Game Pak: Difference between revisions

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Nintendo 64 Game Pak (part number NUS-006) is the brand name of the consumer ROM cartridge product that stores game data for the Nintendo 64, released in 1996. As with Nintendo's previous consoles, the Game Pak's design tradeoffs were intended to achieve maximal system speed and minimal base console cost—with a lesser storage space and a higher unit cost per game. Integrating a CD-ROM drive, with its expensive and slow moving parts, would have drastically increased the console's base price and reduced its performance.
Nintendo 64 Game Pak (part number NUS-006) is the brand name of the consumer ROM cartridge product that stores game data for the Nintendo 64, released in 1996. As with Nintendo's previous consoles, the Game Pak's design tradeoffs were intended to achieve maximal system speed and minimal base console cost, with a lesser storage space and a higher unit cost per game. Integrating a CD-ROM drive, with its expensive and slow moving parts, would have drastically increased the console's base price and reduced its performance.


See [[ROM Header|ROM header]] for the standard contents of the header of the ROM within the Game Pak.
See [[ROM Header|ROM header]] for the standard header contents found in every Game Pak ROM.

=== Connector Pinout ===
{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
|+
|+
! Name !! Pin !! !! Pin !! Name
!
|- style="text-align:center;"
!Pin Cart Solder Side
| GND || 1 || || 26 || GND
!Pin Cart Component Side
|- style="text-align:center;"
!
| GND || 2 || || 27 || GND
|-
|- style="text-align:center;"
|Ground
| AD15 || 3 || || 28 || AD0
|1
|- style="text-align:center;"
|26
| AD14 || 4 || || 29 || AD1
|Ground
|- style="text-align:center;"
|-
| AD13 || 5 || || 30 || AD2
|Ground
|- style="text-align:center;"
|2
| GND || 6 || || 31 || GND
|27
|- style="text-align:center;"
|Ground
| AD12 || 7 || || 32 || AD3
|-
|- style="text-align:center;"
|AD15
| /WR || 8 || || 33 || ALE_L
|3
|- style="text-align:center;"
|28
| 3.3V || 9 || || 34 || 3.3V
|AD0
|- style="text-align:center;"
|-
| /RD || 10 || || 35 || ALE_H
|AD14
|- style="text-align:center;"
|4
| AD11 || 11 || || 36 || AD4
|29
|- style="text-align:center;"
|AD1
| AD10 || 12 || || 37 || AD5
|-
|- style="text-align:center;"
|AD13
| 12V || 13 || || 38 || 12V
|5
|- style="text-align:center;"
|30
| 12V || 14 || || 39 || 12V
|AD2
|- style="text-align:center;"
|-
| AD9 || 15 || || 40 || AD6
|Ground
|- style="text-align:center;"
|6
| AD8 || 16 || || 41 || AD7
|31
|- style="text-align:center;"
|Ground
| 3.3V || 17 || || 42 || 3.3V
|-
|- style="text-align:center;"
|AD12
| CIC_15 || 18 || || 43 || CIC_14
|7
|- style="text-align:center;"
|32
| CIC_11 || 19 || || 44 || /INT1
|AD3
|- style="text-align:center;"
|-
| /ColdReset || 20 || || 45 || /NMI
|/Write???
|- style="text-align:center;"
|8
| EEPROM_DAT || 21 || || 46 || VIDEO_SYNC
|33
|- style="text-align:center;"
|ALE_L
| GND || 22 || || 47 || GND
|-
|- style="text-align:center;"
|3.3V
| GND || 23 || || 48 || GND
|9
|- style="text-align:center;"
|34
| LAUDIO || 24 || || 49 || RAUDIO
|3.3V
|- style="text-align:center;"
|-
| GND || 25 || || 50 || GND
|/Read???
|10
|35
|ALE_H
|-
|AD11
|11
|36
|AD4
|-
|AD10
|12
|37
|AD5
|-
|12V
|13
|38
|12V
|-
|12V
|14
|39
|12V
|-
|AD9
|15
|40
|AD6
|-
|AD8
|16
|41
|AD7
|-
|3.3V
|17
|42
|3.3V
|-
|CIC_DATA1
|18
|43
|CIC_DATA2
|-
|1.95 MHz CLK
|19
|44
|INT1
|-
|/COLD_RESET
|20
|45
|NMI
|-
|S_DAT
|21
|46
|Video Sync
|-
|Ground
|22
|47
|Ground
|-
|Ground
|23
|48
|Ground
|-
|Left Audio
|24
|49
|Right Audio
|-
|Ground
|25
|50
|Ground
|}
|}
=== Notes ===
The above table is merged from multiple sources and personal knowledge
* Pins 14 & 39 on the cartridge connector are missing contacts, thus these pins only apply to the EXT connector on the bottom of the console.

