Attempt to write software for the EX4i.

[xbmbmx]

Hello!

I recently got my hands on a couple of EX4i flashcards (see photo).

I have already found the required firmware and DSi 1.4.3 unlock patch online.

I am looking for information on developing for this card (demo code, or a devkit, or a guide, anything)

I think the card is quite flexible when it comes to protections as a few iterations of the kernel have very different folder structure and file sizes (for the kernel dat files) but the card swaps between each these versions without ever bricking/blocking.

The kernel also offers a dstwo-like system with a plugins folder and INI files indicating what image and name the must show in the menu.

At first I thought this was a "normal" R4 clone, as some threads on GBATemp seemed to say. However - now that I have got my hands on it, it seems to play smooth video and I actually like the menu a lot. I'm also confident now that there is indeed an onboard processing chip of some sort (given the very smooth and fast video playback on my dsl).

The original website is long gone and most threads on gbatemp seem to say that even when there was a domain the team never really had any contact info. Some posts on here say it is a card developed by the R4Li team.

The old site on the wayback machine does have a section "Development", where one time there was some weird information: "This card supports commands B0, A0, C0 ......" and a bit later this was removed with a text "The team will like to help developers to make for this card, contact us!" - given they had no contact info and the card was pretty unpopular I doubt anyone truly contacted them.

Anyway I'll still try my luck and ask if anyone here knows of a devkit / development guide / toolchain for this card? Anyone here who knows of chinese game/retro forums that may have some info on this?

Thanks!

 

[NightScript]

@lifehackerhansol is a huge flashcard experimentor, especially with DLDI. Does the kernel come with it? If not, do you have it separately? Could you upload it here?

 

[lifehackerhansol]

The EX4 is part of the Ace3DS+ (R4Li) family. Anything Ace3DS+ works on it except autobooting as the bootloader needs a different encryption key.
The plugin thing isn't anything special: it's just a glorified homebrew launcher.
I'm uncertain if the video player was anything other than just an edited moonshell, but I may be wrong about this. I've never seen one in person, after all. There is no known SDK for this cartridge, if there was any. At least, nothing I have on hand.
A quick look at its kernel that I do have on hand does suggest there is something custom going on, but I'm not sure what that is.

EDIT: I checked that site you mentioned about commands. These are SD card read/write commands. They have nothing to do with the accel chip, assuming what you say is correct and it actually does have one.

 

[xbmbmx]

The EX4 is part of the Ace3DS+ (R4Li) family. Anything Ace3DS+ works on it except autobooting as the bootloader needs a different encryption key.
The plugin thing isn't anything special: it's just a glorified homebrew launcher.
I'm uncertain if the video player was anything other than just an edited moonshell, but I may be wrong about this. I've never seen one in person, after all. There is no known SDK for this cartridge, if there was any. At least, nothing I have on hand.
A quick look at its kernel that I do have on hand does suggest there is something custom going on, but I'm not sure what that is.

EDIT: I checked that site you mentioned about commands. These are SD card read/write commands. They have nothing to do with the accel chip, assuming what you say is correct and it actually does have one.

Thanks for your reply!

I'm in no way familiar with hardware, but the EX4i video player plays videos smoother than my DSTwo iPlayer. The EX4i card gets slightly warm when used.

The "built-in" gba emulator also runs smoother on my DSL than I'd expect from a non-enhanced flashcard. It's about on the level of the DSTwo GBA emulator, so pretty bad but better than "nothing".

When I remove the sticker of the EX4i, I can see the internals. I have been stupid and did not take a photo to share here. Once my second card arrives I will take of the sticker of my first card again and share photos of it (I don't want to ruin the only one I have on hand right now).

I thought the plugin thing was somewhat special. You can add nds files etc etc with the ini files so in that regard it's just another launcher but it also allows you the launch the .dat files (like the gba player and the movie player) which you can't with a normal "game launcher".

Same as the DSTwo menu allowed you to launch the .plg files while the normal "game launcher" didn't.

