7.9 KiB
DS Cartridge NitroROM and NitroARC File Systems
(Mirrored from the original by Martin Korth on Dec 26, 2024).
The DS hardware, BIOS, and Firmware do NOT contain any built-in filesystem functions. The ARM9/ARM7 boot code (together max 3903KB), and Icon/Title information are automatically loaded on power-up. Programs that require to load additional data from cartridge ROM may do that either by implementing whatever functions to translate filenames to ROM addresses, or by reading from ROM directly.
NitroROM
The NitroROM Filesystem is used by many NDS games (at least those that have been developed with Nintendo's tools). It's used for ROM Cartridges, and, on the DSi, it's also used for DSiWare games (in the latter case, NitroROM acts as a 2nd virtual filesystem inside of the DSi's FAT16 filesystem).
FNT = cart_hdr[040h] ;\origin as defined in ROM cartridge header
FAT = cart_hdr[048h] ;/
IMG = 00000000h ;-origin at begin of ROM
Aside from using filenames, NitroROM files can be alternately accessed via Overlay IDs (see later on below).
NitroARC (Nitro Archive)
NARC Files are often found inside of NitroROM Filesystems (ie. NARC is a second virtual filesystem, nested inside of the actual filesystem). The NARC Format is very similar to the NitroROM Format, but with additional Chunk Headers (instead of the Cartridge ROM Header).
... ... Optional Header (eg. compression header, or RSA signature)
000h 4 Chunk Name "NARC" (Nitro Archive) ;\
004h 2 Byte Order (FFFEh) (unlike usually, not FEFFh) ;
006h 2 Version (0100h) ; NARC
008h 4 File Size (from "NARC" ID to end of file) ; Header
00Ch 2 Chunk Size (0010h) ;
00Eh 2 Number of following chunks (0003h) ;/
010h 4 Chunk Name "BTAF" (File Allocation Table Block) ;\
014h 4 Chunk Size (including above chunk name) ; File
018h 2 Number of Files ; Allocation
01Ah 2 Reserved (0000h) ; Table
01Ch ... FAT (see below) ;/
... 4 Chunk Name "BTNF" (File Name Table Block) ;\
... 4 Chunk Size (including above chunk name) ; File Name
... ... FNT (see below) ; Table
... .. Padding for 4-byte alignment (FFh-filled, if any) ;/
... 4 Chunk Name "GMIF" (File Image Block) ;\
... 4 Chunk Size (including above chunk name) ; File Data
... ... IMG (File Data) ;/
NARCless Variant
There are a few NARC archives with crippled header, without "NARC" string (eg.
rom:\dwc\utility.bin in Over the Hedge, Downhill Jam, and Tony Hawk's
Skateland).
000h 4 FNT Filename Table Offset (always at 10h)
004h 4 FNT Filename Table Size
008h 4 FAT Allocaton Table Offset (at above Offset+Size+Padding)
00Ch 4 FAT Allocaton Table Size
010h .. FNT Filename Table Data
... .. FAT Allocaton Table Data
... .. IMG File Data
The offsets in FAT are relative to IMG=0 (as if IMG would start at begin of file).
File Allocation Table (FAT) (base/size defined in cart header)
Contains ROM addresses for up to 61440 files (File IDs 0000h and up).
Addr Size Expl.
00h 4 Start address (originated at IMG base) (0=Unused Entry)
04h 4 End address (Start+Len) (0=Unused Entry)
For NitroROM, addresses must be after Secure Area (at 8000h and up). For NitroARC, addresses can be anywhere in the IMG area (at 0 and up). Directories are fully defined in FNT area, and do not require FAT entries.
File Name Table (FNT) (base/size defined in cart header)
Consists of the FNT Directory Table, followed by one or more FNT Sub-Tables. To interprete the directory tree: Start at the 1st Main-Table entry, which is referencing to a Sub-Table, any directories in the Sub-Table are referencing to Main-Table entries, which are referencing to further Sub-Tables, and so on.
