FDSStick (256M version) software question

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Eicar
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FDSStick (256M version) software question

Post by Eicar »

Hi,

I just got my FDSStick 256M version and it's working great so far. I've also used it to rip some disks using the drive adapter cable sold by http://www.tototek.com.
So, everything is fine... However, since I'm mainly using linux I'm wondering if there's some open-source software for the FDSStick? The only thing I could find was this repo: https://github.com/stevensmedia/FDSStick
However, that's not been updated for some time.. It also states in the readme that disk reading/writing on OSX and linux is not working.

I'm a software developer myself and I would very much want to contribute if it's possible. I already found some obvious issues with the code like missing flash id in spi_readFlashSize() for the 256M version etc....
However, I don't know if this code will ever work even if I try to fix it. I don't know if the FDSStick firmware is compatible with this code anymore.

I'm also thinking about using the FDSStick on a Raspberry PI to run the fds files right from the PI as you can do with the windows version of the software. However,
without any documentation on this it would take quite a bit of work to understand how the protocol works. I really don't feel like reversing the FDSStick protocol :)


-Eicar
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loopy
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Re: FDSStick (256M version) software question

Post by loopy »

That code on github is ancient, it's not compatible with the current firmware. I can put up something more current, it might take a few days though.
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Eicar
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Re: FDSStick (256M version) software question

Post by Eicar »

loopy wrote:That code on github is ancient, it's not compatible with the current firmware. I can put up something more current, it might take a few days though.
That would be absolutely amazing!! Can hardly wait!

-Eicar
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MaarioS
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Re: FDSStick (256M version) software question

Post by MaarioS »

So what's supposed to be new in newer software?? I also have FDSStick (don't remember the capacity) and so far everything worked as long as I can remember
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loopy
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Re: FDSStick (256M version) software question

Post by loopy »

Tomy
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Re: FDSStick (256M version) software question

Post by Tomy »

Hi loopy,

Last time we meet in HK. I asked you about "PC Load" function. If I make a software can call your fdsstick.exe to send game, then it is nice. Wait to see what you can provide. Thanks.
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casualcoder
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Re: FDSStick (256M version) software question

Post by casualcoder »

loopy wrote: Fri Mar 08, 2019 2:24 pm That code on github is ancient, it's not compatible with the current firmware. I can put up something more current, it might take a few days though.
Sorry to resurrect this thread, especially for my first post but is there any code for managing the FDSStick from Linux? Alternately, does anyone know the protocol that the FDSStick expects?

I've found the Neil Stevens tool and built that, but it fails at the point where it tries to read the flash size (the call to dev_spiRead always fails at spi.cpp:25, I presume because either it or the preceding dev_spiWrite is sending the wrong sort of report for this version of the firmware). I see there also used to be another tool (or perhaps a fork of the same tool) at https://github.com/nealt/FDSStick but this is no longer available.

I extracted the HID descriptors for the FDSStick and there are a few candidates that look like they might be a match for the reports the Neil Stevens tool is trying to send based on buffer size but flipping IDs around in an attempt to get basic functionality didn't work and I was hesitant to continue poking in the dark in case I managed to "luck" into writing random data over the EFM8 bootloader or something similarly important.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Tomy
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Re: FDSStick (256M version) software question

Post by Tomy »

> is there any code for managing the FDSStick from Linux?
No, no latest source code open for public.

> I've found the Neil Stevens tool and built that, but it fails at the point where it tries to read the flash size (the call to dev_spiRead always fails at
> spi.cpp:25, I presume because either it or the preceding dev_spiWrite is sending the wrong sort of report for this version of the firmware). I see
> there also used to be another tool (or perhaps a fork of the same tool) at https://github.com/nealt/FDSStick but this is no longer available.

It is because latest fdsstick.exe will update the fdsstick firmware. The old code use old protocol that can not use for latest firmware.
If you need fdsstick.exe source code, you may ask loopy. But seems it never open source again.
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