R4i-SDHC V2.10T Firmware request

[davidmorom]

Hello everyone!

I recently found a R4i-SDHC V2.10T flashcard from "www.r4sdhc.com". I know this is probably a clone of a clone of a clone... and maybe one of the crappiest flashcards ever, but as I already have it, I would like to get as much as I can from it.

Currently, I managed to install YSMenu 7.06, using the "R4i-SDHC YSMenu" folder, along with a "_DS_MENU.DAT" file taken from the original "R4iMenu" downloaded from "www.r4sdhc.com" trough Internet Archive. This is a very weird flashcard that behaves as a TTDS clone as long as the mentioned "_DS_MENU.DAT" file is present on the SD card. If this file is not present, it just displays two white screens. When this file is present, it looks for a "R4.DAT" file to load, and if this file doesn't exist, it displays the typical "MENU?" icon.

In this state, it is working flawlessly, just like any other YSMenu card, but only in my DS Lites. On my DSi and 3DS the cart is detected as "Chronicles of Narnia Caspian Prince", but upon launch it only displays two white screens (like on the DS Lite when there is no SD card, or no "_DS_MENU.DAT" file). The weird thing is that on DS Lite, the cart autoboots from the Health & Safety screen directly, without passing trough the DS menu. It seems like the flashcard uses a different bootstrap code if it detects a DS or a DSi/3DS somehow.

Anyway, I perfectly know that this flashcard is totally useless nowadays, having CFWs and TWiLightMenu, but it would be cool if at least I can get it to boot on my DSi.

Digging on the "www.r4sdhc.com" site trough Internet Archive, I found references to the following firmwares (not kernels), for this card:

• down2.20.zip
• down2.30.rar
• down2.40.rar
• down2.50.rar
• ndsi_v1.4.3_upgrade_a.rar
• ndsi_v1.4.4_upgrade_a.rar
• ndsi_v1.4.5_upgrade_a.rar
• ndsi_v1.4.6_upgrade_a.rar

Unluckily, all of this files are unavailable on Internet Archive, except "ndsi_v1.4.4_upgrade_a.rar" and "down2.40.rar", which are indeed the same (hashes compared). I installed it but the card still behaves the same ("Caspian Prince" on DSi and autoboot on DS). As I understand it, this firmware updates used to change the faked game, so I assume this is the same firmware it already had.

I tried to find any of the other firmware files to see if there is any change, but I was unable to. There are very few references on the Internet, and all of them are down.

So I come here to ask if anyone have a bit more of information on this flashcard, or have a copy of any of the firmware update files so I can try them.

The card was advertised as DSi compatible, so I assume it worked at some point. All my DSi and 3DS consoles are modded, so is not a blacklist problem, they only display a white screen, not the typical "There is an error please power down the system" message.

 

[SylverReZ]

Appears to be similar to a DEMON cart? TWiLight Menu++ and YSMenu should work just as well.

 

[davidmorom]

Yes they work, but as I explained on the first post, only on DS Lite. On DSi and 3DS it only display two white screens, no matter what kernel I use, so I suspect is a firmware issue.

 

[Technicmaster0]

Appears to be similar to a DEMON cart? TWiLight Menu++ and YSMenu should work just as well.

YSmenu instructions: https://files.deletecat.com/flashcard-archive//r4sdhc.com/readme.txt
TWL++ instructions: https://wiki.ds-homebrew.com/twilightmenu/installing-flashcard

OP is looking for the firmware that's installed on the card, not for a menu for the SD card.
The manufacturer is listed on linfox but it only seems to have backups of the menu files, not the firmware :/ https://www.linfoxdomain.com/nintendo/ds/
Maybe there is a menu archive with an included firmware update?

 

[davidmorom]

OP is looking for the firmware that's installed on the card, not for a menu for the SD card.
The manufacturer is listed on linfox but it only seems to have backups of the menu files, not the firmware :/ https://www.linfoxdomain.com/nintendo/ds/
Maybe there is a menu archive with an included firmware update?

Already checked, no luck

 

[Deleted member 117573]

Unfortunately, these v2.10T carts do not work on DSi or 3DS. Since you specifically referenced the R4i-SDHC I take it your cart has a red label?

 

[davidmorom]

Is an unlabeled cart I found I don't remember where, but looking at the text on the PCB and the files on the SD card, I found out it was an v2.10T. If it doesn't work on DSi, there is not much more to do, but I wonder what the "i" from R4i-SDHC stands for.

 

[SylverReZ]

Is an unlabeled cart I found I don't remember where, but looking at the text on the PCB and the files on the SD card, I found out it was an v2.10T.

https://sanrax.github.io/flashcart-guides/cart-guides/v2_10T/
https://archive.flashcarts.net/r4sdhc.com/old/r4sdhc.com_R4i_SDHC_V2.10T_V2.20T_Kernel_2.10T15.zip

Found the downloads that you're looking for. Is this the cart in particular? Let me know if this happens to work for you.

V2.10T carts usually have a red label, the back of the cart will also have a sticker that says 'V2.10T'.

 

[davidmorom]

Hi @SylverReZ, thanks for your reply:

That's the original kernel, which I already have, and it works. But what I'm looking for is not the kernel (for which there are better alternatives than the original one, as YSMenu), it is the firmware, that's to say, the contents of the flashcart internal EEPROM, which makes the cart appear as a legit game and contains the code to boot the kernel.

I'm looking for an upgrade/downgrade of that firmware, because in the current state of my cart, on my DSi, it is detected as a Narnia Prince Caspian game, but only displays a white screen on booting. The cart works fine on all my DS Lites, so it's not a problem with the kernel or the SD card.

To be honest, it's not that a I need to use this cart in my DSi, as it is unlaunched and I have TWLMenu on it, and I also have several Ace3DS+/X/R4iLS clones, which are far better than this v2.10T. It's just a matter of curiosity, as this carts are called "R4i", I assumed they should work somehow on the DSi, but maybe they never worked and the "i" on the name was just a scam, I can't tell. Or maybe my cart is defective and boots fine on the Lite but not on the DSi, who knows.

NOTE: the kernel file you linked contains what it seems to be a firmware update, the file "R4iMenu\flash.r4i", but the update button in the kernel settings menu does nothing, so I don't know the real purpose of this file.

 

[SylverReZ]

But what I'm looking for is not the kernel (for which there are better alternatives than the original one, as YSMenu), it is the firmware, that's to say, the contents of the flashcart internal EEPROM, which makes the cart appear as a legit game and contains the code to boot the kernel.

Gotcha. I will let you know if I happen to find it, or somebody else can.