ROMs and EPROMs.

[Tonto]

I recall reading that some carts have more chips in them than others and are thus heavier. But I was wondering, What is the difference between a normal, mass produced cart and one with more chips in it? And what the other chips do?

Any of the knowledgable SMS folk out there know what's what?

[Bock]

ROM stands for "Read-Only Memory". They can be mass manufactured for cheap based on a master MaskROM. This is what you find on retails cartridges.
However note that some retails cartridges have several chips, they are not necessary EPROM.

SMS cartridges comes in 2 kinds:
- those with single chip, the chip usually includes ROM + an internal mapper.
- those with multiple chips, usually the mapper and separate ROM chips.
- game with internal RAM also have a little RAM and a battery if the memory is battery backed (most RPG).
Some pictures of cart with multiple chips here:
www.smspower.org/dev/docs/SMSPagingChips.html

EPROM stands for "Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory". For small production run it's faster and cheaper to burn an EPROM than a ROM. An EPROM burner can fits in hand. Developpers can use that for their own work (although usually they used EPROM emulators) or to send preview/final games for reviewing, martketting, because the ROM is not yet manufactured.

EPROM are erasable by ultraviolet lights. This is why you should not put an EPROM outside and why the little window on EPROM is usually covered with a sticker, to prevent accidental erasure of data. However, even with a sticker, inside cartridge plastic, inside a box, inside a room, inside a bunker, EPROM are subject to leaking and LOSE THEIR DATA ALONG WITH TIME. If you hold into a SMS EPROM cartridge, be aware that it could cease working anyday. A single lost bit might screw up a game. You can always rewrite the EPROM using an EPROM burner but you'd need a backup of the original content stored in the EPROM for that. This is where I come to buy your cartridges

[Tonto]

bock said:

ROM stands for "Read-Only Memory". They can be mass manufactured for cheap based on a master MaskROM. This is what you find on retails cartridges.
However note that some retails cartridges have several chips, they are not necessary EPROM.

SMS cartridges comes in 2 kinds:
- those with single chip, the chip usually includes ROM + an internal mapper.
- those with multiple chips, usually the mapper and separate ROM chips.
- game with internal RAM also have a little RAM and a battery if the memory is battery backed (most RPG).
Some pictures of cart with multiple chips here:
www.smspower.org/dev/docs/SMSPagingChips.html

EPROM stands for "Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory". For small production run it's faster and cheaper to burn an EPROM than a ROM. An EPROM burner can fits in hand. Developpers can use that for their own work (although usually they used EPROM emulators) or to send preview/final games for reviewing, martketting, because the ROM is not yet manufactured.

EPROM are erasable by ultraviolet lights. This is why you should put an EPROM outside and why the little window on EPROM is usually covered with a sticker, to prevent accidental erasure of data. However, even with a sticker, inside cartridge plastic, inside a box, EPROM are subject to leaking and LOSE THEIR DATA ALONG WITH TIME. If you hold into a SMS EPROM cartridge, be aware that it could cease working anyday. A single lost bit might screw up a game. You can always rewrite the EPROM using an EPROM burner but you'd need a backup of the original content stored in the EPROM for that.

Bock, for someone who doesn't use english as their first language, that was a remarkably coherent and understandable reply. Thank you. ;D

[Tonto]

Why was this moved to emulation? It has nothing to do with it.

[Sinistral]

Ask Stan. I think he just likes moving things. I think hardware would be a more suitable place for this post Stan?

[Tonto]

sinistral said:

Ask Stan. I think he just likes moving things. I think hardware would be a more suitable place for this post Stan?

Yep, that would make sense.