NeoGeoX Hacking and Mods

[gamesboro]

It got to 46% and bombed. I think it is because the image I used had an extra 2 gigs of blank space. I'm working on a fix for that now and will try again tomorrow if I didn't cause any permanent damage.

 

[ShiranuiMai]

When I flashed mine it was an img file, you will be choosing this file for the uboot.bin. Make sure the drivers for the NGX's cpu are installed (your pc should recognize the NGX when you hold start and plug it in). Just do not click around the interface (you don't want to flash the NAND, only the "SD"), just go straight to uboot.bin.

You're flashing uboot? You're starting with the boot record instead of just the filesystem?

 

[gamesboro]

Yeah, I'm flashing uboot with the .IMG. Is this incorrect?

 

[Neo*Geo*Ordo]

You're flashing uboot? You're starting with the boot record instead of just the filesystem?

I would like to see a show of hands of anyone else here who has successfully flashed their NGXs with a modified firmware image...

Is anyone else here rocking the fixed HDMI resolution? Notice that the credits are NOT cut off

This is how I flashed mine onto a clean micro SD (the original micro SD actually broke in half trying to free her from the glue, so I had no choice but to figure out how to reflash the firmware). I ONLY flashed the .img file to uboot.bin... nothing else. Mine IS a 337 however... so I have not tried any of this on a 370 unit.

Note the black bars on the right and left of the HDMI out Seriously, who would complain about a picture like this! C'mon Tommo, get it right already and update the software on this beast. All the 370 owners are waiting...

 

[gamesboro]

Shiranui and Ordo; or anyone else for that matter, USBboot just got to 100% but went back and now says BOOT Please waite 0%. It doesn't seem to be doing anything now. Is this normal? Can I try it out or is it processing something on the NGX side?

 

[Neo*Geo*Ordo]

If the progress bar isn't moving it should be finished... try it out!

 

[gamesboro]

I gave it a shot and its toast. I do not suggest for any 370 users to try and use the USBbootTool until we get this figured out.

I'll give an update on it if I can get it back up and running.

Oh yeah, one more thing. How long should it take to load the image?

 

[Neo*Geo*Ordo]

Reflash the original unmodified image, it should take that.

 

[gamesboro]

negative. I'm going to try and connect a SD card internally to override the chip and see if I can get her back up and running that way.

 

[SetaSouji??]

Yeah, it doesn't work on the 370 models. Looks like the 337s follow suit with the classic AES being that they're slightly better (in the fact that they can be softmodded).

Dude Tommo's customer support sucks ass I e-mailed them almost a week ago now and no response.

 

[Neo*Geo*Ordo]

negative. I'm going to try and connect a SD card internally to override the chip and see if I can get her back up and running that way.

You mean the solder pads to the internal SD on the back of the mobo are present on the 370? If so why has no one tried that?

 

[ShiranuiMai]

I would like to see a show of hands of anyone else here who has successfully flashed their NGXs with a modified firmware image...

Hah, I wasn't saying you were doing it wrong, just my memory doesn't go back very far. Interesting. When I dumped what was in the flash ROM, I never checked if that was bootable or not. Maybe I do have the whole image. I thought it was just the filesystems and there were three regions in the NAND. I see the boot sector now though, but I'm not sure where the kernels are kept.

Getting back to what I remember, I'm just a little nervous about flashing it through the USB link. I know bits of snk_desktop was decompiled a bit earlier in the thread, but I don't know what software that was that that was done with. Looking at just the strings out of it though there's stuff to do with an efuse right about where the update code is, which makes me worry it's boobytrapped. There's a line in the inittab referencing the efuse, too, but it's commented out so perhaps it's not actually used, and it all worked on the older one, but you guys are trying to flash an older ROM to a newer device.. I wonder if it freaks out on going backwards..?

Was there a confirmation at some point that the NAND chip in the 370 was treated the same as the SD card in the earlier one? There's a bunch of options too about how it writes to the memory; those could be different with the different chip I suppose.

 

[ShiranuiMai]

Shiranui and Ordo; or anyone else for that matter, USBboot just got to 100% but went back and now says BOOT Please waite 0%. It doesn't seem to be doing anything now. Is this normal? Can I try it out or is it processing something on the NGX side?

This makes me wonder if you can USB boot the thing with the interface, at least. You're supposed to be able to, it looks like.

 

[gamesboro]

Yes they are present on the 370. I jacked up my battery though finding this out, so I'm probably going to have to replace that as well while I've got it open.

Anyone attempting to bypass the flash memory in the 370, be really careful pulling up the battery as it has some serious double sided tape on it.

 

[ack]

Hah, I wasn't saying you were doing it wrong, just my memory doesn't go back very far. Interesting. When I dumped what was in the flash ROM, I never checked if that was bootable or not. Maybe I do have the whole image. I thought it was just the filesystems and there were three regions in the NAND. I see the boot sector now though, but I'm not sure where the kernels are kept.

On 337 image there are 2 kernels, one located at 0x400000 offset and 2nd at 0x800000 offset in the image. The one at 0x400000 is the one that normally boots.

