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 Post subject: Re: Accessing/Modifying/Dumping M36L0T05 Flash Contents
PostPosted: July 19th, 2019, 14:05 
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Joined: July 19th, 2019, 13:22
Posts: 2
Location: Sulligent, Alabama
HaQue wrote:
UPDATE:
I received a few things. 1 of the consoles, I think same as OP's luckily.
Attachment:
MB_Back.jpg

Attachment:
MB_Front.jpg


NOR Removed:
Attachment:
NOR_Removed.jpg


I also received the new FlashCatUSB XPORT, some level converters and the BGA-88 socket:
Attachment:
All-2.jpg


I will be able to read the Spansion NOR tonight I think, and I will also be making a PCB for the BGA-88 Socket to use on the FlashCatUSB, and do the level conversion, so I don't have to rewire everything all the time. I made a Mock-up in Paint to show how I think it will look:
[attachment=0]XPORT_PCB_BGA88_Protov1.jpg[/attachmaaent]


I have the exact same system as the OP and the second one you got. I was hoping you had away to flash the system and add roms to it. The roms included are a bunch of crud IMHO.

My CHIP information:

M400x2-256A

M36L0T705
0T3ZAQ F2
HHK62 VS
KOR 99 923

M36L0T705
0T3ZAQ W0
HHX49 VS
KOR 99 011

I would take a picture, but the unit is at the house and when by the time i got home for lunch my cell phone was dead. i work for U-Haul so I'm use to my phone being dead by lunch. I'm in the office most of the afternoon so the phone has time to charge.

i again would like to know if any progress is made with the units so we can hack them and switch in and out roms. My kids will also thank you.


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 Post subject: Re: Accessing/Modifying/Dumping M36L0T05 Flash Contents
PostPosted: July 20th, 2019, 13:11 
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Posts: 3844
Location: Adelaide, Australia
Yes I made progress, and in the process of writing it up properly, but also identifying which memory range on chip is for which game. I have mapped 19 of the games so far... it is time consuming.

The ROMs themselves are stored in these chip/s but do not store a whole ROM consecutively. for example, the ROM for the game "Golf" is stored on the chip as follows:

NOTES:
* The 16 Byte header that is common for NES ROMs is removed.
* There is no optional 128 Byte Title DATA at the end.

0x009D4000 - 0x009D7FFF (length 0x4000) [1 16k bank of Program Data] code for game
0x0090C000 - 0x0090DFFF (length 0x2000) [1 8k bank of Character DATA] sprites for game (16 Bytes each sprite)

here is what the 8k bank of sprites look like:

Attachment:
golf.chr.png
golf.chr.png [ 5.15 KiB | Viewed 23311 times ]


Here is a zoomed in section of the different sprites (sprites are stored out of order and multipl "tiles" can be used to make up a sprite in the game

Attachment:
sprites.gif
sprites.gif [ 21.57 KiB | Viewed 23311 times ]


There are a couple of strange things with these units I will document later.

The issue with these will be easy access to ROMs on the chip as regular legit Nintendo consoles of these re-released type have a usb port for easy switching of the roms with a homebrew utility. These are different.


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 Post subject: Re: Accessing/Modifying/Dumping M36L0T05 Flash Contents
PostPosted: July 20th, 2019, 17:43 
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Posts: 15461
Location: Australia
I notice that many of the games are duplicated.

_________________
A backup a day keeps DR away.


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 Post subject: Re: Accessing/Modifying/Dumping M36L0T05 Flash Contents
PostPosted: September 7th, 2019, 19:13 
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Location: Michigan
Now that I am at the end of my seat, what has come of this??? I have the same Nock-off NES as OP's... any progress?


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 Post subject: Re: Accessing/Modifying/Dumping M36L0T05 Flash Contents
PostPosted: September 8th, 2019, 10:24 
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Location: Adelaide, Australia
Manubi wrote:
Now that I am at the end of my seat, what has come of this??? I have the same Nock-off NES as OP's... any progress?


What specifically did you want to see come out of this? I think most of the progress has been documented, though I did buy another 4 different units of varying specs. Just because they were so cheap, each under AU$20. they are all pretty much the same.. a tiny motherboard with some kind of NOR flash, either parallel or Quad SPI in the newer ones. Very easy to read with the FlashCatUSB (XPORT Version).

They all have ROMs blatantly pirated or with some hackiness going on like sprites from one game in a different game.

swapping out NES Roms wont be as simple as the legit Nintendo because of no USB port.

If you mean reading the CFI flash with 1.8v logic, then I think I have everything I need, level converters, power supplies etc, just have been too busy/lazy/sidetracked to hook it up..


