What Is Exactly A Noac?

[darkman]

I am sure that there are people here that can answer a question that has been nagging my brain.
What is the difference between a Nintendo on a chip and an Emulator? Is the NOAC just a well built emulator burnt to a chip? I was wondering because I'm thinking that the NES and SNES clone systems are NOAC. I have been thinking about picking up a system that plays both the NES and SNES games. They have two slots. It would be better than having two systems setting out. Also what is the advantage and disadvantage of both? :huh:

 

[Samba Pa Ti]

i think its the proper circuitry just shrunk down into a single chip

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NES-on-a-chip

 

[Orkie]

NOACs are apparently generally less compatible than most emulators (and of course the real thing) and support less mappers (since they are normally designed to work with a single multi-cart supplied with the unit).

 

[darkman]

I saw the wikipedia thing. I just felt that it really didn't address my question.

If it is the proper circuitry then wouldn't it be better than an emulator? And if it is as you say "Orkie" then there seems to be something still lacking in the completion of the cloning of the original system.

Would that also mean that there would be some game carts that would not work with the clones?

I've been looking at this,
FC Twin
This system has gotten some pretty positive reviews. But then there are those who didn't think it was close enough to the real thing.

So is my understanding correct here, the NOAC is an attempt to mimic the hardware, using hardware, condensed down to a chip and an emulator is a program to accomplish this same purpose?

 

[Samba Pa Ti]

yeah thats right, the reasons they are less compatible and crappier quality is probably down to inconsistance in quality of the chips (they look pretty low tech ic's) and the wrong parts being used.

 

[epitaph]

Also, those clone systems often suffer from pretty shoddy manufacturing, which'll become apparent if you buy one. Steer clear.

 

[Samba Pa Ti]

there are a few decent ones, i considered buying one (a clone) a while ago but i wanted to have SDcard support of some kind, there was a snes console that took CD's so you could dump all your roms on that and play them.

im sure its possible to load up all the roms to a sdcard and have some sortof bios or loader rom for the system (with a menu to load up the roms from the sd card), for now the gp2x/pc seems fine though.

 

[darkman]

I wonder if it wouldn't be easier to just burn a good emulator to a chip using maybe Linux as the OS. One could rig it to boot the cart on start up. (of course I don't have any idea what I am talking about) Looks like this would be more simple than doing the NOAC thing for these clone systems. Just a little wishful thinking.

I may look around a little more. I still might just pick up one of those clone systems just to have one. The CD one sounds interesting.

 

[Orkie]

It would be extremely tricky to put a Linux system/emulator on a single chip at least for a reasonable price. The NOACs are manufactured really just to play the multicarts they come with, any extras are a bonus. To build an entire computer would be an awful waste for these companies when they can churn out NOACs for pennies.

 

[J201605]

I wonder if using this technology combined with the pirated firmware from the treamcast a handheld that plays dreamcast games off of sd cards could be created.

 

[darkman]

You would think that there are a lot of the old systems that could be done this way.

 

[Titcher]

I guess the NES is so popular with them because it was already being copied whilst it was still out. But so far, I've seen, a NES one, a Mega Drive(Genesis) one, and an atari one, not sure which atari though. All of these were plug in to TV units, but they were all small and could probably be turned to handhelds no problem.

 

[Orkie]

I seem to remember reading about a C64 TV game too.