#64094 - sevast - Mon Dec 19, 2005 9:52 am
I have a ds development cartridge. It looks like this:
http://gbadev.org/ds_flash.jpg
Once I find my camera battery charger (doh!), I hope to share some cool pics of mine.
What I'd really like to do is to use it for homebrew. I unfortunately do not have the official dev writer. Can I flashme my ds, boot to the GBA slot with a gba flash card, and then write to the ds dev cartridge? Any other ideas? Anyone else have one of these?
Last edited by sevast on Tue Mar 21, 2006 5:28 am; edited 2 times in total
#64109 - MaHe - Mon Dec 19, 2005 2:28 pm
Wow... Where did you get it?
#64112 - Dark Knight ez - Mon Dec 19, 2005 4:18 pm
I doubt you could actually write to the card by the DS itself.
#64116 - JaJa - Mon Dec 19, 2005 4:52 pm
| sevast wrote: |
| What I'd really like to do is to use it for homebrew. I unfortunately do not have the official dev writer. Can I flashme my ds, boot to the GBA slot with a gba flash card, and then write to the ds dev cartridge? Any other ideas? Anyone else have one of these? |
If you have a GBA flash cart what's the point?
If you send it to darkfader, i bet he could make another one and a writer.
Providing he didn't flip out and make them explode or something..
#64121 - rmco2003 - Mon Dec 19, 2005 5:20 pm
That sounds like a good idea, an all in one device would be a lot more useful anyway
#64136 - sevast - Mon Dec 19, 2005 7:43 pm
I just want to use it because it would just be really cool to run my code off of a real develepment cart!
It's got a proto of zoo tycoon on it, so I'd like to copy that off before I write anything on (it seems like it's even buggier than the final. I've never played the real one so I can't be sure. At least if it isn't, I feel very sorry for those of you who bought this game!! I am positive that it's different than the final.).
I bought it from someone who's pretty well known for protos.
I did write darkfader asking him about it. I don't want to try to push a project on someone when I can't really pay any money for it right now. I also don't want to send it anywhere!
It's a cool little device. The back cover comes off to reveal a plug for the save memory. This way a developer can plug in different sizes of memory depending on their needs. I don't have it in front of me, but I'm pretty sure mine has a 64k eeprom plugged in. It's got a little switch to turn the save memory off if you don't want to use any.
I know I can just use a gba flash cart, but isn't having a real ds flash cart one of the holy grails of ds homebrew? It's just cooler that way... ;)
I've been doing some nes development, but I'm still pretty new to ds development. If I flashme my ds, can it boot directly to a gba flash cart and then still use the ds cartridge port? It seems to me that if you can write to a gba flash cart while it's in the ds, then a ds flash cart should work the same way except for the encryption...
#64138 - rmco2003 - Mon Dec 19, 2005 8:08 pm
Well homebrew can use the NDS port as shown by the Neoflash MK2 menu, but to actually run stuff off of that development cartridge through flashme you'd probably need a special loader to execute the files, I reckon if DF thinks it's a good idea you should go ahead with it, it'd certainly be cool to have Flash cartridges going through the NDS port that acted as PassMe devices too, that would eliminate the need for FlashMe altogether.
#64142 - Lynx - Mon Dec 19, 2005 8:37 pm
| Quote: |
I know I can just use a gba flash cart, but isn't having a real ds flash cart one of the holy grails of ds homebrew? It's just cooler that way... ;)
|
Uh.. No.. the holy grail of DS homebrew would be to make one yourself. I think you have the holy grail for pirates.
#64143 - sevast - Mon Dec 19, 2005 8:42 pm
Sorry didn't mean to say that darkfader said it would be a good idea. To quote a line out of his reply to my pm: "You would either need a programming device or a program on the DS (that accepts data via wifi or something)."
It may be more trouble than it's worth. Since I saw the picture of the ds development cart on this forum, I thought that perhaps someone had some idea of how to use it. Maybe I'll sell it or keep it just as a proto.
#64148 - sevast - Mon Dec 19, 2005 9:03 pm
oh one more thing, darkfader didn't ask for money and I didn't ask him for further help. I just said it that way because I would feel bad if I asked someone to take on a big project for charity.
I don't pirate. I just think it would be cool. I know I'm just a beginer with ds homebrew--thanks for your patience with a beginner with odd questions!
#64158 - Darkwind_776 - Mon Dec 19, 2005 9:56 pm
| MaHe wrote: |
| Wow... Where did you get it? |
Those are my thoughts
#64169 - Dark Knight ez - Mon Dec 19, 2005 11:48 pm
| Quote: |
| It's got a proto of zoo tycoon on it |
There's a small hint for you.
