Qoob Chip

[Liriel]

but then i can only boot in Swiss and not in the GC firmware.
Or miss i the option on swiss to boot into the GC Firmware?

i have a patcher for the qoob pro where are possible is so set x or Y or automatical to start a dol but that doesnt work

[kublai]

Hello All,

I read through this thread and still confused. I have a Qoob pro and I would like to flash swiss-gc to my Qoob pro. I want to be able to play backup DVDs still and I also want the ability to load .iso from a SDCard with Swiss-GC. Is there a boot disk already built to flash the swiss-gc to my Qoob or how do I go about doing this?

Thanks.

[DJPWeb]

@kublai : If you don't have the USB Programmer it's going to be difficult. Do you have it ? Check This thread : https://www.gc-forever.com/forums/viewt ... 0cda740bb6

@Liriel : Once you have iplboot on the Qoob Pro simply remove your SDGecko and you will boot to the normal GC Firmware.

[kublai]

@kublai : If you don't have the USB Programmer it's going to be difficult. Do you have it ? Check This thread : https://www.gc-forever.com/forums/viewt ... 0cda740bb6

@Liriel : Once you have iplboot on the Qoob Pro simply remove your SDGecko and you will boot to the normal GC Firmware.

I do have the USB Programmer for my Qoob Pro, I'm just unsure which files to flash to the Qoob and the processor. Been a decade or so since I flashed it. Last time I flashed it was burning an ISO to DVD.

[Liriel]

@Liriel : Once you have iplboot on the Qoob Pro simply remove your SDGecko and you will boot to the normal GC Firmware.

ok thats new for me

[DJPWeb]

@kublai : If you don't have the USB Programmer it's going to be difficult. Do you have it ? Check This thread : https://www.gc-forever.com/forums/viewt ... 0cda740bb6

@Liriel : Once you have iplboot on the Qoob Pro simply remove your SDGecko and you will boot to the normal GC Firmware.

I do have the USB Programmer for my Qoob Pro, I'm just unsure which files to flash to the Qoob and the processor. Been a decade or so since I flashed it. Last time I flashed it was burning an ISO to DVD.

Ok, so from memory (I don't have my qoob connected right now)

• On the 1st message of this thread get "Qoob (1.3c).rar" and extract it.

• Get the latest Swiss version here : https://github.com/emukidid/swiss-gc/releases (swiss_r683.7z as of today) and extract it (with "7zip" if you need it)

• Launch the "qoob-flash-13.exe" and plug your Qoob to USB (should have a LED turned on. DO NOT TURN ON THE GAMECUBE). Click on "Connect to Qoob"

• You should see the "blocks" used on the cube, depends on what you put on it previously. Click on every blocks with a title (not "...") and ERASE it ! (= Clean up the Qoob)

• Then click on WRITE and choose the "qoob_13c.gcb" file. Then click on the very first block (BIOS) to start writing.

• When its done do the same thing with "swiss-compressed.dol" from the Swiss folder. Click on the next free block (should be the 3rd) to start writing it. Will take 1 or 2 minutes.

• It should be done Unplug the USB Programmer and boot your gamecube. You should have the latest Qoob boot screen displayed.

• Press nothing to boot a DVD Backup

• Hold B to display the menu and choose Application to boot Swiss and load iso from SDCard.

You could also find and install IPLBOOT instead of the qoob_13c.gcb bios to automaticaly boot Swiss from the SDCard (I won't explain that here because I have some issue with backup discs using this method)

[DJPWeb]

@Liriel : Once you have iplboot on the Qoob Pro simply remove your SDGecko and you will boot to the normal GC Firmware.

ok thats new for me

IPLBoot bypass the Qoob Pro boot process to "only" check for the ipl.dol on the SDCard Slots (I hope the SD2SP2 too at some point...). If it fail (no SDGecko or no ipl.dol) it continue resume the normal boot process as if there was no Qoob.
From IPLBoot source code :

Code: Select all

  
// If we reach here, all attempts to load a DOL failed
// Since we've disabled the Qoob, we wil reboot to the Nintendo IPL

Not the best way to find out indeed

[kublai]

@kublai : If you don't have the USB Programmer it's going to be difficult. Do you have it ? Check This thread : https://www.gc-forever.com/forums/viewt ... 0cda740bb6

@Liriel : Once you have iplboot on the Qoob Pro simply remove your SDGecko and you will boot to the normal GC Firmware.

