Hacking EZFlash 3 in 1

[Another World]

you might have one of the new 3-in-1+ kits. someone should code a small app to detect what you have. although the code is now solved for all of the issues so it really doesn't matter anymore. the plus kit offers 64MB of nor but the gba can only access 32 at any one time.

^lots of random comments there. haha. i think i'm calling it a night.

-another world

 

[Ballistic]

Thanks much. I researched a bit and found out that if that PCB is blue, it means that it's the plus version. Good news for me! [:

EDIT: Oops forgot to say: G'nite.

 

[ShAdOwFuRi]

Thanks so much another world, your contribution is greatly appreciated =]

Yeah, according to GBA Exploader I have the 3 in 1+, I've had a bit more of a play around and everything seems to be fine despite the 'code in the akaio not working'. I haven't exactly tried to use the Opera browser yet, but I've heard it doesn't work, I can however, access the 'expansion mode' of GBA Exploader.

In what way does the non existence of this code restrict restrict me in operating the EzFlash 3 in 1, is it just in terms of the expansion RAM, or is there something else?

Also, according to the information provided by another world would it mean that it is more battery conservative to play in NOR mode?

 

[Koldur]

One qustion about this, I have flashed the Minish Cap to NOR and play Zelda but I have set teh options in AKAIO to Auto. Now when I play it does it run from NOR or Sram? I would assume NOR, but I just don't know how AKAIO does its thing in here. Thanks for the responses!

 

[Smiths]

If the Zelda game will fit in PSram, it'll try that first. I believe Zelda is not that big, so the Auto mode will try PSram first.
But, if you already have it in NOR, when you launch the rom again it *should* say "hey, this game is in the NOR in slot 2, no need to flash anything, let's just load a save file and play".

I say *should* because literally there are dozens of combinations for the loading of games to the 3in1 from within AKAIO, and I tried to accommodate most of them... but I know some will slip through.

It's really about routine. If you notice that when you load a game via the menu by selecting the ROM in the listing (or as a shortcut) and it is keeping your save, backing it up properly, loading it properly, etc... then i advise you to keep doing it that way.

If you're just playing with different methods of loading games (I'll select it as a shortcut, now i'll select it from its directory, now i'll flash it to NOR, now i'll just select the Slot2 card in the main listing), please don't be surprised if your save does not get loaded or backed up properly.

The most troublesome combo comes from flashing a game to NOR and just running it straight from the main listing (selecting the Slot2 icon). As AKAIO can really not keep a totally accurate track of the save/load of the sram from a standard slot2 loading (because what if you just put in a legit game?), it compares the header of the slot2 cartridge with a string in globalsettings that says the last game loaded into NOR.

The possibility then arises that you've flashed a game to NOR, then deleted the GBA rom from your microSD. Guess what? it loads Slot2, checks to see if the rom is there and matches, and if it doesn't it goes "oh well, no save then!"

so many friggin' combos.

GBA Exploader is coded for 1 purpose: the 3in1. If you really plan to use it heavily, then by all means please support Rudolph's awesomeness and use his program. He is talented as hell and all communications with him have been great in the past.

 

[Koldur]

Thanks for the reply Smiths, I have Minish Cap loaded in the NOR but run the rom through AKAIO (in auto mode), it backs up and loads saves perfectly. When I load Link to the past (which is not in the NOR) the save gets corrupted most of the time. So that was why I wanted to know how it works. As I understand now is that in my case AKAIO will load Zelda Minish Cap from the NOR and uses that save in stead of the sram which seems to be unreliable in the case of Link to the past ( I have measured the battery of my 3in1 which is the first version 3in1 and the battery reads 3v so it "should" be fine).

I just wanted to know if my logic is indeed the way it works. As I would be really interested in finally play the legendary Zelda link to the past and have reliable saves.
So am I right in that for 99% sure it loads minish cap through the NOR and uses the save there?

Thanks again!

 

[Smiths]

lttp should patch automatically but i remember it needed patching... the routines are in but you may wanna run it through gbata or similar. i last played it on pogoshell on my old flashadvance so i can't help on 3in1.

I think it's like.. there's 1 save.

i kinda code routines based on it being 1 save. so juggling between nor and psram not advised. it's a tricky device to follow.

 

[Another World]

no. both psram and nor share the same sram bank. if you load and play a game in nor, turn off your ds, then turn on your ds (with 3-in-1 prompts on) you will be asked to back up your last played game. then if you flash a psram game which is a different rom, that game will overwrite and use sram for its save. when you turn off/turn on akaio will ask you to back up the battery saved game which its holding in sram. the next time you flash over a new psram it overwrites the sram but if you backed up the save you can load that save again and continue where you left off. if instead you load a nor game, you also would need to load the save again back into sram.

does that make sense?

-another world

 

[ShAdOwFuRi]

no. both psram and nor share the same sram bank. if you load and play a game in nor, turn off your ds, then turn on your ds (with 3-in-1 prompts on) you will be asked to back up your last played game. then if you flash a psram game which is a different rom, that game will overwrite and use sram for its save. when you turn off/turn on akaio will ask you to back up the battery saved game which its holding in sram. the next time you flash over a new psram it overwrites the sram but if you backed up the save you can load that save again and continue where you left off. if instead you load a nor game, you also would need to load the save again back into sram.

does that make sense?

-another world

Perfect sense!! So basically, saying yes to the prompt will cause AKAIO to dump the SRAM into a save file, which you will also be prompted to load upon executing the ROM next time? and if you don't it will run the save from SRAM and if there isn't one it will start a new game??

I think I finally get this!! Thanks a whole heap =]

 

[Another World]

Perfect sense!! So basically, saying yes to the prompt will cause AKAIO to dump the SRAM into a save file, which you will also be prompted to load upon executing the ROM next time? and if you don't it will run the save from SRAM and if there isn't one it will start a new game??

I think I finally get this!! Thanks a whole heap =]

yes in theory. if the save in sram is the same as the game you are flashing it should keep that save. it all depends on how smiths coded it. the smart thing to do is just back up your saves each time you reboot. this is basically how we did it back in the slot2 pogo shell days and as smiths will point out -- you never lose a save that way. akaio also has settings for auto backing up and loading. i say leave it on prompting becase you might play part of a game before bed, but have no intention of keeping that save.

-another world

 

[Smiths]

i think i made it so it don't give a shit what the previous game is
turn on the prompt before save load.
it basically tries each time to back up a save and load a save; regardless of the previous game.