Hacking 3DS decapping fundraising topic.

[WrestlinFan]

YEE-HAW!! WE GOT OURSELVES A DECAPPEN BOYS!!! *fires pistols into sky*

 

[Metoroid0]

WTF is it possible $2000.10 USD so..when is decapping starting?

first getaway, now this wooho, things couldn't been better.. this is making history on GBA temp!!

 

[natkoden]

Now they need a little extra more for moral support (?) and a 3DS.

 

[kehkou]

Awesome! Lets hope the soc doesn't have like 20 layers.

 

[Ziver.W]

Holy heck

It was at 1,200 like, this morning. What the hell happened?

The advertisers donate to them .

 

[lolfaget]

gshock was last seen:
Nov 16, 2012

You are now aware that this project was dead for months.
Thanks for your hard-earned money.

 

[Mylink5]

gshock was last seen:
Nov 16, 2012

You are now aware that this project was dead for months.
Thanks for your hard-earned money.

Eeeem, this is a fundraising from 3DSbrew. It doesn't matter if he isn't active. (Correct me if I am wrong)

 

[goldensox]

The advertisers donate to them .

That's why the Recent Changes page was spammed with... spam?

 

[nukeboy95]

Eeeem, this is a fundraising from 3DSbrew. It doesn't matter if he isn't active. (Correct me if I am wrong)

he is the one that the money is going to

 

[Mylink5]

Well, even though, that doesn't mean he won't use the money for the decapping, as it is not only a GBAtemp topic.

 

[Mthb54]

Greetings. I'm one of the contributors on 3DBrew, going as JL12 there as well as a variety of other reverse-engineering, haxing and development communities.

I've been participating in the reverse engineering of the 3DS since launch, although there have been leaps and bounds due to the combined efforts of many contributors, I strongly feel much of what we're doing would be expedited by extracting the boot code and other proprietary information (/secretz) from the custom Nintendo (System-On-a-Chip) of a retail 3DS.

Spoiler

For those that are unfamiliar: the CPU, GPU & DSP all exist on one proprietary SOC design used on the 3DS. Secure information is stored there partly, most likely burned onto the SoC during manufacturing and not readable by any other normal means or from outside of the SoC, in such a way that the secure information there, always stays there. In good design it will never reach the main memory of the 3DS and so sensitive data (like encryption keys or algorithms) stay secure.

Extracting data from a proprietary chip to reverse-engineer it is typically done by decapping it, which is risky business and involves removing the epoxy, delayering the chip and taking high-resolution pictures of every layer to reconstruct logic from the images. Special equipment is used ( SEM / scanning electron microscope ) and it is rarely done outside of a professional context because it is very costly to an average enthusiast/hax0r and access to equipment and the expertise is hard to realize.

This method has been used by the "emulation" community to reverse-engineer and recover data from special proprietary chips, such as those in SNES cartridges. It has also been used to to reverse-engineer other hardware to create emulators for other platforms besides the SNES.

I got a price quote from a professional lab on the deal (removal, decap, delayer, SEM imaging) and it came out to $400 per layer, which they estimate will come to "about $2000 total". Plus the cost of the 3DS I'd be donating for the hardware sample.

Kicking it around with other 3DBrew contributors I think we all agreed it would be interesting or valuable to us but $2000+ is simply a lot to ask of anyone to drop suddenly on a hobby project.

I suggested a 'donate' thread here on GBATemp to gradually 'fund raise' donations for this purpose.

I feel there are likely other users here on GBATemp that understand what this is about and what the potential value is and may be willing to contribute.

Also $2000+ while a lot for an individual is a very achievable goal for a fund raising.

To reiterate, what we're trying to do is: send in 1 3DS to a professional lab to get delayered and imaged (covering the costs of doing so). The resulting SEM images will be reconstructed and used towards reverse-engineering the 3DS.

We're considering giving contributors a copy of the images produced as thanks.

If you'd like to donate and help contribute to this cause you can do so by donating here.

Well now that it's confirmed, I tossed $5 in (can't spare more now).

Greetings. I'm one of the contributors on 3DBrew, going as JL12 there as well as a variety of other reverse-engineering, haxing and development communities.

I've been participating in the reverse engineering of the 3DS since launch, although there have been leaps and bounds due to the combined efforts of many contributors, I strongly feel much of what we're doing would be expedited by extracting the boot code and other proprietary information (/secretz) from the custom Nintendo (System-On-a-Chip) of a retail 3DS.

