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Thread: Famicom EEPROM Disk Writer Carts

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    Insert Coin (Level 0) cheaplightning's Avatar
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    Default Famicom EEPROM Disk Writer Carts

    I picked these up at a flea market today.
    I have never seen any carts like these before and was wondering if anyone has any info.

    I have not tried them in my famicom yet.



    Thanks

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    Insert Coin (Level 0) cheaplightning's Avatar
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    BTW the Japanese says "repair 3"

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    Strawberry (Level 2) ccovell's Avatar
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    That's very interesting... please take some larger pics, okay? I guess those might be the menu system ROMs inside the Disk Writer shop units, though I kind of have my doubts. If you can't get them working, or want to get them dumped, you could send them my way.



    See more here: http://www.chrismcovell.com/secret/s...tml#diskwriter

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    Default Ask and yee shall receive.

    Here are some larger photos.
    I will try them in a Famicom after dinner.

    The guy I bought them from said. あーーーーーーーーそれはやばいです。
    But "Yabai" can mean bad or dangerous but in Osaka at least people also often say it when they mean "cool" so I am not sure what his meaning was.











    Last edited by cheaplightning; 06-26-2011 at 12:39 PM. Reason: typos

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    I tried both carts in 3 different famicoms and a famulator.
    No dice.
    For a brief moment I thought I saw some kind of pattern with the famulator but after multiple tries I was unsuccessful. So I still have no idea what these things are for.

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    Strawberry (Level 2) ccovell's Avatar
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    Yeah, I had my doubts they would be the actual menu software, since they're EEPROMs. I don't know what they're for, but EEPROMs means they're meant to be erased by the system itself and loaded with something temporarily. Since this is for the Disk Writer, I imagine it's for storing a game temporarily while the system is writing it to the disk.

    (I don't know how the system operates, technically, but judging by Youtube videos of the Disk Writer screen, the game shop clerk selects a game by removing one of the NES-shaped yellow cartridges from the holder, inserts it into the machine, then the writer copies it to the EEPROM cart (inside the kiosk unit); the clerk removes the cartridge and inserts a blank FDS disk, then the unit somehow writes the contents of the EEPROM cart to the disk. Perhaps then it even erases the EEPROM. This is just speculation, but it could answer why those carts will not boot up in a normal Famicom.)

    Nintendo has a history of rarely ever using other companies' PCs, hardware, etc, preferring to make demo units, kiosks, copiers, cartridge verifiers, WideBoys, all out of existing Famicom hardware. Weird.

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    Strawberry (Level 2)
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    Is it possible that there's data currently in them even if it isn't bootable?

    I've been kinda interested in the Famicom Disk Writer since it's not documented much in terms of technical info.

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    It is possible however who knows what is in there....
    I have no way to access it. And the label of "repair 3" is more curious. It seems the other cart HAD a label on it that was removed as well.
    Who knows..

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    Default

    Based on what I've read here they could:

    1) Have EPROMs that are currently erased/corrupted
    2) Not be bootable in a standard NES/Famicom
    3) Not have data burned to the EPROMs (if it indeed has them) that is bootable data (additional storage?)
    4) In need of repair as suggested by the sticker

    Since it looks like the cart snaps closed, your only bet would be to X-Ray the thing but good luck convincing your local dentist to let you use his expensive machine and film to check out what is inside the cart.

    If these are indeed some sort of intermediary for writing data onto a FDS disk then the data could be modified in such a way that it requires the FDS to boot it. I don't think you can write the data dumped from a FDS disk onto an EPROM and wire it into a reproduction cart with it just booting. Pretty sure it has to be hacked somehow.
    I fix things. You name it, I'll work on it. Want something modded? Recapped?

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    Quote Originally Posted by APE992 View Post
    Based on what I've read here they could:

    1) Have EPROMs that are currently erased/corrupted
    2) Not be bootable in a standard NES/Famicom
    3) Not have data burned to the EPROMs (if it indeed has them) that is bootable data (additional storage?)
    4) In need of repair as suggested by the sticker

    Since it looks like the cart snaps closed, your only bet would be to X-Ray the thing but good luck convincing your local dentist to let you use his expensive machine and film to check out what is inside the cart.

    If these are indeed some sort of intermediary for writing data onto a FDS disk then the data could be modified in such a way that it requires the FDS to boot it. I don't think you can write the data dumped from a FDS disk onto an EPROM and wire it into a reproduction cart with it just booting. Pretty sure it has to be hacked somehow.

    Im a major collector of FDS to cartridge pirate conversions and I can indeed confirm that a FDS game can not be put on a cartridge without major hacking, and even then the FDS 2nd sound channel will not play through the cartridge (Ex: Doki Doki panic pirate cart is missing subtle sounds like pulling up turnips, going through doors, etc. Legend of Amana is missing a drum beat to the overall music but it still sounds decent and all the effect sounds are present) its really weird how the FDS has the exclusive sound channel, I mean its for the music and effects to sound better than a regular cart, but when it comes to wanting to have these games in cart form it gets really tricky!



    Even if you can not get them to boot there may be a wealth of information contained within. Try the Famicom World forums as theres quite a few dudes over there who are Disk System Wizards and probably know all about these carts.....
    Last edited by Parodius Duh!; 06-28-2011 at 03:49 PM.

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    Strawberry (Level 2) ccovell's Avatar
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    Default

    I see there are people fighting over dumping on that thread. Well, to add to/reiterate my first post... I have an EPROM/EEPROM reader/writer, have done this before with my protos... and I live in Tokyo, if sending abroad gives you jitters.

    Anyway, whatever, no worries.

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