USBGecko
 USB Gecko in original packaging | |
| Specification | |
|---|---|
| Flash Size | |
| USB Gecko | 512Kb (4MBit) |
| USB Gecko SE | N/A |
General
The USB Gecko was originally released as a "Developers Tool" aimed at homebrew developers and GC/Wii enthusiasts. It was originally released in early 2007 but was only produced in limited numbers. It is basically a device that uses the EXI bus to communicate bi-directionally from GC/Wii to a PC. It can plug in to either memory card port of a GC/Wii, but the software of course must be written to support both ports. The original version also featured 512Kb of internal Flashable memory which developers could store useful data in (such as code to reboot/reload to from their homebrew applications).
In late 2010 - early 2011, a cheaper, even more limited edition version was produced dubbed "USB Gecko SE". It featured the same features as its predecessor however the flash memory was removed since not many homebrew applications made use of it. A status LED was added to the USB Gecko SE which was user controllable.
Reception
Although it was predominantly referred to as a developers tool, the USB Gecko perhaps received it's biggest sales from users who wanted to debug/hack commercial games for cheating/exploit purposes - the cheats community (wiiRD/Ocarina).
Many developers consider it a "must have" as it is very useful for debugging/stepping through code in libOGC / GDB.
PCB Differences
Pre-release Version
TODO
Original Version
TODO
SE Version
TODO
Downloads (PCB/VHDL/GeckoOS)
After production stopped for the USB Gecko SE, the product was made open source with all files being available for download.
Official Googlecode Project Page for Gecko Downloads
Gamecube tools and Gecko Downloads mirror @ GC-Forever