#64175 - josath - Tue Dec 20, 2005 12:11 am
| Darkwind_776 wrote: |
| MaHe wrote: | | Wow... Where did you get it? |
Those are my thoughts |
He probably doesn't want to say, because I am pretty sure there is no legal way for him to get it without being a officially licensed ds developer...either he stole it, or someone else stole it and gave/sold it to him, or an official developer violated his contract by giving/selling it to him.
#64179 - sevast - Tue Dec 20, 2005 12:25 am
So what are the legalities of me owning this? Anyone really know? All I know is that I bought it for a decent amount of chump change. Anyone know if the developer or if Nintendo own the developer carts? I understand that some of the special equipment gets returned to Nintendo, but don't developers usually keep using developer cartridges? Do they buy or do they "lease" these things?
If I post some pictures, am I opening myself up to legal problems?
#64218 - adrian783 - Tue Dec 20, 2005 8:29 am
legality? its proally super-illegal...i remember one of the wikis dont even want the mention of a official dev kit, cuz that will potentially ruin all their effort
#64228 - Thomas - Tue Dec 20, 2005 12:05 pm
Could you post some more pictures? I'd like to see the insides of it.
#64230 - SimonB - Tue Dec 20, 2005 12:49 pm
I wouldnt worry one bit. Take pics, do whatever you want with it. It was a review copy from a magazine so either the dev company didnt ask for it back, or the magazine 'forgot' to return it. Either way that isnt your fault.
Simon
#64261 - sevast - Tue Dec 20, 2005 7:06 pm
I still can't find my stupid digital camera battery charger. I'm going over to a friends to take picture's tonight.
#64365 - agentq - Wed Dec 21, 2005 6:56 pm
Hey - Nintendo don't make the law. You may well get whoever originally bought the cartridges in trouble with Nintendo, but I don't reckon you've broken any laws by just owning the thing. Unless it's stolen, of course. I'm sure these things get out all the time.
#64385 - sevast - Wed Dec 21, 2005 9:58 pm
Here are a bunch of pictures!! :) I watermarked them just so I could prove that I have the original pictures. I didn't realize it would add the stupid extra trial crap. It says "Nintendo M10-X1" above the contacts. It says "E202510" on the front.
I thought the switch might be to turn off if there's memory or not, but now I don't think so. Anyone have any idea what the switch is for?
outside back
http://img434.imageshack.us/img434/1797/backsmall4wb.jpg
outside front
http://img288.imageshack.us/img288/4410/frontsmall6qo.jpg
the glamour angle (makes it look skinny)
http://img288.imageshack.us/img288/2360/edgesmalljpg1se.jpg
partially undressed
http://img436.imageshack.us/img436/3972/insidef6vl.jpg
fully undressed (the male socket on the bottom is what says eeproms in the previous picture turned over)
http://img429.imageshack.us/img429/9494/inside2small1zn.jpg
upskirt
http://img429.imageshack.us/img429/3754/deepinsidesmall1fv.jpg
There seems to be room (but I don't see the circuitry) for four flash chips. To me that seems to mean that either it can be used with smaller types of memory chips or that it could potentially have 2gb on it.
#64391 - Mr. Picklesworth - Wed Dec 21, 2005 10:57 pm
Boy, it would be great to do homebrew with something that small...
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#64442 - MaHe - Thu Dec 22, 2005 1:01 pm
It probably just illegal to make a homebrew NDS slot flashcart by copying it's structure, isn't it?
#64452 - darkfader - Thu Dec 22, 2005 1:58 pm
Heh... savecard add-on. just like that bigger clunky model.
Too bad the pictures are a bit small.
Anyway, if you don't want to hand it out, the only option is that someone (me for example) remotely can control it. sgstair's wifi library could be helpful :)
The reset signal might not be register-controllable so that would be a little problem since it would require to power off/on the DS or card manually or with some additional wire. Check if you can find a good place to solder ;P (or in DS)
At least I could try to backup it and find additional commands that are used for writing.
#64494 - sevast - Thu Dec 22, 2005 10:53 pm
Can anyone read Japanese or lead me to someone who can translate what it says on the front of the cartridge? It says what the switch inside the cartridge does and I'm really curious...
#64496 - adrian783 - Thu Dec 22, 2005 11:15 pm
omg....that was a feast for eyes...just wow
i expect great things come out of it =D
#64507 - Sintax - Fri Dec 23, 2005 1:32 am
I don't think you'll be able to do much useful with it, especially not use it like a regular flash cart. The best thing to do would be to get it to someone that would be able to ween some knowledge from it for the good of homebrew.
#64910 - darkfader - Wed Dec 28, 2005 1:45 pm
Are there any more people who have such a flashcard?
I made a small wifi remote testing application.
#64942 - zxr750j - Wed Dec 28, 2005 7:59 pm
Just send the thing to darkfader, maybe he can use it to enhance his keyme-project.
#64946 - MaHe - Wed Dec 28, 2005 8:21 pm
KeyMe is a hoax, FIY.
