MVS Cartridge format

[CafeineCake]

Despite my googleing/searchign this forum i cant seem to find any relevant information on MVS cartridge format,traces/ships. The only thing i got was one pcb is sound and one if GFX.

The reason behind me asking is i recently found a gcc toolchain port for the MVS and was wondering how easy/hard would it be to make take a compiled ROM and stick it in an actual cartridge.

I know this topic might be sensitive due to the potential for piracy/bootlegging. But it is really sad not to see any homebrew (except for pink bullet???)

 

[Kyuusaku]

Desolder ROM, solder socket, insert your programmed ROM into socket.

 

[CafeineCake]

well i will be using MAME to test the code but aside from socketing a random cart (i only have one) i want to know how they are made.
Detailed schematics, each chip type etc etc... from what i saw in the transparent cart i have there is a couple of toshiba chips and one custom SNK chip. Any clue what they are?
Did bootleggers modify existing carts?

 

[Xian Xi]

Test it on actual hardware. Mame has some differences which is why certain homebrews don't work on actual hardware.

Sent from my SGH-i917 using Board Express

 

[smkdan]

Those Toshiba chips are just ROMs and the other chips you can read about here.

 

[CafeineCake]

Test it on actual hardware. Mame has some differences which is why certain homebrews don't work on actual hardware.

Sent from my SGH-i917 using Board Express

Thank you for the advice! However i am far from anythign serious and a bit depressed that i have to gut a cart to test any game.
The hunt for a cheap bootleg and/or dead cart starts soon

 

[smkdan]

You don't have to start with real carts. MAME is the best for getting started mainly for the debugger and it emulates the system well enough. There's a few things it does differently/doesn't emulate but for most things it works fine. I only test on hardware at the very end or when I just made/debugged something major. 99% of the time I'm testing in MAME.

 

[Witchboard]

Desolder ROM, solder socket, insert your programmed ROM into socket.

I've done this, just be wary that the additional height at which the chip will sit may keep the cartridge from properly closing.