Hacking DS-Xtreme OpenSource Firmware Project

[reveng]

Hi All,

If anyone would like to participate in this project.

Wiki - Open Source Fimware Project

you would be more then welcome.

I need to remove the chips from the DSX cartridge to map out the wiring schematics fully.

If anyone has broken DSX cartridges that they would like to donate, that would be cool.

Disclaimer:
Please don't mess with the hardware/firmware if you cant afford to replace it. If you play with the information given on the dsx firmware project site, you could well brick you card...

 

[dib]

A commendable goal, I'd like to believe that Guru would grow a conscience over all the people he's ripped off and just hand over the information. I'd also like to believe that when I wake up tomorrow Angelina Jolie will be nude on my front doorstep holding two big bags of money and tickets to a tropical resort.

 

[thegame07]

Guru isn't an admin he's support staff so If you feel ripped off it isn't guru thats done that to you

 

[amemoryoncelost]

regardless, guru spent countless hours here on gbatemp saying how good this cart was going to be, so I feel like he has some owning up to do. Fucker can't even post in the forums anymore. I beg for two months straight for a simple answer and he doesn't have the balls to peek in and say, sorry, we're douchebags and stole your money. Or, I'm not a dev and have nothing to do with the development of the team, but they haven't given us any clues to when any updates will be released. Nope, not even a no thanks. Pussy is what i say.

 

[thegame07]

Well I see your point there m8

However guru doesn't work on the firmware updates so guru must have been going on what the ds-x admins told him

Well anyway don't want to go off topic here

 

[dib]

Well now he was the guy running around advertising it, he's the only face on the product because the mysterious and much alluded "ds-x team" don't seem to stand behind their own creation. You're saying Guru isn't responsible here? If not him, then where exactly does the buck stop? I think we'd all love some answers, because Guru was the one over here and on the DS-X site making promises that weren't kept.

This circle jerking "It's not me, I'm just following orders!" only works so far you know. So if Guru were here, he'd tell me it's Bob's fault. Bob would tell me it's Bill. Bill would tell me it's you. You would tell me it's your dog. Somebody needs to take responsibility. I'm saying that the one redeeming action that could possibly be taken at this point is just distribute the damn source, as well as documentation and everything else necessary to open it up. Because the one inalienable fact which I defy you to contest is that nobody in an official capacity--whomever that is (your dog, right?)--is doing a damned thing.

 

[amemoryoncelost]

even if he was going off what the devs were telling him, he should have been relaying that information. I don't care if once a week he updated us with a, "sorry everyone, no new updates, I'll ask again in a week." I know that would get old in about two weeks, but even with us asking nicely, he didn't give us, the customers, the respect we deserve for a reply, even if it wasn't the one we wanted. Bullshit man...

 

[the newgod]

Good luck on the project reveng, at the time of writing my DSX is still working, but we all know how reliable they are so if it packs up I will send it your way!

as for this

Guru isn't an admin he's support staff so If you feel ripped off it isn't guru thats done that to youÂ

Guru actively promoted the DS-Xtreme with claims of 100% compatibility, regular updates, mac support etc, so he is just as responsible for the ripping off of customers as anyone else on the team. And like it or not thegame07 thats what everyone associated with the DS-Xtreme have done, rip people off.

 

[pbolmstedt]

Wiki - Open Source Fimware ProjectWow, looks fascinating. Don't be afraid to post more detailed info (perhaps in the Discussion part of the wiki page) about your findings so we more easily can find places where we can help out. What tools are you using to disassemble the updater?

You would tell me it's your dog.

Hey, go pick on someone your own size!

 

[thegame07]

haha so I have ripped people off for helping them? That doesn't make sence m8

heck I bought my ds-xtreme like you guys I don't get anything out of helping ds-xtreme customers

So yeah what have you done for the ds-xtreme customers? I have done more than you m8? So when I get pms on the ds-xtreme forums asking for help because thier device is messed up I'm a bad guy for helping them?

Also as I said I don't want to go off topic if you want to talk to me about this please pm me

 

[monaug5]

Well i Say Boycott the DS-X and then thats one more useless cart out of the way!

 

[the newgod]

I helped quite a few people on the forums via PM with the Arm7 fix, that is until i was banned for saying I bought an M3 Real, if i recall correctly you guys would just lock and delete their posts and call them criminals for wanting to play roms on their DS-Xtreme. And yes by actively censoring the forums of any negative comments to do with the updated firmware and incompatibility of the card for homebrew and rom use you did contribute to people being ripped off indeed. Also I consider this to be an on-topic discussion because this thread simply would not exist if the DSX team did their job and sorted the issues out that the card has and brought a new firmware out. Frustrated customers wouldn't even consider developing a firmware THEMSELVES if the service you guys provided was anything better than abysmal.

Later

the newgod

 

[thegame07]

I never called anyone a criminal, I also play roms

Thats the forum rules m8 you need to follow them or you get a warning just like you do on every other site. The mods need to follow the rules the admins have supplyed them with I cant say to the ds-x admins "oh im not going to delete threads that are breaking the rules" If us mods aren't deleting they threads someone else will be.

 

[Virusak]

Hey, a really good idea, keep it up reveng

 

[reveng]

@Thegame07
@Amemoryoncelost
@Dib
@The newgod
@Monaug5


Guys I know your Pi$$ed Off

but please keep on topic or the thread will get burried in Flamers.

R....

Dontations of Dead DSX carts wellcome...

 

[reveng]

Good luck on the project reveng, at the time of writing my DSX is still working, but we all know how reliable they are so if it packs up I will send it your way!

Many thanks, I hope your DSX stays working for many years and you never send me to caninbalize

R....

Donations of Dead DSX cards welcome...

 

[reveng]

Wow, looks fascinating. Don't be afraid to post more detailed info (perhaps in the Discussion part of the wiki page) about your findings so we more easily can find places where we can help out. What tools are you using to disassemble the updater?

Thanks for the comments,
I still need to tidy the layout of the Wiki
yeah the discussions area would be a better place to put the work in progress logs.
Also might need to setup a OpenSource project sometime down the line SourceForge or whatever....

Dissassembler wise, i've tried

Rec Decompiler

Which is a little out of date api wise, but does produce psuedo C/assembly source all be it a little strange

I think i'll go for a fully assembly code decompile next,

IDA Pro

Ideally I want a decompiler that can understand Borland Delphi, Windows API and maybe with some plugin assistance so I can hook in the other API's that the code i'm decompiling uses. E.G Cypress EZ USB, Modzilla, Jam......

I want to spend a little time getting the best results with a decompiler as the next stage will be to tweak the decompiled source so it can be recompiled.. Ofcourse with documented source..

After that I will need:

8051 decompiler for the USB controller firmware.
Verilog decompiler for the Actel FPGA firmware.
and maybe a Arm decompiler for the Laucher code (if thats what the device does)

And after that I will need some cad stuff for the electrical schematics of the DSX circuit board.

R....


Donations of Dead DSX cards welcome...

 

[reveng]

Hey, a really good idea, keep it reveng

Hey thanks for the encouragement.

R...

Donations of Dead DSX cards welcome...

 

[jesterscourt]

I thought a team dumped the firmware/launcher already for the DS-X like the did for the Cyclo?

 

[pbolmstedt]

I thought a team dumped the firmware/launcher already for the DS-X like the did for the Cyclo?

Yeah, it even works for "temporary downgrading" (to play stuff that doesn't work in the 1.1.2s. But so what? The firmware binary is only a small part of this project.

EDIT: http://gbatemp.net/index.php?showtopic=583...21&#entry746321