Thanks,3dsguy. How did you get it? Matyapiro31

As much as I'd like to say, I can't tell you where i got it. But i'm trying to post info as much about Dev 3DS as possible

Does your development 3DS appear to be same hardware as ordinary one? --Matyapiro31 16:10, 18 October 2011 (CEST)

Yes, Matyapiro31, it seems to be that way, i was surprised when i got it, that it did not have parts of the case in red like a panda dev unit, but it had the sticker on the back saying it was a "Development Unit". Also the FCC id does not differ between my Development Unit and a Retail Unit. This probably explains why in the Config menu, the "System Mode" (which I believe is memory allowance) is stuck on "Prod". For some reason Prod mode is 64mb. Why do you ask?


Hi 3dsguy, maybe you have something like a kiosk "demo unit" used at stores (like GameStop, etc.).

  • Do you have a retail 3DS unit? I'm curious if your test unit will communicate with a retail 3DS unit. ( downloadplay, street-pass, etc. )
  • Does it connect to (production) nusd update servers for any updates?
  • Do you have any other software or hardware with it? ( firmware updates? rewritable CTR cards? etc. )
  • Can you get more of them however/wherever you received yours from?
  • Would you be willing to run pre-compiled apps imported through your dev menu on your test unit? [and if so do you have an email to send them to]
  • Would you be willing to lend or rent your unit out? I'm pretty sure you won't but it wouldn't hurt to ask.

- Jl12


No problem, I don't have a dev unit or anything so at least I can help out a little this way, lol. Nathan 17:19, 20 May 2012 (CEST)


3DS Development System Talk

Quick link to a page on .CIA files, with sample .cia!!

I do not know a way of creating .CIA files. its just that Jl12 asked me as part of a set of questions on my talk page:

  • "Would you be willing to run pre-compiled apps imported through your dev menu on your test unit? [and if so do you have an email to send them to]"

I said of course, and gave some details. Then, Jl12 responded to that emailing me 3 apps to test. Jl12 on the other hand does know how to compile apps in the .cia format and appears to have access to the DSi SDK from what i gathered from the email.--3dsguy 22:37, 1 November 2011 (CET)

This is the problem many people seem to have with the test units. From what I can tell, the only way to actually run some unsigned application (not created by Nintendo) is by programming it on a development flashcard. --Neimod 01:11, 2 November 2011 (CET)
I'm not sure why you deleted your previous post, but I agree that there are supposed to be different kinds of media (development flashcard, and copying from SD card to internal NAND) that allow running applications on a test unit. However, of these methods, only so far the development flashcard has proven to work with unsigned code. The problem lies in the fact that the unsigned development CXI image uses a dummy RSA private key to create the RSA signature, while official Nintendo development CXI images use the real deal. So as it stands, no developer can create proper CXI images for CIA importing. --Neimod 14:11, 2 November 2011 (CET)
  • I sent him 3 pre-compiled apps at first. ( all by Nintendo ). The first two don't boot because they're not compiled with the libs/firmware running on his test-unit. The 3rd TWL NAND app, doesn't have any icon/banner/title to identify itself after being installed, and although it imports/installs succesfully, it can't be selected or launched from Dev Menu or the Home Menu. Later, I sent him a self-built application ( one not by Nint. ), it installs, boots and runs properly and it just displays some information on the screens; those are the files and images he's linked to here. [the "Hello Galaxy!!!" test-application.]
  • They're not unsigned. Dev/test units use a different set of keys then the retail/production units do.
  • So as it stands, no developer can create proper CXI images for CIA importing. - What. I've sent self-built apps to test to 3dsguy and somebody else who owns a test unit running on a different firmware. They work fine. ( Although it's difficult to line up firmware revisions. )
  • The one that runs was made (compiled/built) using the SDK/firmware revision matching his test-unit.
  • He probably removed the 1st link because I asked him not to post anything with ( even potentially ) copyrighted contents for the sake of not getting this wiki associated with it, the binaries contained code from an e3 demo and the TWL/DSi SDK, we're not doing ourselves any benefit by posting it. The app that runs ( 'Hello Galaxy' ) is a self-compiled application, so it's probably not going to be mistaken for a game or another commercial application. [thus probably safe for wiki.] Jl12
Interesting. That's the first I hear about running self compiled CIA's on a test unit. And yes, sorry I said unsigned application, but I meant signed with the development RSA private key provided by the SDK. The official Nintendo development CIA's do not use keys from the SDK, but rather, a private one that is not distributed. --Neimod 02:17, 4 November 2011 (CET)