Spoiler

For those that are unfamiliar: the CPU, GPU & DSP all exist on one proprietary SOC design used on the 3DS. Secure information is stored there partly, most likely burned onto the SoC during manufacturing and not readable by any other normal means or from outside of the SoC, in such a way that the secure information there, always stays there. In good design it will never reach the main memory of the 3DS and so sensitive data (like encryption keys or algorithms) stay secure.

Extracting data from a proprietary chip to reverse-engineer it is typically done by decapping it, which is risky business and involves removing the epoxy, delayering the chip and taking high-resolution pictures of every layer to reconstruct logic from the images. Special equipment is used ( SEM / scanning electron microscope ) and it is rarely done outside of a professional context because it is very costly to an average enthusiast/hax0r and access to equipment and the expertise is hard to realize.

This method has been used by the "emulation" community to reverse-engineer and recover data from special proprietary chips, such as those in SNES cartridges. It has also been used to to reverse-engineer other hardware to create emulators for other platforms besides the SNES.

I got a price quote from a professional lab on the deal (removal, decap, delayer, SEM imaging) and it came out to $400 per layer, which they estimate will come to "about $2000 total". Plus the cost of the 3DS I'd be donating for the hardware sample.

Kicking it around with other 3DBrew contributors I think we all agreed it would be interesting or valuable to us but $2000+ is simply a lot to ask of anyone to drop suddenly on a hobby project.

I suggested a 'donate' thread here on GBATemp to gradually 'fund raise' donations for this purpose.

I feel there are likely other users here on GBATemp that understand what this is about and what the potential value is and may be willing to contribute.

Also $2000+ while a lot for an individual is a very achievable goal for a fund raising.

To reiterate, what we're trying to do is: send in 1 3DS to a professional lab to get delayered and imaged (covering the costs of doing so). The resulting SEM images will be reconstructed and used towards reverse-engineering the 3DS.

We're considering giving contributors a copy of the images produced as thanks.

If you'd like to donate and help contribute to this cause you can do so by donating here.

you guys reached the 200$ goal now, when are you sending the 3ds to the lab?

 

[PhillipDS]

Not really expectations, I'd rather hope that this can offer a lot of things to work on for the 3DBrew guys !!!

 

[natkoden]

you guys reached the 200$ goal now, when are you sending the 3ds to the lab?

gshock was last seen:
Nov 16, 2012

he will not read your post

 

[Mthb54]

gshock was last seen:
Nov 16, 2012

he will not read your post

like i knew that

 

[natkoden]

3 posts above yours

 

[kehkou]

well he did leave his e-mail contact info on the donation article. Pretty sure he wouldn't have allowed that if he didn't want to be reached...God I hope this doesn't cause a flood of emails to him. ONE temper should be chosen email him if he doesn't show up this week.

 

[Thorhian]

Hmmm, I should rephrase what I said in another thread, since we MAY need more money for another 3DS.

"Hmmm, is it really necessary to buy a whole new 3DS? Why not go on Ebay and buy a 3DS mainboard that is confirmed to work, or a broken 3DS that still has operation (but broken chasis, screen, etc) for a low price? We are just decapping the SoC..."

 

[LTK]

Congrats, you all god robbed blind.

 

[Metoroid0]

you guys reached the 200$ goal now, when are you sending the 3ds to the lab?

3DS alone is 200$

Hmmm, I should rephrase what I said in another thread, since we MAY need more money for another 3DS.

"Hmmm, is it really necessary to buy a whole new 3DS? Why not go on Ebay and buy a 3DS mainboard that is confirmed to work, or a broken 3DS that still has operation (but broken chasis, screen, etc) for a low price? We are just decapping the SoC..."

That's a REALLY good point!
I didn't think of that, but if i would to Sent 3DS to the Lab i would buy used one or as you said, just a main-board.

I'm surprised your comment don't have likes.

 

[DiabloStorm]

Gshock had ample opportunity to point out if they needed more than $2000 in donations at the beginning of the thread, you really don't think someone at 3Dbrew has a 3DS or parts laying around somewhere?
The only reason I see why $2000 plus is mentioned is because they don't know how many layers they're dealing with, they were only able to estimate.

Also I have a question, when you raise the 2K how long will this process take to finish?

How long will decapping the 3DS take?

5-7 business days.

The donation was solely for the decapping process, not the 3DS...next are we gonna speculate on how much to donate towards transportation costs/postage when they send it in?

Plenty of people can get their hands on a 3DS, not many can afford to decap one, which makes more sense to hold a donation drive for?