Hacking Variations in DS Lite units

[rubaducky]

Ever since I got my first flash card (Acekard 2) over 3 months ago, I've been reading forums in order to educate myself about the whole "ROM" scene.
During this time I have noticed numerous cases where many people may have exactly the same hardware and software setups, but the problems they have seem to be as different as night and day.

There aren't that many variables which can cause problems. So far I've only counted these:

Type of MicroSDcard (brand, speed, size etc)
type of flash card (Acekard, CycloDS, R4 etc)
firmware version (card-dependent)
Site ROM comes from (?)

So my question to you guys is this; taking into account that I may have exactly the same hardware/software configuration as the guy who says their ROM does not work/save/boot, does anyone believe that certain DS Lite systems can also play a role?

 

[Searinox]

Doubt it. There are hardware variations between different series of NDSL, as can be seen if you are as unfortunate as to have the N5 blow a fuse in your console, the steps taken to fix it differ between different series of NDSL consoles, there's a difference in fuse locations. But hardware-wise they all operate in the same manner. Another difference I can think of is the version of DS firmware, again these only matter if you're unbricking or flashing your DS fw and have no impact on the way your flashcarts operate.

If there are scenario variations it's more than likely caused by the variables you already listed, the biggest of which is the flashcart. ROMs can be identical to the last data bit, firmwares can again be identical, variations CAN indeed exist between microSD memories if they're rebranded or manufactured elsewhere, or fake altogether. But suppose all of the above were 100% identical you can STILL get different results if there are differences between flashcarts. Two AK2s may indeed behave differently. For example some may lag with one type of memory some may not lag at all with the exact same memory card, although it's not that wild a variable.

 

[Bri]

You forgot to mention variations in the ROM itself (patched/unpatched), variations in the organization of your microSD card (whether games are on the root or in a "games" folder, whether the microSD card is too full), variations in the card reader you're using (some can cause corruption, instability, or otherwise behave differently than others), whether you used the "safely remove hardware" utility (without which you may experience corruption of the microSD), variations in the way the microSD card is formatted (FAT16/FAT32, cluster size, whether you've used the Panasonic formatter or the Windows formatter), and the limitations of the FAT16 file system itself (partial support for long filenames which can get confused with short filenames, uppercase getting confused with lowercase, limitations on the number of files at the root, etc.).

There can also be variations not only in the firmware version, but the settings (for an AK2, the settings in the "patches" menu for a particular game).

I don't think individual flash carts themselves vary much at all (i.e. AK2's are probably identical hardware-wise) other than if one of them has a hardware problem. ETA: Some flash carts do have hardware upgrades or changes from time to time, which usually don't affect their behavior. AK2's, being a relatively new cart, probably hasn't undergone those kinds of changes.

-Bri

 

[gratefulbuddy]

I think that like any piece of electronics, the flashcart and the DSL, even among the same model line, can have hardware variances. New components are always coming out and replacing old ones. Its the nature of technology. And as long as things work the same as before the change, the end-user will never know. There are several version of ASIC chips in CycloDS Evos. Which is mostly OK except that the different chips affect loading times. Link
I think that, mostly, bad flashcarts manifest themselves as such. Other rom problems (freezing, white-screening, lagging, etc.) usually can be remedied thru experimentation with settings and/or a little research.

 

[Bri]

There, I changed my statement about the flash cart hardware a bit. Yes, occasionally components get upgraded or changed (the eWin 2in1 now has less SRAM memory) but that probably isn't the case with the AK2 and wouldn't explain the vast majority of problems some people have with their carts.

-Bri

 

[rubaducky]

Hello all!

Thanks for your input.
It's quite interesting to learn that there are indeed so many variations in relation to the way even the humble SD card is maintained. I wholeheartedly agree with the different formatting options playing a part, but I always thought that at the end of the day, there is a strict standard an SD card must abide by in order to be officially branded a Class something SD card. Having said that, there are numerous 'fake' cards out there also.
I guess answering my own question, the variations which cause problems must be related to the whole "illegal" side of gaming. I mean, how many times does an official cartridge get returned because someone could not play it on their DS?

Interesting observation though, as far as the differenet hardware revisions in the DS hardware are concerned, I have to admit that only last night I noticed that my girlfriend's DS Lite (which she purchased around 6 months ago) has a different screen to mine, which I purchased last week. (after my old one got damaged beyond repair.)
When looking down the screen of my girlfriend's DS at a sharp angle, I can see four or five lights illuminating the screens from the bottom, whereas my unit's lighting is very uniform all around, as if it only used a single long strip of light.
Also, her screen's pixels 'invert' at a much more acute angle to mine. Placing both units side by side on the table and looking at them from different angles, the older unit seems much darker, even though they both have the same brightness setting.

I suppose this would not be something touted by Nintendo as being an upgrade. It's probably a silent revision, but nevertheless, as gratefulbuddy mentioned, there are some hardware upgrades implemented as newer technologies become more available/cheaper to manufacture.