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 Post subject: Re: Accessing/Modifying/Dumping M36L0T05 Flash Contents
PostPosted: September 17th, 2019, 15:42 
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Joined: June 18th, 2019, 17:36
Posts: 11
Location: hereandthere
HaQue wrote:
Manubi wrote:
Now that I am at the end of my seat, what has come of this??? I have the same Nock-off NES as OP's... any progress?


What specifically did you want to see come out of this? I think most of the progress has been documented, though I did buy another 4 different units of varying specs. Just because they were so cheap, each under AU$20. they are all pretty much the same.. a tiny motherboard with some kind of NOR flash, either parallel or Quad SPI in the newer ones. Very easy to read with the FlashCatUSB (XPORT Version).

They all have ROMs blatantly pirated or with some hackiness going on like sprites from one game in a different game.

swapping out NES Roms wont be as simple as the legit Nintendo because of no USB port.

If you mean reading the CFI flash with 1.8v logic, then I think I have everything I need, level converters, power supplies etc, just have been too busy/lazy/sidetracked to hook it up..


HaQue I can't thank you enough for going to such lengths for this question of mine. I apologize for having been absent so long, in July I went on vacation and life has been insane since. I just remembered last night half asleep about this project and that you were working on it and I felt awful. I would have mailed you my console to save you the money, but it's too late now I suppose.

Originally I was obviously looking at this with an oversimplistic view of it, hoping I could simply interface with the chip and work with it as if it were a usb flash drive, with some sort of translation software. I was hoping this was commonplace and someone had already done all the hard work. You've managed to dump the contents which is great! I would never have gotten that far.

If I understand correctly this (these devices) is all very bodgy and they're not regular rom files, nor are the files even laid out similarly. There doesn't seem to be any easy way to simply remove their roms and substitute my own :(

In the end there are many easier ways to accomplish that, but I thought there might have been potential for these little cheap consoles to do that.

I thank you again for going to such lengths for my request. I am very impressed!


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 Post subject: Re: Accessing/Modifying/Dumping M36L0T05 Flash Contents
PostPosted: September 18th, 2019, 12:42 
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Joined: December 4th, 2012, 1:35
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Location: Adelaide, Australia
welcome back. Yes quite fun actually!
for under $20 for most of these units, quite a good platform to hack around on. I wish I had some more time to dig in a bit more.

Fun fact - playability of these things are surprisingly good. Beats the Donkey Kong multiscreen games we had years ago.

no real easy way to add your own games, like the proper Nintendo hack.

I might get around to blogging all this one day.


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 Post subject: Re: Accessing/Modifying/Dumping M36L0T05 Flash Contents
PostPosted: September 19th, 2019, 8:21 
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Location: Adelaide, Australia
looks like another contender to get de-warranty'd

https://www.ebgames.com.au/product/sega/217654-sega-mega-drive-mini?utm_source=edm&utm_medium=email&utm_content=header&utm_campaign=edm_20190919_oa_segamegadrivemini_outnow

Code:
The iconic SEGA Mega Drive console

The SEGA Mega Drive console defined a generation of gaming returns in a slick, miniaturised unit. The SEGA Mega Drive Mini console is loaded with 42 legendary games including:
•Sonic the Hedgehog
•Ecco the Dolphin
•Castlevania: The New Generation
•Space Harrier 2
•Shining Force
•Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine
•ToeJam & Earl
•Comix Zone
•Altered Beast
•Gunstar Heroes
•Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse
•World of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck
•Thunder Force III
•Super Fantasy Zone
•Shinobi III
•Streets of Rage 2
•Earthworm Jim
•Sonic the Hedgehog 2
•Probotector
•Landstalker
•Mega Man®: The Wily Wars
•Street Fighter II’®: Special Champion Edition
•Ghouls ‘n Ghosts®
•Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle
•The Story of Thor
•Golden Axe
•Phantasy Star IV: The End of the Millennium
•Sonic the Hedgehog Spinball
•Vectorman
•Wonder Boy in Monster World
•Tetris®
•Darius
•Road Rash II
•Strider
•Virtua Fighter 2
•lisia Dragoon
•Kid Chameleon
•Monster World IV
•Eternal Champions
•Columns
•Dynamite Headdy
•Light Crusader

Includes:
•SEGA Mega Drive Mini console
•2 Controllers
•USB Power Cable
•HDMI Cable

Features:
•Miniature SEGA Mega Drive replica
•Includes 42 legendary games


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 Post subject: Re: Accessing/Modifying/Dumping M36L0T05 Flash Contents
PostPosted: September 19th, 2019, 17:00 
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Joined: June 18th, 2019, 17:36
Posts: 11
Location: hereandthere
HaQue wrote:
welcome back. Yes quite fun actually!
for under $20 for most of these units, quite a good platform to hack around on. I wish I had some more time to dig in a bit more.