Pin 19 is 1.95 MHz Clock from the PIF - 62.5 MHz /32
* Pin 18 is bi-directional data between the CIC and PIF.
* Pin 19 is a ~1.95 MHz clock driven by the PIF.

* Pin 21 is PIF Channel 5, via PIF pins 23 & 24.

* Pin 43 is the clock associated with pin 18's data, and is always driven by the PIF. It only pulses when the PIF needs to send or receive data.
While the use of the Read and Write contacts seems obvious, it's actually not 100% confirmed.

FACTS:

Board  NUS-06A-01  (fully visually confirmable)

Pin 8 (aka write) is routed directly to the save IC, no other stops.

Pin 10 (aka read) is routed to 2 pins of the Game ROM and 1 pin on the save IC


Board NUS-07A-01

Pin 8 (aka write) is routed to 1 pin on the Game ROM (visually confirmable) and 1 pin on the save IC (VM continuity check)

Pin 10 (aka read) is routed to 2 pins of the Game ROM  (visually confirmable) and 1 pin on the save IC (VM Continuity check)


References:

http://n64.icequake.net/mirror/www.crazynation.org/N64/


http://www.acidmods.com/RDC/NINTENDO/N64/N64%20NUS-CPU-03-04.pdf
[[Category:Paks]]
[[Category:Paks]]

Revision as of 00:52, 27 April 2022

Nintendo 64 Game Pak (part number NUS-006) is the brand name of the consumer ROM cartridge product that stores game data for the Nintendo 64, released in 1996. As with Nintendo's previous consoles, the Game Pak's design tradeoffs were intended to achieve maximal system speed and minimal base console cost, with a lesser storage space and a higher unit cost per game. Integrating a CD-ROM drive, with its expensive and slow moving parts, would have drastically increased the console's base price and reduced its performance.

See ROM header for the standard header contents found in every Game Pak ROM.

Connector Pinout

Name Pin Pin Name
GND 1 26 GND
GND 2 27 GND
AD15 3 28 AD0
AD14 4 29 AD1
AD13 5 30 AD2
GND 6 31 GND
AD12 7 32 AD3
/WR 8 33 ALE_L
3.3V 9 34 3.3V
/RD 10 35 ALE_H
AD11 11 36 AD4
AD10 12 37 AD5
12V 13 38 12V
12V 14 39 12V
AD9 15 40 AD6
AD8 16 41 AD7
3.3V 17 42 3.3V
CIC_15 18 43 CIC_14
CIC_11 19 44 /INT1
/ColdReset 20 45 /NMI
EEPROM_DAT 21 46 VIDEO_SYNC
GND 22 47 GND
GND 23 48 GND
LAUDIO 24 49 RAUDIO
GND 25 50 GND

Notes

  • Pins 14 & 39 on the cartridge connector are missing contacts, thus these pins only apply to the EXT connector on the bottom of the console.
  • Pin 18 is bi-directional data between the CIC and PIF.
  • Pin 19 is a ~1.95 MHz clock driven by the PIF.
  • Pin 21 is PIF Channel 5, via PIF pins 23 & 24.
  • Pin 43 is the clock associated with pin 18's data, and is always driven by the PIF. It only pulses when the PIF needs to send or receive data.
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