Guide to using the EZIV and EZIV Lite (including Deluxe and Compact)

Considering how scarce information seems to be, I'll post everything I can about the two. Also, the usage guide applies to both the EZIV and EZIV Lite since they work the same way.

Some basic information
-All commercial roms must be patched using the EZIV Client.
-SD cards must use FAT16.
-It doesn't have a RTC. However, only the GBA Pokemon games use it, and using GBATA to patch the rom can take care of that problem.
-Works fine with FlashMe v7.
-The latest kernels support the Passcard3 and SuperKey.
-All the software can be downloaded from EZ Flash's official forums.
-GBA games don't have performance issues.

EZIV Lite specific
-The microSD is difficult to remove without taking the casing apart. This may or may not be dependent on the microSD used. With a 512MB Kingston, my brother has to open the case to remove it.
-It sits almost completely flush with the DS Lite. Only one or two millimeters out.
-The casing presses up against the internal battery and must be filed down. I ended up using a dremel to get the job down.
-It comes with three different colored cases. White, navy blue, and cyan.

[bold]The EZIV Lite Deluxe and Compact[/bold]
Turns out, EZ Flash has to decided to make a new version of the EZIV Lite that is actually the same size as the dust cover. Not only that, but they've done something quite similar to M3.

The EZIV Lite Deluxe is basically the upgraded version of the EZIV Lite. The differences are as follows.
-The same size as the dust cover
-PSRAM is increased from 128Mb to 256Mb. Meaning, GBA games such as Riviera (256Mb) don't have to be flashed to NOR anymore.
-NOR has been increased from 256Mb to 384Mb. This doesn't affect DS gameplay, it just makes it so you don't have to wait for GBA games to flash to PSRAM everytime you want to play them. Especially helpful for games as large as Riviera.

As for the EZIV Lite Compact, it's just a stripped down version of the EZIV Lite Deluxe. By stripped down, I mean no GBA support. Basically, it's the same concept as the M3 Professional line-up of adapters. The reasoning is that by removing the NOR memory, they can cut down costs for those that don't care for GBA games. On a side note, it does use the same kernel as the other EZIV devices. However, if you try to load a GBA game or load up the GBA loader it'll crash.

Preparation
To begin, it's a good idea to make sure the miniSD/microSD card is formatted. It needs to be formatted as FAT (aka FAT16), or else it won't work properly.


Next, we'll need all the software. Grab the latest client and kernel. Now would also be a good time to grab the precompiled EZIV compatible version of Moonshell.
http://www.sosuke.com/ezflash/about719.html

Updating the EZIV kernel
Before using the EZIV, it's a good idea to update it with the latest kernel to ensure that you're getting the best compatibility possible in terms of back-ups, homebrew, and PassMe solutions. To do this, just follow these easy steps.
1. Load the ezfla_up.bin file onto the SD card. Use Windows Explorer to do this. Do not use the EZIV client.
2. Load the minSD/microSD card into the EZIV
3. Load the EZIV into the DS.

If you're using FlashMe, just hold R and turn on the DS. According to the EZIV Wiki, that shouldn't work, but it does for me with FlashMe v7. If you're using a PassMe, turn on the DS without the PassMe, and hold R while selecting GBA mode.

If all goes well, the EZIV should erase the old kernel and write the new one to itself.

The EZIV Client
The EZIV client must be used to play commercial back-ups on the EZIV. Everything else should be transferred directly to the miniSD/microSD card so it won't be patched by the client. When you run the client, it should look something like this. I added the red numbers. The save size, save patch, and reset only apply to GBA games. Soft reset can be done by pressing up+L+A+B.

1. This is what will show up on the EZIV menu skin. By default, it's going to use the ROM's name, so make sure that it's changed to somethign recognizable before transferring it to the card. This will also be the name of the game save in the saver folder.
2. This will show up in megabytes so you'll know how much space it will take up on your miniSD/microSD card prior to transferring.
3. Self explanatory, but what isn't is that multiple files can be selected at a time. This will bring up a list of all selected ROMs, and asking for confirmation before transferring the files. Doing this will prevent the user from renaming ROMs prior to transfer, so keep that in mind.
4. When selecting a single file, this will send it to the directory displayed on the right.
5. This will bring up a box with options for the Send path, language selection, and client skin. The send path should be set to the miniSD/microSD card. This way a saver directory will automatically be created and anytime a ROM is transferred the client will create a placeholder save for it in the saver folder. Client skins can be downloaded from http://www.ezflash.cn/zip/skin.rar
6. The send path. In my case, H:\ is my miniSD.
7. The current directory. This is where files will be transferred to when the client sends patched ROMs.

