Home

Welcome to the ArkOS-G80CA-MB wiki!

Firmware

• Based on the ArkOS K36 Firmware with a modified Panel 8 and Panel 9 DTB file for the function button and 1512Mhz max speed.

Firmware Installation

Prerequisites

• A microSD card (16GB or larger, good quality recommended — SanDisk or Kingston work well).
• A computer with an SD card reader.
• Download tools:
  • Firmware image → from GitHub Releases
  • 7-Zip (for decompressing) → https://7-zip.org/download.html
  • Balena Etcher (for flashing) → https://etcher.balena.io/

Important: This is for G80CA-MB boards (often Panel 8 or Panel 9 variants). Panel 9 devices need an extra DTB tweak after flashing.

Step-by-Step Installation

1. Download and Decompress the Firmware

• Go to https://github.com/southoz/ArkOS-G80CA-MB/releases
• Download the latest .img.xz (or similar compressed) file.

• Use 7-Zip to extract it → right-click → 7-Zip → Extract Here from Windows Explorer or open the file in the 7-Zip client.

• You should now have a .img file (e.g., ArkOS_...img).

2. (Optional but recommended) Verify the File

• Check the SHA1 hash (listed on the release page) matches your extracted file to ensure no corruption.

3. Flash the Image to the SD Card

• Open Balena Etcher.
• Click Flash from file → select your extracted .img.
• Click Select target → choose your SD card (double-check — it will be erased!).
• Click Flash! and wait (5–15 minutes).

4. Panel 9 Devices Only – Important DTB Fix (Skip this step entirely if you have a Panel 8 device.)

• After flashing, re-insert the SD card (or safely eject + re-insert) — your computer will show a BOOT partition.
• Download the special Panel 9 DTB file: rf3536k4ka.dtb.panel9fnfix.1512MHz
• Copy it to the BOOT partition root.
• Delete the original file named rf3536k4ka.dtb (this is the Panel 8 version).
• Rename your new file → from rf3536k4ka.dtb.panel9fnfix.1512MHz → to rf3536k4ka.dtb.

5. Insert and Boot

• Safely eject the SD card.
• Insert it into the right-hand TF slot
• Power on the device.
• First boot will take 1–2 minutes — it expands partitions and sets up.

Recommended: Dual SD Card Setup for ROMs (Highly Suggested!)

Use a second SD card in the left slot so ROMs aren't on the OS card (makes updates much easier).

• Format the second card as exFAT.
• Name/volume label it exactly EASYROMS.
• Download and extract EASYROMS.zip to the root of this card.
• Insert into left slot.

Firmware Enhancements

• Focus on speed.
• Cleanup of unused emulators, cores, scripts, logs, etc
• Added the function button to enable emulator menu access and emulationstation brightness control.

G80CA-MB Limitations

• Wireless is restricted by the limitations of output current on the OTG port. I have tried multiple adapters, but they keep disconnecting in the dmesg outputs
• RTL8188EU drivers are included within the kernel
• Volume is low, needs to be above 50%.
• Battery charge indicators on the LED are hit and miss; the device will charge to 100% when running off the kernel

Helpful hints

• Black Screen - Hold the power button for 10 seconds, release, then push for 2 seconds.
• I used the wrong DTB, and now my screen has fuzzy lines around the border - Power off, remove the battery, wait 10 minutes, then try with the correct DTB.

SDL Joystick Details

Raw Joystick Button	Standard GameController Name (what games see)	Typical Physical Location on "play_joystick"	Notes / Seen in log?
button 00	a	A (bottom, green/cross)	Yes
button 01	b	B (right, red/circle)	Yes
button 02	x	X (left, blue/square)	Yes
button 03	y	Y (top, yellow/triangle)	Yes
button 04	leftshoulder	L1 / Left bumper	Yes
button 05	rightshoulder	R1 / Right bumper	Yes
button 06	lefttrigger (as axis 04)	Left lower trigger (digital on/off)	Yes
button 07	righttrigger (as axis 05)	Right lower trigger (digital on/off)	Yes
button 08	back	Select / Back / View	Yes
button 09	start	Start / Options	Yes
button 11	leftstick	Left analog stick press	Yes
button 12	rightstick	Right analog stick press	Yes
button 13	— (not mapped)	Central logo / Home / Guide / Mode button	Yes — unmapped
button 14	dpup	D-pad Up	Yes
button 15	dpdown	D-pad Down	Yes
button 16	dpleft	D-pad Left	Yes
button 17	dpright	D-pad Right	Yes

Analog Axes Reference Table

Stick Part	Standard GameController Name	Raw Joystick Axis	Axis Index	Values (positive/negative)	Typical Behavior / Notes
Left Stick Horizontal	leftx (axis 00)	axis 00	00	+32767, -32768	Left ↔ Right
Left Stick Vertical	lefty (axis 01)	axis 01	01	+32767, -32768	Up ↓ Down
Right Stick Horizontal	rightx (axis 02)	axis 02	02	+32767, -32768	Left ↔ Right
Right Stick Vertical	righty (axis 03)	axis 03	03	+32767, -32768	Up ↓ Down