Hacking DS firmware/model identification question

[opiv22]

New to these forums, seems like my question belonged here. Hi all.

Heres my problem, I have a regular fat ds that I'm more than happy with along w/an m3 and passcard. I honestly prefer the structure of a ds to a lite but recently found out you can update the firmware through flashme to have the lite settings w/better battery life/brightness but only w/the newer models w/us firmware v5+. So here I am trying to find a new fat ds thats gonna work for me.

Through browsing all I could find to identify the ds firmware version is by actually having the console and checking through the pictochat thing and so on. I've gone out and had to buy/return 3 ds's now looking for a version that will actually work. Is there any thing on the outside packaging that would note a newer and compatible ds w/the flash me v7 firmware to put on lite features. Either that or just a lead as to which specific color or model to look for so that I'm not just buying/returning. Also dates as to when nintendo made it's firmware revisions would be appreciated.

 

[Kezz]

http://gbatemp.net/index.php?showtopic=34473

 

[opiv22]

Thx for the link, that helped w/stuff I didn't even think about. But again, the main issue is even finding a v5, the packaging is all the same as far as I know...I tried one of the ds's that came w/animal crossing which came out in like february and no go. It hasn't been that long since then and most stores either have that or just the standard ds by itself. Now that the ds lites are out it's harder to come across a "new model ds" w/the v5 firmware as phat ds's are in less demand. So is it just me or are v5's reallllllly hard to find and in low production runs and that I should just lose hope. Or are there enough out there that I should keep on trying. Again, am I missing something and is the packaging/back art different on newer ds's, or is there anyway I could tell simply based off serial# upc(if they changed it) or color. Also, has anybody had luck w/the mario kart ds/game combo...either packed with the game, or the special edition w/the red ds.

To be clear, I have flashme on my current ds, so installing it is not the issue, just info as to how/if you can identify a compatible ds w/out having to actually open up an otherwise new ds box so that if I do buy said ds, I can be assured it will work out w/flashme's lite firmware.

 

[fatman711]

even if you do find a v5 DS, it doesn't mean that it will 100% be able to have the 4 brightness settings after flashme. Only a handful of v5s can as they have to have these PM chips in them to work. Many people, as I had, had a v5 DS phat and the flashme did not detect them as DS lites, and thus, no brightness settings.