Sunplus SPMP3050A

djo_rides_ET2 · #1 (**permalink**) 11th Jan 2008, 9:12 am

Hello there !

Like everybody I bought a PMP on Ebay and I received two of these :

Actually I just managed to extract the Firmware file and to copy on my hard drive the 2 virtual disks the player uses.

I create this topic to discuss with interested persons on working on the 8-Bit games emulator built in it. The manual says that the pmp can play 8-bit NES games and even 16-bit SNES games with a firmware upgrade. However the game emulator is located in a separate file from the firmware one that is called 3050ABin0.bin in the Resource folder of the first virtual disk.

I actually use IDA Pro Disasembler to understand the working of the pmp software and Hex Workshop to examine the files. To manage the work with the pmp I use the FRM PRO tool that I found in the download section of this forum.

Maybe this pmp has similar structures than other or maybe someone have some extra info for me.

Let's break this chinese trick !

:wink:

Th3_uN1Qu3 · #2 (**permalink**) 14th Jan 2008, 3:54 pm

So the NES emulator ain't working from the get go eh? I don't think it'd be hard to hack, but there are just too many models out there and too few interested people that have programming knowledge as well as time and players. :P

I would've loved to have a hack at this device if i had one, but unfortunately i don't have one, and i also have to "hack" a bit at people if you know what i mean.

djo_rides_ET2 · #3 (**permalink**) 15th Jan 2008, 12:37 pm

Hey, thanks for your reply "The Unique" !
I was sad that nobody took care of my post !

I think the emulator is the same between the different pmps that use a SUNPLUS chip. I have progressed a little, but I'm still trying to understand if the corean engineers who made this device used an existing emulator they get to work on a sunplus cpu or if they made it especially for it.

So if you have a pmp wich emulates NES games, please share your knowledge !

I can even send you the firmware I've extracted from this SPMP3050A !

Let's break the chinese emulator !!

Th3_uN1Qu3 · #4 (**permalink**) 15th Jan 2008, 2:23 pm

Assuming by the amount of microshite code they use, i'd say they just ripped it off a PC emu. Have no idea which one though, sorry.

razzer001 · #5 (**permalink**) 16th Jan 2008, 3:09 am

it uses a older sunplus chip and that type of player you have is a bit notorious for being unreliable quality wise.

Good luck with breaking the code and improving the firmware - there are newer plauers with an improved sunplus chip, which handle NES emulation better.

aapot · #6 (**permalink**) 18th Jan 2008, 7:58 pm

Hi,
I've have a device based on SPMP3051A. I believe it's practically identical to SPMP3050A.
I'm interested in getting alternative os(probably Linux or maybe something lighter if ram is not enough) running on this.

I have collected some pieces around the net and have pin layouts of the chip and description of the USB interface(comes with frm pro also). As well as some interesting code that pokes the device through USB.

My plan would be to get modified Nintendo ds emulator to run the firmware and then use the emulator to reverse engineer rest of the chip. I am not interested in working to extend the supplied firmware.

I have mostly concentrated on reverse engineering Ati 3d cards and dvb-t sticks so far so this is a bit difficult thing to do just by myself.
Having someone with ARM9/7 assembly knowledge would help with this a lot.

I use Linux to do my coding so ideally Nintendo ds emulator used for the task should be Linux based.

ladas · #7 (**permalink**) 20th Jan 2008, 12:07 am

i normaly firmware with DEFAULTFW but now my mp4 is dead and shining a diod but dont work usb pls HEEEELP

djo_rides_ET2 · #8 (**permalink**) 20th Jan 2008, 12:40 pm

Hi Aapot,
I'm interested on using Linux on these pmp too, and your skills in reverse engineering are welcome ! :twisted:

So to use linux on this we have to use the image loader the sunplus chip uses to load his firmware. Basically, when power comes ON the spmp loads a short hex asm to load the firmware image and access to the 2 images the system uses. To use Linux on it we have to study the work of this loader to make it load our boot... :roll: many other things to do !

All your documentation is welcome !
Sunplus documentation is hard to find so I'll share it with you !

:P

zenitraM · #9 (**permalink**) 28th Jan 2008, 10:40 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by djo_rides_ET2";p=&quot

Actually I just managed to extract the Firmware file and to copy on my hard drive the 2 virtual disks the player uses.

I also have a Sunplus SPMP3050A, from DealExtreme. How did you get to extract the firmware? I might help - as mine, for some reason, also has a GB/GBC emulator

aapot · #10 (**permalink**) 29th Jan 2008, 1:18 am

What model?