Wii WODE Jukebox files

[JakobAir]

This contains a bunch of files for the WODE including installation, updates, downgrades, loader-gx, flow, LAN configurator, and more.

https://github.com/JakobAir/Wii--WODE for the files.

Enjoy!

 

[x_sh]

Hey JakobAir,

Wii ODE solutions were on my mind earlier today (how it'd ), so it was kind of neat stumbling upon your thread randomly like that. Thanks for the upload (I don't have a WODE, but I'm interested in it from a historical point of view at least)!
A bit more of a general question to anyone:
As far as we know, was WODE completely close-source? Did anyone try reverse engineering or documenting how it works? I seem to recall it being solderless, which would mean it used the drive connector flex cable for I/O, but that's about it (and if they didn't properly implement some functions, they'd have issues with GC audio / disk read speeds like some of the similarly designed modchips did).
I was thinking of trying my hand at designing something similar, but quickly realized that, unlike with older consoles (Dreamcast, PSone), there's really no incentive to do so (a fast USB port is available + there's a huge selection of software that makes great use of it).

 

[nitr8]

So, I'm going for this as I wanna do some clarification:



The WODE has NEVER been fully open source.



On 23/01/2012 the source code to the Linux Kernel was released within a file called "OPENWODE.RAR" which was shared on the WODE's official website (but was lost thoughtout all the years until today - even the Wayback Machine doesn't have it). This archive was re-uploaded to "UFILE". See the thread "WODE CFW" here at GBATEMP. It's linked there.


Some more facts about this:


The WODE in it's state throughout ALL the firmware updates released, was running Linux Kernel v2.6.29.
This was done using an old OpenWRT "KAMIKAZE" release including patches for the MCU running the WODE.

But that changed with the release of the WODE's Linux Kernel source code - which instead based on OpenWRT "BACKFIRE" Release 26317. "BACKFIRE" r26317 and therefore the Linux Kernel source code was based on version 2.6.32.27.



More:

All the interaction on the WODE LCD and the ISO mounting stuff is done using a binary called "WODE" which is autostarted on the OFFICIAL (RETAIL) firmware within the Linux Kernel of the WODE. This binary is NOT part of the OPENWODE release. It's source code was NOT released. So once you have the OPENWODE firmware installed, your WODE will NOT support the LCD screen interaction and instead only show "LOADING".

I do NOT agree to anyone saying "the WODE was open source". Even though, the Linux Kernel source has been released in the past, also the bootloader source code was NOT.

The WODE's bootloader based on a CDL driver ("Common Driver Library") used for the MCU itself (the LPC3143).
Investigations have shown that most of the CDL stuff for the bootloader was customized upon WODE's development.

BTW: The bootloader is a customized version of U-Boot v1.3.4.
There do exist 3 different versions of U-Boot for the WODE.
They are internally shown as "v1.00", "v1.01" or "vF.01" within the "ABOUT" menu (see "BOOT Ver:").

v1.00 is very rare (MOST LIKELY only runs on WODE's which are labeled "Wii" and "Wii_Power" on the WODE's main PCB lower right corner). That's the first revision released ever.
v1.01 is very common (runs at least on WODE's which are labeled "Host" and "Host_Power" on the WODE's main PCB lower right corner).
vF.01 is the "OPENWODE" firmware's bootloader.

All of them are based on the v1.3.4 official U-Boot source code.

So...

What I would like to see is the release of the bootloader source code for the WODE as well as the source code to the Linux Kernel (KAMIKAZE release of OpenWRT / including the patches for this particular MCU).

Why?:

Because the WODE's BOOTROM and bootloader have been dumped within the past 9 months.
It simply doesn't make any sense to hold it back.

Aside from the "HARD-CODED" AES-128-CBC crypto key and IV within the bootloader binary (which is used for decrypting the WODE's Linux Kernel), the changes to the code HAVE TO be made public.

