Famicopier

Discuss hardware-related topics, such as development cartridges, CopyNES, PowerPak, EPROMs, or whatever.

Moderator: Moderators

Post Reply
Fiskbit
Posts: 891
Joined: Sat Nov 18, 2017 9:15 pm

Famicopier

Post by Fiskbit »

I picked up a Famicopier and figured people might be interested in some photos. This device apparently copies games from some kind of proprietary 56-pin cartridge to a 60-pin Famicom cartridge, presumably always NROM. I don't have any cartridges for this, unfortunately, but device photos are attached. The PCB has some black felt glued to it in places where the PCB would be visible through the enclosure, which I can remove if need be, but will otherwise keep in place.

lidnariq created a parts list based on the photos:

two 8255s: GPIO expanders
D780: Z80 or 8080 from NEC, I forget which
µPA2003: 7 "darlington" transistors
two 74'32s
a 74HCU04
a 74HC139
µPD4584: 4000-series analog to 74'14 (six schmitt trigger inverters)
giant heatsink with thing: 5v reg
Attachments
Famicopier top.jpg
Famicopier bottom.jpg
Famicopier solder.jpg
Famicopier parts.jpg
Famicopier parts 2.jpg
User avatar
krzysiobal
Posts: 1037
Joined: Sun Jun 12, 2011 12:06 pm
Location: Poland
Contact:

Re: Famicopier

Post by krzysiobal »

Interesting, I wonder what's difference between your and this: viewtopic.php?p=274676#p274676
(one additional 8255).

WOuld it be possible to make photos without those sticked pieces of black insulation tape?
Image My website: http://krzysiobal.com | Image My NES/FC flashcart: http://krzysiocart.com
Fiskbit
Posts: 891
Joined: Sat Nov 18, 2017 9:15 pm

Re: Famicopier

Post by Fiskbit »

I was hoping you wouldn't ask that! But yes, I've gone ahead and removed the felt, which did not come off cleanly, and removed most of the mess from the solder side. What's left on the parts side doesn't obscure anything. Pictures attached. Note on the parts side that one of the jumpers on the bottom right, which has a bodge wire on the solder side, is actually cut on the parts side.
Attachments
Famicopier full solder.jpg
Famicopier full parts.jpg
Famicopier full parts left.jpg
Famicopier full parts right.jpg
Famicopier full parts hidden.jpg
Bavi_H
Posts: 193
Joined: Sun Mar 03, 2013 1:52 am
Location: Texas, USA
Contact:

Re: Famicopier

Post by Bavi_H »

I wondered what the text said, so here's a machine translation of the labels:

Code: Select all


[top cartridge slot:]
ファミコピア・カセット
Famicopier Cartridge

LED点滅/点灯
LED blinking/lit

3:コピー!  X/O
3: Copy!  X/O

2:消えてる?  X/O
2: Erased?  X/O

1:サイズ?  L/S
1: Size?  L/S

[bottom light:]
コピー/電源
Copy/Power

[switch:]
入
電源
On
Power

[bottom cartridge slot:]
ゲーム・カセット
Game Cartridge


[back label:]

ファンテック株式会社
Fantech Co., Ltd.

〒160東京都新宿区西新宿3丁目-11-18-301
Postal Code 160, Tokoyo, Shinjuku Ward, West Shinjuku, District 3, Block 11, Building 18, Room 301

TEL. 03 378-4922

型式 FW-1
Model FW-1

No. A002021
lidnariq
Posts: 11432
Joined: Sun Apr 13, 2008 11:12 am

Re: Famicopier

Post by lidnariq »

The ROM appears to be socketed, so it should be easy to remove it and dump it.
User avatar
krzysiobal
Posts: 1037
Joined: Sun Jun 12, 2011 12:06 pm
Location: Poland
Contact:

Re: Famicopier

Post by krzysiobal »

Thanks for wonderful quality images. Pleasure to work with.
Looks like the upper (56 pin connector) is not used for target cartridge, but rather some intermediate board, consisting of socketed 2 EPROMS (32 kB PRG, 16 kB CHR) that after programming, will be soldered to the target cartridge.
Data from the source cartridge is directly mapped into the 8080 space:
MEM $0000-$1fff -> 6264 EPROM with the firmware
MEM $4000-$5fff -> CHR (cartridge always sees it as read)
MEM $8000-$ffff -> PRG (8080 must always read, buf whether the source cartriidge sees is as read or write depends on the 2PA0)

Playing with the target cartridge is going thru 8255s which are mapped at
IO $0000-$0003 (first, seting data/address bus)
IO $0004-$0007 (second, reading state of buttons, setting diodes, setting target VPPP/OE and simulating writes to the source cartridge (CNROM banking)

I dont see a way to control A14 of seconds memory in target cartridge so only 16kB from CNROM can be copied.