Fun fact - playability of these things are surprisingly good. Beats the Donkey Kong multiscreen games we had years ago.

no real easy way to add your own games, like the proper Nintendo hack.

I might get around to blogging all this one day.


Thanks :)
Ya they do run pretty well, it's a shame it's so difficult to modify them, but I'm glad it was fun.
If you do, feel free to link your blog I'd love to read about it.

The Sega looks cool, expensive though!
Raspberry Pi is so much cheaper and more versatile, but it doesn't have the look at least out of the box.


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 Post subject: Re: Accessing/Modifying/Dumping M36L0T05 Flash Contents
PostPosted: September 19th, 2019, 20:19 
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Location: Adelaide, Australia
mgysgthath wrote:
…..
Raspberry Pi is so much cheaper and more versatile, but it doesn't have the look at least out of the box.


Thats why you 3D print an enclosure or make a clear cool perspex one to get something unique ;-)


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 Post subject: Re: Accessing/Modifying/Dumping M36L0T05 Flash Contents
PostPosted: September 23rd, 2019, 14:25 
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Joined: June 18th, 2019, 17:36
Posts: 11
Location: hereandthere
hehe I agree and I have done, but I don't want to assume everyone else has a 3D printer :P


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 Post subject: Re: Accessing/Modifying/Dumping M36L0T05 Flash Contents
PostPosted: January 4th, 2020, 2:29 
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Joined: July 19th, 2019, 13:22
Posts: 2
Location: Sulligent, Alabama
So, we can't/won't be able to swap out the roms? My ex-wife picked 2 of these babies for $24.00 USD at an Auction House back in June or July when I first posted. She asked me to take it to my house and make sure it had actual NES games, as her sister-in-law's device had knock off games that they had never heard of. Just keep me posted if there is away to swap out ROMs and thank you for all the hard work you've done so far.


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 Post subject: Re: Accessing/Modifying/Dumping M36L0T05 Flash Contents
PostPosted: January 5th, 2020, 22:35 
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Location: Adelaide, Australia
I really don't think so unless you dump the rom, hex edit it and rewrite it. but the work in testing, finding proper locations in the dump etc would not be much fun at all.


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 Post subject: Re: Accessing/Modifying/Dumping M36L0T05 Flash Contents
PostPosted: October 26th, 2021, 22:58 
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Joined: October 26th, 2021, 22:48
Posts: 1
Location: Someplace
Hello guys, i saw that you successfully dump the data from those chips, in my case i got a new Retro FC mini console, this one was a bargain soooo, i bought it, well story short, it has a blob, also the M36L0T7050T3ZAQ, so i was trying to read the contents and learn how this one works to hack the roms and the basic landing screen that is soo annoying, i tried with my raspberry to identify the port and other things about the board, but looks like the usb port does nothing else than receive power and send power to the dummy extra 2 player controller included in the package, so i was wondering if you would be so nice to provide information about how did you manage to dump the contents and more important if you guys were able to flash it again with different data.

Cheers.


Attachments:
File comment: board
e3403314-47a1-4623-a2bc-dccd2b03e1a0.jpeg
e3403314-47a1-4623-a2bc-dccd2b03e1a0.jpeg [ 168.57 KiB | Viewed 15367 times ]
File comment: Quality
9bfea560-50fb-4bcb-b2be-fed6ea33a878.jpeg
9bfea560-50fb-4bcb-b2be-fed6ea33a878.jpeg [ 97.85 KiB | Viewed 15367 times ]
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 Post subject: Re: Accessing/Modifying/Dumping M36L0T05 Flash Contents
PostPosted: December 5th, 2023, 22:35 
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Joined: December 4th, 2012, 1:35
Posts: 3844
Location: Adelaide, Australia
Hi,
I didn't realise there was a new post, sorry.
I will add an answer just for completeness, though may not be relevant anymore!
The FlashcatUSB XPORT should be able to read that chip, though you would need to do one or more of the following:
1) check datasheet of actual chip for voltage and pinout
2) if 1.8v, make an adapter with logic level converters
3) wire it up on a board to interface with XPORT.

I have just started re-visiting this and have received some level converters, and started designing a board that will go straight on XPORT.

Forget the BLOB! It is likely just an FPGA emulator, and offers no value to pursue getting into it.

flashing with different data, while theoretically possible, isn't really viable. It has been discussed already in previous posts.


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