one hundred
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I know there are a couple of threads about this on 8BC and elsewhere, but I can’t seem to find clear instructions and I have a few more questions…

I’m looking to put NES ROM’s onto NES carts, mainly fNo Carriers and NTRQ for personal use. I started reading this guide to making your own cart:

http://www.raphnet.net/electronique/nes … art_en.php

But this seems quite complex, Is there someone on here that could break it down simply so I can get this done? I have a Mac, loads of old carts and am prepared to buy an EPROM programmer; additionally I need to know how to break the ROM into PRG and CHR files. I have no experience of writing C and thought this may be a good starting project to get into it.

If this is a lot harder then I anticipate, or anyone has had big problems in trying to do this then please let me know. But the simpler the instructions, the better!

Thanks for any pointers in advance,

O / H

arfink
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Minneapolis

Breaking the rom up into PRG and CHR is simple enough, all you need is a hex editor and knowledge of the correct places to cut it, which can be obtained from the iNES header. Alternatively, you can use the programs which are available on that very site you linked to, and run them on your Mac using the Dosbox emulator.

As for doing things from NoCarrier, those are quite simple. You have to split it into CHR and PRG files, duplicate them to fill the chip you are using, and install the EPROMs directly into an NROM-256 cartridge. It's fairly simple, but I can see how alot of this is overwhelming for people. I can write a simple tutorial for people at some point.

As for NTRQ, this is considerably more complex. You'll have to hunt down the correct donor cartridge first, which should contain an SKROM board inside. One cheap and cruddy game which has this is Al Unser Turbo Racing. Then you need to rewire the cartridge to accept  27c0x0 EPROMs. Instructions for doing this can be found here: http://nesdev.parodius.com/NES%20EPROM% … rsions.txt

Just follow the directions posted there for the SLROM, and you shouldn't have too much difficulty rewiring the cartridge.

Lastly, I am fairly sure this will involve absolutely no knowledge of C, since I can handle this and I don't know any C at all, only various dialects of BASIC and Pascal. Actually, you won't need to even know how to program a computer, although I like to say that with anything computer related it's nice to have done some coding as it familiarises you with the concepts.

EDIT: Feel free to complain if I'm too vague, I haven't tried to explain this to beginners before. Also, it would be helpful to know what your current level of skill is with electronics, since both of these projects are relatively advanced I suppose. If you haven't done much soldering with .1" pitch through hole components then I would say you'll need to brush up on your soldering. If you haven't done much desoldering I would also advise you to practice that as well, since you'll need that a good deal to prep the donor boards. Also, if you know someone who has an EPROM programmer you can save yourself alot of money by borrowing his, especially if you don't intend to be reprograming these alot. Lastly, with EPROMs, you'll also need a UV eraser device if you plan on reprogramming them, since just plugging them back into the programmer won't do anything without erasing them first.

Last edited by arfink (Apr 27, 2010 11:41 am)

Edward Shallow
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Scotland

Would a PowerPak suffice? o.o

arfink
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Minneapolis

OK, I wish people would just stop it with the whole PowerPak thing. No offence, but they cost $150! That is pretty steep for most people, I would say. There are good reasons to make these things, including but not limited to having a special custom cartridge, having a dedicated cartridge, getting into the whole DIY thing, and a lower price. Saying otherwise is like saying that the only reasonable way to do a prosound mod is to buy the kit from Nonfinite. I'm sure the pre-made option it great and all, but DIY is where it's at.

jbuonacc
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Rochester, NY

i think your argument is a bit flawed because it's not like you can build your own Powerpak. smile probably better compared to something like one of the repro-carts available from several sites. of course DIY is totally cool, but with donor carts/EPROM burner/EPROMs/etc and figuring in the cost of your time spent building and researching, i'm guessing you're looking at more than $150 in costs. personally, i'd rather spend the $150 to have a professionally made cart that i can load up with whatever games/saves i can fit on it than to worry about the hassles (?) of DIY carts. can't see any reason to be down on it, even for the price. i also don't really see the point of 'dedicated' carts, unless you're into collecting. hell, the PowerPak can be its own dedicated NTRQ cart if you'd like (label and all), with the added ability to backup your SAVs.

arfink - do you have a PowerPak?

