Hacking Soft Reset with EZFlash 3-in-1?

[jesterscourt]

I also posted this @ the TC forums, I'm hoping to spread the question out, I might double the chances of getting a prompt answer. I recently picked up a 3-in-1 (from my favorite vendor RHS) and it arrived blazingly fast, I already have version 1.9d of Rudolph's prog on the CycloEvo, I think for the most part I understand how the whole thing works PSRAM is limited, NOR can go up to 32 megs, right? And That is working just fine and dandy. I am curious (maybe this isn't even possible) is there a way to get back to Rudolph's tool (or the CycloEvo menu) after launching a GBA game/application? It's not a big deal to have to turn it off and restart it, I was just curious if there was a soft reset, maybe I missed the memo.

 

[Destructobot]

is there a way to get back to Rudolph's tool (or the CycloEvo menu) after launching a GBA game/application?

Fundamentally impossible. The 3-in-1 Expansion Pack Tool (and GBALdr, NDStation and copyTest) and the Cyclo Evo menu (or any other flashcart's menu) are DS software, and have to be run in DS mode. All GBA games & software have to be run in GBA mode.

You can go from DS mode to GBA mode via software, but to go from GBA mode to DS mode requires the system to be turned off and back on. This is a limitation of the DS's GBA mode, and it cannot be changed.

The DS firmware is not used in GBA mode, so even a FlashMe mod couldn't add this capability.

 

[jesterscourt]

Ah, so there isn't even a way to get back to Rudolph's tool either. Thank you for the fast response.

I guess my next question is this, What exactly is the point then of NDStation and the like?

 

[Destructobot]

Some people want their GBA games to be listed the same way their DS game are, rather than having to start a seperate app to deal with their GBA games.

NDStation does this. It sticks a loader onto the front of each .gba file, converting it to an .nds file. You just run the converted GBA rom and the NDStation loader that is attached to it handles the 3-in-1 and manages the save files.

 

[cutterjohn]

Actually if I'm reading the readme.txt correctly softreset IS supported for SOME cards, but NOT the Evolution ATM.

I've now got one of the supported cards, but the instructions are pretty useless as to how to set it up, because I have no idea at all what file he means to rename or where to get it, and even if I did know, exactly what extension to use for the file, presumably .SCDS in my case.

I have read somewhere where they think that it may just require a dump of the basic boot firmware of the card in question then renamed to IIRC Softreset.scds (I'll have to check the readme again...).

The Evolution probably doesn't work as it's ENTIRE firmware is loaded into onboard flash whereas the other carts just use a small boot code to launch a particular file from a uSD card in the cart... The Evolution boot firmware is probably just too big for it to work with Rudolph's tool ATM but I'd suspect that if TC could provide the basic portion or people could figure out how to pare the firmware down to that, that it could be made to work with Rudolph's tool if he were inclined to support it...

My favorite thing about the SCDS1 is soft-reset from homebrew, and I hope that TC add it to the Evolution by the time I get a working one as I REALLY REALLY prefer the Evolution overall... (so far as compared to the below).

 

[Destructobot]

Actually if I'm reading the readme.txt correctly softreset IS supported for SOME cards, but NOT the Evolution ATM.

That refers to soft resetting from the 3in1 ExpPack Tool back to the slot 1 cart's menu, not soft resetting from inside a GBA game.

 

[jesterscourt]

Destructobot, could you explain why some games like Drill Dozer will retain the save, and Golden Sun will not? To my eyes they look like the have the same filesize. There are all these different patching programs out there, and I thought I did patch them for SRAM, but apparently not the proper way. Is there a step by step guide on how to do that?

 

[arctic_flame]

Quickest way is to use GBATA ( http://www.gbadat.altervista.org/tools.htm )

Use the "SRAM" tab. IT will even tell you if the rom is already patched

 

[Destructobot]

Drill Dozer uses SRAM for the save data, so it will work without patching. The Golden Sun games use Flash saves, so they do need to be patched.

Like arctic_flame said, use GBATA to SRAM patch the games.

Make sure you don't use the EZ4 Client at all if you want to run a game from PSRAM. The EZ4 Client will force a game to put its save data in the part of SRAM that is normally used by the game in NOR, even when you run it from PSRAM. That means that the NOR game's save is overwritten, and the PSRAM game's save is not in the part of the SRAM that gets copied into the game's save file. Both saves are lost when that happens.

This can happen even if you use the EZ4 Client for something other than the save patch, like trimming.

 

[jesterscourt]

This was tremendously helpful. Thank you.