3.3v to 5v Level Shifter shifter board

[Cya]

Hey everyone.

I'm new here but I have a project I want to make similar to krzysiobal post https://forums.nesdev.com/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=17696

I want to make a board to protect my NES from these 3.3v flash carts using logic level shifters that solders directly to the 72pin flash cart.

I had a few questions about these carts and wondered if anyone knew where they came from originally? (are they a knockoff of someones project or some product created by demand?)
Why do they appear to all say Mindkids on them?
Can anyone identify the 44pin chip that says SMD133 on it?

Thanks for all your help in advance.

[lidnariq]

I had a few questions about these carts and wondered if anyone knew where they came from originally? (are they a knockoff of someones project or some product created by demand?)

The market for games that ran on Famiclones lasted several decades later in China than (e.g.) the US; this is basically the same hardware.

Why do they appear to all say Mindkids on them?

Branding.

Can anyone identify the 44pin chip that says SMD133 on it?

That's the mapper IC itself. It's approximately an MMC3, plus some stuff.

It might be that SMD133 = Mindkids and SMD132=COOLBOY, but I wouldn't trust it to be that clear-cut.

[Cya]

lidnariq Thanks for the reply. Really helpful!

[aquasnake]

44pin chip is the mmc3 clone, not a cpld programmable device, but an asic ic.

this cart is from Shenzhen China, a valuable MMC3 based multicart.

they dont have any level-shifter, but the mmc3 clone chip has the io-tolerance of 5v inputs, and outputs with 3v io levels to nor flash and sram, so dont need level-shifters.

i think it is a smart design.