Nintendo DS SDK (NITRO)

Edit on Github | Updated: 22nd June 2025

The NITRO SDK was previously known as the IRIS SDK, but got renamed sometime before April 2004 (release 1.0 of NITRO-SDK). Much of the structure and files remain from the IRIS SDK but most files have been renamed to NITRO.

Even although the SDK was renamed to NITRO in version 1.0 it still distributed the release notes for the three IRIS SDK versions that started the project. Although in the 4.2 SDK leak these were removed ands the release notes just start from 1.0.

When the Nintendo DSi was released the SDK was once again renamed to the twilight (TWL) SDK.

Leaked Versions of the SDK

Known Leaked versions:

• NITRO-SDK 3.0 (Unknown Leak)
• NITRO-SDK 4.2+ Patch (Pokemon Platinum Source code Leak)
• TWL-SDK 5.5 (Unknown Leak) - This is the DSi version of the SDK

Known Versions

These are the versions that have been known to exist and their release dates:

All three IRIS SDK version were leaked as part of the Paladin Leak on the 30th September 2020.

Note that there was also something called the “TWLwrap SDK” for DSi that was leaked but it is very different to these so it presumably wasn’t a consumer SDK.

Root Files (/)

• Makefile
• Readme-NitroSDK-3_0-060125.txt
• SrcTreeMap.txt
• bin
• build
• cache
• components
• data
• docs - Documentation
• include - C/C++ Header files for SDK libraries
• lib - Static libraries for the SDK
• man - Manual for Functions
• tools - SDK Tools such as elftobin and makerom

Manual (/man)

Contents:

• a-z.html
• alphabet.html
• alphabet_index.html
• card
• categories.html
• changelog-oldver.html
• changelog.html
• changelog2.2branch.html
• cht
• contents.html
• cp
• css
• ctrdg
• demos
• env
• ext
• fs
• functions.html
• fx
• gx
• icons.html
• index.html
• information
• main.html
• math
• mb
• mi
• os
• pad
• prc
• romfiles
• rtc
• sdk_logo.gif
• snd
• spi
• std
• svc
• tools
• wbt
• wm
• wm_changes_041006.txt
• wvr

Tools (/tools)

Contents:

• bin
• elftobin
• lib
• makerom

Pre-compiled Header Cache (/cache)

The Cache folder only contains one file:

• ./cache/include/Don’tDeleteMe.txt

Bin (/bin)

Contents:

• ./bin/ARM9-TS/Release/mb_child_simple.srl
• ./bin/ARM9-TS/Rom/mb_child.srl
• ./bin/ARM9-TS/Rom/WMTestTool.srl
• ./bin/ARM9-TS/Rom/mb_child_simple.srl

C/C++ Header files (/include)

the table below lists all the C++ header files available to use when developing Nintendo DS games.

ARM7 Headers

ARM9 Headers

Memory Interface (MI)

The memory interface includes were used to produde functions for accessing specific areas of the hardwares memory and were located in the nitro/mi folder.