These offset values come from the boot loader part of the image, refer to this post

http://www.neo-geo.com/forums/showt...ing-and-Mods&p=3469498&viewfull=1#post3469498

bootcmd=msc read <memory destination> <offset into sd card> <amount to read>

-ack

 

[Mr.Ash]

Hi, i just registered to this forum in order to follow information about hacking my Neo Geo X handheld. My goal is to get my 370 system hacked to unleash the full potential of the system (1:1 resolution, HDMI fix, unifies, add games/roms)

As i wrote i own a 370 system which has no internal SD card to remove. I'm not a total noob, but the more i read in this thread the more confused i get. As far as i know i have to use a tool for USB boot and a prepared image to flash. Next i need to add games somehow. Since i just own a MacBook with OSX i have no direct access to Windows or Linux. As for Windows i have access to a Windows 7 Laptop where i work. So i'd like to post some simple questions:

1.
Is there a step by step guide how to hack a 370 system (incl. links for the required tools/images)

2.
How to add more games? Are ROMs which i use for MAME compatible?

I would be very glad if someone could answer them seriously.Thanks a lot in advance.

 

[daranus]

1.
Is there a step by step guide how to hack a 370 system (incl. links for the required tools/images)

No

2.
How to add more games? Are ROMs which i use for MAME compatible?

I would be very glad if someone could answer them seriously.Thanks a lot in advance.

Search this thread or other websites. (hint: Micro SD Adapter)

 

[Danthor]

No



Search this thread or other websites. (hint: Micro SD Adapter)

@Mr.Ash

He's exactly right on both counts.

Also, I'm loving the look of that fixed HDMI output! Is there any way to get that from using the MicroSD adapter? Or do I have to flash the internal memory, provided I have the proper model?

 

[Neo*Geo*Ordo]

@Mr.Ash

He's exactly right on both counts.

Also, I'm loving the look of that fixed HDMI output! Is there any way to get that from using the MicroSD adapter? Or do I have to flash the internal memory, provided I have the proper model?

You need to replace the Neo Geo emulator (located on the internal image) with a slightly modified one.

 

[Neo*Geo*Ordo]

again, thanks ack provide partition table information for me

now, my neogeo-x handheld(370 version) can run dual system:
the first system: neogeo official system(boot from nand flash)
the second system: dingux system(boot from sdcard-0)

for sdcard-0, please reference my blog in detail:
http://home.educities.edu.tw/fushiyun2000/neo_geo_x_hardware_sdcard_0_uart_line.htm

new dingux system run on neogeo-x handheld as following picture:

i have updated to my blog for installation steps in detail:
http://home.educities.edu.tw/fushiyun2000/neo_geo_x_hack_replace_as_dingux_system.htm

good luck

If I understand this correctly, all 370 users can wire up a micro SD card and bypass the internal chip to boot from sdcard-0? Even run dingux...

 

[Neo*Geo*Ordo]

Hi

mods if this link is against the rules let me know and I can take it down.

I hex edited nxu.dge (fba emulator) that comes on the ngx to correct some of the crappy video issues.

You can grab a copy here

http://www.gotwalls.com/neogeox/nxu.dge.7z

To use it, decompress then copy it over the existing nxu.dge binary on the apps partition.

I have only tested this on the ngx lcd and hdmi ports. The changes only applies to actual game play, so expect the menu system to still look crappy

The following changes were made

LCD:
The default emu resolution is now 320x224, which means there will be black bars to fill out the rest of the screen. The black bars are on the sides and the bottom. Because of how the assembly was done its would have been a serious pita to center it top to bottom.
The alternate resolution is the previous 4:3 scaled version.

HDMI:
The resolution for emu is now 640x448, with some black bars on the sides and bottom.

I switched the scaling algorithm to be linear, it looks like it was bi-linear before. This gets rid of a lot of the blurriness, but not all of it.

-ack

Hi ack, is it possible to do a version which has the NGX's LCD options as default wide stretched (full screen) and the 4:3 scaled version swapped with your new 1:1 (320x224)? So we can go largest-smallest when we hit the L1/L2 button? Essentially just reversing which resolution is replaced with the beautifull 320x224 (thank you for that btw I am loving the improved HDMI).

 

[ShiranuiMai]

On 337 image there are 2 kernels, one located at 0x400000 offset and 2nd at 0x800000 offset in the image. The one at 0x400000 is the one that normally boots.

These offset values come from the boot loader part of the image

Thanks for the reference. That points to kernels at the same locations in my image, and indeed there are kernels at those two locations. Since they line up to the offset values, even though the boot loader strings are at slightly different locations compared to your flash image, I'd imagine what I have can be flashed directly back up if the utility works properly. (Which no one has managed to get it to do so with a 370 yet, please don't brick your NGX..)

 

[ack]

Hi ack, is it possible to do a version which has the NGX's LCD options as default wide stretched (full screen) and the 4:3 scaled version swapped with your new 1:1 (320x224)? So we can go largest-smallest when we hit the L1/L2 button? Essentially just reversing which resolution is replaced with the beautifull 320x224 (thank you for that btw I am loving the improved HDMI).

I cant, sorry. The best I can suggest is to hex compare the normal and modified version to see what I changed, then adjust it to your needs.

-ack

 

[TurboRotary13b]

I cant, sorry. The best I can suggest is to hex compare the normal and modified version to see what I changed, then adjust it to your needs.

-ack

Just curious but what caused you to back away from hacking the NGX so fast?

 

[Xian Xi]

Just curious but what caused you to back away from hacking the NGX so fast?

Because there isn't a reward. These problems should have been taken care of by tommo, not a customer that bought their product.