DL9SEC GBA flashcart (small)
DL9SEC GBA flashcart
(a basic type flashcart for the Gameboy Advance)
 

 

Introduction

Based on the design of External linkTimmy Brolin´s hombrew flashcart i developed a 128MBit basic flashcart without SRAM or EEPROM (see fig. 1).

Why to build such a cart, if there are so many commercial and far better flashcartridges (with SRAM and EEPROM) are available? For me it were the following reasons:

  • i found Intel Strata Flash in my "handicrafts" parts box
  • i was interested in how to use this GBA cart-bus
  • i want to have a cart, i can extend with further hardware
  • i needed a cart for my own programming attempts
  • i felt like doing another project

So keep in mind, that this cart is not really cheaper than a commercially available one, but a good starting point for own development...

DL9SEC GBA flascart (large)

Fig. 1: View of the GBA flashcart

Hardware

What is on the cart-PCB, can be seen in theExternal linkschematic (pdf) and theExternal linkplaceplan (pdf). It is the same design, Timmy Brolin used (adress/data-demultiplexing with 74AC191 counters for random and sequential access), except that my cart uses a 128MBit Intel Strata Flash (TE28F128J3C120) and low-voltage single-gate-logic.

If you manage to get theExternal linkboard data (Eagle V4.13 format) on a 1mm (originally 0.8mm) thick PCB, the board fits perfectly in a original cart housing. Mine has a thickness of 1.5mm, so i have to do a bit extra work to get a suitable cart-housing.
As you can see in fig. 2, i used an old folded business card to do the first initiation of the prototype card, to fit properly into the cart-connector of the GBA.

DL9SEC GBA flascart plugged into the GBA (large)

Fig. 2: The flashcart plugged into the GBA SP

Programming the FLASH

If you built a cart, the FLASH on it has to be programmed. What you need is a multiboot cable (e.g. aExternal linkF2A USB Linker as i use. Maybe other MB-cables will work too...) and the apropriate programming software likeExternal linkFlashmanager V2.42 (local copy as sfx-zip) byExternal linkMootan (japanese page).

This neat little shareware supports some multiboot cable types and nearly all available cart- and flash-types. Programming the FLASH is a bit slow but it works absolute reliable. So, don´t forget to donate this japanese guy and register the shareware.

In fig. 3 you can see a screenshot of the PD-gameExternal linkArkanoid Advance byExternal linkYodajr running on my homemade flashcart.

If you have questions about the project, you are invited to contact me (see theExternal linkDisclaimer).

DL9SEC GBA flascart running Arkanoid (large)

Fig. 3: The PD-game Arkanoid running on the cart

Projects

GBA flashcart

 

 

 

 

 

 

Disclaimer

 

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Last update at 12.08.2006 by Thorsten Godau DL9SEC