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DSpico - An open-source flashcart for the DS(i)

XLuma
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Over the past four years, we - the LNH team - have been working hard on a project that some of you guys may have already heard about: an open-source flashcart that supports the DS, DSi and 3DS (in DSi mode), by the name of DSpico.


The project evolved from a simple flashcart, to a collection of individual components that work together. Each component has been separated in their own repositories, and can be modified to your liking. Each repository comes with their own README's and documentation.The DSpico project consists of the following components:
  • DSpico Hardware - The hardware of the DSpico.
  • DSpico Firmware - The firmware for the DSpico.
  • DSpico Bootloader - Bootloader for the DSpico.
  • DSpico DLDI - The DLDI for the DSpico.
  • WRFUxxed exploit - Full-access DSi-mode exploit for WRFU Tester that can be used with DSpico.
  • Pico Launcher - Front-end for Pico Loader.
  • Pico Loader - DS(i) rom loader. Supports various flashcards, including the DSpico.
Guides to build your own DSpico, as well as instructions for compiling the software are also available. We tried to make the process as friendly as possible. An overview of the features can be found on the website, although each README has much more extensive documentation.

DSpico project index and guide: https://github.com/LNH-team/dspico
Our website: https://www.lnh-team.org/



Here are a few images of DSpico:

dspico-1-3-real-hw-top-res.jpg

dspico-top-1.png

image-min.png

HorizontalCustom.png





QUICK FAQ (will be updated over time)​

- Q: Why use micro-usb over usb-c ?
- A: When we were making the hardware, using USB-C introduced more components that simply didnt fit on the board. We also had concerns of the usb-c port fitting nicely in the cartridge port, and fragility concerns with the shell.

- Q: Where can I order one ?
- A: Your best shot is joining a group buy, or finding a store that manufactures DSpico. We (the LNH Team) will not sell any boards.

- Q: How is compatibility ?
- A: Most of the DS library, as well as homebrew, should work. We do not have an official compatibility list, and we are aware of a few titles that do not work correctly at the moment.

- Q: Does this plays 3ds executables ?
- A: No.

- Q: Am I forced to use Pico launcher ?
- A: No. For instance, Wood menu and TwilightMenu++ work just fine. And vice versa as well, pico launcher is usable on other flashcarts.

- Q: Can i use ntrboot with this ?
- A: Yes, you can perform ntrboot on both 3ds and DSi. We recommend powering the board via micro-usb for DSi ntrboot.

- Q: I need assistance. Where do i go ?
- A: Join the DSi hacking discord, there is a dedicated dspico channel where you can ask your questions.
 
Last edited by XLuma,
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Click to expand...

Discussion

fabianon said:
Have you checked the sd card in Disk Management (or 'Create and format hard disk partitions')?
There you could check if the drive has multiple partitions!
Click to expand...
Windows Disk Management doesn't show any hidden partitions on this microSD card.
.
The factory-preinstalled "hidden partition" on SD cards seems to slightly improve read/write performance, while clearing the hidden partition with GUIFormat seems to offer better compatibility?
Pk11 said:
That sounds like a dying or fake SD, not a software issue
Click to expand...
After formatting the microSD card with GUIFormat, Flipnote's "Back Up Data" function is currently working properly and no garbled files are being generated. It will still generate junk files.
Post automatically merged:

I tried several more times.
That Samsung microSD card, whether formatted to 30515 or 30516 MByte(#379), would still generate junk files.
00004.PNG

Then I found a brand-new Kingston microSD card, and it also generated junk files...
00007.PNG


So my conclusion is that it's a BUG in DSpico. :(
For now, it's best not to play Flipnote on the DSpico...
 
Last edited by k66,
k66 said:
So my conclusion is that it's a BUG in DSpico. :(
For now, it's best not to play Flipnote on the DSpico...
Click to expand...
You'd be better off installing "Flipnote Studio" onto your DSi or 3DS (whichever you have) and run it from the system itself rather than from the flashcart.
 
SylverReZ said:
You'd be better off installing "Flipnote Studio" onto your DSi or 3DS (whichever you have) and run it from the system itself rather than from the flashcart.
Click to expand...
I only play Flipnote on the DSi original system.
I rarely use the DSpico.
Last week, someone asked me whether Flipnote could be run on an unmodded iQue DSi, so I gave it a try with the DSpico and then discovered this issue. I thought it would be better to bring it up...
(Because of network issues, it's hard for me to connect to GitHub Issues, so I'm asking here.)
 
Last edited by k66,
I’ve been having a blast with DSPico, and I wanted to share something I’ve been working on: DSPico QuickReturn.

I wanted to switch games without powering the DS off and back on, so I built a community fork of LNH-team’s Pico Loader that adds a return-to-menu hotkey. Hold L + R + Down + Select for about half a second, and you’re back at the Pico menu.

Getting it working took plenty of trial and error, especially around memory allocation and coordinating the two processors during the return. I’ve now tested it successfully with several games, both returning to the menu and launching another game afterward.

Huge thanks to LNH-team and the original contributors. Their open-source work made this possible, and I’m sharing my source and findings so others can build on it too.

This video covers the installation, shows it working, and talks through some of the development:


Source, downloads, installation instructions, and a detailed technical writeup:
https://github.com/VideoGameMore/pico-loader/releases/latest

The full download includes the SD-card software files needed to set it up. If you try it, I’d love to hear which games you test and whether you run into any issues!