The EZIV Loader
The EZIV Loader is what shows up when you load up the EZIV. It has a seperate loader for DS and GBA mode so that EZIV works on both handhelds. While both GBA and DS games can be loaded from the DS Loader, only the GBA Loader has access to the EZIV's NOR memory, which is used to play games larger than 16 megabytes. Anything less than or equal to 16 megabytes (128 megabits) will play just fine as is. For larger games, they will have to be launched from NOR. To do this, just highlight the game you wish to play and hit select, then A to confirm, and wait a few minutes. If all goes well, it should transfer the GBA ROM to it's NOR memory and be ready to play as much as you want. To delete it from NOR, just highlight it again and hit select.

Skinning the EZIV Loader
To skin the EZIV's Loader (kernel), download the EZSkinner from the EZFlash forum and extract it. It can browse zipped skins and even provide a preview of the skin.
1. Place the latest kernel in the EZSkinner's folder.
1. Open EZSkinner.exe
2. Browse until you find the skin archive you'd like to use.
3. Select "Skin EZ4 Loader."
4. Flash the skinned loader to the EZIV.

Issues I've come across
-Both adapters failed the "Castlevania Test." I used a 1GB 150x RiData miniSD card and a Kingston 512MB, and both skipped on the beginning video. Basically, it's due to the way the EZIV plays FMVs. [bold]**The Sept. 6th 2006 client and kernel have managed to address much of the speed issue, and the intro is nearly skip free.**[/bold]
-If a game doesn't have a save file in the saver folder and you attempt to save, there's a chance of corrupting the SD card, requiring the card to be reformatted. Apparently, the EZIV can't create it's own save files, it can only write to existing files. So whenever it tries to save to a file that doesn't exist, there's a good chance the SD card will get corrupted.
-Many homebrew applications aren't compatible. Moonshell is one of the few that work.
-The battery clip in my EZIV wasn't soldered properly. The joint snapped, effectively preventing my EZIV from keeping information stored in SRAM while the DS is off... I had to resolder it back in place. For whatever reason, the EZIV PCB is manufactured by machines, but the battery and clip are soldered on by hand. The shoddy solder job alongside the thumbprint on the battery are enough evidence of this... Apparently, this is an issue with the EZIV Lite as well, so if you have any problems with the EZIV/EZIV Lite not saving and giving you a "First on or not enough power" type of message at boot, then check the battery connections.

Side notes
-According to my brother, the battery life of his DS Lite was much shorther when using a SuperKey and EZIV Lite in comparison to original DS games or my EFA (Extreme Flash Advance) for GBA games.
-EZ Flash decided to release the FATlib for the EZIV. Unforunately, they didn't release the complete code, or at least that's what DragonMinded (creator of DSorganize) has stated, as well as a few of the programmers that frequent the EZFlash support forums. While it's nice that they finally released some of the code, it would've been nice if it was complete, since this code has been deemed nearly useless by a few homebrew developers (DragonMinded included).

Links
Castlevania Test - http://m3wiki.emuparadise.org/index.php/Media_Card
EZFlash forums - http://www.sosuke.com/ezflash/
EZIV client and kernel updates - http://www.sosuke.com/ezflash/about719.html
EZIV Loader skins - http://www.sosuke.com/ezflash/forum-13.html

If anyone has any questions, feel free to ask.

 

Great information. You and Mr. Hanky make this board very helpful.

The one thing that concerns me from your review is the comment about battery life being noticeably shorter. Has anyone else who owns these devices also noticed a shorter battery life?

I'm mostly interested in the EZIV Lite and the G6Lite.

Also, does anyone know if the increased battery drain is due to the Flash Cartridiges in the GBA slot or the passcard/superkey devices in the DS slot?

Thanks!

 

I actually have no idea. I assume it's due to the use of a SuperKey in conjunction with the EZIV Lite, since I didn't notice much difference in battery life between original DS games and the EZIV on my DS while using FlashMe v7.

 

Now that you've had it for a few weeks, how much shorter is your battery life? 10% worse? 20%? 50%?

