EXP pins

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Revision as of 08:42, 22 September 2022 by Fiskbit (talk | contribs) (→‎CopyNES: More detail on CopyNES EXP0 operation.)
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The EXP pins are expansion pins present on the 72-pin NES cartridge connector and which connect to the expansion port on the bottom of the NES-001 console. These pins were not used by any officially released consumer device, but are used by various unlicensed devices and the FamicomBox hotel console.

Pin summary

EXP0 EXP1 EXP2 EXP3 EXP4 EXP5 EXP6 EXP7 EXP8 EXP9
CopyNES ✓
Everdrive N8 ♪
Everdrive N8 Pro ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ♪ ~ ~ ~
Expansion Port Sound Module (EPSM) ✓ ✓ ✓ ♪ ✓ ✓
ExROM (MMC5) ✓ ♪
Extended NES I/O (ENIO) ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ✓ ♪ ✓ ✓ ✓
Famicom-to-NES adapter ♪* ♪*
FamicomBox ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
INL cartridges ✓* ✓* ✓* ✓* ✓* ✓* ♪ ♪
INL Expansion Audio Dongle Slim ♪ ~
Muramasa NES FDS ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ♪ ✓ ✓ ✓
NES-21G-CPU-72P ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
PowerPak ✓ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ♪ ~ ~
PowerPak Lite ✓
TinyNES ♪

✓ : This pin is used.
♪ : This pin is used for expansion audio output (cartridge) or input (expansion device or console).
* : This pin is used by some, but not all such devices.
~ : This pin is connected, but lacks a specific function.

Pin notes

EXP0

Some modern cartridges have been observed that connect EXP0 to ground, likely because of the presence of a ground pin on the Famicom's cartridge connector in the region where the EXP pins are placed on the NES'. This provides no meaningful benefit and adds risk. For example, inserting such a cartridge into the FamicomBox can short 5V to ground through this pin, causing damage to the cartridge or console.

EXP2

EXP2 is not present on the NES-101.

EXP3

EXP3 is not present on the NES-101.

EXP5

EXP5 is not present on the NES-101.

EXP6

EXP6 is not present on the NES-101. It has become the standard console input for expansion audio and is used by flash carts, modern homebrew, and modern Famicom-to-NES adapters.

EXP9

Because EXP6 is not present on the NES-101, some NES-101 users have modified cartridges to send expansion audio over EXP9, instead.

Devices

CopyNES

The CopyNES allows the 2A03 to control EXP0. It's used to write to RAM carts, such as the PowerPak Lite.

Expansion Port Sound Module (EPSM)

The EPSM can be written through either a cart-agnostic universal access mode or a mapper-specific mode, where the cartridge decodes the address and passes chip enable and address bits via EXP pins. It also accepts expansion audio input on EXP6. 

Expansion Port    |      Cart       |    Expansion Port
                   -----------------
                          ...
     YMF288 A1 <- |20 EXP4
     EPSM /CE2 <- |19 EXP3   EXP5 55|
                  |18 EXP2   EXP6 54| -> audio
     EPSM /CE1 <- |17 EXP1   EXP7 53| -> YMF288 A0
                  |16 EXP0   EXP8 52| -> EPSM CE3
                             EXP9 51|
                          ...

ExROM (MMC5)

ExROM boards, using MMC5, are configured for expansion audio output on EXP6, though the boards must also have the appropriate resistors and capacitors populated for this to function. EXP5, which is pulled low in the cart, is used as a PRG-RAM read disable. 

Expansion Port    |      Cart       |    Expansion Port
                   -----------------
                          ...
                  |20 EXP4
                  |19 EXP3   EXP5 55| <- PRG-RAM /OE
                  |18 EXP2   EXP6 54| -> audio
                  |17 EXP1   EXP7 53|
                  |16 EXP0   EXP8 52|
                             EXP9 51|
                          ...

Extended NES I/O (ENIO)

The ENIO CPU board can be accessed through either a cart-agnostic compatibility mode or a direct addressing mode, where the cartridge decodes the address and passes R/W and /CE to the ENIO via EXP pins. EXP5 and EXP7-9 are passed to the CPU board, handling R/W, /CE, and presumably other currently-undocumented functionality. EXP6 is used as an expansion audio input. EXP0-4 are routed to an unpopulated header for expansion use. 

Expansion Port    |      Cart       |    Expansion Port
                   -----------------
                          ...
ENIO J4 header ?? |20 EXP4
ENIO J4 header ?? |19 EXP3   EXP5 55| ?? unknown (ENIO CPU board)
ENIO J4 header ?? |18 EXP2   EXP6 54| -> audio
ENIO J4 header ?? |17 EXP1   EXP7 53| -> ENIO R/W
ENIO J4 header ?? |16 EXP0   EXP8 52| -> ENIO /CE
                             EXP9 51| ?? unknown (ENIO CPU board)
                          ...

Famicom-to-NES adapter

Some Famicom-to-NES adapters connect expansion audio to an EXP pin. If connected, modern adapters typically use EXP6, though EXP2 has been observed due to its proximity to the audio-to-RF pin on the Famicom cartridge connector.

FamicomBox

The FamicomBox uses the EXP pins primarily to indicate slot ID to the cartridge's 3198 CIC. 9 of the pins are tied to some combination of ground and 5V, which can cause damage to non-FamicomBox cartridges that use EXP pins. One additional pin provides A15, which is not used by any contemporary game. Unlike the NES-001, the FamicomBox does not route any of these pins to any external port for expansion use. 

