Hacking 3ds flashcart clones´s firmwares.

[Deleted User]

You mean like this ?

These are not using Actel FPGA so you cannot compare it as it is like comparing oranges with apples. These most likely use some kind of custom ASIC, and they very well may have implemented a way to reprogram the ASIC.

BUT

The 3DSLink is not using a custom ASIC, it is using an Actel FPGA, and they can only be reprogrammed with JTAG. Which are not accessible by a 3DS or DS as shown in my post before. Only time will tell but I am already 200% sure what is needed to program it.

Here's what I think will happen: 3DSLink will offer a USB update dongle which you need to buy. It is actually quite clever as you will need to pay them again

 

[mario mario]

3dslink v3.1 is released,u may update

 

[kyogre123]

3dslink v3.1 is released,u may update

Where's the multiROM R4i promised to release before Christmas!! they cheated us!!!!!1

Edit: By the way, they haven't deleted that message from their site:

Deluxe Edition firmware 3.0 is released ! (2013-12-10)

Deluxe Edition firmware V3.0 is released with emuNAND feature, now you can play MH4,Legend of Zelda. but no pokemon x/y,Animal Crossing this time. Hopefully will work in the coming firmware V3.1(before Xmas) with multiROM feature and more surprises!
[Download Now]

 

[Edward266]

I bet everyone is waiting for Gateway 3DS to release their version which is due at anytime now so they can copy it just my opinion.

 

[Mr_Pichu]

Any company that uses epoxy resin has to be using the cheapest part possible, I very much doubt they would choose a part that can be updated. Only my opinion, your milage may vary.

 

[Technicmaster0]

You mean like this ?

-snip-

These are not using Actel FPGA so you cannot compare it as it is like comparing oranges with apples. These most likely use some kind of custom ASIC, and they very well may have implemented a way to reprogram the ASIC.

BUT

The 3DSLink is not using a custom ASIC, it is using an Actel FPGA, and they can only be reprogrammed with JTAG. Which are not accessible by a 3DS or DS as shown in my post before. Only time will tell but I am already 200% sure what is needed to program it.

Here's what I think will happen: 3DSLink will offer a USB update dongle which you need to buy. It is actually quite clever as you will need to pay them again

Nope, I ment revision 8 and before that:

Spoiler

 

[Claw919]

Wow - I hadn't realized that they were largely the same card. The only significant difference from the front side of the card is the missing c3 on the 3DSLink.

What we can't see from those pictures, though, is if the pins for JTAG are connected differently in those cards. I would suspect not, but...

Those cards were definitely able to update the FPGA using the 3DS?

 

[tranfeer]

What do youwant

You mean like this ?

These are not using Actel FPGA so you cannot compare it as it is like comparing oranges with apples. These most likely use some kind of custom ASIC, and they very well may have implemented a way to reprogram the ASIC.

BUT

The 3DSLink is not using a custom ASIC, it is using an Actel FPGA, and they can only be reprogrammed with JTAG. Which are not accessible by a 3DS or DS as shown in my post before. Only time will tell but I am already 200% sure what is needed to program it.

Here's what I think will happen: 3DSLink will offer a USB update dongle which you need to buy. It is actually quite clever as you will need to pay them again[/quo

What do you want to express?
The card showed in the picture provided by you is a ds card ,which has nothing to do with 3DS.
It can only support DS roms.

 

[Deleted User]

tranfeer That post was to Technicmaster0 to show that the ASIC in DS mode cards could contain a CPU which can be reprogrammed to execute different code. The ASIC itself, naturally, can never be reprogrammed.

FPGAs are a different beast as they have Flash memory that represents the logic that the FPGA should execute.

My findings was this:

Found something interesting here. The JTAG pins of 3DSLink are on the back side!

I tried flipping the PCB (so the 3DS/DS can contact with those JTAG pins) but it won't fit and won't make contact.

The conclusion is that there is no way to update the 3DSLink FPGA using a 3DS or DS.. So if 3DSLink Team is going to bring out an update, you will need somekind of external dongle

I think this is what Gateway team has been trying to say

The blue image you see above is the 3DSLink card for 3DS mode, and there is no way to reprogram the FPGA on 3DSLink with a 3DS or DS console.


I hope that is clear to you now.

 

[unlimited497]

mario mario said: ↑

3dslink v3.1 is released,u may update​

Where's the multiROM R4i promised to release before Christmas!! they cheated us!!!!!1

Edit: By the way, they haven't deleted that message from their site:

Deluxe Edition firmware 3.0 is released ! (2013-12-10)

​

​

Deluxe Edition firmware V3.0 is released with emuNAND feature, now you can play MH4,Legend of Zelda. but no pokemon x/y,Animal Crossing this time. Hopefully will work in the coming firmware V3.1(before Xmas) with multiROM feature and more surprises! ​

[Download Now]​

Lol you seriously believe they will have something that isn't release by Gateway? If Gateway hasn't release anything yet then clone won't have it yet, all their talks are lies. The only time a clone will have certain features is when Gateway release it first. I thought everyone should know that by now...

