More Clones Hit the market.

I dont like to post about clones, they ruin the scene just as much as some other lame groups but there has been alot of speculation regarding these. Mostly due to some groups only posing as newsgroups but making blatant advertising for cloners in exchange for money.

As posted earlier about the modbo modchip, there seems to be some information circulating concerning the newely released apechip. According to some sources, the ape is yet another infinity firmware-using clone however none of this can be confirmed by first hand accounts. These chips pose a serious threat to the infinity line and simillar modchips that depend on flash upgrades. hopefully there will be some sort of protections added to the forthcoming firmwares to prevent these kinds of clones from taking advantage of their work.

http://psx-scene.com/images/news/apechip.jpg

There has also been some news going around the past few days inside of the modchip elite hotline about the muppet chip. This chip is merely a direct clone of the magicVkx modchip. Look at the picture below, i rest my case.

http://psx-scene.com/images/news/magicv5kx.jpg

Not to mention the fact that "Muppet" is probably the worst name ever for a mod. I wonder if the Henson Estate is aware of this yet? ;)

They claim you dont need to do the Diode or 12C508 PSTwo Fixes for the muppet chip. :lol:

jsut a damn clone on a white pcb

You are right that magic is fake this is not from CHINA MAGIC I am sure 100%.

Answer me this:

If the Actel devices are so intelligent and have advanced copy protection, how are these cloners getting the required code(s)? Inside job maybe? Would a modchip group sell there own code? The APE (NH9) isnt even on an actel device, looks like a CPLD to me. Anyhow just and observation and awaiting some intelligent replies!

Cheers

PS2Swap

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ps2swap

Answer me this:

If the Actel devices are so intelligent and have advanced copy protection, how are these cloners getting the required code(s)? Inside job maybe? Would a modchip group sell there own code? The APE (NH9) isnt even on an actel device, looks like a CPLD to me. Anyhow just and observation and awaiting some intelligent replies!

Cheers

PS2Swap

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the Actel may be intelligent but it still has to output to the ps2 remember

ok first step for the cloner's is to snarf the bios instruction's a simple bios dump using naplink is all thats needed for this job, if the key to un encrypt the firmware is contained in this data any firmware update or full flash file released by a group can be decrypted and used to the cloners hearts content.

all thats needed is some code that interfaces with the firmware now for it to be usable.

thats a ruff non tech version of how a cloner gets his code any corrections welcome.
its never original that for sure and the code of the clone is mainly rewritten for another ic.

damn database got an error so i cant edit

a bit i missed out it's mainly down to a mistake of the original modmaker on how they hide and encrypt the stuff an actel is only as secure as you make it any protection made by man can be broke the same way.

we always leave a backdoor open intentional or unintentional a common flaw in all device's protection's they always get broke when tech advance's or we find new ways to do such thing's

the electronic industry is a cut-throat business. there is not way to stop clones. it always seems though that clones of electronics come from china, what is with them and cloning things? has anyone else seen the clone of the psp? they even used the same buttons. :crazy: i hate to be the one who says we can't stop it. sometimes i wonder though if clones are just a ploy to gain more money. hell they could be made by infinity and magic, doubtful but possible

There's something some people tend to forget. The software part is one thing, such as the bios patching and stuff, and that indeed can easily be dumped. But the hardware part is something else. Actel chips are protected in the way you can't open them and see how the "gates" are burnt. And that means a lot. A modchip without good hardware is nothing.

You really have to understand that, even if two modchips are using two actel chips, they are prolly not coded the same way. And that includes the main (quite difficult) cdvd and bios line patching. Random failures in booting are often due to bad bus patching, which requires fine tuned and sensible signal handling. Now, two modchips aren't different in the code they are injecting into the bios; the code is too easy to dump and sniff to be protected in any way. But two modchip are different in the quality of the signal handling, and bus patching.