The CDL used for the WODE's development IS public itself (it's an official NXP release)!!! *
* - Though, there have been changes made to make it run on the LPC3143 MCU properly (which the WODE runs on).

In the end, it doesn't even make sense to hold back the WODE's bootloader source code just because "the bootloader key isn't covered by GPL". This statement was made on a website previously, which called itself "YOUAREROOT". *cough*

Hopefully this will turn out into something useful.

Want to know more about all of this?
Get in touch with me.

 

[Alexander1970]

Good Morning.

I have some Questions please @JakobAir

- Who ported or coded the USBLoader GX Version please ?
- I did not really found Information about a "Game Limit" only the "Hint" the Counter on the LCD goes up to 999.
- WODE Ver: 02.9A is the latest Firmware,correct ?

Thank you for your help.

 

[Alexander1970]

Good Morning.

@JakobAir
@nitr8

Gentlemen,I hope you can help me a little.
I got a Wode Wii yesterday.

I have read about to make Updates higher FW 2.x only from v1.28
The Wode had already an 02.1x Firmware on it.
So I updated to Version 02.9A

Today after intense playing,the WODE stucks on the "Loading.." Screen.....
Luckily I found this:
https://web.archive.org/web/20111017002657/http://wodejukebox.org/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=3501

And with the Downgrade Firmware from the GitHub it "lives" again.
Now I wanted to upgrade again,but I seems there is no v1.28 on the GitHub Repository....

Does someone maybe have this Version ?
Thank you.

 

[nitr8]

And with the Downgrade Firmware from the GitHub it "lives" again.
Now I wanted to upgrade again,but I seems there is no v1.28 on the GitHub Repository....

Does someone maybe have this Version ?
Thank you.

This is confusing...

Can you please in detail explain...:

1.) Which firmware is actually installed
2.) Which firmware do you want to upgrade to
3.) Which firmware version is it that you don't have but need

Thanks in advance.

 

[The Real Jdbye]

Hey JakobAir,

Wii ODE solutions were on my mind earlier today (how it'd ), so it was kind of neat stumbling upon your thread randomly like that. Thanks for the upload (I don't have a WODE, but I'm interested in it from a historical point of view at least)!
A bit more of a general question to anyone:
As far as we know, was WODE completely close-source? Did anyone try reverse engineering or documenting how it works? I seem to recall it being solderless, which would mean it used the drive connector flex cable for I/O, but that's about it (and if they didn't properly implement some functions, they'd have issues with GC audio / disk read speeds like some of the similarly designed modchips did).
I was thinking of trying my hand at designing something similar, but quickly realized that, unlike with older consoles (Dreamcast, PSone), there's really no incentive to do so (a fast USB port is available + there's a huge selection of software that makes great use of it).

Streaming audio isn't supported on the Wode. Apparently, there aren't enough pins on the FPGA chip. Huge bummer, as it's the one thing that makes USB loaders superior. I think it works with disc games in "flat wode" mode though as the pins are just passed straight through.
No issue with read speeds AFAIK. Read speed is limited to 3x (instead of the usual 6x) in "flat wode" mode (burned discs), because that's a (hardware?) limitation of the Wii, the DVD read commands are slower than the game read commands. Nothing that can be done about that though.

So, I'm going for this as I wanna do some clarification:



The WODE has NEVER been fully open source.



On 23/01/2012 the source code to the Linux Kernel was released within a file called "OPENWODE.RAR" which was shared on the WODE's official website (but was lost thoughtout all the years until today - even the Wayback Machine doesn't have it). This archive was re-uploaded to "UFILE". See the thread "WODE CFW" here at GBATEMP. It's linked there.


Some more facts about this:


The WODE in it's state throughout ALL the firmware updates released, was running Linux Kernel v2.6.29.
This was done using an old OpenWRT "KAMIKAZE" release including patches for the MCU running the WODE.

But that changed with the release of the WODE's Linux Kernel source code - which instead based on OpenWRT "BACKFIRE" Release 26317. "BACKFIRE" r26317 and therefore the Linux Kernel source code was based on version 2.6.32.27.



