Next R4 Kernel coming soon!

[Cyborgmatt]

Are the SDHC card's transfer speeds fast enough for us to use them for gaming etc?

 

[johnchan]

johnchan, have you looked up the difference between SD and SHDC?

you might be right, but it could very well be that the ASIC only provides the physical access to the card, whereas the protocol for reading is something in the kernel. In that case it is possible.

I'm willing to hold my decision until i'm better informed. I'll see what i can find.

The physical access is equal. The question is, does the byte / sector addressing take place in the firmware or in the kernel? Your guess is as good as mine. Saying it is not possible is premature.
As I said, the ASIC provides both logical access to the card AND an embedded bootloader which cannot be changed. This bootloader, embedded in ROM, contains the software responsible for reading _DS_MENU.DAT from the MicroSD. The bootloader can not read this file from a MicroSDHC memory card (yes, its been tested). So once again, adding it all up - the bootloader doesnt support MicroSDHC and the bootloader can not be changed without a whole new hardware revision. Sure, they could possibly add SDHC support to the main firmware (_DS_MENU.DAT) but what good would this be if you cant load the firmware in the first place? I dont think anybody is going to want to hot-swap their MicroSDHC card. Then again, it might not be possible anyway since I've heard that all the SD initilisation for R4 is done in the hardware and not in software at all.

I have to agree, AFAIK the asic is permanent and cannot be changed and SDHC is likely no where close to compatible. The only thing I don't know to make a definite DOES NOT work conclusion myself is (since I have no SDHC card): crypt "hello world" (aka: something that does not first try to initialize SD card before putting info on the screen) to their menu format and see what happens. If it loads (on a 4G sdhc, no bigger), then SDHC is not as different from SD than I suspect...

Yes, I've tested this myself. Encrypt any piece of simple homebrew (which does not need SD access) and it will boot fine from a regaular 2GB MicroSD card, but not from a 4GB. This proves that the bootloader doesnt support MicroSDHC

 

[RolandGilead]

I'm sorry if this has been answered before, but I've heard that the M3 Simply and the R4 are practically the same, so does the R4 kernel also work for the M3 and the other way round? Or are there differences in performance between the 2?

 

[Raisingod]

Sorry guys, SDHC isnt going to happen with R4 - its simply not possible. Let me explain why

The R4 is powered by something called an ASIC. This is an integrated circuit which does all the work such as booting the code on the NDS, interfacing with the MicroSD card etc. The R4 ASIC contains an embedded bootloader in ROM (read only memory) - this means that the bootloader is fixed and can never be changed. In order to change the bootloader, they will need to make a whole new ASIC. It is a known fact that the R4 bootloader DOES NOT support MicroSDHC. I've tested this myself personally with both old and new generation R4 (yes, even the one with the new shell). Many other people have also confirmed this. In order to get MicroSDHC working you will need to update the bootloader, but since this is embedded inside the ASIC as ROM this simply is not possible. To add SDHC support to the R4, you will need to buy a whole new unit. You people dont need to believe me if you dont want to, I'll be proven correct eventually after months go by, new firmware updates come out, and still no SDHC for R4. To me, it just sounds like somebody in their marketing/sales department is a bit misinformed and simply assumes that SDHC will be possible to add with a software update, when this is anything but the truth.

Regarding the other features, they are of course possible with a firmware update. However, many of us have already been enjoying these features with cyclods evolution for some time so... *yawn*

Some ASIC have EEPROM ( hack most of them have it) The problem is that I can't think of a way they are goinog to give enough voltage to the MCLR ( usually require 12 V) .

They could use Patching methods but those aren't really safe ( the way WiiFree can patch the region code through DVD)

 

[AeN0]

Sorry guys, SDHC isnt going to happen with R4 - its simply not possible. Let me explain why

The R4 is powered by something called an ASIC. This is an integrated circuit which does all the work such as booting the code on the NDS, interfacing with the MicroSD card etc. The R4 ASIC contains an embedded bootloader in ROM (read only memory) - this means that the bootloader is fixed and can never be changed. In order to change the bootloader, they will need to make a whole new ASIC. It is a known fact that the R4 bootloader DOES NOT support MicroSDHC. I've tested this myself personally with both old and new generation R4 (yes, even the one with the new shell). Many other people have also confirmed this. In order to get MicroSDHC working you will need to update the bootloader, but since this is embedded inside the ASIC as ROM this simply is not possible. To add SDHC support to the R4, you will need to buy a whole new unit. You people dont need to believe me if you dont want to, I'll be proven correct eventually after months go by, new firmware updates come out, and still no SDHC for R4. To me, it just sounds like somebody in their marketing/sales department is a bit misinformed and simply assumes that SDHC will be possible to add with a software update, when this is anything but the truth.