I had a look at your previous post, 3dsguy, where you have posted a download link for a CIA file. We don't know much about CIA files so it was interesting to see a file and look into it. The actual data for the app/tmd/cmd files seems to be encrypted (expected that) there's only some plain text like "Root"", "CA00000004" and "Root-CA00000004" to name a few (...) which obviously are paths on the NAND FS. However, I've found out that the name of the files/directories (eg name of the app file:"ad7e6744") which are saved on the SD card after installing the archieve seem to be in the CIA file: Not as plain text, they're actually hex values. I'm not really sure about that. It would be nice if you could post another CIA file, 3dsguy, that we can compare them and find out more about it. Shall we actually create a new page about CIA files?--Lazymarek9614 21:48, 2 November 2011 (CET)

They're certificates.
It's mentioned partially under "Download Play", because it's another use of the same file format. Jl12

Yes I think we should create another page made for .CIA file and move some of this page to its discussion page. But I've got another .cia file and and boots. see [[1]] for everything you may want to know about it and perhaps from this we can start a new page.--3dsguy 07:52, 3 November 2011 (CET)

I think this is more about getting our own code running on the 3DS/CTR then it is about CIA. Jl12

Lazymarek9614, those "paths" are from the cert chain and the ticket. CIA is based on WAD. --Yellows8 16:25, 3 November 2011 (CET)

If you are right and the format is based on WAD, then it might be little endian (unlike WAD). First there's an unknown byte (0x20) and then 4 bytes (0x20000000), which looks a lot like the header size in WAD (which is 'always' 32, in BE). So if this is the same field, I'm pretty sure it's LE. --lesderid 19:45, 3 November 2011 (CET)

@3dsguy - if the situation changes about being able to get any other test-units please let me know, thanks. Jl12

@Jl12: Do you have the Nintendo SDK? If so, can you upload it (correct me if this is a crime)?

If I did, I wouldn't be posting it here, see bullet #5 above. -Jl12
Oops, sorry. Maybe can you upload some more CIA files which differs in some cases only like the title name, icon etc.?--Lazymarek9614 18:20, 5 November 2011 (CET)

@--lesderid: "So if this is the same field, I'm pretty sure it's LE." I think it's HE. Is the header size actually 0x20 large? There's always a 0x80 byte after 0x20 bytes...--Lazymarek9614 22:09, 4 November 2011 (CET)

Who ever has the ip "151.26.190.77" living in Campobasso, Italy, stop probing the website where I've hosted the files. There are no SDKs on that website so stop trying find something that does not exist.--3dsguy 13:13, 5 November 2011 (CET)

Just a simple question, 3dsguy. In the CIA page you uploaded a CIA example. Can you upload also the binary format uncrypted,please?--Jocopoco 07:42, 18 November 2011 (CET)

@Jocopoco - you should ask Jl12 for it, it's his app after all. If he asks you which one it is it's this one "JlTestApp - test_02.cia"--3dsguy 17:39, 18 November 2011 (CET)

Jocopoco, that CIA isn't encrypted at all, just use ctrtool to extract the CXI and ExeFS.(and anything else) --Yellows8 18:44, 18 November 2011 (CET)

Sure? In the content folder there is a file named [id?].app it's encrypted I cant find anything, arm opcodes, text plain --Jocopoco 19:09, 18 November 2011 (CET)

That .app CXI is encrypted the same way as titles downloaded via eShop stored on SD card for retail 3DS,(besides different keys) the sample.cia is cleartext. --Yellows8 20:37, 18 November 2011 (CET)