More:

All the interaction on the WODE LCD and the ISO mounting stuff is done using a binary called "WODE" which is autostarted on the OFFICIAL (RETAIL) firmware within the Linux Kernel of the WODE. This binary is NOT part of the OPENWODE release. It's source code was NOT released. So once you have the OPENWODE firmware installed, your WODE will NOT support the LCD screen interaction and instead only show "LOADING".

I do NOT agree to anyone saying "the WODE was open source". Even though, the Linux Kernel source has been released in the past, also the bootloader source code was NOT.

The WODE's bootloader based on a CDL driver ("Common Driver Library") used for the MCU itself (the LPC3143).
Investigations have shown that most of the CDL stuff for the bootloader was customized upon WODE's development.

BTW: The bootloader is a customized version of U-Boot v1.3.4.
There do exist 3 different versions of U-Boot for the WODE.
They are internally shown as "v1.00", "v1.01" or "vF.01" within the "ABOUT" menu (see "BOOT Ver:").

v1.00 is very rare (MOST LIKELY only runs on WODE's which are labeled "Wii" and "Wii_Power" on the WODE's main PCB lower right corner). That's the first revision released ever.
v1.01 is very common (runs at least on WODE's which are labeled "Host" and "Host_Power" on the WODE's main PCB lower right corner).
vF.01 is the "OPENWODE" firmware's bootloader.

All of them are based on the v1.3.4 official U-Boot source code.

So...

What I would like to see is the release of the bootloader source code for the WODE as well as the source code to the Linux Kernel (KAMIKAZE release of OpenWRT / including the patches for this particular MCU).

Why?:

Because the WODE's BOOTROM and bootloader have been dumped within the past 9 months.
It simply doesn't make any sense to hold it back.

Aside from the "HARD-CODED" AES-128-CBC crypto key and IV within the bootloader binary (which is used for decrypting the WODE's Linux Kernel), the changes to the code HAVE TO be made public.

The CDL used for the WODE's development IS public itself (it's an official NXP release)!!! *
* - Though, there have been changes made to make it run on the LPC3143 MCU properly (which the WODE runs on).

In the end, it doesn't even make sense to hold back the WODE's bootloader source code just because "the bootloader key isn't covered by GPL". This statement was made on a website previously, which called itself "YOUAREROOT". *cough*

Hopefully this will turn out into something useful.

Want to know more about all of this?
Get in touch with me.

It would be nice if companies released source code once the product is abandoned or no longer relevant. I don't think anybody today would actually want to use a Wode because USB loaders just work better. Sadly, that rarely happens. The creators have probably long since forgotten about the Wode and they might not have even kept the source code. If you could somehow get in touch with them, they might be willing to release it, you never know.

What's CDL and NXP?

 

[Alexander1970]

Hello.

This is confusing...

Can you please in detail explain...:

1.) Which firmware is actually installed
2.) Which firmware do you want to upgrade to
3.) Which firmware version is it that you don't have but need

Thanks in advance.

Thank you very much for your quick Answer.

1. v1.27
2. v2.29A or 2.29B
3. v1.28

Maybe was so confusing for you:

I have read about this "bigger as 5 MB" Firmware Thing and some WODE (IC´s) can not handle this.

I got the WODE Wii a few Days ago with v 2.1B if I remember correct.
I plugged into some USB Sticks/Devices and some are not working correct (LCD freezes),so I have searched and found this Thread here,where JakobAir posted the Link to the GitHub Repostiory with the Firmwares.
And the latest v2.29A / B.
So I updated the WODE to v2.29A and everything seems to work fine.
But after a Night of intense Playing,the next Day,the WODE LCD stays on the "Loading...." Screen....

After searching I found via the WayBackMachine Wode Homepages / Forum.
There was a Thread about this "Loading Screen" Issue and some Explanations.

If your WODE is "Stuck on Loading" after updating please contact your seller to arrange an RMA check below for more info

For WODE's that cannot update past a certain level or are stuck on loading or Will not update at all.

