joelbeja2000/ovenotesds

★ 17CAudience · developerComplexity · 4/5Setup · hard

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((OveNotesDS))
    What it does
      Draw on touchscreen
      Upload as PNG
      Send over Wi-Fi
    Compatible hardware
      DS and DSi
      3DS and 2DS
    Companion apps
      Windows server
      Android server
      macOS server
    Tech
      C language
      BlocksDS kit
      TCP sockets

mindmap root((OveNotesDS)) What it does Draw on touchscreen Upload as PNG Send over Wi-Fi Compatible hardware DS and DSi 3DS and 2DS Companion apps Windows server Android server macOS server Tech C language BlocksDS kit TCP sockets

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Things people build with this

USE CASE 1

Draw notes on a Nintendo DS touchscreen and send them as PNG images to a companion app running on your Windows, Android, or macOS computer over local Wi-Fi.

USE CASE 2

Use a DS or 3DS as a wireless stylus-based input device that sends handwritten sketches to your desktop.

USE CASE 3

Study the BlocksDS C code as a working example of DS touchscreen input, VRAM graphics, PNG encoding, and raw TCP networking on real Nintendo hardware.

Tech stack

CBlocksDSTCP/IP

Getting it running

Difficulty · hard Time to first run · 1h+

Original DS hardware supports only WEP or open networks, a password-free phone hotspot is needed for Wi-Fi upload on original DS or DS Lite.

In plain English

OveNotesDS is a homebrew application for the Nintendo DS that lets you draw on the touchscreen and send your drawing as a PNG image to a server over Wi-Fi. It runs on actual DS and DSi hardware, and also works on the 3DS and 2DS family. Downloads are available as a ready-to-use ROM file for the handheld, plus companion apps for Windows, Android, and macOS that handle the server side of receiving the uploaded notes. The app starts with a blank canvas on the touchscreen. You can pick a brush size, draw, erase, and when ready, hit an upload button. The device connects to your local Wi-Fi network, encodes the canvas as a PNG image in memory, and sends it to a configured server address via a standard HTTP request. A setup screen lets you enter the server address and port, along with the name of your Wi-Fi network. These settings are saved to the SD card so you only need to enter them once. Wi-Fi support works differently depending on the hardware. On a DSi or when launched in DSi mode on a 3DS, the app can connect to modern WPA2 networks. On original DS or DS Lite hardware, which only supports older WEP or open networks, you would need a phone hotspot set up without a password. The app does not use HTTPS, so it is best suited for private local networks rather than the open internet. The code is written in C and built with the BlocksDS development kit. It handles the DS hardware directly, including the touchscreen input, VRAM for graphics, and raw TCP sockets for networking. A debug log is written to the SD card to help trace issues. The project was built with AI assistance and is open to contributions from the Nintendo DS homebrew community.

Copy-paste prompts

Prompt 1

I am running OveNotesDS on a DSi and want to connect to my home WPA2 network. What settings do I enter on the DS setup screen and where are they saved on the SD card?

Prompt 2

I have an original DS Lite that only supports WEP networks. How do I set up a phone hotspot without a password so OveNotesDS can connect and upload drawings?

Prompt 3

I want to build OveNotesDS from source using BlocksDS. What are the build steps and which dependencies do I need installed to compile the C code for DS hardware?

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