 FamicomBox    |      Cart       |    FamicomBox
                -----------------
                       ...
    CPU A15 -> |20 EXP4
/SlotIndex3 -> |19 EXP3   EXP5 55| -- GND
/SlotIndex2 -> |18 EXP2   EXP6 54| -- GND
/SlotIndex1 -> |17 EXP1   EXP7 53| -- GND
/SlotIndex0 -> |16 EXP0   EXP8 52| -- +5V
                          EXP9 51| -- +5V
                       ...

INL cartridges

Infinite NES Lives cartridges use EXP pins for various purposes, though not universally across all boards. EXP6 and EXP9 are used to output expansion audio to the console. Newer boards use EXP0 as PRG-ROM /WE for writing the cartridges, with a pullup on the board. Some boards use EXP0-3 (and EXP4 on dual-CPLD boards) for a JTAG interface. When an ATtiny13 is used for the CIC, EXP5 acts as AVR reset and the device is configured for high voltage power supply (HVPS) programming at 12v. 

 Programmer or                           Programmer or
 Expansion port   |      Cart       |    Expansion Port
                   -----------------
                          ...
                  |20 EXP4
                  |19 EXP3   EXP5 55|
                  |18 EXP2   EXP6 54| -> audio
                  |17 EXP1   EXP7 53|
   PRG-ROM /WE -> |16 EXP0   EXP8 52|
                             EXP9 51| -> audio
                          ...

 Programmer or                           Programmer or
 Expansion port   |      Cart       |    Expansion Port
                   -----------------
                         ...
CPLD2 JTAG TCK -> |20 EXP4
CPLD1 JTAG TCK -> |19 EXP3   EXP5 55| <- ATtiny13 AVR reset
      JTAG TMS -> |18 EXP2   EXP6 54| -> audio
      JTAG TDI -> |17 EXP1   EXP7 53|
      JTAG TDO -> |16 EXP0   EXP8 52|
                             EXP9 51| -> audio
                          ...

INL Expansion Audio Dongle Slim

This expansion port adapter enables expansion audio input on EXP6. While it only has pins on EXP6 and audio mix input by default, pins can be added to it on EXP9 and audio output, though they aren't routed anywhere on the board. Because EXP6 is the default for expansion audio output and the NES-001 is the only console with this expansion port, connecting to EXP9 is unlikely to be useful.

Muramasa NES FDS

Because the NES-001 doesn't easily allow a cartridge to connect with another device via an external cable, Muramasa's NES FDS connects the RAM adapter cartridge and disk drive via the EXP pins. 

            Expansion Port    |      Cart       |    Expansion Port
                               -----------------
                                      ...
                serial out <- |20 EXP4
            (R/W) $4034.W2 <- |19 EXP3   EXP5 55| <- serial in
 (transfer reset) $4035.W1 <- |18 EXP2   EXP6 54| -> audio
(write protected) $4032.R2 -> |17 EXP1   EXP7 53| -> $4025.W0 (motor control)
    (disk /ready) $4032.R1 -> |16 EXP0   EXP8 52| <- $4032.R0 (disk /inserted)
                                         EXP9 51| <- battery
                                      ...

NES-21G-CPU-72P

The NES-21G-CPU-72P board is used in some Nintendo test cartridges and uses the EXP pins to interact with an unknown device. The last value written to $6000 is outputted over 8 EXP pins, with the high bit also signaling whether the M2 and the system clock inputs are not functioning. EXP6 indicates when $6000 is being read, and it is speculated that this would cause the expansion device to drive the latched data onto the CPU data lines. EXP5 is used, but its effect is currently unknown; it may control the PRG-ROM's /OE. 

Expansion Port    |      Cart       |    Expansion Port
                   -----------------
                          ...
      $6000.R4 <- |20 EXP4
      $6000.R3 <- |19 EXP3   EXP5 55| <- unknown
      $6000.R2 <- |18 EXP2   EXP6 54| -> $6000 /read
      $6000.R1 <- |17 EXP1   EXP7 53| -> $6000.R7 OR clocks bad
      $6000.R0 <- |16 EXP0   EXP8 52| -> $6000.R6
                             EXP9 51| -> $6000.R5
                          ...

NES modem

The NES modem is an unreleased official expansion device that would have allowed online access. It is highly likely this device uses the EXP pins, but no specifics are known.

PowerPak

The PowerPak uses EXP0 to allow the CopyNES to program the boot ROM. EXP1-8 are connected to the FPGA and can be used, but only EXP6 has been (for expansion audio output). EXP9 is not connected, and some users have bridged it with EXP6 to enable expansion audio on NES-101 consoles. 

  Expansion Port    |      Cart       |    Expansion Port
                     -----------------
                            ...
     FPGA pin 22 ?? |20 EXP4
     FPGA pin 20 ?? |19 EXP3   EXP5 55| ?? FPGA pin 19
     FPGA pin 27 ?? |18 EXP2   EXP6 54| -> audio (FPGA pin 23)
     FPGA pin 12 ?? |17 EXP1   EXP7 53| ?? FPGA pin 94
boot ROM program -> |16 EXP0   EXP8 52| ?? FPGA pin 41
                               EXP9 51|
                            ...

PowerPak Lite

The PowerPak Lite is programmed with settings for the current game by a CopyNES via EXP0.

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