Rich
VideoGameMore
 
Last edited by VideoGameMore,
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Odd question, but does having a DSPico menu theme with background music and such reduce performance in games?

My games rarely lagged when I launched them with a Pico menu theme that had BGM, and when I tried using the AKMenu-Next for the Pico, which I guess loaded more stuff, the problem seemingly got worse.
So yeah, is the solution just not using a menu theme?
 
Majro said:
Odd question, but does having a DSPico menu theme with background music and such reduce performance in games?

My games rarely lagged when I launched them with a Pico menu theme that had BGM, and when I tried using the AKMenu-Next for the Pico, which I guess loaded more stuff, the problem seemingly got worse.
So yeah, is the solution just not using a menu theme?
Click to expand...
The menu is completely unloaded before the game runs, the DS does not have an operating system, so that cannot affect in-game performance.
 
DSoryu said:
LNH Team member here! It’s been an amazing journey, guys. I’m incredibly happy to finally see this project out in the open, can’t wait to see what everyone does with it!

I’m sharing with you some photos of an earlier prototype I currently use, it’s actually not very far from the final version now available to the public.
Click to expand...
I'm so glad such an awesome team got behind my Idea of using the rp2040 thanks to Gericom, can't wait to see what cool reverse emulation type of thing people come up with
 
Pico Launcher Enhanced v1.10.0 + Pico Loader Enhanced v1.0.0

https://github.com/rasalopa/pico-launcher-enhanced

Pico Launcher Enhanced v1.10.0 + Pico Loader Enhanced v1.0.0

this release has two zips. the launcher one is the same as usual. the loader one is new and optional: it lets you go back to the launcher from inside a game.

Pico Loader Enhanced v1.0.0 (optional)

fork of LNH's pico loader with one thing added: an in-game exit.

how to use it

in a ds game, hold L + R + Right + Select for a moment (about 3/4 of a second) you go back to the launcher you opened the game from if the game is saving or reading the card right then, it waits until it's done, so a save is not cut in half if it can't find a quiet moment in about 5 seconds it gives up. let go and hold it again i picked Right because menus use Down a lot more than Right, and it doesn't clash with the nds-bootstrap combos. on a worn d-pad, press it firmly.

where it works

only on the dspico, with ds games in ds mode tested on a ds lite and a new 3ds without cfw. not tested on a real dsi yet on a dsi or 3ds, going back with the combo leaves the console in dsi mode, so dsi-enhanced games and dsiware still start in dsi mode after it. for that, a ds game with the exit runs with the dsi bios and the dsi settings left open, where the official loader locks them. games without the exit work like with the official loader. checked on a new 3ds, not on a real dsi yet games without the exit (they still boot and play, just no combo)

dsi-enhanced games (on a ds lite too), games running in dsi mode, dsiware and homebrew games that save to nand, like warioware d.i.y., and the pokemon downloader diddy kong racing and golden sun: dark dawn, their interrupt code is laid out differently. maybe later romhacks that keep their own code where the exit goes, like pokemon sacred gold (it doesn't boot with LNH's loader either) a game with no room left for it the exit adds 1 to 3 frames to a game's boot (10 to 55 ms on a ds lite). some games take longer to start than others, that's the same with the official loader.

install

copy picoLoader7.bin and picoLoader9.bin from the zip into /_pico/ on your sd card to go back to the official loader, copy the ones from LNH's Pico_Loader_DSPICO.zip (v1.7.1) over them messages you might see (not from the exit, the official loader shows them too)

Failed to load arm9: the rom is in more than 61 pieces on the card. copy it again. if the card had lots of deletes it can end up in pieces again, then formatting it and copying everything back fixes it for good Failed to setup save file: the same with the save, more than 13 pieces. same fix DSi ROM detected with missing DSi parts: that rom is missing its dsi part, some romhacks and dumps are like that. press A and it runs in ds mode black screen when the dspico starts on a 3ds, if you use a mac: delete the ._ files macOS leaves on the card, find /Volumes/YOURCARD -name '._*' -delete the loader's error screens now say Pico Loader Enhanced v1.0.0 - unofficial build and where to report, so a photo tells which loader it was.

this is not an official LNH build, please report problems here and not to LNH. tell me the console, the game and its region, what happened, and a photo if you can.

QuickReturn by VideoGameMore does something similar (L+R+Down+Select). they are separate projects, i started on mine in august (my notes from then are in LNH-team/pico-loader#21). if you prefer theirs, go for it.

Pico Launcher Enhanced v1.10.0

delete a theme from the theme selector (#5) homebrew that says dsi only, like pokemon chest, launches on a ds again (#30) roms you open with an emulator, like gb or snes, count as games now. you can favorite them, mark them completed, delete them and select + a can pick them. deleting one keeps its save (#29, the idea comes from djaysan's pico-launcher-dsbios) .agb files show up and open with an agb association in settings.json theme selector: a folder whose theme.json can't be read no longer applies another theme cover tools: no error when the output is redirected on windows (#13), and a cover cut short is fetched again on the next run (#14) pico loader and pico launcher are by LNH, thanks to them. this fork is marked as altered, as their zlib license asks.
 
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