Misc Headers

Name | Description —|— nitro/itcm_begin.h | nitro/pxi.h | nitro/wbt.h | nitro/pxi | nitro/pxi/common | nitro/pxi/common/fifo.h | nitro/pxi/common/regname.h | nitro/pxi/common/compparam.h | nitro/pxi/common/init.h | nitro/card.h | nitro/itcm_end.h | nitro/code32.h | nitro/types.h | nitro/misc.h | nitro/ioreg.h | nitro/specfiles | nitro/specfiles/ARM7-TEG.lcf | nitro/specfiles/ROM-TS.rsf | nitro/specfiles/ARM9-TS-cloneboot-C.lcf.template | nitro/specfiles/ARM9-TS.lsf | nitro/specfiles/ARM9-TEG.lsf | nitro/specfiles/ARM9-TEG-C.lcf.template | nitro/specfiles/ARM7-TS.lsf | nitro/specfiles/ARM9-TEG.lcf | nitro/specfiles/ARM9-TEG.lcf.template | nitro/specfiles/ARM9-TS.lcf | nitro/specfiles/ARM7-TS.lcf.template | nitro/specfiles/ARM7-TS.lcf | nitro/specfiles/ARM9-TS-C.lcf.template | nitro/specfiles/ndsld.response.template | nitro/specfiles/default.bnr | nitro/specfiles/mwldarm.response.template | nitro/specfiles/ARM7-TEG.lsf | nitro/specfiles/ARM9-TS.lcf.template | nitro/specfiles/2.x | nitro/specfiles/2.x/ARM9-TS-cloneboot-C.lcf.template | nitro/specfiles/2.x/ARM9-TEG-C.lcf.template | nitro/specfiles/2.x/ARM9-TEG.lcf.template | nitro/specfiles/2.x/ARM9-TS-C.lcf.template | nitro/specfiles/2.x/ARM9-TS.lcf.template | nitro/specfiles/ARM7-TEG.lcf.template | nitro/specfiles/ROM-TEG.rsf | nitro/dtcm_end.h | nitro/fx | nitro/fx/fx.h | nitro/fx/fx_mtx33.h | nitro/fx/fx_trig.h | nitro/fx/fx_mtx22.h | nitro/fx/fx_mtx43.h | nitro/fx/fx_cp.h | nitro/fx/fx_mtx44.h | nitro/fx/fx_mtx.h | nitro/fx/fx_const.h | nitro/fx/fx_vec.h | nitro/exi | nitro/exi/ARM7 | nitro/exi/ARM7/genPort.h | nitro/os.h | nitro/utest.h | nitro/parent_end.h | nitro/ext | nitro/ext/ext_scrntest.h | nitro/ext/ext_keycontrol.h | nitro/pad.h | nitro/cht.h | nitro/codereset.h | nitro/wm | nitro/wm/common | nitro/wm/common/wm.h | nitro/wm/ARM9 | nitro/wm/ARM9/wm_api.h | nitro/memorymap_sp.h | nitro/std | nitro/std/string.h | nitro/section.h | nitro/prc.h | nitro/version_end.h | nitro/ctrdg.h | nitro/math | nitro/math/fft.h | nitro/math/dgt.h | nitro/math/crc.h | nitro/math/rand.h | nitro/math/math.h | nitro/math/qsort.h | nitro/math/checksum.h | nitro/pad | nitro/pad/common | nitro/pad/common/pad.h | nitro/pad/ARM7 | nitro/pad/ARM7/xyButton.h | nitro/env | nitro/env/env_system.h nitro/spec.h nitro/version_begin.h nitro/components nitro/spi nitro/spi/common nitro/spi/common/type.h nitro/spi/common/userInfo_teg.h nitro/spi/common/config.h nitro/spi/common/pm_common.h nitro/spi/common/userInfo_ts_300.h nitro/spi/common/userInfo_ts_0.h nitro/spi/common/userInfo_ts_200.h nitro/spi/ARM7 nitro/spi/ARM7/pm.h nitro/spi/ARM7/spi.h nitro/spi/ARM9 nitro/spi/ARM9/pm.h nitro/spi/ARM9/mic.h nitro/spi/ARM9/tp.h nitro/memorymap.h nitro/wram_end.h nitro/cp.h nitro/mb nitro/mb/mb_child.h nitro/mb/mb_gameinfo.h nitro/mb/mb.h nitro/mb/mb_fake_child.h nitro/wram_begin.h nitro/rtc nitro/rtc/common nitro/rtc/common/type.h nitro/rtc/common/fifo.h nitro/rtc/ARM9 nitro/rtc/ARM9/api.h nitro/rtc/ARM9/convert.h nitro/rtc.h nitro/spi.h nitro/gx nitro/gx/gx.h nitro/gx/struct_2d.h nitro/gx/g3c.h nitro/gx/g3x.h nitro/gx/g3.h nitro/gx/gx_sp.h nitro/gx/g2_oam.h nitro/gx/gxcommon.h nitro/gx/gx_vramcnt.h nitro/gx/g2.h nitro/gx/gx_load.h nitro/gx/g3imm.h nitro/gx/g3_util.h nitro/gx/gx_capture.h nitro/gx/g3b.h nitro/gx/gx_bgcnt.h nitro/prc nitro/prc/resample.h nitro/prc/types.h nitro/prc/algo_superfine.h nitro/prc/algo_common.h nitro/prc/common.h nitro/prc/algo_standard.h nitro/prc/algo_light.h nitro/prc/algo_fine.h nitro/math.h nitro/snd nitro/snd/common nitro/snd/common/main.h nitro/snd/common/capture.h nitro/snd/common/channel.h nitro/snd/common/seq.h nitro/snd/common/alarm.h nitro/snd/common/midiplayer.h nitro/snd/common/work.h nitro/snd/common/data.h nitro/snd/common/global.h nitro/snd/common/mml.h nitro/snd/common/exchannel.h nitro/snd/common/util.h nitro/snd/common/command.h nitro/snd/common/bank.h nitro/snd/ARM9 nitro/snd/ARM9/interface.h nitro/os nitro/os/common nitro/os/common/callTrace.h nitro/os/common/spinLock.h nitro/os/common/profile.h nitro/os/common/alarm.h nitro/os/common/tick.h nitro/os/common/valarm.h nitro/os/common/context.h nitro/os/common/message.h nitro/os/common/ownerInfo.h nitro/os/common/entropy.h nitro/os/common/emulator.h nitro/os/common/systemCall.h nitro/os/common/timer.h nitro/os/common/thread.h nitro/os/common/printf.h nitro/os/common/interrupt.h nitro/os/common/system.h nitro/os/common/mutex.h nitro/os/common/init.h nitro/os/common/exception.h nitro/os/common/arena.h nitro/os/common/reset.h nitro/os/common/alloc.h nitro/os/common/functionCost.h nitro/os/ARM9 nitro/os/ARM9/argument.h nitro/os/ARM9/protectionUnit.h nitro/os/ARM9/vramExclusive.h nitro/os/ARM9/cache.h nitro/os/ARM9/protectionRegion.h nitro/os/ARM9/china.h nitro/os/ARM9/tcm.h nitro/dgt nitro/dgt/dgt.h nitro/dgt/common.h nitro/cp nitro/cp/sqrt.h nitro/cp/context.h nitro/cp/divider.h nitro/os_sp.h nitro/ext.h nitro/snd_sp.h nitro/fs nitro/fs/archive.h nitro/fs/file.h nitro/fs/overlay.h nitro/mb.h nitro/wm.h nitro/ctrdg nitro/ctrdg/common nitro/ctrdg/common/ctrdg_common.h nitro/sinit.h nitro/fs.h nitro/code16.h nitro/std.h