I have this flashcard primarily because I'm making a collection of some sort. I plan on writing some blog posts or a webpage about it. Not because anyone cares anymore but just because they fascinate me.

It would be cool if someone ever comes up with a way to create these .dat files, even if they are in no way enhanced. I would like to know why they're dat files, and if the card is actually enhanced or if the getting warm is just shitty internals and the smooth video playback is just all down to good programming.

Post automatically merged: Jan 8, 2023

@lifehackerhansol is a huge flashcard experimentor, especially with DLDI. Does the kernel come with it? If not, do you have it separately? Could you upload it here?

AFAIK the card ships even without an SD card, so it does not come with the kernel in the box. I can upload the files I found online here - not sure if I can with my XP yet.

I have two versions of the "kernel" I guess: v2.01 and V1.4.5. Personally I'm more a fan of the looks of 1.4.5 and I'm not sure if there is , apart from another folder structure and theme any difference in performance/internals between the two firmwares.


Then I have three patches: dsi fix 1.4.1, 3ds fix 16 and 3ds fix 18. These are nds files that you had to run on a non-blocked console and it would show a short message "do not remove card, press a to continue" and than a loading bar. This should unlock the card for some firmwares of 3ds and dsi (flashing basically)

Finally, there is an "ext4tf.rar" file that was under a heading called "dldi" on the website.


(Note: I haven't posted my message yet but GBAtemp is already telling me that the two firmware zip files (1.4.5 and 2.01) are too large, I guess I can't post them but they can be downloaded from wayback machine on the download page of the card)

Post automatically merged: Jan 8, 2023

The EX4 is part of the Ace3DS+ (R4Li) family. Anything Ace3DS+ works on it except autobooting as the bootloader needs a different encryption key.
The plugin thing isn't anything special: it's just a glorified homebrew launcher.
I'm uncertain if the video player was anything other than just an edited moonshell, but I may be wrong about this. I've never seen one in person, after all. There is no known SDK for this cartridge, if there was any. At least, nothing I have on hand.
A quick look at its kernel that I do have on hand does suggest there is something custom going on, but I'm not sure what that is.

EDIT: I checked that site you mentioned about commands. These are SD card read/write commands. They have nothing to do with the accel chip, assuming what you say is correct and it actually does have one.

The minute I posted this I got my other cards .
Here is a (hopefully clear enough) photo of the visible insides.
The card uses an sd card reader for kerne and roms, that's not visible in this view.

 

[Technicmaster0]

EX4i is an iplayer clone as far as I know (the iplayer card, not the iplayer dstwo plugin). The spiritual predecessor of the DSTWO

 

[xbmbmx]

EX4i is an iplayer clone as far as I know (the iplayer card, not the iplayer dstwo plugin). The spiritual predecessor of the DSTWO

The iPlayer had on-board acceleration of some sort? (I have heard of the card but know basically nothing about it)

 

[Technicmaster0]

The iPlayer had on-board acceleration of some sort? (I have heard of the card but know basically nothing about it)

It's a DSTWO but without romloader and with less processing power. The DSTWO should play GBA games and movies better, but the capabilites are still above a normal flashcart.
I think that there was no public SDK for them. But I have a thought in my mind that someone published an app for them. I think that it was either a GBA emulator (from the community) or a SNES emulator. You might find something about their development if you find them.

 

[xbmbmx]

It's a DSTWO but without romloader and with less processing power. The DSTWO should play GBA games and movies better, but the capabilites are still above a normal flashcart.
I think that there was no public SDK for them. But I have a thought in my mind that someone published an app for them. I think that it was either a GBA emulator (from the community) or a SNES emulator. You might find something about their development if you find them.

EX4i that I have blows my DSTWO and DSTWO plus out of the water on video format support and seeking speed. The GBA emulator on my EX4i doesn't load any rom I tested (just loading screen forever).

Makes me wonder if it's something with the hardware or just superior programming of the video player.

 

[The Real Jdbye]

Hello!