I do have the USB Programmer for my Qoob Pro, I'm just unsure which files to flash to the Qoob and the processor. Been a decade or so since I flashed it. Last time I flashed it was burning an ISO to DVD.

Ok, so from memory (I don't have my qoob connected right now)

• On the 1st message of this thread get "Qoob (1.3c).rar" and extract it.

• Get the latest Swiss version here : https://github.com/emukidid/swiss-gc/releases (swiss_r683.7z as of today) and extract it (with "7zip" if you need it)

• Launch the "qoob-flash-13.exe" and plug your Qoob to USB (should have a LED turned on. DO NOT TURN ON THE GAMECUBE). Click on "Connect to Qoob"

• You should see the "blocks" used on the cube, depends on what you put on it previously. Click on every blocks with a title (not "...") and ERASE it ! (= Clean up the Qoob)

• Then click on WRITE and choose the "qoob_13c.gcb" file. Then click on the very first block (BIOS) to start writing.

• When its done do the same thing with "swiss-compressed.dol" from the Swiss folder. Click on the next free block (should be the 3rd) to start writing it. Will take 1 or 2 minutes.

• It should be done Unplug the USB Programmer and boot your gamecube. You should have the latest Qoob boot screen displayed.

• Press nothing to boot a DVD Backup

• Hold B to display the menu and choose Application to boot Swiss and load iso from SDCard.

You could also find and install IPLBOOT instead of the qoob_13c.gcb bios to automaticaly boot Swiss from the SDCard (I won't explain that here because I have some issue with backup discs using this method)

Thanks very much for this writeup. All I did in the past was upgrade teh firmwware via the DVD disc so all this is new for me.

[kublai]

@kublai : If you don't have the USB Programmer it's going to be difficult. Do you have it ? Check This thread : https://www.gc-forever.com/forums/viewt ... 0cda740bb6

@Liriel : Once you have iplboot on the Qoob Pro simply remove your SDGecko and you will boot to the normal GC Firmware.

I do have the USB Programmer for my Qoob Pro, I'm just unsure which files to flash to the Qoob and the processor. Been a decade or so since I flashed it. Last time I flashed it was burning an ISO to DVD.

Ok, so from memory (I don't have my qoob connected right now)

• On the 1st message of this thread get "Qoob (1.3c).rar" and extract it.

• Get the latest Swiss version here : https://github.com/emukidid/swiss-gc/releases (swiss_r683.7z as of today) and extract it (with "7zip" if you need it)

• Launch the "qoob-flash-13.exe" and plug your Qoob to USB (should have a LED turned on. DO NOT TURN ON THE GAMECUBE). Click on "Connect to Qoob"

• You should see the "blocks" used on the cube, depends on what you put on it previously. Click on every blocks with a title (not "...") and ERASE it ! (= Clean up the Qoob)

• Then click on WRITE and choose the "qoob_13c.gcb" file. Then click on the very first block (BIOS) to start writing.

• When its done do the same thing with "swiss-compressed.dol" from the Swiss folder. Click on the next free block (should be the 3rd) to start writing it. Will take 1 or 2 minutes.

• It should be done Unplug the USB Programmer and boot your gamecube. You should have the latest Qoob boot screen displayed.

• Press nothing to boot a DVD Backup

• Hold B to display the menu and choose Application to boot Swiss and load iso from SDCard.

You could also find and install IPLBOOT instead of the qoob_13c.gcb bios to automaticaly boot Swiss from the SDCard (I won't explain that here because I have some issue with backup discs using this method)

I was able to reflash my Qoob Pro with your instructions, however I am unable to get any ISO to load. ISO are being seen in my slot B SD Gecko adapter but I get an invalid or corrupted file when I tried to load it. Does the ISO have to be in a certain format? I am using 32GB SDCard formatted to FAT32.

