Insidegadgets Gameboy Cart Shield User manual
Page1GameboyCartShieldManualv1.3Revision1
Gameboy Cart Shield v1.3
AnadapterforGameboycartridgestoreadtheROMand
read/writetotheRAMusinganArduino.Usesthe
GBCartReadprogramtocommunicatewiththeArduino.
Features
BackupyourGameboy/GameboyColourgamesROM
toyourPC
BackupyourGameboy/GameboyColoursavegames
toyourPCandabilitytorestorethem
Requirements
ArduinoDuemilanoveorUno‐5Vversions(willwork
withother5VArduinosbutrequirescustomre‐wiring)
Specifications
PCBBoard:69mmx53mm
Inputvoltage:5V
Weight:18grams
HowtoUse
1. ConnecttheGameboyCartShieldtotheArduinoandplugtheArduinoin.
2. Openthe\GBCartRead_v1_7_Arduino\GBCartRead_v1_7.inofileandprogramittoyourArduino.Note
downtheCOMportnumberinuse;youcanfindthisoutfromtheArduinosoftwarebygoingtoTools‐
>Serialport.
3. TherearetwochoicestocommunicatewiththeArduino–usingtheCprogramorthePythonprogram.
PythonProgram
a. DownloadandinstallPython3.2(http://www.python.org/download/)andpySerial
(http://pypi.python.org/pypi/pyserial)
b. Openupthe“GBCartRead_v1_7_Python_Interface.py”scriptbyrightclickingitandselecting“Edit
withIDLE”.
c. Changethe“COM2”serialporttotheserialportthatyourArduinoisconnectedon,savethefileand
pressF5torunit.
d. Anewwindowwillappear,after2‐3secondsyou’llhavesomeoptionsavailable.
CProgram
a. Openconfig.iniandchangetheCOMportnumbertotheserialportthatyourArduinoisconnected
onandsavethefile.
b. Run“GBCartRead_v1_7_C_Interface.exe”inWindowsorre‐compilethesourceforyourOS
Page2GameboyCartShieldManualv1.3Revision1
4. AtthisstageyoushouldinsertyourGameboycartridgeandpressthepowerbutton,thepowerLED
shouldlightup.
5. Press0toreadtheheaderandverifythatitlookscorrect.Ifitdoesn’tlookcorrect,pressthepower
buttontopowerofftheGameboycartridge,removeandre‐insertitandpoweritupagain.
6. Press1toDumptheROM,2toBackupyourRAMor3toLoadyourRAMfile.Hashes(#)willstart
printingeveryfewsecondsandafilecalled<gametitle>.gbor.savwillbecreatedifyouchoseoption1
or2.Ifyouchooseoption3,itwillloadthesavefrom<gametitle>.sav.
WerecommendedverifyingyourGameboyROMusingBGB(aGameboyemulator)or"xgbfix.exe‐v‐d
<your_rom.rom>"foundintheprojectcalled"ASMotor"(we'veincludedit).It’sagoodideatoverifyyour
savefilestoobyrunningtheROMwhenthesavefileispresentinBGB.
KitContents
Toassemblethekityouwillrequireasolderingironandsolder.
PictureNameDescriptionQty
PCBGameboyCartShieldv1.3PCB1
GameboyCartSlot1
U1,U274HC595ShiftRegisterSO‐82
Q1PChannelMosfetSOT23‐BSS841
R1–R510KResistorSMD0805(reads1002)10
C10.1uFCapacitorSMD08051
‐ +
LED1–LED3RedLEDSMD0805(notethepositiveand
negativesides)
3
S1–S44.3mmTactileSMDSwitch1
8pinmaleheader2
6pinmaleheader2
Page3GameboyCartShieldManualv1.3Revision1
BuildInstructions
FirstlyyouwillneedtosnipofftheendsoftheGBAGameCartSlototherwisewhenyoutrytoinsertthe
Gameboycartridgestheywon'tfit.
NextyouneedtobendtheGBAGameCartSlotpinsby45degreesorthereaboutsotherwisethepinswill
sitafewmillimetresabovetheboard.TheGBAGameCartSlotmayalsohavetwosmalllittleplasticbitson
thebottomwhichyouwillneedtoshaveoff.
SolderalltheSMDpackagesfirst,thentheGameboyCartridgeheaderandlastlythemaleheaders.
Ifyoufindthesilkscreenhardtoread,thePCBplacementguidepicturesareincluded.
Page4GameboyCartShieldManualv1.3Revision1
RevisionHistory
v1.3Rev.1–12/Feb/2015
Addedpowercircuit/buttontoswitchpoweronorofftotheGameboyCartridge,allowsyouto
easilyswitchbetweencartridgeswithoutneedingtounplugyourArduino(thankstoFrodevdM.
MovedSCKwirefrompin12topin13forSPI
UpdatedGBCartReadtov1.7
v1.2Rev.3–14/Nov/2014
UpdatedGBCartReadtov1.5
v1.2Rev.2–21/Jul/2014
UpdateddocumentationasGBAGameCartSlotfromDXhaschangedwhatitlookslike
v1.2Rev.1–3/Jan/2014
UpdatedtoincludedLEDsforWRandRDpins
Changedpin13topinA3assomeArduino'smayhaveissueswithpin13
CorrectedissuewithVCCnotbeingconnectedtothe74HC595DVCC
v1.1Rev.1–2/Jul/2013
v1.0Rev.1–14/Mar/2013
InitialRelease
(c)2013‐2015byinsideGadgets
http://www.insidegadgets.com
ThisworkislicensedunderaCreativeCommonsAttribution‐NonCommercial3.0UnportedLicense.
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by‐nc/3.0/
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