I recently got my hands on a couple of EX4i flashcards (see photo).

View attachment 346354

I have already found the required firmware and DSi 1.4.3 unlock patch online.

I am looking for information on developing for this card (demo code, or a devkit, or a guide, anything)

I think the card is quite flexible when it comes to protections as a few iterations of the kernel have very different folder structure and file sizes (for the kernel dat files) but the card swaps between each these versions without ever bricking/blocking.

The kernel also offers a dstwo-like system with a plugins folder and INI files indicating what image and name the must show in the menu.

At first I thought this was a "normal" R4 clone, as some threads on GBATemp seemed to say. However - now that I have got my hands on it, it seems to play smooth video and I actually like the menu a lot. I'm also confident now that there is indeed an onboard processing chip of some sort (given the very smooth and fast video playback on my dsl).

The original website is long gone and most threads on gbatemp seem to say that even when there was a domain the team never really had any contact info. Some posts on here say it is a card developed by the R4Li team.

The old site on the wayback machine does have a section "Development", where one time there was some weird information: "This card supports commands B0, A0, C0 ......" and a bit later this was removed with a text "The team will like to help developers to make for this card, contact us!" - given they had no contact info and the card was pretty unpopular I doubt anyone truly contacted them.

Anyway I'll still try my luck and ask if anyone here knows of a devkit / development guide / toolchain for this card? Anyone here who knows of chinese game/retro forums that may have some info on this?

Thanks!

What formats are supported for video? Moonshell was able to play smooth video (at least smooth as far as I can remember) in good quality but they were in a weird format and had to be converted using special software. Used to watch anime using it on bus and train rides. Despite being 256x192 on a tiny screen, it was quite watchable.

The iPlayer had on-board acceleration of some sort? (I have heard of the card but know basically nothing about it)

It's actually the cart the DSTWO was based on, I remember the DSTWO being announced not long after, and supported the same features (+ added ROM loading of course), my guess is they bought the schematics/firmware etc off the iPlayer team, I don't think they're the same people because if you're SuperCard and you already have a successful line of flashcarts, why release a niche product under a different name that nobody has heard of when they could have just skipped that and released the DSTWO to begin with.
The video player and GBA emulator that are on the DSTWO originated on the iPlayer. Not the SNES emulator though, that was made by a GBAtemp member later on.

 

[xbmbmx]

What formats are supported for video? Moonshell was able to play smooth video (at least smooth as far as I can remember) in good quality but they were in a weird format and had to be converted using special software. Used to watch anime using it on bus and train rides. Despite being 256x192 on a tiny screen, it was quite watchable.

It's actually the cart the DSTWO was based on, I remember the DSTWO being announced not long after, and supported the same features (+ added ROM loading of course), my guess is they bought the schematics/firmware etc off the iPlayer team, I don't think they're the same people because if you're SuperCard and you already have a successful line of flashcarts, why release a niche product under a different name that nobody has heard of when they could have just skipped that and released the DSTWO to begin with.
The video player and GBA emulator that are on the DSTWO originated on the iPlayer. Not the SNES emulator though, that was made by a GBAtemp member later on.

For example, AVI and 3GP downloaded straight(!) from youtube do play on the EX4i without having to convert them to a smaller resolution. It has quite a bit of frameskip but it plays, you can seek, pause, play without much notable lag at all. It really amazed me.

Edit: bad sentence

 

[The Real Jdbye]

For example, AVI and 3GP downloaded straight(!) from youtube do play on the EX4i without having to convert them to a smaller resolution. It has quite a bit of frameskip but it plays, you can seek, pause, play without much notable lag at all. It really amazed me.

Edit: bad sentence

I thought you said it was smooth

 

[xbmbmx]

I thought you said it was smooth

You know what I mean... The DPG format needed to compile on a pc and the same file doesn't even load on a DSTWO so I consider it an "improvement". If i actually use ffmpeg to resize the video and lower the audio bitrate a bit it plays very smooth and seeks instantly (the seeking even workst flawless with the unconverted video file).