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Thread: Prototype Dumping Resources

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    Flawless Rawkality Flack's Avatar
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    Default Prototype Dumping Resources

    I done stick my nose in this here prototype area too often, but I thought I'd take a few minutes to check it out. Cool stuff!

    I just wanted to post a standing offer for dumping any proto or rare carts anyone needs dumping. I currently have the ability to dump:

    SNES
    Sega Genesis
    Nintendo 64

    It's pretty exciting to think there are still games out there that no one has discovered yet!

    EDITED FOR CLARITY: This means I can dump existing US carts into ROM format for computer use -- not the other way around (making carts out of ROMs).

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    Pac-Man (Level 10)
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    I'm going to sticky this, and let any other potential dumpers chime in. Please keep posts in this thread at a strict level of either posting your dumping resources, availability, etc., or ideas for outside resource suggestions and ideas. If you have questions for specific dumpers, or want to make a request, either make a new thread or a private message.

    My equipment is out of commission at the moment, but theoretically in the future I can start dumping NES stuff again. I'm also technically capable of GBA, but being that it's modern stuff, it's kind of a gray area for me.

    EDIT: A software update has fixed my CopyNES problems, I'm now capable of dumping NES games again.

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    Peach (Level 3)
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    I can dump most early stuff - 2600, 5200, 7800, Coleco, Atari8 and basically anything beyond that with eproms. Most other older stuff I can build an adapter for the eprom reader. I have dumped a few prototypes before as I'm sure Joe, Redeye, Mike Etler and others will vouch for my discretion and capabilities.
    AlanD

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    Insert Coin (Level 0)
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    I guess I could help for dumping within the UK.

    As of now, I can only do Mega Drive games but hopefully will be able to do SMS games soon.

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    Peach (Level 3) DogP's Avatar
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    I can dump any with socketed EPROMs too, and I can make adapters for most systems if nobody already has an adapter that can dump. I also can dump any Virtual Boy carts, although I'm doubting anyone here has any VB games that they need dumped :P .

    DogP
    Virtual Boy Lives @ Project: VB

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    Ryu Hayabusa (Level 16) rbudrick's Avatar
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    Default e

    I can do some GB/GBC and most GBA, but like Red said, GBA is a bit of a grey area. Working on getting resources for other systems.

    -Rob
    The moral is, don't **** with Uncle Tim when he's been drinking!

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    Insert Coin (Level 0)
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    I'm able to dump NES (socketed eproms), SNES, GB, GBC, GBA, N64...
    That's about it... I guess
    Longtime webmaster of...
    www.nesworld.com

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    Insert Coin (Level 0)
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    I am able to dump NES (carts, not single EEPROMs), GB/C, GBA, and rip Dreamcast.

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    ServBot (Level 11) Lemmy Kilmister's Avatar
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    Hey Flack i pm'ed you about a da dumped da dump.
    Tradegamesnow and GameTZ feedback.

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    ServBot (Level 11) Lemmy Kilmister's Avatar
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    Sorry just read about post requests on a different post.
    Tradegamesnow and GameTZ feedback.

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    Pac-Man (Level 10) ianoid's Avatar
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    Default adapters, etc

    When you say you can build an adapter does that mean you can dump a cart without opening it up and removing the chips and dumping them individually?

    I have tons of protos and eproms, and it's just a matter of time before some of them go caput... I really need to get dumping. Some could be WIP variants, but there are no undiscovered items in there, as far as I know. I probably need to get a dumping rig together myself. Is there a simple step by step to do it via USB somewhere?

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    Pear (Level 6)
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    most dumping is done via parallel port.

    I too can dump and burn back the memory. As long as the EPROMs you have have a window in them, I can erase them and reburn to minty fresh condition.

    Socketed eproms are the easiest to dump.. soldered on eproms are a pain in the rear! I've done it.. but it's a pain to remove them, dump, and solder back on. Defintly a last resort thing!

