Project Summary
Research Project #001 investigates a safe, reproducible path for understanding and translating Tamagotchi Plus Color firmware. The work begins with preservation: identify the exact device, obtain verified read-only dumps, understand the firmware structure, validate changes away from hardware, and document every assumption.
This is active research, not a finished patch release. TamaMedics is not claiming a verified English firmware release or a hardware programming procedure.
Current Status
Goals
- Identify and distinguish firmware revisions.
- Establish a repeatable, read-only firmware dump methodology.
- Validate dumps through byte comparison, checksums, and emulator behavior.
- Map firmware structure, including text, font, and resource storage.
- Produce a reproducible translation workflow.
- Develop non-destructive patching and validation procedures.
- Distribute legal patch/delta files and tools instead of full firmware images.
- Document possible hardware programming approaches as evidence permits.
What We Know
The labels below describe the strength and source of each statement. Emulator evidence is not presented as proof of every physical board implementation.
| Evidence | Current finding |
|---|---|
| Observed | TamaEmu models the Plus Color with an Epson S1C33-family CPU architecture and an approximate 20 MHz clock. |
| Observed | Current emulator research models approximately 4 MiB / 32 Mbit of parallel NOR firmware storage. |
| Observed | The modeled flash uses an AMD-style NOR command interface, manufacturer ID 0x0001, device ID 0x22F6, and 29LV320DT-style geometry. |
| Observed | The modeled geometry is top-boot style: standard large sectors with smaller upper boot sectors. |
| Researching | Firmware builds may differ, so any future patch must be tied to an exact verified revision or hash. |
What We Do Not Yet Know
- The exact flash package fitted to every Plus Color board revision.
- Whether all board revisions use identical NOR devices.
- The safest practical in-circuit programming method.
- Whether debug or factory interfaces can support practical flash programming.
- The complete firmware revision matrix.
- Exact patch compatibility across revisions.
- A hardware-verified pinout or programming fixture.
Hardware / Architecture Notes
TamaEmu provides a useful working model: an Epson S1C33-family CPU at approximately 20 MHz and a 32 Mbit parallel NOR device with an AMD-style command interface. The modeled identifiers are 0x0001 and 0x22F6, with 29LV320DT-style, top-boot geometry.
These details guide questions and emulator experiments. They must not be treated as a universal bill of materials, pinout, or proof of electrical compatibility with physical hardware. Package markings, voltage requirements, board routing, and revision differences remain under investigation.
Firmware Preservation Workflow
This is the safety-oriented workflow the project intends to validate; it is not a claim that every step has already been completed on physical hardware.
- Identify the exact device and board revision.
- Photograph the board and all IC markings.
- Read firmware without issuing a write or erase command.
- Create multiple independent dumps.
- Verify the exact file size.
- Compare every dump byte-for-byte.
- Generate SHA-256 hashes.
- Preserve an untouched original dump privately.
- Test a copy with emulator tooling where applicable.
- Modify working copies only.
- Build a patch or binary delta.
- Validate the patched image and its expected base hash.
- Program hardware only after the method and image are verified.
- Read back and verify programmed contents.
Patch Strategy
TamaMedics intends to publish BPS or xdelta patches, IPS where technically appropriate, scripts, checksum files, documentation, and open-source tooling. It will not distribute copyrighted full Bandai firmware images.
Every patch must identify its compatible firmware revision through an exact cryptographic hash. Tools should reject unexpected input rather than guessing compatibility.
Safety Principles
Evidence & Confidence Labels
| Label | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Confirmed | Reproduced or directly verified by project research. |
| Observed | Seen in hardware, software, emulator behavior, or source material, but not yet fully generalized. |
| Community Reported | Reported by community sources but not independently reproduced by TamaMedics. |
| Unverified | Plausible information without sufficient evidence. |
| Researching | Currently under active investigation. |
| Planned | Intended future work. |
Research Log / Milestones
No dated research log has been published yet. The current truthful project sequence is:
- Current: Architecture & Flash Identification
- Next: Verified Hardware Dump Methodology
- Planned: Firmware Revision Catalog
- Planned: Text Resource Mapping and Translation Tooling
- Planned: Patch Validation
Open Questions
- Which physical flash devices and packages appear across known board revisions?
- Can a read-only dump be obtained reliably without desoldering?
- What revision metadata exists inside each firmware image?
- How are text, glyphs, layout constraints, and graphical resources encoded?
- Which emulator checks best detect unsafe or structurally invalid patches?
- What hardware recovery options exist if programming is interrupted?
How to Contribute
Useful evidence includes high-resolution PCB photos, readable IC markings, board revision identifiers, firmware hashes and dump metadata without firmware uploads, pin mappings, repair observations, emulator findings, translation research, and patch testing results.
Describe the device, method, tools, and limits of the observation. Remove names, addresses, serial identifiers, and other personal information before sharing.
References / Source Notes
Reference material is being cataloged. Current source categories include TamaEmu source/code analysis, Epson S1C33 architecture documentation, NOR flash datasheets, and community hardware observations. Specific citations will be added only when they can be accurately recorded and linked.