[kublai]

I do have the USB Programmer for my Qoob Pro, I'm just unsure which files to flash to the Qoob and the processor. Been a decade or so since I flashed it. Last time I flashed it was burning an ISO to DVD.

Ok, so from memory (I don't have my qoob connected right now)

• On the 1st message of this thread get "Qoob (1.3c).rar" and extract it.

• Get the latest Swiss version here : https://github.com/emukidid/swiss-gc/releases (swiss_r683.7z as of today) and extract it (with "7zip" if you need it)

• Launch the "qoob-flash-13.exe" and plug your Qoob to USB (should have a LED turned on. DO NOT TURN ON THE GAMECUBE). Click on "Connect to Qoob"

• You should see the "blocks" used on the cube, depends on what you put on it previously. Click on every blocks with a title (not "...") and ERASE it ! (= Clean up the Qoob)

• Then click on WRITE and choose the "qoob_13c.gcb" file. Then click on the very first block (BIOS) to start writing.

• When its done do the same thing with "swiss-compressed.dol" from the Swiss folder. Click on the next free block (should be the 3rd) to start writing it. Will take 1 or 2 minutes.

• It should be done Unplug the USB Programmer and boot your gamecube. You should have the latest Qoob boot screen displayed.

• Press nothing to boot a DVD Backup

• Hold B to display the menu and choose Application to boot Swiss and load iso from SDCard.

You could also find and install IPLBOOT instead of the qoob_13c.gcb bios to automaticaly boot Swiss from the SDCard (I won't explain that here because I have some issue with backup discs using this method)

I was able to reflash my Qoob Pro with your instructions, however I am unable to get any ISO to load. ISO are being seen in my slot B SD Gecko adapter but I get an invalid or corrupted file when I tried to load it. Does the ISO have to be in a certain format? I am using 32GB SDCard formatted to FAT32.

I found what I did wrong. Thanks.

[turnerl]

Hi
I knew it is a old thread but i think it is the correct.

I have a Qoob Pro with Firmware 1.3c and the iplboot.dol and swiss on micro sd.
How can i make it that the iplboot.dol boot automatic when i press Y or automatical wenn no disc is insert?

I could insert the iplboot.gcm as bios but then i can not boot to standard Firmware menu from swiss.

i hope you can help me with that

I'm a qoob pro user as well and would like to know the best was to use this with the pro step by step guide.

Cheers.

[turnerl]

You're supposed to replace the Qoob's firmware with iplboot.

Sorry just read this and answered my own question.

[Undead Sega]

Hi guys, long time!

I was just wondering, I read in this forums about the bios, binaries of the Qoob, the files to update it.

Just would like to quickly ask, are those files the very same that you would find in the FPGA chip of the Qoob (i.e. replaces it)? Or are they just to add-on what currently exists??

[kublai]

Hi guys, long time!

I was just wondering, I read in this forums about the bios, binaries of the Qoob, the files to update it.

Just would like to quickly ask, are those files the very same that you would find in the FPGA chip of the Qoob (i.e. replaces it)? Or are they just to add-on what currently exists??

It is a combination of both for the Qoob Pro chip. You are still flasshing the official BIOS for the chip but adding additional Swiss-GC addon on the flash of the Qoob chip as well so you don't have to boot off a a swiss-gc DVD as you can choose to run swiss-gc from within the Qoob chip. I'm not sure about the Qoob SX version since I do not have it.

[Undead Sega]

Hi guys, long time!

I was just wondering, I read in this forums about the bios, binaries of the Qoob, the files to update it.

Just would like to quickly ask, are those files the very same that you would find in the FPGA chip of the Qoob (i.e. replaces it)? Or are they just to add-on what currently exists??

It is a combination of both for the Qoob Pro chip. You are still flasshing the official BIOS for the chip but adding additional Swiss-GC addon on the flash of the Qoob chip as well so you don't have to boot off a a swiss-gc DVD as you can choose to run swiss-gc from within the Qoob chip. I'm not sure about the Qoob SX version since I do not have it.

Right okay, I was referring to the official bios of the chip (no Swiss at the moment). I believe the latest version is 1.3c?

So if I am understanding correctly, this entire bios is what's contained the ProASIC chip?