arfink
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Minneapolis

No, thank you very much. Atavistic and proud! Also, lets see the Powerpak do accurate sound reproduction for Famicom hardware, lets see 100% mapper support. Lets see nanosecond accurate IRQ timings. Sure it's "good enough" for those who just want to drop the dough right up front and never have to "deal with" having something hand built. For me, it's not just about function. It's about how you get there. It's the reason why I continue to even bother with the chipmusic scene instead of going all fakebit. I know, Low-Gain is going to disagree with me, and this is hot ideological water, but the DIY aesthetic is incredibly important to me. I also know it's important to other people who don't have my level of skill for building things, which is why I'm offering to make them for people who are interested.

arfink
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Minneapolis
jbuonacc wrote:

i think your argument is a bit flawed because it's not like you can build your own Powerpak.

Oh, and I could design it, get pcb's made, etc. This kind of thing is not beyond my skill level, just beyond my desire.

jbuonacc
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Rochester, NY

ahh, i didn't mean that *you* couldn't design your own version of something like the powerpak, i was just saying that for the average person it's not quite the same as making your own carts/repros/hacks and that it doesn't really compare to someone buying a pre-modded GB vs. doing it yourself. i totally see what you're saying about DIY, but for most uses the powerpak is a great option and i don't really understand your contempt for it. smile

arfink wrote:

... it's not just about function. It's about how you get there. It's the reason why I continue to even bother with the chipmusic scene instead of going all fakebit.

dig it.

wedanced
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San Francisco

I like my powerpak. its been good to me. i think its worth it. i dont use it for video games so i dont need 100% mappers. Quick and easy. as far as accuracy... all the sounds are coming directly from the 2a03 chip so.... i dont think its inaccurate at all. It is for sure easy to test and run songs and fast. Having multiple songs all in one area with different dmpc samples.... priceless.

If you want an accurate programer and game designer experience then do the diy. if your not that deep into things powerpak is great.

there are other diy projects for the NES/ famicom that you can do... i dont think you absolutely have to do it all. i have opened my own nes up and added direct jacks to the 2a03 and done lock out chip cuts and extra channel mod. all simple diy but fun for sure. it just depends on how deep into it you want to go. each person is different. /me shrugs

one hundred
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Going back to my original post, I think this looks like it would be too time consuming and expensive for me right now, but thanks Arfink for your excellent explanation.

For the interim I would love to get my hands on a PAL NTRQ cart, I’m not sure if I understand this correctly. But Looking at PowerPak Lite, if someone has a CopyNES system can they flash the ROM onto it for me. Or do you need to have a CopyNES to run a PowerPak Lite?

Basically, I’m just look for a way to get NTRQ on my PAL system cheaply and need help!

arfink
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Minneapolis

Head over to the Chipcoalition forum and talk to a guy named MuteCity he can make you one cheaply.

Sycamore Drive
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East Kilbride, Scotland
arfink wrote:

Head over to the Chipcoalition forum and talk to a guy named MuteCity he can make you one cheaply.

or go here.

http://mutecitydmgs.blogspot.com/

"The cartridges will be 40 dollars each including shipping worldwide! Cartridges are in an NTSC format!
If you would like a PAL copy email me at [email protected] and we can work some thing out."

neilbaldwin
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WOW MAN!

To throw more water on the fire: there is no PAL version of NTRQ at the moment.

Just sayin'....

herr_prof
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The fact I can load all kinds of games and play nsfs jukebox style made powerpak a no brainer. Once you can patch ntrq iqwth your own samples it will rock even more!

Are the mute city carts socketed? For easy update?

arfink
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Minneapolis
herr_prof wrote:

The fact I can load all kinds of games and play nsfs jukebox style made powerpak a no brainer. Once you can patch ntrq iqwth your own samples it will rock even more!

Are the mute city carts socketed? For easy update?

No, they are not. This is one of the advantages of my design. Also, his will not have multiple SRAM banks. For those who wish to make their own, I am putting together a tutorial, and I can burn EPROMs for folks who don't have their own equipment.

Last edited by arfink (Apr 28, 2010 7:02 pm)

arfink
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Minneapolis
neilbaldwin wrote:

To throw more water on the fire: there is no PAL version of NTRQ at the moment.

Just sayin'....

Does this mean that it won't work on a PAL nes period, or it won't be tuned correctly? I was under the assumption it could work, just not quite right. I'll have to try it with a PAL nes emulator.