Game Pak
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 | |
| 1.95MHz_CLK | 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, used for both the CIC's CPU clock (pin 11) and EEPROM communication.
- 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.