Anyone here have the G6 Lite care to comment about battery life? (If so, can you also mention which pass card you're using in the DS slot)...

Thanks again Venom.

 

I didn't notice too much of a drop. Figure, I had put in several hours a day of gameplay on Phoenix Wright and had to recharge every two or three days. I've got to be getting 9+ hours still. The DS FAQ on Nintendo's website says the battery life of the DS should be about 10 hours. I'd say that I'm losing up to 10% of my battery life.

I'm not sure what brightness my brother uses on his DS, so I can't really comment on his battery life. According to Wikipedia, depending on what brightness level is used, battery life can range from 5-19 hours. I think he's using one of the middle settings, since he still claims he gets better battery life than I do.

http://www.nintendo.com/consumer/systems/ds/battery_faq.jsp

 

Thanks for the EZIV info, I just ordered one for my Lite from Winsunx (ships tomorrow/Saturday they say). I got an ez-pass3 with it and 1G Sandisk.
When it arrives I guess the process goes like this:
Format Sandisk to FAT16
download new EZIV firmware to Sandisk
plug it all in and boot up, will this automatically update my firmware or is there a detailed process for it?

Also everyone says the EZIV doesn't support much homebrew. The only few homebrew sites I visited didn't explicitly say what software works with what devices, how do I know what will work with my EZIV?

 

I haven't heard too much about the ez-pass3. Is this card as good as the passcard 3?

I'm going to order the M3 adapter, but winsunx doesn't have the passcard 3 in stock yet. I'm tempted to go with the ez-pass3 instead if it's just as good.

 

I get the impression they're all pretty much the same as long as it supports sleep mode. Some don't work with particular flash carts until the flash cart firmware is updated is all I hear.

 

will this automatically update my firmware or is there a detailed process for it?
Hold R while booting and it should automatically update itself. You're on the right track.

The only few homebrew sites I visited didn't explicitly say what software works with what devices, how do I know what will work with my EZIV?
As far as I know, the only way to find out is to just try it and see what happens. I spent quite a bit of time on the EZIV forums and no one was really explicit about what worked and what didn't. Apparently, many homebrew applications will start up and run, but some of the features like saving won't always work since they were programmed before the EZIV came out.

I haven't heard too much about the ez-pass3. Is this card as good as the passcard 3?
It was designed to work with the EZIV, so I don't know how well it'll work with other brands. They only made because so many people had problems getting the EZIV to work with the Passcard3 and Super Key (this was before the EZIV's firmware supported all Passcard3 and Super Key revisions).

 

The only one that I can name off the top of my head is Moonshell and FlashMe.

The download section of TehSkeen has a bunch of homebrew if you want to try them out.

http://www.tehskeen.com/modules.php?name=Downloads&file=viewcategory&cid=8

 

Alright, I decided to go ahead and write a guide. Hopefully it comes in handy.

 

*yay* when my EZIV Lite finally gets here I don't have to actually use my brain to get it working! I do enough of that at work

BTW, is moonshell not the default that comes with EZIV? Pardon my ignorance but this is a "file system" of sorts that plays music/video media correct?

 

Nah, the default EZIV loader can only load games and homebrew. You'd have to use it to load Moonshell, which is then used to load media.

Moonshell compatibility list:
DPG video files
MP3 Audio files (bitrates up to 320 kbps have been tested)
OGG Audio files (major issues exist here)
NSF Audio files
Jpg Picture files
Bmp Picture files
PNG Picture files
GIF Picture files
Txt Text files

 

Wow, fantastic update, Venom. I'm looking forward to trying this, once my EZ IV (mini SD) + ez pass 3 gets here next week. Thanks for the hard work!

 

Thanks

Hope you enjoy your EZIV.

 

So the only video supported is DPG, is there a converter available for this format? Most all the videos I have are AVI using DIVX codec.

By the way, how long did it take you to get your order from Winsunx? They told me they'd ship Fri/Sat "express"

 

Yeah, there's a video converter. I haven't tried it myself though, so I can't really comment on it.

They shipped it from China Thursday and I received it in Florida on Monday. Would've gotten it on Saturday if UPS didn't delay it.

 

Isn't this worth a sticky? It definitely saved me an hour or so of extra researching for my ds lite.

 

Perhaps, but I don't know how to go about getting it stickied.