Can Not Update

An SD card formatted to FAT is required for an update updates can be found in the download and releases sections of the site and how to apply in the manual. In most cases it's fine to format the card on a PC using the format tool that comes with your operating system but at times this does not do the job well. Use a digital camera or Panasonic tool to format the card correctly.http://panasonic.jp/support/global/cs/s ... index.html

What to do if it doesn't update?
If you're having trouble updating it could be for a number of reasons.
It's not uncommon for users to have wii connect 24 enabled this makes the Wii shutdown to standby mode and keeps the WODE active and unable to update. The WODE's bootloader checks for an update.bin on your SD card's root from a cold boot. To achieve a cold boot you must hold the Wii's power button in for around 5 seconds until the power indicator LED turns RED the Wii is now fully off you can then insert your SD into the WODE and power on once the update has completed check your WODE's settings are correct for your region and power cycle again.

It's possible that your SD card is not compatible with the WODE please try another.

Still not Updating

It's possible that there is a bad connection on one end of the slave ribbon, re-check your installation including the connection In the stand.
If your WODE is working on a lower firmware it's possible to test the connection by trying to run an iso from SD.

Stuck on LOADING

If your loading screen is pixelated like the image it's likely that your WODE has a Flash failure and requires an RMA, Please contact your seller to arrange a repair/exchange.

Stuck on LOADING after update

The issue of "Stuck on Loading" on FW above 2.xx has now been found to be a Flash issue on some main boards please read the following quote from admin on how to deal with the situation.
admin wrote:
Last thing... the problem of the update of 1.28 >> 2.xx firmware is found in the FLASH IC... some wodes pass the quality check with 1.28 because is under 5 MB firmware... the 2.00 is over 5 MB and we found some wodes that have a faulty FLASH IC with bad sectors...
All who have a wode that cannot upgrade need to replace the WODE MAIN BOARD or replace the FLASH IC... this kind of issue is covered from warranty, you can link this thread to distributors that need to accept the RMA.

Plese use this link when contacting your seller viewtopic.php?p=38308#p38308

And on the Bottom of the Page:

The following is based off of old information provided but still consider when troubleshooting your WODE
Code:
If the loading screen arrives after updating to a higher firmware it's possible that your WODE has a marginal FPGA. This does not mean your WODE is defective but simply that the FPGA only met the lower end of the manufacturers requirements. Higher firmwares put more strain on the FPGA and may push those marginal ones over the top this will be fixed in the newer kernel now that the development team have a marginal FPGA in their possession all new releases can be optimized. Downgrade packages are provided in the download section should your wode get stuck on loading when on a higher FW.

So found here
https://github.com/JakobAir/Wii--WODE
the Downgrade File and now the WODE was on
FW v1.00
Then I update to v1.27 - The last Firmware smaller than 5 MB.


And so my Question about the v1.28 Firmware - the first Firmware bigger than 5 MB.

Last thing... the problem of the update of 1.28 >> 2.xx firmware is found in the FLASH IC... some wodes pass the quality check with 1.28 because is under 5 MB firmware... the 2.00 is over 5 MB and we found some wodes that have a faulty FLASH IC with bad sectors...
All who have a wode that cannot upgrade need to replace the WODE MAIN BOARD or replace the FLASH IC... this kind of issue is covered from warranty, you can link this thread to distributors that need to accept the RMA.

I have searched all over the internet and everbody recommends:

If you want to update the WODE to a higher Version 2.xx you must first update to v1.28 !
(You should avoid for Example updating from v1.24 to v2.10...)

I hope,I have explained it now understandable,I am very sorry to have confused you.
Thank you for your Help.

 

[nitr8]

If you could somehow get in touch with them, they might be willing to release it, you never know.

That most likely is never going to happen as there haven't been any sights of "TheArtificer" lately. He's the one who was responsible for the software part of the WODE. He was also working on the software part of the Xk3y and he also released the Bootloader source code as well as the Linux Kernel source code there.