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    Peach (Level 3) DogP's Avatar
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    Default Re: adapters, etc

    Quote Originally Posted by ianoid
    When you say you can build an adapter does that mean you can dump a cart without opening it up and removing the chips and dumping them individually?
    Right, you should be able to dump all games using the edge connector if you have the right kind of adapter, and I think most systems have pinouts and information available so I could make an adapter, although it wouldn't be worth making an adapter if someone else already has one (they're kinda time consuming to make). But, of course EPROMs (socketed especially) are the easiest to dump.

    DogP
    Virtual Boy Lives @ Project: VB

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    Pear (Level 6)
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    This edge adapter sounds like an interesting idea, and shouldn't be that difficult to implement. All you need to do is get a new 72 pin connector (and for once, the hard ones are good!) and 2 blank 32 pin sockets.

    You then just connect wires between the socket tops and the connector. (I don't even think you need a protective diode on the adapter since there's one on the cart and one on any good EPROM reader). 1 socket for PRG, 1 socket for CHR. and make sure Vcc and GND are connected correctly.

    pop the cart into the connector, the socket goes into the reader.. and 30 seconds later you would have dumped the PRG. Do the same thing for CHR and you're done.

    If I have some time, I might put something like this together.

    But this device is limited in what you can do. If you want to rejouvinate the EPROMs, you still need to remove them, erase them, and re-burn!

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    Peach (Level 3) DogP's Avatar
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    The biggest problem with just connecting it like that is you'll only be able to dump about the first 10 games released for the NES :P . IIRC, there's only 15 (A0-A14) PRG ROM address lines and 14 (A0-A13) CHR ROM addess lines connected to the edge. Almost every game ends up using MMC chips, which have to be driven in a certain way to read all the memory from the ROMs. About just making a regular adapter to a socket and dumping through an EPROM reader, I made one myself for the Virtual Boy, but that one was easy, because there were no MMC chips, everything was straight to the edge, and there's 23 (A0-A22) address lines connected to the edge.

    My personal opinion of dumping games is writing software to load into memory on the system, then swap out the carts and read the whole memory space from the program and send it over one of the external communication ports (that's how I dump the Virtual Boy games now).

    DogP
    Virtual Boy Lives @ Project: VB

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    Pear (Level 6)
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    Thanks DogP! That's exactly how the NES copy does it.

    There is one other way of doing it. You can also create a special adapter that uses pongo pins. You then put this adapter right on top of the ROM or EPROM and then dump the cart. You will have to open the cart.

    I would love to build my own CopyNES, but can't find the software anywhere!

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    Peach (Level 3) DogP's Avatar
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    Yeah, I've actually built an adapter that dumps chips while they're in circuit, but the problem is when you get multiple chips sharing address and data lines, you have to make sure that you know the pinout of every chip so you're able to disable the other chips, otherwise, you'll get multiple chips trying to output data (other ROMs) and/or the other chips trying to change the address being accessed (like MMCs).

    DogP
    Virtual Boy Lives @ Project: VB

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    Peach (Level 3)
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    DogP:
    Absolutely right about the chip clips. I tried to do that on NES carts when I was dumping a lot of missing roms - chip clips will light up every chip on the board and cause a lot of problems on the bus. Much easier in my opinion to remove the chips and build an adapter for the eprom reader. That is how I read production roms once upon a time. Protos are easier since most times NES stuff isn't sodlered but even if it is it is just a standard eprom and no adapter is necessary. SMS, O2, Atari8 (usually), Colecovision and a few others are easy to read from the edge connector. My Coleco reader is an old Atari computer cart port from a dead system rewired to plug into the eprom reader. Works great.

    Anyway if anyone wants to dump some previously unreleased Coleco items just let me know There are a few I wouldn't mind backing up

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    Insert Coin (Level 0)
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    I can do Sega SG-1000/SC-3000/SF-7000/SMS/GG dumping.

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    ServBot (Level 11) hydr0x's Avatar
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    I can do SNES/SFC dumping and i'm located in Germany
    -Jan

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