And theoretically, if this downloaded bios was injected to an IC on another board and wired identically, it would operate the same perhaps??

[Undead Sega]

In other words, can the bios be theoretically flashed onto another IC chip and work perhaps??

[DJPWeb]

I'm pretty sure there is a safe/security area that isn't included in the firmware file you'd miss.

[Undead Sega]

I'm pretty sure there is a safe/security area that isn't included in the firmware file you'd miss.

What do you mean by that exactly? I don't quite understand

[DJPWeb]

Based on what I see (didn't dig too much into it), even if you replace the firmware by something else (like IPLBOOT), it's still able to be recognized by the flash program as a qoob, with a correct reading of the available space etc. Makes me think there is a part of the Qoob that is never touch so even in case of bad flash you still have a way to identify the Qoob Pro through USB an reflash it. If this data is accessed by the Qoob Pro to "validate" the firmware in anyway, as a copy protection for example, then the firmware might refuse to boot or work properly.

[emu_kidid]

Based on what I see (didn't dig too much into it), even if you replace the firmware by something else (like IPLBOOT), it's still able to be recognized by the flash program as a qoob, with a correct reading of the available space etc. Makes me think there is a part of the Qoob that is never touch so even in case of bad flash you still have a way to identify the Qoob Pro through USB an reflash it. If this data is accessed by the Qoob Pro to "validate" the firmware in anyway, as a copy protection for example, then the firmware might refuse to boot or work properly.

You can overwrite 100% of the Qoob Flash, there's extra logic for it to recognise it over USB that is baked into it so even if you brick it by writing garbage into the flash, you'll be able to reverse the damage with USB.

[DJPWeb]

Based on what I see (didn't dig too much into it), even if you replace the firmware by something else (like IPLBOOT), it's still able to be recognized by the flash program as a qoob, with a correct reading of the available space etc. Makes me think there is a part of the Qoob that is never touch so even in case of bad flash you still have a way to identify the Qoob Pro through USB an reflash it. If this data is accessed by the Qoob Pro to "validate" the firmware in anyway, as a copy protection for example, then the firmware might refuse to boot or work properly.

You can overwrite 100% of the Qoob Flash, there's extra logic for it to recognise it over USB that is baked into it so even if you brick it by writing garbage into the flash, you'll be able to reverse the damage with USB.

Do you know if that extra logic is used by the official firmware, to validate if the hardware is official for example ?

[emu_kidid]

I'm not aware what the official Qoob BIOS does to verify that it's actually running on a Qoob, I'm sure there's something there.

[Undead Sega]

Qoob (1.3c).rar

So if I am correct guys, I'm guessing that this is the very latest version of the Qoob bios?

And like I asked previously, really out of curiosity, could this be theoretically flashed onto another IC chip and work? Or is there more to the bios in the ProASIC FPGA chip than meets the eye perhaps??

[emu_kidid]

So if I am correct guys, I'm guessing that this is the very latest version of the Qoob bios?

And like I asked previously, really out of curiosity, could this be theoretically flashed onto another IC chip and work? Or is there more to the bios in the ProASIC FPGA chip than meets the eye perhaps??

This is the latest version.

This is the PowerPC code that the chip will run - it is encrypted in a way that only the hardware can decode, if you figure it out then you can run it on something else, but why bother when there are newer things around like HyperBoot.

[Undead Sega]

So if I am correct guys, I'm guessing that this is the very latest version of the Qoob bios?

And like I asked previously, really out of curiosity, could this be theoretically flashed onto another IC chip and work? Or is there more to the bios in the ProASIC FPGA chip than meets the eye perhaps??

This is the latest version.

This is the PowerPC code that the chip will run - it is encrypted in a way that only the hardware can decode, if you figure it out then you can run it on something else, but why bother when there are newer things around like HyperBoot.

Thanks for that informative post emu_kidid, I was not aware that it was encrypted on a hardware level!

So the downloadable bios itself is encrypted, right?

Do we know if it's the ProASIC chip that does the decrypting? Or any of the other IC chips on the board perhaps?

HyperBoot is good, but there's no indication that it does functions for physical media, and if it works on the Panasonic Q.