Difference between revisions of "Mysteries"
(→Hardware: How does Nintendo reflash bricked systems?) |
(formatting) Tags: Mobile edit Mobile web edit |
||
| (14 intermediate revisions by 10 users not shown) | |||
| Line 5: | Line 5: | ||
: C may stand for Chiheisen ("horizon" in Japanese, the O3DS's codename being "Project Horizon"). | : C may stand for Chiheisen ("horizon" in Japanese, the O3DS's codename being "Project Horizon"). | ||
:: Not true, Horizon refers to the OS. | :: Not true, Horizon refers to the OS. | ||
| + | : CTR stands for Citrus. | ||
== Hardware == | == Hardware == | ||
| Line 14: | Line 15: | ||
=== Is there a JTAG? === | === Is there a JTAG? === | ||
=== Is there more than one revision of the bootrom? === | === Is there more than one revision of the bootrom? === | ||
| − | '''Background:''' Bootrom visible portion has been dumped on 3DS, 3DSXL, 2DS, New3DS. All matching exactly. | + | '''Background:''' Bootrom visible portion has been dumped on the entire 3DS Family (3DS, 3DSXL, 2DS, New3DS, New3DSXL, New2DSXL), and even a prototype board from April(?) 2010. All matching exactly. |
| + | |||
=== What is the EMMC controller @ 0x10100000 doing? === | === What is the EMMC controller @ 0x10100000 doing? === | ||
'''Background:''' There's dead code in NWM referencing it. | '''Background:''' There's dead code in NWM referencing it. | ||
| Line 24: | Line 26: | ||
=== What is the PDN abbreviation? === | === What is the PDN abbreviation? === | ||
| − | : | + | : PowerDowN |
=== How does Nintendo reflash bricked systems? === | === How does Nintendo reflash bricked systems? === | ||
| − | + | Before trying to boot from NAND, the bootrom checks to see if a key combination (Start + Select + X) is being held, and whether the shell is closed. If so, it tries to boot from an inserted NTR (Nintendo DS) cartridge. | |
| + | This allows to execute a FIRM that is probably used by Nintendo to reflash the system. | ||
== Software == | == Software == | ||
=== What was the problem in "initial program loader" that was mentioned in an FCC filing by Nintendo for 2DS? === | === What was the problem in "initial program loader" that was mentioned in an FCC filing by Nintendo for 2DS? === | ||
'''Background:''' http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=814624&page=1 | '''Background:''' http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=814624&page=1 | ||
| + | |||
| + | This could be referring to the ROM on the AR6K wireless chip: | ||
| + | * Some 2DS units have the WiFi chip soldered directly to the board (such as the 2DS in this FCC filing: https://fccid.link/BKE/FTR001N), and some do not. | ||
| + | * The AR6K ROM only acts as an initial loader. | ||
| + | * Maybe some AR6K-family devices allow signature checks on the firmware? Or maybe some registers weren't write-once but should have been? | ||
| + | |||
=== What did SVC 0x74 in the ARM11 kernel do before it got stubbed? === | === What did SVC 0x74 in the ARM11 kernel do before it got stubbed? === | ||
=== What is the PTM abbreviation? === | === What is the PTM abbreviation? === | ||
| + | : PlayTime Management | ||
| + | |||
=== Why is the DTCM not used anywhere except bootrom? === | === Why is the DTCM not used anywhere except bootrom? === | ||
'''Background:''' Bootrom is known to use part of DTCM as state, memsetting it to 0 when it's done. After that, it is never used again. | '''Background:''' Bootrom is known to use part of DTCM as state, memsetting it to 0 when it's done. After that, it is never used again. | ||
=== How is CTRAging launched during factory setup? === | === How is CTRAging launched during factory setup? === | ||
| − | '''Background:''' No TestMenu version is capable of launching CTRAging directly: O3DS factory TestMenu can only launch DevMenu installed on NAND, the inserted cartridge and the TWL/AGB test apps; N3DS factory TestMenu can only launch DevMenu installed on NAND, the inserted cartridge and System Settings. | + | '''Background:''' No TestMenu version is capable of launching CTRAging directly: O3DS factory TestMenu can only launch DevMenu installed on NAND, the inserted cartridge and the TWL/AGB test apps; N3DS factory TestMenu can only launch DevMenu installed on NAND, the inserted cartridge and System Settings. |
| + | |||
| + | '''Theory:''' NtrBoot another time | ||
| + | === Why are there 4 stubbed syscalls named SendSyncRequest1-4? === | ||
| + | === Is there a deterministic formula for calculating the Movable.sed KeyY high u64? === | ||
| + | '''Background:''' We know now that the high 4 bytes of KeyY can be reliably estimated to be 1/5th of the LocalFriendCodeSeed (low 8 bytes of KeyY), which is close enough to brute force. However, the actual value is usually about 0-4000 units off the actual high u32 of the KeyY (called msed3 in the seedminer implementation). Could there possibly be a deterministic formula given this 1/5 ratio is so close to the correct value? It's difficult to imagine this is just a coincidence. | ||
Latest revision as of 06:56, 10 August 2022
The following is a list of mysteries.
