Homebrew SCFW: Custom Firmware & Kernel for Supercard

[accronomic]

• Did you test your cart prior to installing SCFW?
  • Device inspection prior to installing this CFW is highly recommended (Like launching the self-diagnostics)
• When does the distorted Nintendo logo appear?
  • Does it happen when you power on the GBA with the flashcart inside?
  • Does it happen when you open a ROM?
    • Which ROM are you trying to run?
    • Did you try running the ROM in an emulator without skipping the BIOS?
      • If the ROM fails the header check on a GBA emulator then it won't work on the flashcart.

To answer a few of these questions:
- the cart worked fine before, but eventually after a few days of use got an "SRAM" error (installing the kernel and running the firmware fixed this however)

- as for the distorted nintendo logo, it appears when opening a rom.
- it happens with any rom i try, all of them worked before on the original supercard firmware (1.85)
- I tried some of my rom on emulators beforehand, but even those get the distorted logo and don't start

Some additional info, i used the file you posted earlier to return to the original firmware, which (after the CFW .frm file fixed the SRAM error) ran all the roms just fine

however just today actually, the SRAM error showed back up. this time the CFW's .frm file does not fix it.
when trying to run games through the CFW the same problem from my original post persists.

Post automatically merged: Dec 12, 2024

To answer a few of these questions:
- the cart worked fine before, but eventually after a few days of use got an "SRAM" error (installing the kernel and running the firmware fixed this however)

- as for the distorted nintendo logo, it appears when opening a rom.
- it happens with any rom i try, all of them worked before on the original supercard firmware (1.85)
- I tried some of my rom on emulators beforehand, but even those get the distorted logo and don't start

Some additional info, i used the file you posted earlier to return to the original firmware, which (after the CFW .frm file fixed the SRAM error) ran all the roms just fine

however just today actually, the SRAM error showed back up. this time the CFW's .frm file does not fix it.
when trying to run games through the CFW the same problem from my original post persists.

EDIT: The SRAM error is gone. randomly. just now. I have no idea why.

 

[OmDRetro]

To answer a few of these questions:
- the cart worked fine before, but eventually after a few days of use got an "SRAM" error (installing the kernel and running the firmware fixed this however)

- as for the distorted nintendo logo, it appears when opening a rom.
- it happens with any rom i try, all of them worked before on the original supercard firmware (1.85)
- I tried some of my rom on emulators beforehand, but even those get the distorted logo and don't start

Some additional info, i used the file you posted earlier to return to the original firmware, which (after the CFW .frm file fixed the SRAM error) ran all the roms just fine

however just today actually, the SRAM error showed back up. this time the CFW's .frm file does not fix it.
when trying to run games through the CFW the same problem from my original post persists.

Post automatically merged: Dec 12, 2024

EDIT: The SRAM error is gone. randomly. just now. I have no idea why.

SRAM errors are linked to either:

• SRAM battery
  • A result of bad soldering on the flashcart PCB (Unlikely, but not impossible)
  • Improper battery terminal connection (Loose battery connection on positive and negative terminals)
  • SRAM chip is worn out (Highly unlikely, but not impossible)
• Cartridge connection is loose
  • A reddit user had this experience much like yours(SRAM issue) caused by not having all the cartridge pins connect with the GBA's edge connectors.
  • Reddit post excerpt:

...

Well, after even more research, I got the root of the problems. From the basic design of the SC case, the pins weren't making proper connections with the pins on the hardware, thus it leading to all kinds of problems; from garbled text to in my case sram problem. The solution was levitating the pcb, meaning that opening the cart, putting some paper behind the pcb, back of the case then closing it firmly. I did this last week and I've been testing it whole week. It works just fine and saves as well. For the whole 4 years I had this, it is the first time I can use it this nicely.

...

