Hi, I've spent some days on (trying to) understanding the FamicomBox (a special NES with 15 game cartridge slots, and pay-per-play feature, for use in hotel rooms).
There's a good and (almost) complete description of the hardware on kevtris.org - first of, here's a review of the pages:
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PAGE 1
http://kevtris.org/mappers/famicombox/index.html
Hmmmm.... the SNES-SuperFamicomBox does actually have a RTC chip, but I think the NES-FamicomBox doesn't have one - and the Menu program doesn't contain any time-display function. So, the "20:23 20:44 20:45" part must be some sort of copy-paste-typo.
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PAGE2
http://kevtris.org/mappers/famicombox/index1.html
Ah, the keyswitch. Even with a lot of love in detail... understanding that thing will be pretty hardcore. Let's see:
- It has six positions.
- Two of the positions are labelled OFF and ON (unknown which ones)
- There are Black visitor keys, and red master keys (see http://www.famicombox.jp/kaitai1.html)
- The 1st position from left is the COUNT DISP stuff, this is in Bit5 in the I/O port
- The 2nd..6th position from left have unknown function, and are assigned to unknown Bit numbers in the I/O port (if it's equally messy as the SNES version, then the bits are probably not straightly numbered).
- Aside from the obvious "Nth from Left" and "Bit number" naming schemes, there are three more naming schemes: "1 2 3 4 5 6" (ASCII string found in the menu program. "1-OFF-ON-2-3-4" (depicted on the http://www.famicombox.jp/kaitai1.html page), and "0 1 2 3 4 6" (used on the kevtris page; note the gap between 4 and 6 - I guess that are pin numbers, and pin5 would be GND or so).
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PAGE3
http://kevtris.org/mappers/famicombox/index2.html
Okay... but why not?
The FamicomBox & Menu cartridge don't use IRQs internally (except with a Test mode adaptor), so IRQs should be available for use by games - unless the IRQ lines of the deselected games are somehow disturbing the selected game...?
For the 8000h-FFFFh are, the FamicomBox is apparently masking the ROM select pin (pin 50). For other memory it would somehow need to mask memory cycles (PHI, pin 38.), and/or to output dummy-addresses (A13-A14, pin 40-41). But that isn't implemented?
For the 6000h-7FFFh part. A few games are using that area for I/O, but most commonly it is used for SRAM. Now, the FamicomBox mainboard does contain 8K SRAM mapped to that address; the Menu program doesn't seem to be using that memory at all (except in test mode). I guess the memory is kept enabled even during Game-execution (?) and probably it's actually intended for use by games.
Ie. Unlike NES games, FamicomBox SRAM Games won't contain any built-in SRAM, but rather use the SRAM on the mainboard. Right?
And a side-note on the SRAM supply: I can't see a battery on the photos, so it's probably not battery-backed. On the other hand, there's no power-switch, so SRAM should be permanently powered; unless one unplugs the power supply.
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PAGE4
http://kevtris.org/mappers/famicombox/index3.html
Just some photos here.
-----------------------------
PAGE5
http://kevtris.org/mappers/famicombox/index4.html
Some more photos. Including a few details on the "CATV" connector... Does anybody know anything on that CATV thing?
It seems to be intended to be connected to a computer in the hotel office or so. Ie. in COIN mode, you'd insert coins to play. And in CATV mode, your room bill would be charged automatically when playing (via a PLAY pin). There's also an ALERT pin (used when you try to steal the joypads or zapper).
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PAGE6
http://kevtris.org/mappers/famicombox/index5.html
Some more photos here.
-----------------------------
PAGE7
http://kevtris.org/mappers/famicombox/index6.html
Descriptions of the Pin-Outs and I/O Ports. More on that in next two posts...
