Analysis of four modern homebrews (Meltics / Xelat / Habiti / Fighting HRD

[krzysiobal]

I was given and asked for dumping four modern homebrew cartridges, so it's a goog idea to examine them from the hardware side. Every of them has different PCB though three are from the same company

4. Meltics

//pcb-top.jpg, pcb-back.jpg, shell-top.jpg, shell-back.jpg, box-top.jpg, box-bottom.jpg, box-edge.jpg, manual1.jpg, manual2.jpg

Just a regular NROM game, two PLCC 5V eproms (U1=AM29F010|U2=AM29F010), pcb markings: RFC-MAPO-NROM-RW-SMD Rev2.1|presented by http://regekatsu.com.
Shell - typical cheap low-profile chinese one, being infamous for appearing in cheap chinese multicarts with 3.3V part without any voltage shifters
https://aliexpress.com/item/1005007272785986.html
Presence of manual, box and transparent case gives feeling of "higher" quality

//alilowshell.png



//scr.png

3. Xelat

//pcb-top.jpg, pcb-back.jpg shell-top.jpg, shell-bottom.jpg

Another NROM game, this time two TSOP32 eproms (UA=39SF010|U2=39SF010), pcb markings: HS-FCROM-MPO|Rev.1|HABITSOFT
Interesting transparent shell also available on aliexpress:

//alitransparent1.png, alitransparent2.png
https://aliexpress.com/item/1005007682126157.html
https://aliexpress.com/item/1005008875010377.html


//scr.png

2. Habiti

//pcb-top.jpg, pcb-back.jpg, shell-top.jpg, shell-bottom.jpg

Yet again NROM game, two PLCC eproms (U1=39SF010|U2=29SF010), pcb markings: HS-FCROM-MPO|Rev.1a|HABITSOFT
Famicom-like shell, also probably from aliexpress:

//alifcshell.png

https://aliexpress.com/item/1005001310925115.html


//scr.png


1. Fighting HRD
The only non-ROM game. 512kB PRG-ROM, CHR-RAM and logic chip ((U1=AM29F040|U2=SRM2B256SLMX55|U3=SLG46826G). I'm not sure how exactly IRQs because I was only able to trigger IRQ after the very first rising edge of PPU A12 and then ack it. But looks like this game does not use IRQs.

//sch.png
//chip_pinout.png

Code: Select all

 76543210
[....PPPP] $e000 (mask: $e000)
     ++++-- 32kB PRG bank at $8000
 
[........] $a000 (mask: $e000) - acknowledge irq

IRQ is asseted after first rising edge of PPU A12

//pcb-top.jpg, pcb-bottom.jpg, shell-top.jpg, shell-bottom.jpg, price.jpg

Schematics:


//scr.png

Famiclone-like shell, probably also from aliexpress:

//alifamicloneshell.png

https://aliexpress.com/item/33056879661.html

I was trying to read-back the SLG chip, I built special device for that purpose

//reader.jpg

but after sending via I2C:

Code: Select all

               
              +++-A10,A9,A8
              |||
  start + PQRSXYZ1 + [DDDDDDDD * 2028] + STOP

returned always FFs. in the XXXXXXXXs sequencce. Only messing up with the PQRS bytes allowed me to receive something non-zero