The Analogue pocket reports this too if cartridge connection is too loose or if the pins are dirty:

Pay attention to the error prompt:

ERROR: BAD HEADER
--
CLEAN CARTRIDGE PINS

The garbled / distorted Nintendo logo hints that the GBA cannot read the cartridge. Please ensure that the pins on your GBA as well as the pins on the Super Card SD are clean.



This diagnostics report you mentioned actually hinted something important:

- I tried some of my rom on emulators beforehand, but even those get the distorted logo and don't start

Your SD Card is worn out. Data logic isn't properly read / written or there's no data integrity. If your emulator cannot read the ROM from the SD card, then replacement is the solution or clean the sd card pins. (Hardware problem / replace the SD Card)

Please do your due diligence and look up common hardware issues. This should not be part of the project's scope as we're focused on the software side(kernel / firmware).

 

[Takafumi]

- as for the distorted nintendo logo, it appears when opening a rom.
- it happens with any rom i try, all of them worked before on the original supercard firmware (1.85)
- I tried some of my rom on emulators beforehand, but even those get the distorted logo and don't start

If the roms worked on the official Supercard firmware, does that mean you previously patched them with the Supercard software?

 

[OmDRetro]

If the roms worked on the official Supercard firmware, does that mean you previously patched them with the Supercard software?

The explanation provided by accronomic actually gave away a hardware problem. ROMs patched by the Supercard software should also work on SCFW so that's a non-issue.

• All the ROMs show a distorted Nintendo logo which can mean:
  • All the ROMs are corrupted
  • The SD Card is fake(non-true size) leading to data corruption.
    • Please buy SD cards from reputable brands. Filling up fake ones always lead to data corruption.
  • If the ROM on the SDCard also shows a distorted Nintendo logo on a GBA emulator(be it on PC or portable emulation hardware) then the ROM itself cannot be read as its also corrupted.

It's a good practice to utilize H2testw 1.4 (write and verify mode) on all sd cards so that you'll know if you have a fake sd card or a legitimate one. Fake ones always fail verification whereas legit ones can also fail due to regular wear and tear.

 

[Takafumi]

I say that solely because I recognize the Nintendo logo corruption as something that occurs with roms patched by the Supercard software when running them both with emulators and with the SCFW kernel.

There's clearly a hardware issue, so don't mind me. I just thought it was worth mentioning that this happens regardless, so a clean ROM would be a better test case.

 

[dysphoria]

I was playing Advance Wars, saved in the middle of a campaign. Then I removed the SD card to add a new rom and backup the .sav. When I returned to play Advance Wars again, the save was gone... I didn't load any other rom before. All settings was set to "1", including both auto save.

Did it happen because I removed the SD just after turn off? At least I was able to backup my .sav file...

 

[Aoshii]

I was playing Advance Wars, saved in the middle of a campaign. Then I removed the SD card to add a new rom and backup the .sav. When I returned to play Advance Wars again, the save was gone... I didn't load any other rom before. All settings was set to "1", including both auto save.

Did it happen because I removed the SD just after turn off? At least I was able to backup my .sav file...

I had the same problem with Golden Sun and OmDRetro replied a workaround this here.

It seems that if you turn the game off for more than 15 seconds, the card tends to corrupt the save file since not everything was moved to/from SRAM, so you need to do a power cycle, or just turn on the console/card again so it can write correctly to SRAM within this time period of 15 seconds at least.

then its safe to turn it off after that

So basically, if you ever turn the device off from within a game, turn it back on again until it loads the Firmware UI.

Sometimes, even if I do this, I lose save files, the card somehow wiped my Golden Sun Save 3 times and I really dont know why this is happening, so I'm really not removing my SD from the card until I see some new updates...

 

[dysphoria]

I had the same problem with Golden Sun and OmDRetro replied a workaround this here.

If I remember correctly, if the GBA is powered off for more than 15 seconds then powering up after that time frame will lead to auto-saving from SRAM with null saves(saving blank data). The window to save from power off is rather limited and I didn't get to thoroughly benchmark how long it would take to eventually write blank SRAM data.