General[edit]
- What is the CTR abbreviation?
- C may stand for Chiheisen ("horizon" in Japanese, the O3DS's codename being "Project Horizon").
- Not true, Horizon refers to the OS.
- CTR stands for Citrus.
Hardware[edit]
Why are there two CTRCARD controllers?[edit]
Background: Also DSi SoC pinout shows evidence of dual NTRCARD controllers on the final DSi SoC. (This was a planned feature of the DSi before being axed later in development)
Why are there two EMMC controllers?[edit]
Theory: At some point during 3DS hardware development there was an idea to split up CTR and TWL nand into two different chips.
Is there a JTAG?[edit]
Is there more than one revision of the bootrom?[edit]
Background: Bootrom visible portion has been dumped on the entire 3DS Family (3DS, 3DSXL, 2DS, New3DS, New3DSXL, New2DSXL), and even a prototype board from April(?) 2010. All matching exactly.
What is the EMMC controller @ 0x10100000 doing?[edit]
Background: There's dead code in NWM referencing it.
Why did they put NTRCARD accessible from ARM11?[edit]
Theory: At some point during 3DS hardware development there was a concept where ARM11 ran a menu with DS(i) icons while ARM9 was in TWL mode.
Is there a secret message embedded in the 3DS keyscrambler constant?[edit]
Background: TWL key scrambler constant was "Nintendo Co., Ltd" in Japanese ("任天堂株式会社"), UTF-16LE encoded, with byte order mark. The 3DS key scrambler constant, by comparison, is random-looking.
What is the PDN abbreviation?[edit]
- PowerDowN
How does Nintendo reflash bricked systems?[edit]
Before trying to boot from NAND, the bootrom checks to see if a key combination (Start + Select + X) is being held, and whether the shell is closed. If so, it tries to boot from an inserted NTR (Nintendo DS) cartridge. This allows to execute a FIRM that is probably used by Nintendo to reflash the system.
Software[edit]
What was the problem in "initial program loader" that was mentioned in an FCC filing by Nintendo for 2DS?[edit]
Background: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=814624&page=1
This could be referring to the ROM on the AR6K wireless chip:
- Some 2DS units have the WiFi chip soldered directly to the board (such as the 2DS in this FCC filing: https://fccid.link/BKE/FTR001N), and some do not.
- The AR6K ROM only acts as an initial loader.
- Maybe some AR6K-family devices allow signature checks on the firmware? Or maybe some registers weren't write-once but should have been?
What did SVC 0x74 in the ARM11 kernel do before it got stubbed?[edit]
What is the PTM abbreviation?[edit]
- PlayTime Management
Why is the DTCM not used anywhere except bootrom?[edit]
Background: Bootrom is known to use part of DTCM as state, memsetting it to 0 when it's done. After that, it is never used again.
How is CTRAging launched during factory setup?[edit]
Background: No TestMenu version is capable of launching CTRAging directly: O3DS factory TestMenu can only launch DevMenu installed on NAND, the inserted cartridge and the TWL/AGB test apps; N3DS factory TestMenu can only launch DevMenu installed on NAND, the inserted cartridge and System Settings.
Theory: NtrBoot another time
Why are there 4 stubbed syscalls named SendSyncRequest1-4?[edit]
Is there a deterministic formula for calculating the Movable.sed KeyY high u64?[edit]
Background: We know now that the high 4 bytes of KeyY can be reliably estimated to be 1/5th of the LocalFriendCodeSeed (low 8 bytes of KeyY), which is close enough to brute force. However, the actual value is usually about 0-4000 units off the actual high u32 of the KeyY (called msed3 in the seedminer implementation). Could there possibly be a deterministic formula given this 1/5 ratio is so close to the correct value? It's difficult to imagine this is just a coincidence.