wLaunchELF MECHAEmu: Access your COH-H10020 security dongles from retail hardware!

[El_isra]

HI, i'm El_isra. A well known developer of the PS2 comunity.
After a few years, i've managed to get my hands on a working namco system 246 rack C (along I/O Board bundle and one game)
Although I haven't started playing around with the machine itself, i've already have things to share


As you probably saw on the title, yes. I've managed to make retail consoles read Dongles from any port without restrictions!

This is done via a special replacement of the SECRMAN driver. wich will deal with (almost) all the cryptography directly on the PS1 CPU instead of relying on the standard wayt (comunicating with the mechacon)

the project is not ready

So far, only accessing of arcade cards on retail hardware has been achieved. before any formal release, the following two points must be dealt with:

• Fix hanging when accessing card that uses different keystore (eg: program is using arcade keys but tries to open retail card)
• implement update binding (boot.bin in this case)
  

To keep you hyped, here is some video proof!

EDIT 27/12: RELEASE!

How to create arcade KELF with kelftool:

kelftool.exe encrypt dongle INPUT OUTPUT --keys=arcade --apptype=7 --mgzone=3

 

[twistedsymphony]

Very cool, thanks for sharing. I'll be interested to see how this progresses.

 

[El_isra]

Very cool, thanks for sharing. I'll be interested to see how this progresses.

I hope to finish it soon

although arcade cards are the main target. this project can easily allow access to developer and prototype memory cards too

 

[Franco23444]

Cool! Can’t wait to see more progress!

 

[El_isra]

Hangin fixed by itself! (I did nothing and it magically stopped happening XD)

Next step is update binding! this one might take a few days since I have to write a custom RPC for SECRMAN/SECRSIF. but I guess we'll have this set free to the public b4 new year for sure!

 

[El_isra]

Update binding successfully working on retail keys, binds without issues and retail console decrypts the KELF without issues.

Now this is where the fun begins, delving into arcade MagicGate!

 

[El_isra]

I DID IT

Now only thing left is to tweak the existing public tools used to create PS2 KELFs so that they may also generate valid KELFs to be used as boot.bin replacements!

 

[bagheera369]

Following

 

[El_isra]

refactoring the boot.bin binder into something fit for users!

 

[El_isra]

I need quick aid.

Has anyone here ever setup UART on the system 246?

I talked with @l_oliveira about this. it is the white connector between JVS and the dip switches on the arcade board

Left pin is ground, I dont know the rest.
I tried to hook it up with dupont cables to a usb to rs232 adapter and i'm not getting output on the terminal.

Since homebrew ACCORE.IRX module does not startup appropiately. I took the ACCORE and ACUART modules from the dongle I own.

 

[andymage]

I need quick aid.

Has anyone here ever setup UART on the system 246?

I talked with @l_oliveira about this. it is the white connector between JVS and the dip switches on the arcade board

Left pin is ground, I dont know the rest.
I tried to hook it up with dupont cables to a usb to rs232 adapter and i'm not getting output on the terminal.

Since homebrew ACCORE.IRX module does not startup appropiately. I took the ACCORE and ACUART modules from the dongle I own.

Post a picture, such as......

 

[rewrite]

I DID IT

Stellar work.

 

[El_isra]

did it!
will leave it here for doc purpose just in case

It's Rs232. You may use an rs232 to usb adapter and some Dupont
9600 BAUD by default (ACUART.IRX allows the game to override this with a parameter)

 

[darkgame]

rifattorizzando il binder boot.bin in qualcosa di adatto agli utenti!

where can i find this program thanks

 

[werejag]

not released yet

 

[andymage]

I believe that El_isra will achieve brilliant results. Please wait and see. Don't be anxious.

 

[El_isra]

Everything is working as expected and ready for a formal release!

Only thing that's holding me back is the inability of kelftool (the open source program we use on the PS2 homebrew scene to convert ELF files to KELF) to generate arcade KELFs.

I have a program that can do it, but it's creator asked to keep it private.

If I can't make kelftool achieve this purpose before new year, I'll proceed to the release of wLaunchELF (the file browser). And leave the KELF binder program release for 2025

 

[emmanu888]

Does this means that in the future, making new dongles will be as simple as grabbing any retail memory cards and writing a dongle image onto it?

 

[El_isra]

Does this means that in the future, making new dongles will be as simple as grabbing any retail memory cards and writing a dongle image onto it?

nope. retail cards will never work as dongle replacements bc their IC chips are programmed to use retail key to digest the responses for the secrAuthCard routine...

What this will allow is using retail consoles for writing/reading dongles

However, cheap option for alternative dongles already exist (and others will be available soon) such as SD2PSX, MemCardPro 2, etc... I'm personally responsible for the future support of arcade magicgate on those devices, as you may see on the post above, my system 246 is booting arcade wLaunchELF from an SD2PSX

 

[twistedsymphony]

However, cheap option for alternative dongles already exist (and others will be available soon) such as SD2PSX, MemCardPro 2, etc... I'm personally responsible for the future support of arcade magicgate on those devices

oh, so does that mean Memcardpro2 or similar could potentially be used as a a multi-dongle?