Oh that's right, the saves I used for testing the first time aren't there anymore o_o

But, is this like a limitation of the flashcart/console itself? Can it be fixed in later SCFW versions? Also, looking at the settings menu, what's the difference between "autosave" and "autosave in cold boot"?

 

[Inrembrandt]

@metroid maniac Wow! Amazing! You've saved my life and my wallet. Thanks to this CFW, my "Mini Super Card SD" finally works on my classic model Game Boy Advance. For years, it would only open the menu with the game list but never actually run the games unless I used a mod for the internal battery (which sometimes worked but required a dangling battery). Now the ROMs run properly without getting stuck on a white screen, straight from my 64GB micro SD—no mods or extra hassle needed.

 

[OmDRetro]

Hi there - apologies for being a complete newcomer on this. I have successfully flashed SCFW and was able to save via SRAM on games. However, I recalled the ofm has real time save but I am not sure if SCFW has similar feature. Can someone confirm whether the current 0.52 version has real time save and if so, how do you get into it? Also I have trouble running larger rom like Yggdra Union. Can I ask if there is something I need to do in advance to get it to run? Thanks!

The size of the ROM isn't an issue unless it's larger than 32 MBytes in which case SCFW will notify you that the ROM is too large. As for the ROM you tested, Yggdra Union has "FAST ROM" mode or the increase ROM speed feature and it needs to be patched out before you can use it. In this case, using the SuperCard software patcher will be needed here(Check this guide).

i'm having a problem where none of the games are saving, is it the battery or its some bug?

Too little information provided.

Check the ff. first:

• SD card might be malfunctioning. Before using any SD card, ensure first that it has no issues by using H2Testw 1.4 while its empty. If the SD card has data, move it somewhere else temporarily for the test. Write and verify mode will tell you if something is wrong. If something IS wrong, buy/use a different/new SD card.
• SuperCard SD battery is empty or has no charge which means that it requires replacement(preferably use CR2032, but CR2025 works too)
• Read my comments on Github

Oh that's right, the saves I used for testing the first time aren't there anymore o_o

But, is this like a limitation of the flashcart/console itself? Can it be fixed in later SCFW versions? Also, looking at the settings menu, what's the difference between "autosave" and "autosave in cold boot"?

I answered this already.

• Autosave is linked to SCFW's QPC save (Quick Power Cycle save)
  • If left on(set to 1), the SuperCard will automatically offload data from SRAM to the ROM's sav file on the SD Card once you do a full power cycle.
• Autosave in cold boot is linked to soft reset.
  • Soft reset key combination(press these keys altogether):
    • START + SELECT + 🅰 + 🅱
  • If left on(set to 1), once the user soft resets back to kernel menu, it will automatically offload data from SRAM to the ROM's sav file on the SD Card

The SuperCard SD's SRAM chip is not designed to sustain SRAM data for long periods without power. This is the designed hardware behavior of the SuperCard and it cannot be fixed by conventional means (ROM patching, kernel modifications, etc...). This is the reason why I tell you that if you turn off your GBA, you need to turn it back on as soon as possible but do be careful with your power switches as that can break too. Once you power cycle your GBA, wait until you're able to see the root directory of your SD Card cause that would mean that the SRAM data has been properly offloaded to storage.

The above picture shows that the kernel hasn't fully booted yet and SRAM hasn't been offloaded to storage. To reiterate, wait until this screen clears and you're able to navigate the filesystem menu. It should then be safe to turn off the GBA afterwards.

 

[dysphoria]

I answered this already.

Oops, I'm sorry. I will rely on soft reset from now, thanks for the explanation.

By the way, an unrelated question, do anyone have any idea why my Super Card doesn't work in the original GBA? It says it can't recognize the SD, even though it reads it in my SP and DS without any issue.

 

[Dark-Dante]

You can press the R button to do this.

