NDS Slot-1 Clean ROM no-patch Tester

[openchip]

Hi,

the new update to romtester is delaying a bit, but it will have more advance features i hope. In the meanwhile I can only confirm that I have witnessed at least 2 slot-1 devices really do the patching thing:

R4DS - ARM9 code IS patched before execution
ninjaDS - ARM9 code IS patched before execution
(if contains known signature)

I made a small utility that converts NDS compiled as homebrew into "game rom like" one, by moving the arm9,arm7 above 0x8000 and cleaning up the header, then I appended a copy of arm9 code from commercial game to the romtester code (and extended the arm9 size). After this the CRC check of itself displays ARM9 code being manipulated before execution.

I cant publish this NDS (as it does contain the code of game rom), and I cant yet publish the utility (it includes support for LPT port interface with 11 resistors to read slot-1 cards with homebrew adapter), but I hope to have "publishable" version soon.

I am still very interested in more testing with "linker" and nand-flash cards (eg slot-1 devices that boot from internal memory not sd-card), please PM if interested in early testing utility.

 

[ralff]

Another result for the 1.2 version:

MicroNinja ( just received ) : White Screen :-(

Bye,

Ralf

 

[openchip]

Another result for the 1.2 version:

MicroNinja ( just received ) : White Screen :-(

Bye,

Ralf

check your microninja, shoudl defenetly have no white screen, works ok here.

ah just got another patch test results, to big surprise both tested devices R4DS and microninja
say that they patched equal size of words (5997) at same first and last patched word adresses
with a little different number of non-0 patched words (131 vs 134)
and both display same CRC16 (with BIOS function),
but different checksum if using non-bios checksum method.

 

[ralff]

...
check your microninja, shoudl defenetly have no white screen, works ok here.

Ok, suddenly it works fine ...

Ralf

 

[cory1492]

I made a small utility that converts NDS compiled as homebrew into "game rom like" one, by moving the arm9,arm7 above 0x8000 and cleaning up the header, then I appended a copy of arm9 code from commercial game to the romtester code (and extended the arm9 size). After this the CRC check of itself displays ARM9 code being manipulated before execution.
Now that sounds like a much more reliable test

I cant publish this NDS (as it does contain the code of game rom), and I cant yet publish the utility (it includes support for LPT port interface with 11 resistors to read slot-1 cards with homebrew adapter), but I hope to have "publishable" version soon.
Should be interesting.

QUOTE

I am still very interested in more testing with "linker" and nand-flash cards (eg slot-1 devices that boot from internal memory not sd-card), please PM if interested in early testing utility.

It is possible to boot any program from NOR in place of the homebrew moonshell bootloader on EZ5, just let me know if you want me to try it (requires specific file name "ez5upldr.bin" and specific gamecode (-g "APRE" "01" "EZ5NDS_LDR")). I haven't experimented with replacing the full bootstrap (yet), but it is quite possible that could be done too.

 

[openchip]

I made a small utility that converts NDS compiled as homebrew into "game rom like" one, by moving the arm9,arm7 above 0x8000 and cleaning up the header, then I appended a copy of arm9 code from commercial game to the romtester code (and extended the arm9 size). After this the CRC check of itself displays ARM9 code being manipulated before execution.
Now that sounds like a much more reliable test

I cant publish this NDS (as it does contain the code of game rom), and I cant yet publish the utility (it includes support for LPT port interface with 11 resistors to read slot-1 cards with homebrew adapter), but I hope to have "publishable" version soon.
Should be interesting.

QUOTEI am still very interested in more testing with "linker" and nand-flash cards (eg slot-1 devices that boot from internal memory not sd-card), please PM if interested in early testing utility.

It is possible to boot any program from NOR in place of the homebrew moonshell bootloader on EZ5, just let me know if you want me to try it (requires specific file name "ez5upldr.bin" and specific gamecode (-g "APRE" "01" "EZ5NDS_LDR")). I haven't experimented with replacing the full bootstrap (yet), but it is quite possible that could be done too.

Hi

last test was not testing "is clean possible" but "is ARM9 patched", and the resuts are so far that the ARM9 binary is defenetly being patched on the fly. I will release more info soon

a

 

[openchip]

Hi

last test was not testing "is clean possible" but "is ARM9 patched", and the resuts are so far that the ARM9 binary is defenetly being patched on the fly. I will release more info soon

a

uuups - my bad, I had appended 2 copies (that I compared to each other) directly after romtester code.
the first image overlapped the compiler work are, thos appeared as patched.

so for the moment only additional test results are that r4ds,microninja say no clean, when NDS is romlike (not homebrew like) thats all. no direct witness of anything actually being patched in RAM

sorry

 

[cory1492]

Have you got a card emulation done up well enough that you can test your app when it is run like a normal DS card? That was my thought with looking into the NOR on EZ5...

 

[RENI]

A friend of mine has an N-Card.And here's the result:

Initial Flags: 27180000
ARM9 CRC: 362E
Clean ROM no-patch play: NO
Test data: FFFFFFFF FFFFFFFF

 

[pelago]

It's nice to read such an intelligent technical thread. Just one question to openchip - are you willing to publish the source code?

 

[Kyuzumaki]

How do we know the software works?? Has the maker released any info on how he is checking for patching?

 

[Monkey01]

How do we know the software works?? Has the maker released any info on how he is checking for patching?

If you care, then why don't you read the thread?

 

[GBA_Temper]

*GBA-Temp_DS-Real Clean ROM no-patch play:YES

 

[iamwhoiam]

Apparently, the G6 reports:

Clean ROM no-patch play:NO

http://www.scdev.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=9772

 

[Fieryshadowz]

is there a list of Slot 1 / 2 solutions that has clean rom no patching play?

 

[iamwhoiam]

there is none that exists