FNT Directory Main-Table (base=FNT+0, size=[FNT+06h]*8)
Consists of a list of up to 4096 directories (Directory IDs F000h and up).
Addr Size Expl.
00h 4 Offset to Sub-table (originated at FNT base)
04h 2 ID of first file in Sub-table (0000h..EFFFh)
For first entry (ID F000h, root directory):
06h 2 Total Number of directories (1..4096)
Further entries (ID F001h..FFFFh, sub-directories):
06h 2 ID of parent directory (F000h..FFFEh)
FNT Sub-tables (base=FNT+offset, ends at Type/Length=00h)
Contains ASCII names for all files and sub-directories within a directory.
Addr Size Expl.
00h 1 Type/Length
01h..7Fh File Entry (Length=1..127, without ID field)
81h..FFh Sub-Directory Entry (Length=1..127, plus ID field)
00h End of Sub-Table
80h Reserved
01h LEN File or Sub-Directory Name, case-sensitive, without any ending
zero, ASCII 20h..7Eh, except for characters \/?"<>*:;|
Below for Sub-Directory Entries only:
LEN+1 2 Sub-Directory ID (F001h..FFFFh) ;see FNT+(ID AND FFFh)*8
File Entries do not have above ID field. Instead, File IDs are assigned in incrementing order (starting at the "First ID" value specified in the Directory Table).
ARM9 and ARM7 Overlay Tables (OVT) (base/size defined in cart header)
Somehow related to Nintendo's compiler, allows to assign compiler Overlay IDs to filesystem File IDs, and to define additional information such like load addresses.
Addr Size Expl.
00h 4 Overlay ID
04h 4 RAM Address ;Point at which to load
08h 4 RAM Size ;Amount to load
0Ch 4 BSS Size ;Size of BSS data region
10h 4 Static initialiser start address
14h 4 Static initialiser end address
18h 4 File ID (0000h..EFFFh)
1Ch 4 Reserved (zero)
Cartridge Header
The base/size of FAT, FNT, OVT areas is defined in cartridge header:
Address Bytes Expl.
000h 12 Game Title (Uppercase ASCII, padded with 00h)
00Ch 4 Gamecode (Uppercase ASCII, NTR-<code>) (0=homebrew)
010h 2 Makercode (Uppercase ASCII, eg. "01"=Nintendo) (0=homebrew)
012h 1 Unitcode (00h=NDS, 02h=NDS+DSi, 03h=DSi) (bit1=DSi)
013h 1 Encryption Seed Select (00..07h, usually 00h)
014h 1 Devicecapacity (Chipsize = 128KB SHL nn) (eg. 7 = 16MB)
015h 7 Reserved (zero filled)
01Ch 1 Reserved (zero) (except, used on DSi)
01Dh 1 NDS Region (00h=Normal, 80h=China, 40h=Korea) (other on DSi)
01Eh 1 ROM Version (usually 00h)
01Fh 1 Autostart (Bit2: Skip "Press Button" after Health and Safety)
(Also skips bootmenu, even in Manual mode & even Start pressed)
020h 4 ARM9 rom_offset (4000h and up, align 1000h)
024h 4 ARM9 entry_address (2000000h..23BFE00h)
028h 4 ARM9 ram_address (2000000h..23BFE00h)
02Ch 4 ARM9 size (max 3BFE00h) (3839.5KB)
030h 4 ARM7 rom_offset (8000h and up)
034h 4 ARM7 entry_address (2000000h..23BFE00h, or 37F8000h..3807E00h)
038h 4 ARM7 ram_address (2000000h..23BFE00h, or 37F8000h..3807E00h)
03Ch 4 ARM7 size (max 3BFE00h, or FE00h) (3839.5KB, 63.5KB)
040h 4 File Name Table (FNT) offset
044h 4 File Name Table (FNT) size
048h 4 File Allocation Table (FAT) offset
04Ch 4 File Allocation Table (FAT) size
050h 4 File ARM9 overlay_offset
054h 4 File ARM9 overlay_size
058h 4 File ARM7 overlay_offset
05Ch 4 File ARM7 overlay_size
... .. ...