Documentation (/docs)

Contents:

• README
• SDKHowTo
• SDKRules
• SDKTools
• TechnicalNotes

SDK How Tos (/docs/SDKHowTo)

• SDKHowTo/HowToMakeMyVRamBankType.txt
• SDKHowTo/HowToBuildSDKTree.pdf
• SDKHowTo/HowToJoinAGBDevEnv.txt

SDK Rules (/docs/SDKRules)

• SDKRules/Rule-Defines.html
• SDKRules/NitroSDKStandard.css
• SDKRules/Rule-NameSpace.html

READMEs (/docs/README)

• README/ReleaseNotes-3.0.pdf
• README/history/ReleaseNotes-2.2.pdf
• README/history/ReleaseNotes-2.0.pdf
• README/history/ReleaseNotes-2.1.pdf
• README/history/ReleaseNotes-031212.pdf
• README/history/ReleaseNotes-1.2.pdf
• README/history/ReleaseNotes-031203.pdf
• README/history/ReleaseNotes-1.0.pdf
• README/history/ReleaseNotes-040120.pdf
• README/QuickStartForSDK.pdf

Technical Notes (/docs/TechnicalNotes)

• TechnicalNotes/AboutWirelessManager.pdf
• TechnicalNotes/AboutSound.pdf
• TechnicalNotes/AboutPatternRecognition.pdf
• TechnicalNotes/NitroRomFormat.pdf
• TechnicalNotes/AboutFileSystem.pdf
• TechnicalNotes/WmTutorial.pdf
• TechnicalNotes/AboutMultiBoot.pdf
• TechnicalNotes/AboutThreadInfo.pdf
• TechnicalNotes/AboutComponents.pdf
• TechnicalNotes/MechanismOfProfiler.pdf
• SDKTools
• SDKTools/CygwinPackageList.pdf

Components (/components)

Contents:

• ichneumon
• mongoose
• racoon (DSi)
• ferret (DSi)

Static Libraries (/lib)

the table below lists all the Static Libraries that a Nintendo DS game can link to to provide useful functionality. There are normally two versions of a static Library, one compiled with the standard toolchain and another compiled for Thumb.

Source Code (/build)

Contents:

• Makefile
• buildsetup
• buildtools
• demos
• libraries
• tools

Data (/data)

Contents:

• cht_data
• for_china
• wl_icons