Hardware Hacking Strange micro SDHC compatibility with R4 SDHC clone (R4new dot com)

[Lins]

Hi to all

i've founded an old DS Lite with a clone R4 SDHC
After some try of Try&Testing i've founded the correct firmware, it was an r4new (NOT the r4-new) card, so i've got the latest 1.35 firmware and it worked

Got my dump Mario Kart rom i've tested it with 3 SDHC:
- 1 generic 4GB
- 1 sandisk 8GB class2 (i think that it's fake)
- 1 sandisk 16GB class4 (original)

All microSDHC was formatted with SDFormatter (Full Overwrite with format adjustment on)
All with same firmware, rom, etc
All tested with H2testw : 0 issue !

With the 4GB & 8GB the rom start, i hear Mario & stuck with upper & lower screen white
With the 16GB it work without problem

WHY ???
0 HW issue
0 differences between files
The "problematic" microSDHC work well with an EDGE card

Ok it's not so problematic but i would like to understand

 

[bbking67]

try a 2GB

 

[Lins]

???

Please read my thread

TL;DR
All SDHC, All formatted with SDformat, All with same clustersize, All with overwrite sizing, All card without issue (H2testw ok)
The issue is only with Mario Kart DS, other games work also in 8 & 4GB SDHC Cards

R4 SDHC
16GB work All
8GB don't work MK, other yes
4GB don't work MK, other yes

EDGE
All size work All

 

[OM3GAZX]

???

Please read my thread

TL;DR
All SDHC, All formatted with SDformat, All with same clustersize, All with overwrite sizing, All card without issue (H2testw ok)
The issue is only with Mario Kart DS, other games work also in 8 & 4GB SDHC Cards

R4 SDHC
16GB work All
8GB don't work MK, other yes
4GB don't work MK, other yes

EDGE
All size work All

They mean that you should try a 2GB Micro SD Card.

 

[master801]

Most likely cheap micro sd cards with poor speeds.

 

[Lins]

Uhmmm no ... the 2GB test doesn't have any sense, the 16gb work flawlessly

Otherwise i've investigated and founded the problem !
The R4new clone of clone of clone (&repeat) is incompatible with any MicroSDHC formatted with cluster size of 32KB and more

The 16GB work well because the filesystem is formatted with 8KB of cluster size (I hadn't noticed it before)
So i've tested with all cluster size and it worked ! (all under 32KB)

This issue is very strange because the problem is !only! with Mario Kart DS

p.s. the 4 & 8GB SDHC are more performant than the original Sandisk 16GB

 

[Indy13]

It's just a test suggestion, but if you have a 3ds with GodMode9i, you should try to use it as a simple device just to format your SD card maybe it can be more efficient, personally, I have stop bothering me with formatting software, I have an old cracked 3ds that I only use to format the cards I prepare for my other consoles.

 

[Lins]

Thanks, no i don't have any 3DS

But ... can you do this test for me ?
Get an microsdhc formatted orinally from 3DS
Insert on windows PC

Run a

diskpart

command from cmd

write

list disk

get your Disk ### sdhc number and write

select disk ###

where ### is the id

select your partition (you will have only 1 partition on sdhc)

select partition 1

get you filesystem information

filesystem

For ex. in my case

DISKPART> list disk

  Disk ###  Status         Size     Free     Dyn  Gpt
  --------  -------------  -------  -------  ---  ---
  Disk 0    Online          238 GB    27 GB        *
  Disk 1    Online         4092 MB  1984 KB
  Disk 2    Online         7580 MB  5120 KB

DISKPART> select disk 2

Disk 2 is now the selected disk.

DISKPART> list partition

  Partition ###  Type              Size     Offset
  -------------  ----------------  -------  -------
  Partition 1    Primary           7573 MB  4096 KB

DISKPART> select partition 1

Partition 1 is now the selected partition.

DISKPART> filesystem

Current File System

  Type                 : FAT32
  Allocation Unit Size : 4096
  Flags : 00000000

File Systems Supported for Formatting

  Type                 : NTFS
  Allocation Unit Sizes: 512, 1024, 2048, 4096 (Default), 8192, 16K, 32K, 64K, 128K, 256K, 512K, 1024K, 2048K

  Type                 : FAT32 (Default)
  Allocation Unit Sizes: 2048, 4096 (Default), 8192, 16K, 32K, 64K

  Type                 : exFAT
  Allocation Unit Sizes: 512, 1024, 2048, 4096, 8192, 16K, 32K (Default), 64K, 128K, 256K, 512K, 1024K, 2048K, 4096K, 8192K, 16384K, 32768K

 

[Indy13]

Thanks, no i don't have any 3DS

But ... can you do this test for me ?

Hi @Lins , I did the test you asked but with micro SD SDXC cards (two Kingston 64GB and 128GB cards and a 256GB SanDisk card), the result is the same for all three.

The cluster allocation size is 32Kb, I'm not really surprised with the result and I haven't tried with an SDHC model (I didn't have one on hand at the time of the test, I'll try again if I have time) but truth be told when I use my 3ds to format my micro sd's, I always use the auto-allocate option.

I can choose the size myself because it is possible but the automatic function does the job so I think that whatever the card (SDHC or SDXC) 32KB is the default allocation size when you use the automatic formatting mode with GodMode9i.

I put some screenshots of the test with the 128GB card, note that for my R4, the micro SD I use is the 64GB one and it works without problem.

I know that's not quite what you asked but I hope it helps.