NROM

The generic designation NROM refers to the Nintendo cartridge boards NES-NROM-128, NES-NROM-256, their HVC counterparts, and clone boards. The iNES format assigns mapper 0 to NROM.

Overview

• PRG ROM size: 16 KiB for NROM-128, 32 KiB for NROM-256 (DIP-28 standard pinout)
• PRG ROM bank size: Not bankswitched
• PRG RAM: 8 KB, Not Bankswitched, Only in Family Basic
• CHR capacity: 8 KB ROM (DIP-28 standard pinout), or 8KB RAM in Family Basic
• CHR bank size: Not bankswitched, see Variants or see CNROM
• Nametable mirroring: Solder pads select vertical or horizontal mirroring
• Subject to bus conflicts: Yes

Banks

All Banks are fixed,

• CPU $8000-$BFFF: First 16 KB of ROM.
• CPU $C000-$FFFF: Last 16 KB of ROM (NROM-256) or mirror of $8000-$BFFF (NROM-128).

Solder pad config

• Horizontal mirroring : 'H' disconnected, 'V' connected.
• Vertical mirroring : 'H' connected, 'V' disconnected.

Registers

None. This has normally no mapping capability whatsoever!

Hardware

PRG ROM 256 kBit (32 KB x 8) (DIP-28) :

              ---_---
       +5V - |01   28| - +5V
       A12 - |02   27| - A14 (VCC on NROM-128)
       A7  - |03   26| - A13
       A6  - |04   25| - A8
       A5  - |05   24| - A9
       A4  - |06   23| - A11
       A3  - |07   22| - /OE (/ROMSEL)
       A2  - |08   21| - A10
       A1  - |09   20| - /CE (GND)
       A0  - |10   19| - D7
       D0  - |11   18| - D6
       D1  - |12   17| - D5
       D2  - |13   16| - D4
       GND - |14   15| - D3
              -------

CHR ROM 64 kBit (8 KB x 8) (DIP-28) :

              ---_---
       +5V - |01   28| - +5V
       A12 - |02   27| - VCC
       A7  - |03   26| - NC
       A6  - |04   25| - A8
       A5  - |05   24| - A9
       A4  - |06   23| - A11
       A3  - |07   22| - /OE (CHR /RD)
       A2  - |08   21| - A10
       A1  - |09   20| - /CE (CHR A13)
       A0  - |10   19| - D7
       D0  - |11   18| - D6
       D1  - |12   17| - D5
       D2  - |13   16| - D4
       GND - |14   15| - D3
              -------

EPROM Modifications

No modifications nessesary.

Variants

RROM and SROM are NROM with different shuffled CHR ROM pinouts. HROM is an early NROM variant without the solder pads to select mirroring, only vertical mirroring available (as if the 'H' pad were selected).

NROM operates identically to a CNROM with one CHR bank, or Rare's AxROM with CHR ROM, different mirroring, and only 32 KB PRG ROM.

Family Basic, released by Nintendo, Sharp, and Hudson, contains 8 KB WRAM accessible at $6000-$7FFF, that is (whole or partially?) backed with 2 AA batteries. The cartridge is equipped with a back up switch that, when enabled, write-protects WRAM area $6000-$6FFF to prevent possible data corruption if the Famicom is turned on or off.

See also

• Programming NROM