NES to Famicom adapter ====================== This data is obtained by checking out how Nasa "New Video Game Converter" works (hehe, I just love the names of these pirate companies). I opened the adapter and, as I thought, there were no components used. So, building this adapter is only a matter of getting a 72-pin NES female connector and a 60-pin Famicom male connector and soldering them together with wires as shown in the following diagram. NES 72- to Famicom 60-pin adapter --------------------------------- Outside the box are the 72 pins of NES cartridge connector and inside are the corresponding Famicom pins. TOP BOTTOM +-----------------------------+ (GND) 01 |01&16 (GND) . NC| 37 (CLK) (PRG A11) 02 |02 (PRG A11) . (M2) 32| 38 (M2) (PRG A10) 03 |03 (PRG A10) . (PRG A12) 33| 39 (PRG A12) (PRG A09) 04 |04 (PRG A09) . (PRG A13) 34| 40 (PRG A13) (PRG A08) 05 |05 (PRG A08) . (PRG A14) 35| 41 (PRG A14) (PRG A07) 06 |06 (PRG A07) . (PRG D7) 36| 42 (PRG D7) (PRG A06) 07 |07 (PRG A06) . (PRG D6) 37| 43 (PRG D6) (PRG A05) 08 |08 (PRG A05) . (PRG D5) 38| 44 (PRG D5) (PRG A04) 09 |09 (PRG A04) . (PRG D4) 39| 45 (PRG D4) (PRG A03) 10 |10 (PRG A03) . (PRG D3) 40| 46 (PRG D3) (PRG A02) 11 |11 (PRG A02) . (PRG D2) 41| 47 (PRG D2) (PRG A01) 12 |12 (PRG A01) . (PRG D1) 42| 48 (PRG D1) (PRG A00) 13 |13 (PRG A00) . (PRG D0) 43| 49 (PRG D0) (PRG R/W) 14 |14 (PRG R/W) . (PRG /CE) 44| 50 (PRG /CE) (/IRQ) 15 |15 (/IRQ) . (EXP) 45&46*| 51 (EXP 9) (EXP 0) 16 |NC . NC| 52 (EXP 8) (EXP 1) 17 |NC . NC| 53 (EXP 7) (EXP 2) 18 |NC . NC| 54 (EXP 6) (EXP 3) 19 |NC . NC| 55 (EXP 5) (EXP 4) 20 |NC . (CHR /WR) 47| 56 (CHR /WR) (CHR /RD) 21 |17 (CHR /RD) . (CIRAM /CE) 48| 57 (CIRAM /CE) (CHR A10) 22 |18 (CHR A10) . (CHR A13) 49| 58 (CHR A13) (CHR A06) 23 |19 (CHR A06) . (CHR A07) 50| 59 (CHR A07) (CHR A05) 24 |20 (CHR A05) . (CHR A08) 51| 60 (CHR A08) (CHR A04) 25 |21 (CHR A04) . (CHR A09) 52| 61 (CHR A09) (CHR A03) 26 |22 (CHR A03) . (CHR A11) 54| 62 (CHR A11) (CHR A02) 27 |23 (CHR A02) . (CHR A10) 53| 63 (CHR A10) (CHR A01) 28 |24 (CHR A01) . (CHR A12) 55| 64 (CHR A12) (CHR A00) 29 |25 (CHR A00) . (CHR /A13) 56| 65 (CHR /A13) (CHR D0) 30 |26 (CHR D0) . (CHR D7) 57| 66 (CHR D7) (CHR D1) 31 |27 (CHR D1) . (CHR D6) 58| 67 (CHR D6) (CHR D2) 32 |28 (CHR D2) . (CHR D5) 59| 68 (CHR D5) (CHR D3) 33 |29 (CHR D3) . (CHR D4) 60| 69 (CHR D4) (SECURITY) 34 |NC . NC| 70 (SECURITY) (SECURITY) 35 |NC . NC| 71 (SECURITY) (+5V) 36 |30&31 (+5V) . (GND) 01&16| 72 (GND) +-----------------------------+ * Pins 45 and 46 on the Famicom connector are connected together. Notes ----- 1) NC means "No Connection" as you probably guessed. 2) For some reason NES has pin 62 as CHR A11 and 63 as CHR A10 and not vice versa as would seem more rational. In Famicom this situation does not exist. Keep this in mind when building the adapter. Unconnected NES pins (and why they are unconnected) --------------------------------------------------- Pins 16-20 and 52-55: These are the pins that go to the expansion connector in the bottom of the NES. As Famicom doesn't have (this type of) expansion connector, these pins are left unconnected. Only the NES pin 51 is connected to the two (one) expansion pin of the Famicom. Pins 34, 35 and 70, 71: Famicom does not have the security chip so these are unnecessary. Pin 37: I don't know the reason why the equivalent of this pin is not found in Famicom. References ---------- - Nintendo family computer circuitry RE (famicom-circuitry.txt) by Goroh (english translation by Ki) - NES Cart Types (rom.txt) by Kevin Horton - Famicom / Pegasus cartridge connector pinout (fam_pinout.txt) by Siudym'2001