Gameboy Cartridge/edge Connector

[yosh64]

hey

I have been meaning to make a Gameboy cartridge reader for some time now to dump my games, but I kinda forgot about it since I never figured how to go about making a cartridge connector. Anyhows I thought it might be a nice idea to ask on these forums .

Hmm, I remember I did look for generic edge connectors at one time, but never found any with enough pins, and I have no idea about the pitch or whatever.

I was thinking of ripping the connector out of my Gameboy Color that I got from ebay, it's not in the best condition and I still got an original Gameboy, so I'm not that worried about breaking the Gameboy Color. So I was wondering if you think I should attempt to rip the cartridge slot out of the Gameboy Color? the other problem would be connecting each of the lines from it, they are quite close together and I dunno how I would go with soldering with such precision or whatever.

Anyhows any advise would be great .

Also, what about NES and N64 cartridge connectors?

Thanks

cyas

 

[aaron11193]

Hmm..... GBC vs GB? Why sacrifice a colour LCD over a monochrome?

Isn't there cartridge readers that you can buy from somewhere? :huh:

Although, I do admit, building things like that can be quite fun :lol: and it gives you a neat sense of satisfaction to know that YOU made it.

 

[ant]

@aaron11193: because original gameboys are legendary historical artifacts

@yosh64: i have taken apart every gameboy i own. the colour has somewhat cramped internals, and i came very very close to cutting part of the lcd ribbon cable the first time i opened it.

looking at it right now, i'd say the connector would be pretty easy to remove with a little help from an x-acto knife (not sure what the generic non-brand name is). although i have heard reports that there were two distinctly different hardware revisions for the colour, i'm assuming that the cart connector is basically the same. just be careful... (though of course if you mess it up it's not too expensive a mistake as electronics go).

anyway, please tell me how it goes (if it goes).

also:
you mentioned the nes. if you have one, you can make your gameboy and nes controller electronic blood-brothers, like i did

http://www.majhost.com/gallery/Antgeth/mods/buttonswap.jpg

 

[Hooka]

The nicest solution for the NES I can think of atleast: http://www.nintendorepairshop.com/shopexd.asp?id=63

Dunno about a good alternate source to connectors for gb though...

 

[xzakox]

Hi, I'm working on a gameboy cart reader/writer and a flash cart, and the only way to get gameboy cart connectors is from old/broken gameboys, or the cheapest way, second hand supergameboys. A friend that lives in japan buys SGBs for about 1-2 euros, so its an affordable price, you have to desolder it, but it's ok for me.
My gear:

 

[yosh64]

hey

How did ya go about making that fancy board? and why go to the trouble of using USB? I was gonna use a Veroboard, and use the Parallel port, it has plenty of data lines, so ya can just use a couple of counters for addressing, very simular to Mike Gordon's SMSReader, so I thinks.

Anyhows I think I'll just try use the slot from my Gameboy Color , thanks for the advise. If ya have any more tips then let me know .

cyas

 

[.Gogeta§§J4BR.]

xzakox, I noticed your pictures names are cartucho128 and programadorfuncionando
Are you Spanish or Portuguese or something?

 

[jdh2550]

How did ya go about making that fancy board?

There are lots of online PCB fabricators these days - send them your schematic they send you the board (but then you have to populate it - there are other services (much more expensive) that will populate it as well).

QUOTE

and why go to the trouble of using USB? I was gonna use a Veroboard, and use the Parallel port

If you're making a one-off for your home use Parallel port + Veroboard is likely the way to go. But, if you want to sell them then you need to consider what ports your customers will have access to - USB is ubiquitous whereas parallel ports are a dying breed.

Also, with the USB version (and a Linux driver) you could hook it straight up to the pandora - how cool would that be

 

[Polk1986]

I know it isn't a Gameboy Connector, but the snega2usb is a similar device for SNES and Genesis cartridges.

 

[lastaid]

Would be quite interesting!

I just ordered a Gameboy GB/GBC 64Mbit USB Cartridge

Just Prosound modded my Graybrick, failed with backlight, but when the cartridge arrives i con finally use lsdj the way it's supposed to be.

This article on the other hand should be quite usefull for you guys ;-)
click

a guy built an adapter that could read nes/snes games and mounted them as a usb pendrive [ or s.th. ] ... with this we could read the actual rom from the cartridge and play it using an emulator, or save them.

Hope this helps.

have a good day

lastaid

 

[dflemstr]

Dudes, thread age? Sheesh.

Anyways, it should be much easier to use ROMs, shouldn't it? (As long as you have the rights to own them, of course)

What's the value of having a real connector?

 

[lastaid]

Dudes, thread age? Sheesh.

Anyways, it should be much easier to use ROMs, shouldn't it? (As long as you have the rights to own them, of course)

What's the value of having a real connector?

mh... Just that around 50% of people interested in OpenPandora are Full Blown Nerds, and 10% of these are reading and posting in Developer Corner ;-)

Reading a Catridge is completly pointless, but quite a nice gadget ^^

 

[matzesu]

In many Countrys (like Germany) is the download from roms ilegal from the internet, you make no jailhouse rock , but in the theory it is forbitten..
Kirbys Dreamland from the very old gameboy had 246kb, thats nothing, when you 1991 mobile played you has a cartrige in the dimension of a ritter sport mini shokolade..
2009 when you like to mobil play, you need a cartrige like a poststamp, and you have 3920000 of these kirbys dreamland,

in the medieval you where burned for your old gameboy as a witch,/soccerer , what is whit the pandora? the peaple had make a revolution and have you make to they new god..

everyone can download roms, but the only the best retrogamer can make theyr own cartrige reader and make roms from theyr own cartrigtes.. :rolleyes:

 

[lastaid]

everyone can download roms, but the only the best retrogamer can make theyr own cartrige reader and make roms from theyr own cartrigtes.. :rolleyes:

nice words