Shame, he didn't release the Bootloader source code of the WODE - just the Linux Kernel itself without the WODE binary which makes interaction with the WODE's LCD screen.

Aside from that, the Bootloader source code is encrypted using AES-128-CBC cypher. Same goes for the Linux Kernel. The Bootloader key is stored in the MCU's OTP which can't be read out once the Bootloader has been fully started as the read-protection bit is being set before running into userland (Linux Kernel).

What's CDL and NXP?

CDL = Common Driver Library
NXP = Semiconductor of the WODE MCU (an LPC3143 which is the very same MCU on the Xk3y)

Want to know more? Go have a visit at my signature.

 

[nitr8]

If you want to update the WODE to a higher Version 2.xx you must first update to v1.28 !
(You should avoid for Example updating from v1.24 to v2.10...)

I hope,I have explained it now understandable,I am very sorry to have confused you.
Thank you for your Help.

Well, the v1.28 update / downgrade binary of the WODE just "updates" (changes) the Actel ProAsic3 firmware on the WODE as well as the Linux Kernel.

Basically it doesn't make any sense what they were writing within the forum because the Bootloader was NEVER updated within the firmware releases at any time but the bootloader is responsible for the update process.

Anyway, the fact is that there definitely have been changes made between WODE main PCB revisions when it comes to a resistor on it's back as well as the SPI-NOR flash which stores the encrypted firmware as well as the WODE configuration data. This resistor can be responsible for booting and updating as it may or may not make the WODE update or even boot at all.

If you want to know more, please have a visit at my signature.

JakobAir's GitHub repo doesn't cover all the firmware releases the WODE had but I have them all. They just aren't uploaded anywhere.

Other than that, here's the WODE v1.28 Downgrade binary:

 

[Alexander1970]

Hello.

Well, the v1.28 update / downgrade binary of the WODE just "updates" (changes) the Actel ProAsic3 firmware on the WODE as well as the Linux Kernel.

Basically it doesn't make any sense what they were writing within the forum because the Bootloader was NEVER updated within the firmware releases at any time but the bootloader is responsible for the update process. This resistor can be responsible for booting and updating as it may or may not make the WODE update or even boot at all.

Anyway, the fact is that there definitely have been changes made between WODE main PCB revisions when it comes to a resistor on it's back as well as the SPI-NOR flash which stores the encrypted firmware as well as the WODE configuration data.

If you want to know more, please have a visit at my signature.

JakobAir's GitHub repo doesn't cover all the firmware releases the WODE had but I have them all. They just aren't uploaded anywhere.

Other than that, here's the WODE v1.28 Downgrade binary:

Thank you very,very much.

I am very sorry,I should have more Attention to Signatures in the Future......
That is an awesome Page,thank you very much.
(Unfortunately the Seller did not have this "external Platine" for programming / unbricking the WODE...)


Thank you for sharing this awesome Informations(archive) and the Firmware.

 

[cubes]

Hey there. I have the latest update for the Wode. But sadly some games just don't work. (For example Just Dance boots into a black error screen telling me to turn off the Wii). I installed the Update 2.9. Still the same problem. Anything else I can do? Have there been any compatibility updates?

 

[JakobAir]

I've been working A LOT and have been away from everything for a while. @nitr8 sent me some missing files and I've updated the repository at https://github.com/JakobAir/Wii--WODE

Thank you to https://github.com/derek57 for the addition of WODEupdate.01.28.dg/01.28/2.3y/2.6y/2.7y/2.8/2.8z/1.25.

 

[Alexander1970]

I've been working A LOT and have been away from everything for a while. @nitr8 sent me some missing files and I've updated the repository at https://github.com/JakobAir/Wii--WODE

Thank you to https://github.com/derek57 for the addition of WODEupdate.01.28.dg/01.28/2.3y/2.6y/2.7y/2.8/2.8z/1.25.

Thank you very,very much !!!