 

[juins]

i believe it was sarcasm

 

[Schizoanalysis]

+1 for sarcasm.

 

[mathieulh]

The clones and original Gateway Launcher.dat are mostly the same, even the keys used for their decryption stages are the same with the exception of the ASIC key/iv because clone manufacturers weren't able to extract those from the Gateway ASIC, instead they used the ASIC as an oracle to decrypt the final stage and get the payload and reencrypted it with their own ASIC key (the one used in the clones FPGA)

An Actel FPGA can be updated through software assuming such a feature was implemented from the get go (in the ASIC or the bootloader) and part of the storage is set as writable. It is safe to assume this may not be the case with these clone cards. (if so JTAG is the only way to reliably update/overwrite the ASIC running on the FPGA, assuming it's not been disabled)

Time will tell.

 

[Deleted User]

mathieulh There is no need to assume, it is simply physically NOT POSSIBLE that these clone cards can be reprogrammed with just a 3DS console (or a DS console). I can say this because the JTAG pins are not wired up for a 3DS or DS to be able to talk with it.

How many times do I need to repeat this? It is not possible, period.

The only way they can reprogram the FPGA is by taking the PCB out of its shell, flip the board over, and connect some external programming dongle to it. It's not something I expect people to do at this point.

 

[mathieulh]

mathieulh There is no need to assume, it is simply physically NOT POSSIBLE that these clone cards can be reprogrammed with just a 3DS console (or a DS console). I can say this because the JTAG pins are not wired up for a 3DS or DS to be able to talk with it.

How many times do I need to repeat this? It is not possible, period.

The only way they can reprogram the FPGA is by taking the PCB out of its shell, flip the board over, and connect some external programming dongle to it. It's not something I expect people to do at this point.

It is possible depending on the logic and the modules they left over. You don't need to reprogram the entire FPGA if you have a bootloader that can write to an "external" module on chip.
That said, it is very unlikely because such a setup is not cost effective, but who knows what's in their ACTEL FPGA (those can be customized with hardware modules) and what software implementation they have under the hood.

 

[Deleted User]

mathieulh No that is not correct. No logic on the FPGA can reprogram its internal Flash memory, you can read the Actel datasheet and you will see it is not possible. Even the Actel FPGA variant with on-chip CPU can not reprogram the Flash. And Actel does not manufacture FPGAs with custom logic based on customer request.

Even if you want to say they take base Actel FPGAs, decap it, and add an external hardware controller to do the reprogramming, and then package it up to look like a stock Actel FPGA then this is truely absurd.

 

[mathieulh]

mathieulh No that is not correct. No logic on the FPGA can reprogram its internal Flash memory, you can read the Actel datasheet and you will see it is not possible. Even the Actel FPGA variant with on-chip CPU can not reprogram the Flash. And Actel does not manufacture FPGAs with custom logic based on customer request.

Hum... I was under the impression that they did (allow custom logic). I could be wrong though, maybe I am confusing it with XILINK. I'll read the datasheet again.

 

[Claw919]

Hang on... I think people missed something TechnicMaster said in post #26 in this thread.

In his post showing all the different r4i revisions (click "Show" on the spoiler stuff in his post), Revision 8 and before have virtually the same layout and components as the R4i Gold Deluxe card.

TechnicMaster is saying that those cards were reprogrammable on the DS without additional hardware (I believe he is saying this, anyway).

So, the question is - were these or were they not programmable? If they were not, then as json says, the new one won't be (and it completely makes sense given his explanation). If they were, then there's some other method that was at play for those earlier revisions, and would likely be here.

 

[tranfeer]

mathieulh There is no need to assume, it is simply physically NOT POSSIBLE that these clone cards can be reprogrammed with just a 3DS console (or a DS console). I can say this because the JTAG pins are not wired up for a 3DS or DS to be able to talk with it.

How many times do I need to repeat this? It is not possible, period.

The only way they can reprogram the FPGA is by taking the PCB out of its shell, flip the board over, and connect some external programming dongle to it. It's not something I expect people to do at this point.

In fact, it's possible to make a cpu in the FPGA ,whose code can be updated.
And this can lead to the update of the function of the FPGA.
As you know, the design of FPGA is very flexible.
Therefore, it's really impolite to make any speculation on it without knowing the whole structure of the design.

Do you think it possible to simulate the JTAG port through the 3ds or ds slot?
I do not think so.
Maybe only time can give the correct answer.

It's completely useless to make a discussion on it now.
Just let's wait and see what will happen next.

 

[AgentChet]

Just curious.

If I install Gateway-3DS exploit on my 3DS, is is possible to change it to a different exploit like 3DS Link, MT-Card, etc..
If so, how?
I've already installed Gateway menu on a 3DS even though I don't have the Gateway. I used a Supercard DSTWO.
So is it possible to switch them out?