Memory Hardware Hack/mod

[Mr. Spank]

I want to see someone gut the SMC and replace it with a flash memory drive (like a memory key) of 512 or larger.

It should fit, just need some programers to get the firmware to recognize it, and someone who would know how to integrate the hardware. And a USB extension would connect it to the PC and PC would recognize it as a memory key so you could just drag and drop your data into it. That way we could have larger games and emulators. Great for the 3D games in the works. And with a larger HD we could store larger video and audio files. this should be 100% possible! Flash drives are small, and with some sodering and some programing and maybe a new rear or top case molding, and POW a GP32bBlu+

Any one inspired? Any takers? Can my mod be for free since I posed the idea?

 

[Jarska333]

I believe one of my first posts was quite similar; I was told to sod off, it's been discussed 998 times, and WILL NOT WORK!!! EVER! NOT EVEN IN GP128!!! EVEN IF THEY DESIGN THE THING FROM SCRATCH IN 2026, IT WILL STILL SUPPORT ONLY 128MB SMC'S!!! BE HAPPY WITH 128MB SMC'S!!!! h34r:

To that effect...

 

[Mr. Spank]

1) I shouldn't have called it a GP32Blu+ since that already refers to something else, how about a GP32BLUF, 'f' as in flash.

2) that response is popy-cock. The talk of uninspired. Voltage can be changed, and wont be a problem for me since I almost always play using my adapter. The memory keys are tiny hard drives, which is what the SMC is. Sodering and programing for a GP running off a adapter, yeah, I see it happening.

 

[Squidge]

How many times do we have to say this to make people listen? *EVERY* application and game for the gp32 talks directly to the SMC, and is hardcoded to only recognise cards of 128mb or lower. Therefore, by replacing the SMC with something else, unless the interface and timings are EXACTLY the same, they will no longer work.

If you rewrite the bios to make it work with something else, then it will only be able to load the first file. If that game or app requires any other files, it will simply complain unless itself too is recompiled with the new routines.

So, your screwed, basically...

Oh, and SMC's are flash memory devices with there own interface and protocol, they are not tiny harddrives!

 

[Mr. Spank]

with all the emulation going on here, and original programing, how do you come out short sighted? Protocols and routines can be emulated on a flash card just like you do for any emulation. The larger flash card would have all that to work in the device. That is why it involves modding and hacking! A memory key is its own little motherboard and chip set. You need to rerout the interface to integrate the chips on that board. I am not talking about some fabled SMC of more than 128, or using SD instead, I am talking about integrating a memory key.

By hard drive I mean a data dump, where the programs are stored and where the OS is.

It just occured to me, could you integrate the memory key through the GP's usb port?

 

[Yuglooc]

People around here usually disencourage people from doing new things thought to be inpossible, if you strongly believe it works, and you are experienced in the feild, then give it a shot?

Oh and Spuidge, if i understood you correctly, You would have to recompile every program to run, how hard is that to do?.

Source's is avalible to most of the emu's and other games you could ask the author. So if it's a fairly easy task, then maybe it shouldn't be that big of a deal that you have to recompile every single emu, since think of the goodies that may become avalible afterwards, like, 15 ep of fansubbed anime?

 

[Squidge]

I'm not really being short sighted. I know it's possible, it's just not possible with just modifying the firmware like Mr Spank originally asked.

If you are willing to recompile every application (and possibly modify the file i/o routine in each app if they use other sdks), then we can even use SD cards of varying capacities as the 128mb limit doesn't apply any more.

However, check the protocols first - we obviously can't talk to USB devices via the smc slot, but SD seems possible.

 

[Jarska333]

Say, would one need to recompile all the program one needs? I mean, I certainly wouldn't need 512Megs for NES games, thus not needing to recompile LitleJohn, but divxplayer would benefit greatly... As in, if one would do such hack/mod, would the old programs still work, but be unable to use the extra space?

 

[diablo2]

you would have to mod little john because the gp32 wouldn't be able to read it off the sd card or whatever

we have hdd that we can hook up to our gp32s
thats like even better

 

[Jarska333]

Linux-thingy? USB-doohickey?

Last I check, there wasn't an IDE port on my GP32. :blink:

 

[Squidge]

Say, would one need to recompile all the program one needs? I mean, I certainly wouldn't need 512Megs for NES games, thus not needing to recompile LitleJohn, but divxplayer would benefit greatly... As in, if one would do such hack/mod, would the old programs still work, but be unable to use the extra space?

​

You would need to recompile (and possibly change) any program that accesses the smc card in any shape or form. Any program not recompiled that attempts SMC access could corrupt the sd card.

I think the most compatible way of doing this is an SD card (say, 1gb) connected to an SMC emulator which supports a few more commands than normal. There would be two file systems on the created SD card, the first would be 128mb for compatibility with older software, and the rest used for the other file system that can only be accessed with the new commands. Programs compiled with the new command set could access both file systems, and so could access the entire 1gb card.

There a few problems with this however:

You would need an emulator which can keep up with a ARM9 talking at 200Mhz (I've not measured how fast it can wiggle a pin at 200mhz - any one care to check with a scope?)

The SD cards would be GP32 only and not compatible with any other device, including card readers.

I'm not sure of the voltage requirement of SD cards, we may need to increase the voltage.