of the 0fc2 flashchip.

The file with no protection writes to an R4 card, so that means that R4 bios is upgradable! (like EZ V is also upgradeable)

I will try to dump the full memory of an R4i ultra card into an .NDS file.
Maybe someone can integrate the R4i bios into a flasher program, so we fully overwite the whole card!

It's just an idea.