#64974 - cory1492 - Thu Dec 29, 2005 1:29 am
| zxr750j wrote: |
| Just send the thing to darkfader, maybe he can use it to enhance his keyme-project. |
Well, in the least he could adapt his trojan to brick official dev carts too.
#64989 - The 9th Sage - Thu Dec 29, 2005 4:28 am
| cory1492 wrote: |
| Well, in the least he could adapt his trojan to brick official dev carts too. |
Let's just move on folks.
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#64998 - sevast - Thu Dec 29, 2005 7:19 am
please don't hijack this post into a flamewar. I don't know darkfader personally or for very long. I do know he's been very nice to me with lots of stupid questions!
Here are a couple of fun pictures of it running. Gotta love the "boot" menu...
http://img365.imageshack.us/img365/4352/blank3ba.jpg
Here's the title screen. There is a couple of letters and a date in the upper right corner. I blurred it. I know where I got the cartridge from. I don't know the history before that. I decided to blur it just to make it harder to trace. Besides the text in the corner, does there seem to be any difference than the final?
http://img370.imageshack.us/img370/9674/titlewblur3vu.jpg
The date is earlier this year (2005). It does seem to be pretty far along. Saving doesn't work. There are lots of bugs that hold up gameplay, but I hear that's true in the final too. I really want to go buy it so that I can compare!
#65006 - zxr750j - Thu Dec 29, 2005 12:21 pm
For those without humor: my keyme remark was supposed to be funny without any disrespect to Darkfader, I really think that if anyone can make something usefull of the cart, he can.
#75680 - sevast - Wed Mar 15, 2006 4:34 am
An update and news for you all. Never got to far with this. Might have got a lot further if I would just send it to someone who really knows about the DS. Darkfaders remote DS control program never worked for us (who knows. Could have been simply that the internet up here stinks.). I only have a supercard CF, so I can't try to dump it myself.
Therefore, it's getting ebayed. Just search for DS development cartridge and I'm sure you'll find it (unless it gets pulled!). I know we're not supposed to try and sell stuff here, but I think this is of interest to the community and I would like it if it's picked up by either a real collector or somebody who will eventually use it for the good of homebrew.
#75685 - zzo38computer - Wed Mar 15, 2006 5:45 am
I can read the Japanese text a little bit...
The top says "DS furasshinikaado" (probably it is supposed to sound like the English word "DS Flash Card") The rest of the text either I can't understand, it is too small, or it is covered up by the watermarks
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#75698 - sevast - Wed Mar 15, 2006 8:24 am
That's funny to me... Thanks!
#76093 - HyperHacker - Sat Mar 18, 2006 4:25 am
You should have saved the non-watermarked pics. Hell, just take more.
And yeah, "furasshinikaado" == "flashing card".
#76165 - derula - Sat Mar 18, 2006 9:10 pm
| HyperHacker wrote: |
| You should have saved the non-watermarked pics. Hell, just take more. |
Yeah, and you can upload them on http://upload.uglyhorst.de/ if you like, so you can upload bigger sized images and without watermarks (I'm also interested what it says on the back. Can only read Kana though.)
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#76299 - shaz - Mon Mar 20, 2006 9:27 am
And guess who won the auction ^^
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#76346 - shaz - Tue Mar 21, 2006 12:03 am
And guess what... later the listing was removed...
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#76354 - sevast - Tue Mar 21, 2006 12:46 am
I'll post more pictures later if you all really want some. In fact, I have pictures of the whole inside... I'm wondering about a couple things. When I post the inside pics, I'll ask you pros.
Hey shaz, send me an email address in a pm or something. It was pulled because ebay doesn't allow prototypes and they finally figured out it was a prototype.
#76382 - sevast - Tue Mar 21, 2006 5:26 am
I guess one last question before I pass on the tourch. I have opened up the cartridge completely. I didn't mention this last week because I didn't want to raise the ebay price over simple speculation. Look at the extra chip...
Do you think it is possible that the extra chip handles all the encryption while the flash memory stays totally unencrypted? Is there simple way to test this?
I have given some of the picture unwatermarked to a couple of specific people that I don't think will pass them out. I can pass out high rez unwatermarked pictures, but I feel I should talk to the new owner first.
http://img470.imageshack.us/img470/5471/naked27bz.jpg
#76389 - sevast - Tue Mar 21, 2006 7:49 am
| derula wrote: |
| (I'm also interested what it says on the back. Can only read Kana though.) |
Absolutely nothing on the back.
Asked before, but can anyone translate or find someone to translate what the a and b switch does? It says something on the cover about it?
#76808 - HyperHacker - Fri Mar 24, 2006 10:53 pm
A Nintendo NTR-FCC-01, and an ordinary flash ROM. It does seem like that chip might do all the encryption.