Image Image
Last edited by krzysiobal on Fri Dec 09, 2022 11:47 am, edited 1 time in total.
Image My website: http://krzysiobal.com | Image My NES/FC flashcart: http://krzysiocart.com
Bavi_H
Posts: 193
Joined: Sun Mar 03, 2013 1:52 am
Location: Texas, USA
Contact:

Re: Famicopier

Post by Bavi_H »

Notes
  • The copying device is called something like "Mr. Robo Dub" -- Dubby Robo-kun (ダビロボ君 dabi robo-kun), from shortening the word dubbing (ダビング dabingu). The model number is FW-1, possibly for Famicopier Writer 1.

    The cartridge is called something like "Mr. Robo Cart" -- Robo Casse-kun (ロボカセ君 robo kase-kun), from shortening the word cassette (カセット kasetto). The model number is FC-1, possibly for Famicopier Cassette 1.

    Here are various images I found, with text translations and source links:
    famicopier-images.zip (1.44 mebibytes, 17 images and 6 text files).
    I included two of the images in this post.

    I found pictures of the box for the copier device. The box says that two games can be copied on to one cartridge, and that "L-size" games can also be copied.

    I found pictures of the 56-pin target cartridge. On the back, it has a switch with positions 1, L, and 2, and another switch with positions A and B.

    3.5 cart - h335059951.5.jpg

    In the pictures I found, most of the carts are labeled "Mr. Robo Cart" / Robo Casse-kun (ロボカセ君). One cart is labeled "Mr. Robo Cart 2" / Robo Casse-kun 2 (ロボカセ君2), but I don't notice anything else different about it.

    In a blog entry, someone couldn't find an original cartridge to use with their Famicopier, but they found a wiring diagram and were able to make a compatible cartridge. Their reproduction cartridge has a 56-pin edge on one side and a 60-pin edge on the other side labeled "FC EDGE CONNECTOR". It also has a 3-pin header labeled "H/V".

    5.1 repo cart - fccopy07.jpg

    The blog author also posted a short YouTube video showing an example copy procedure.

Conjecture
  • Perhaps the A/B switch on the target cartridge might select the nametable mirroring/arrangement. In other words, perhaps the A/B switch on the original target cartridge might correspond to the H/V pin header on the repo cartridge.

    On the copier device, button 1 "Size?" presumably lets you select the size of the copy procedure as either "L" or "S" for "large" or "small".

    Presumably if you want to copy a "small" game, you can set the switch on the target cartridge for 1 or 2 to choose a bank to copy the game into, and on the copy device, you press button 1 "Size?" until the light is lit steady for "S" small.

    Presumably if you want to copy a "large" game, you set the switch on the target cartridge to "L" and it uses both banks. On the copy device, you press button 1 "Size?" until the light blinks for "L" large.

    On the copy device, I guess button 2 "Erased?" just checks if the cart bank you selected is empty. I presume the light comes on to confirm the bank is empty, or the light blinks to indicate the bank is used. I guess the copy device can't actually erase the cartridge. Maybe you're supposed to have a separate UV eraser device or leave the cartridge in direct sunlight for a long time to erase it.

    The repo cart has two edge connectors, the 56-pin edge for inserting into the copy device, and a 60-pin one presumably for inserting into a Famicom. The original target cart only appears to have the 56-pin edge. Perhaps the original cart is supposed to be attached to some 56-pin to 60-pin adapter to be able to insert it into a Famicom.
User avatar
krzysiobal
Posts: 1037
Joined: Sun Jun 12, 2011 12:06 pm
Location: Poland
Contact:

Re: Famicopier

Post by krzysiobal »

I looked how the 60 pin vs 56 pin sockets are wired in the blue cartridge from your photo and I see that the pins I considered to be PRG-A/D in the 56 pin connector are CHR-A/D and vice versa, so the fami copier might be able to write full 32 kB CNROM games.
Good question is what drives the CHR-A13 and CHR-A14 (74161 vs Famicopier)

I also don't see what would drive PRG-A14 then.

I was unsure about the transistors circuit yesterday, but when I notied on other Fiskbit's picures that they are 78LXX voltage regulators, not transistors, it makes now clear that Famicopier supplies both +12V and +20V programming voltage. Either there is some logic inside its firmware that first tries to program using lower voltage and when it fails, tries the higher one or.. there is solder jumper on the target cartridge for selecting it (I doubt switch).
Image My website: http://krzysiobal.com | Image My NES/FC flashcart: http://krzysiocart.com
Post Reply