There's a good and (almost) complete description of the hardware on kevtris.org - first of, here's a review of the pages:
-----------------------------
PAGE 1
http://kevtris.org/mappers/famicombox/index.html
Quote:
then it goes back to the title. 20:23 20:44 20:45
Hmmmm.... the SNES-SuperFamicomBox does actually have a RTC chip, but I think the NES-FamicomBox doesn't have one - and the Menu program doesn't contain any time-display function. So, the "20:23 20:44 20:45" part must be some sort of copy-paste-typo.
-----------------------------
PAGE2
http://kevtris.org/mappers/famicombox/index1.html
Quote:
When the keyswitch is turned all the way to the left, this screen comes up [GAME & TITLE COUNT DISP.]
And finally, if you turn the keyswitch to the right a couple clicks, you get this self test screen
And finally, if you turn the keyswitch to the right a couple clicks, you get this self test screen
Ah, the keyswitch. Even with a lot of love in detail... understanding that thing will be pretty hardcore. Let's see:
- It has six positions.
- Two of the positions are labelled OFF and ON (unknown which ones)
- There are Black visitor keys, and red master keys (see http://www.famicombox.jp/kaitai1.html)
- The 1st position from left is the COUNT DISP stuff, this is in Bit5 in the I/O port
- The 2nd..6th position from left have unknown function, and are assigned to unknown Bit numbers in the I/O port (if it's equally messy as the SNES version, then the bits are probably not straightly numbered).
- Aside from the obvious "Nth from Left" and "Bit number" naming schemes, there are three more naming schemes: "1 2 3 4 5 6" (ASCII string found in the menu program. "1-OFF-ON-2-3-4" (depicted on the http://www.famicombox.jp/kaitai1.html page), and "0 1 2 3 4 6" (used on the kevtris page; note the gap between 4 and 6 - I guess that are pin numbers, and pin5 would be GND or so).
-----------------------------
PAGE3
http://kevtris.org/mappers/famicombox/index2.html
Quote:
This thing cannot run later games that use the MMC3 or anything which uses IRQs, and anything that maps stuff outside the area of 8000-FFFFh.
Okay... but why not?
The FamicomBox & Menu cartridge don't use IRQs internally (except with a Test mode adaptor), so IRQs should be available for use by games - unless the IRQ lines of the deselected games are somehow disturbing the selected game...?
For the 8000h-FFFFh are, the FamicomBox is apparently masking the ROM select pin (pin 50). For other memory it would somehow need to mask memory cycles (PHI, pin 38.), and/or to output dummy-addresses (A13-A14, pin 40-41). But that isn't implemented?
For the 6000h-7FFFh part. A few games are using that area for I/O, but most commonly it is used for SRAM. Now, the FamicomBox mainboard does contain 8K SRAM mapped to that address; the Menu program doesn't seem to be using that memory at all (except in test mode). I guess the memory is kept enabled even during Game-execution (?) and probably it's actually intended for use by games.
Ie. Unlike NES games, FamicomBox SRAM Games won't contain any built-in SRAM, but rather use the SRAM on the mainboard. Right?
And a side-note on the SRAM supply: I can't see a battery on the photos, so it's probably not battery-backed. On the other hand, there's no power-switch, so SRAM should be permanently powered; unless one unplugs the power supply.
-----------------------------
PAGE4
http://kevtris.org/mappers/famicombox/index3.html
Just some photos here.
-----------------------------
PAGE5
http://kevtris.org/mappers/famicombox/index4.html
Some more photos. Including a few details on the "CATV" connector... Does anybody know anything on that CATV thing?
It seems to be intended to be connected to a computer in the hotel office or so. Ie. in COIN mode, you'd insert coins to play. And in CATV mode, your room bill would be charged automatically when playing (via a PLAY pin). There's also an ALERT pin (used when you try to steal the joypads or zapper).
-----------------------------
PAGE6
http://kevtris.org/mappers/famicombox/index5.html
Some more photos here.
-----------------------------
PAGE7
http://kevtris.org/mappers/famicombox/index6.html
Descriptions of the Pin-Outs and I/O Ports. More on that in next two posts...