Bending a Game Boy cartridge to make glitchs (Page 1) - Circuit Bending - Forums

1 Jun 29, 2014 8:16 pm

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Hi everyone, first of all I would like to apologize for my english not always correct, I'm french and sometimes uses a translator ( also im new here )

So here is my project, I wanted to mod a pokemon cartridge (Y/R/B) for making glitchs (like on some used/oxidized game ) with some switch on top ( I precise that I have very little knowledge of electronics, this may sound dumb but I'm very curious )

I then open a cartridge and have focused on two big chips, the ROM and the RAM ( GM76C256CLL70 )
I thought I could create errors by shorting the RAM on some pin so i found the datasheet → http://bit.ly/1q5WFNd and i solder a old IDE cable on the chip ( i taken only the Vss, Address Inputs and Data Input/Output, because I do not know what the other are doing and Vcc is probably dangerous )

And you know what? I burnout the RAM because the game don't boot... yea, just with my soldering iron ...

So, before I try again with another cartridge, if someone who is not a noob like me could tell me if it had a chance to work, that would be great

Thanks in advance

2 Jun 29, 2014 8:43 pm

Jazzmarazz

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Michigan

Bad idea. Bend the vram chip inside the GB itself, but don't burn it out!

3 Jun 29, 2014 8:52 pm

bitjacker

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Alive and well in fucksville

I think i fried a bleepbloop cart. Jazz is right.

4 Jun 29, 2014 9:12 pm

eucalyptux

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Bad news for me :-(
Someone already try that ?
Even playing with only the "Data Input/Output" pin or the "Address Inputs" one ?
Because i read many story about old crappy cartridge with weird glitch caused by oxydation, dust or damaged trace ( battery leakage )
I even have a friend that had one of these cartridges ( https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=P … b0XqVNxR2t )

Last edited by eucalyptux (Jun 29, 2014 10:58 pm)

5 Jun 30, 2014 1:28 am

BEASTMODE

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did this little photoset like 2 years ago, nothing fancy
bending a Batman cart
http://torngarsuk.tumblr.com/post/14742868030/fun
(GBA SP is cool because it gives u room to mess with the cart while its running)

6 Jun 30, 2014 3:19 am

eucalyptux

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Thank you, this is a cool project !

I had a another mod in work, a DMG with a cartridge slot offset/extended (to put in a keyboard) :

› image

it would have been very easy to mess with the cartridge.
But strangely, only the original grays DMG games works, the three right one "with colors" don't boot ( even if the Nintendo logo is still displayed correctly ). :-(
That's why I wanted to directly solder the wires to the RAM.
This is probably because of the length of the cable, the connection is bad, I should try to shorten.

Also check this link : http://lparchive.org/Pokemon-Blue/Fix/

Last edited by eucalyptux (Jun 30, 2014 10:24 am)

7 Jun 30, 2014 5:11 am

12ianma

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bitjacker wrote:

I think i fried a bleepbloop cart. Jazz is right.

Please tell me it isn't so

8 Jun 30, 2014 5:20 am

egr

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Abandoned on Fire

LINK: http://store.kitsch-bent.com/product/kk_gb_brkout

Bending was the first thing I thought of whe Kitsch released those. You'd have to give the GB something to actually boot up, of course.

9 Jun 30, 2014 10:26 am

eucalyptux

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What do you mean by " you'd have to give the GB something to actually boot up" ?

10 Jun 30, 2014 11:29 am

Knife Crimes

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eucalyptux wrote:

What do you mean by " you'd have to give the GB something to actually boot up" ?

The picture is of a bare PCB.

11 Jun 30, 2014 5:20 pm

eucalyptux

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oh okay, yes of course we need something to boot up ^^"

Otherwise, no one is interested to experiment ?
I'm sure it has potential

Last edited by eucalyptux (Jun 30, 2014 5:22 pm)

12 Jun 30, 2014 5:27 pm

kitsch

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matt's mind

the footprint on the PCB is for a 2x16 smt header, which will get you to a breadboard pretty easily (i use this PCB for prototyping new carts, myself). where you can have the ROM for something to boot, but since its on a breadboard you can screw around with that as much as you'd like

its a breakout board for the edge connector in the cart. makes prototyping (or in your case, manipulation) quite easy

(its also a jazzmarazz layout, big ups to jazz)