Mapper: Difference between revisions
(→iNES 1.0 mapper grid: Subor too) |
(→iNES 1.0 mapper grid: expand key) |
||
Line 202: | Line 202: | ||
| [[File:Mfr icon Missing.png]] [[INES Mapper 175|175]] | | [[File:Mfr icon Missing.png]] [[INES Mapper 175|175]] | ||
|- | |- | ||
| [[File:Mfr icon | | [[File:Mfr icon Waixing.png]] [[INES Mapper 176|176]] | ||
| [[File:Mfr icon Missing.png]] [[INES Mapper 177|177]] | | [[File:Mfr icon Missing.png]] [[INES Mapper 177|177]] | ||
| [[File:Mfr icon Waixing.png]] [[INES Mapper 178|178]] | | [[File:Mfr icon Waixing.png]] [[INES Mapper 178|178]] | ||
Line 288: | Line 288: | ||
|} | |} | ||
Most icons next to mapper numbers refer to publishers. | |||
Nintendo-made boards with numerous publishers get the Nintendo icon; Nintendo-made boards dominated by one publisher get that publisher's icon. | |||
Other icons refer to status: | |||
* [[File:Mfr icon Bad.png]] This mapper is "bad": it was used for something other than an actual cartridge. Some are mapper hacks on early copiers such as those made by Front. | |||
* [[File:Mfr icon Pirate MMC3.png]] "Pirate MMC3" mappers. | |||
* [[File:Mfr icon pirate.png]] Mappers used primarily by illegally copied games, usually multicarts, sometimes single-game mapper hacks. | |||
* [[File:Mfr icon Generic.png]] Mappers for which we have some information but no identified manufacturer. | |||
* [[File:Mfr icon Missing.png]] Mappers that are not yet documented on this wiki. Do not assume undocumented mappers are currently unassigned; consult other sources. | |||
== See also == | == See also == |
Revision as of 02:44, 5 October 2012
A mapper is a piece of hardware soldered to a cartridge's printed circuit board that performs address decoding, bank switching, and possibly other tasks. Some mappers can generate interrupts for timing; some Famicom games' mappers even have extra audio channels.
NES cartridges can include extra hardware which allows the use of large program and graphics ROMs and extra features. This extra hardware is usually referred to as a "mapper", as it is used primarily to map the relatively small CPU and PPU address spaces to a portion of the larger address space of the ROM(s) on the cartridge.
Mappers vary in how they translate addresses. The various CPU memory mapping schemes expand the maximum program size above the standard 32 KiB to larger powers of 2, while PPU memory mapping schemes can add new graphic features.
Most mappers fall into one of two categories: discrete logic, and ASIC based. Some discrete logic mappers are susceptible to bus conflicts. Nintendo uses the term Memory Management Controller (or MMC for short) for its ASIC mappers ("Why Game Paks Never Forget" article in Nintendo Power).
Discrete logic mappers are often referred to by the name of a board that they are commonly used in (e.g. "UNROM"). ASIC mappers are named after the ASIC (e.g. "MMC1" or "FME-7"), except in boards that use an ASIC in an unusual way (such as "TQROM", "TLSROM", or "NES-EVENT"). The emulation community generally refers to mappers by a numbering scheme that originated with the iNES emulator (e.g. "mapper 002").
iNES 1.0 mapper grid
Most icons next to mapper numbers refer to publishers. Nintendo-made boards with numerous publishers get the Nintendo icon; Nintendo-made boards dominated by one publisher get that publisher's icon. Other icons refer to status:
- This mapper is "bad": it was used for something other than an actual cartridge. Some are mapper hacks on early copiers such as those made by Front.
- "Pirate MMC3" mappers.
- Mappers used primarily by illegally copied games, usually multicarts, sometimes single-game mapper hacks.
- Mappers for which we have some information but no identified manufacturer.
- Mappers that are not yet documented on this wiki. Do not assume undocumented mappers are currently unassigned; consult other sources.
See also
- Nintendo: MMC1, MMC2, MMC3, MMC4, MMC5 with audio, MMC6
- Konami: VRC1, VRC2, VRC3, VRC4, VRC6 with audio, VRC7 with audio, VRC irqs
- Others: Color Dreams, Namco 106 with audio, NINA-001, NINA-03/06, SUBOR, Sunsoft FME-7
- List of discrete logic mappers
- List of iNES mapper numbers
- Comparison of Nintendo mappers
- List of mapper names and corresponding iNES mapper numbers
- Hardware pinout, including mapper pinouts
External links
- Disch's detailed list of over 50 mappers at romhacking.net