Regarding the other features, they are of course possible with a firmware update. However, many of us have already been enjoying these features with cyclods evolution for some time so... *yawn*

Some ASIC have EEPROM ( hack most of them have it) The problem is that I can't think of a way they are goinog to give enough voltage to the MCLR ( usually require 12 V) .

They could use Patching methods but those aren't really safe ( the way WiiFree can patch the region code through DVD)

Some ASIC have also Flash memory.

 

[rest0re]

this proof again that r4 team sucks ass!!!11 r4 sucks because it doesn't have leds like ds-x. dancing leds are the key to get the girls, so r4 team sucks. i think they're gayz

You should get banned for such sacrilege!

Everyone who's already got an R4 knows it rocks!!!

If you wanna have leds get a DS-X, (I hear it works great with picking up girls, but you must have the pink DS too

)
If you want to play backups of your legitimately owned DSgames get an R4!

Ps - You should get banned for being homophobic!

r4 sucks ass! they don't make r4 work with wii and pokemans!!!11 and worms require arm7 fix .. it suxx ass! ds-x has most amazing features of any flashcard because it has dancing leds

 

[rest0re]

btw. how many of you took serious my little trollings?-D

 

[Maikel Steneker]

This whole thing doesn't make any sense. Why would we all explain why SDHC support on the R4 is impossible.

Sure, I thought so too, but the R4 Team says that they've added it. Now we'll have to wait and see if they're right. One note: they did everything they've promised before! We can keep hoping

I'm sorry if this has been answered before, but I've heard that the M3 Simply and the R4 are practically the same, so does the R4 kernel also work for the M3 and the other way round? Or are there differences in performance between the 2?

The R4 Kernel doesn't work on the M3 Simply unless you patch it. iq_132 made a program for it.

 

[Costello]

Note that they didn't promise anything here. They only said that's the way it should be... but maybe the guy I was in contact with had no idea what he was talking about?

 

[lolds]

If it means new hardware, it's no sweat off my back. Christmas is coming up and a used R4+2GB microSD would make a wonderful (and cheap) present for someone. Then I can upgrade to any possible new SDHC-compatible R4 and be backed by the same outstanding support I've received to date.

And as for hot-swapping, I wouldn't mind having to IPL off a normal microSD card just to hot-swap a microSDHC in. By this point suspend mode, reset-to-menu, and battery life are working well enough that I shouldn't need to IPL more than once a week (if that).

 

[Wii_DS.]

SDHC is going to freaking rule!

 

[Maikel Steneker]

Note that they didn't promise anything here. They only said that's the way it should be... but maybe the guy I was in contact with had no idea what he was talking about?

That might also be the case. If you'd ask me I'd also say it "should be a firmware upgrade"

We'll just have to wait...

 

[RolandGilead]

The R4 Kernel doesn't work on the M3 Simply unless you patch it. iq_132 made a program for it.

So actually there is no real difference if I buy the M3 Simply or the R4, right?

 

[wrathek]

eh.. not really a difference, except that your firmwares are a day or so behind, that and it costs a little more doesnt it?

 

[RolandGilead]

Nope, the shop where I'm going to order it sells them for the same price, and they are even advertising them as "being practically the same"

 

[KarmaUK]

For me the R4 is perfect as it is, the price, the compatibility and ease of use, why do people insist in trolling, (ePenis anyone

)... Anyway if they fix the ARM7 for later dumps that will be a bonus, but only cause I'm a lazy git, not because it's hard to patch.

 

[pasc]

Yeah everybody is Kung Fu Fighting ! Finally a new update !

 

[ackers]

Are the guyz who update R4 Chinese or American?

Do Chinese even undertand what SDHC is? lol

 

[siefer999]

Are the guyz who update R4 Chinese or American?

Do Chinese even undertand what SDHC is? lol

stupid question...
American and Obviously No

 

[Wii_DS.]

Do Chinese even undertand what SDHC is? lol

If they don't understand what is meant then they wouldn't have said the next update will have it included.

EDIT: and don't be biased, theres not only people who speak american and or Chinese in the world. I'm British, got a problem with that?