Can you remove restriction for kernel size for scfw bootloader? I use scfw bootloader with superfw kernel, but new version of superfw kernel is too large for scfw bootloader. Thank you!

 

[tarado3]

hi. got a supercard last year. and saw this today
just tested my supercard pressing L+R while turning on. and got this text on screen instead of the tiles shown in the tutorial video ()
does this mean that my cart is a fake and shouldnt install scfw?
1st pic is mine, 2nd is from video

Post automatically merged: Dec 27, 2024

well. just by removing the microsd to minisd adapter something broke. either the adapter itself or the carts card reader. so the project has been suspended indefinitely

 

[Xyvir]

hi. got a supercard last year. and saw this today
just tested my supercard pressing L+R while turning on. and got this text on screen instead of the tiles shown in the tutorial video ()
does this mean that my cart is a fake and shouldnt install scfw?
1st pic is mine, 2nd is from video
View attachment 477765View attachment 477766

Post automatically merged: Dec 27, 2024

well. just by removing the microsd to minisd adapter something broke. either the adapter itself or the carts card reader. so the project has been suspended indefinitely

Test screen is what you should see, I think the youtube video is primarily demonstrating the differences between the Supercard on actual GBA hardware and the EXEQ GameBox clone device.

The 2nd screenshot you provided is what happens on the GameBox but isn't supposed to happen on real GBA Hardware.

 

[dysphoria]

I've found more games that doesn't work properly in SCFW, even patched:

• SimCity 2000. It's stuck in whitescreen.
• Jet Set Radio. Runs like 20% slower.
• Advance Wars 2. I've mentioned it before, but it crashes after the title screen. Even leaving it for some minutes to load, doesn't do anything. Not even responds to soft-reset.

Meteo 1.5.0. video converter doesn't work either. When patched, it's stuck in a blackscreen, as if the video never loads. When it's not patched, it's stuck in whitescreen. These converted videos work fine in stock firmware.

Curiously enough, GSM Player, Pogoshell and most homebrew I tested worked fine.

 

[Disturbo]

Hey hey, I'm thinking of buying a SuperCard from AliExpress (already have an Omega DE, need a second flashcart for testing shenanigans) and was wondering what the state of this is.

Any forks that keep up development? What's left to do?

 

[jmsunseri]

Hey hey, I'm thinking of buying a SuperCard from AliExpress (already have an Omega DE, need a second flashcart for testing shenanigans) and was wondering what the state of this is.

Any forks that keep up development? What's left to do?

There are a couple different projects for the SC. I would google for SuperFW and SCSFW

 

[OmDRetro]

I've found more games that doesn't work properly in SCFW, even patched:

• SimCity 2000. It's stuck in whitescreen.
• Jet Set Radio. Runs like 20% slower.
• Advance Wars 2. I've mentioned it before, but it crashes after the title screen. Even leaving it for some minutes to load, doesn't do anything. Not even responds to soft-reset.

Meteo 1.5.0. video converter doesn't work either. When patched, it's stuck in a blackscreen, as if the video never loads. When it's not patched, it's stuck in whitescreen. These converted videos work fine in stock firmware.

Curiously enough, GSM Player, Pogoshell and most homebrew I tested worked fine.

Thanks for reporting these tests. We'll check these when the time allows.

Hey hey, I'm thinking of buying a SuperCard from AliExpress (already have an Omega DE, need a second flashcart for testing shenanigans) and was wondering what the state of this is.

Any forks that keep up development? What's left to do?

This project is still being maintained.

Be sure to click the Releases link or the + XX releases link.

It should show you the latest update:

 

[Disturbo]

Thanks for the responses everyone. Awesome to see it's still being maintained! Sorry I didn't check the pre-releases.
I went ahead and got an SD SuperCard, looking forward to trying this out!

 

[vujguvbiibohkbin]

Hello, I want to ask what this situation is and how to solve it.