As for translation... it's blurry, can't really make it out, but the first text in the box says "SWITCH ROM"... the second one looks like "pakuun" or "pataan"; that p could be a b and the n could be 'so'. Third one looks the same, but again, I can't quite make it out at that size. It's Katakana, though, which is a phonetic alphabet used for foreign words, so whatever it says would sound like the English word it means (as with "furasshinikaado" == "flashing card").
#76814 - adrian783 - Fri Mar 24, 2006 11:14 pm
button?
#80041 - sevast - Tue Apr 18, 2006 7:01 am
Well, the cartridge is up for sale again. I've noticed that there is a for sale section, so I'm starting a topic in the for sale section on gbadev. It's never a good sign when an auction winner says "I need a couple of weeks to gather the funds"
#80141 - Nushio - Wed Apr 19, 2006 4:15 am
| sevast wrote: |
| Well, the cartridge is up for sale again. I've noticed that there is a for sale section, so I'm starting a topic in the for sale section on gbadev. It's never a good sign when an auction winner says "I need a couple of weeks to gather the funds" |
Odd, I never bought (or attempted to bid at an auction) when I didnt have the cash to pay for item immediately.
So, to sum it all up, is it currently for sale, or not? (For the record, I'm really not interested in buying it)
#80151 - sevast - Wed Apr 19, 2006 8:44 am
Yes it is officially back on the market. I hadn't noticed the buy and sell forum section before I put it on ebay or else I would have tried to sell it first here anyway. I started a topic here:
http://forum.gbadev.org/viewtopic.php?t=9285
#80158 - Scorpei - Wed Apr 19, 2006 1:19 pm
It shouldn't be illigal to reverse engeneer it, correct?
Then a DS flashcart could be made.
#80207 - josath - Thu Apr 20, 2006 12:40 am
| Scorpei wrote: |
It shouldn't be illigal to reverse engeneer it, correct?
Then a DS flashcart could be made. |
All the info needed to make a DS flashcart has already been discovered.
#80215 - tepples - Thu Apr 20, 2006 2:03 am
In that case, what's stopping anybody from making a prototype NoPass?
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#80216 - chishm - Thu Apr 20, 2006 2:19 am
| tepples wrote: |
| In that case, what's stopping anybody from making a prototype NoPass? |
Time, skill and cost.
Some companies are working on them, but are still in the prototyping phase.
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#80217 - tepples - Thu Apr 20, 2006 2:23 am
| chishm wrote: |
| Some companies are working on them, but are still in the prototyping phase. |
Aw man... I was hoping to see some cool photos like those of DarkFader's prototype passthrough.
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-- Who?
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#80227 - Scorpei - Thu Apr 20, 2006 6:40 am
Wasn't the FPGA board cool :).
#80324 - omaremad - Fri Apr 21, 2006 12:25 pm
i didnt read the whole thread but that cart is useless for deving if the flashed rom still needs to have all the crypto information (ie in the actual software not on the cart)
#80604 - sevast - Sun Apr 23, 2006 7:11 pm
i don't know if it does or doesn't, but there's an extra chip on the cart beyond the flash memory that I'm very curious exactly what it does do.
#80623 - tepples - Mon Apr 24, 2006 12:28 am
There are two chips: the flash chip and the crypto processor. I'm guessing that the secure area might still have to be encrypted, but can't ndstool write out images that skip the secure area?
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#80822 - sevast - Tue Apr 25, 2006 7:39 pm
tepples, I still don't know much about the ds dev. I was working with darkfader a little bit because he had this tool that worked over the net, but it never really worked for us. I wanted to dump the cartridge to see exactly what is on the flash but: I'm a ds beginner still, I only have a supercard cf which there is no dumping tool yet, and nobody in dev seems to really know anything about these cards.
I don't know if it would be helpful to the community or not, but I do hope that I can find someone interested in buying it that is a nesdev hardware person who can at least add to the dev knowledge. I'm not looking to get rich off this if I find the right person.
Ok, or if anyone has any nes dev stuff they want to trade for it, I'd be all about that too! Got a collection of blank nintendo official dev game circuit boards that you don't know what to do with? Come talk to me... :)
#80830 - OrR - Tue Apr 25, 2006 8:13 pm
FWNITRO ( http://forum.gbadev.org/viewtopic.php?t=8638 ) should be able to dump to SC CF...
#80842 - The 9th Sage - Tue Apr 25, 2006 8:50 pm
| tepples wrote: |
| There are two chips: the flash chip and the crypto processor. I'm guessing that the secure area might still have to be encrypted, but can't ndstool write out images that skip the secure area? |
I'm not certain, but it can encrypt stuff. I mean, I'm not sure what you'd have to do to make a 'proper' secure area as I have no idea what is in that area exactly, so it could still be kinda hard to figure out.
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