Table of Contents
Video of dumping a NES cartridge
Supported cartridges
Here is the list of the currently supported mappers. The mapper is the first number in each line. To know what mapper a cartridge uses you can check this database
Setup
The mapper and size gets selected automatically but that currently doesn't work for all games. So you might have to browse through the included database.
You can enable fast scrolling when you press and hold the rotary encoder button until the LED lights up. It scrolls 30 entries at once, to deactivate hold the button pressed until the LED lights up again.
Database
The database is still a work-in-progress. If you have a game that does not get automatically detected you can check the dump log and compare the first bank/last bank CRC32s that the OSCR reads out of the cartridge with the second CRC32 listed in nes.txt.
In this example the OSCR calculated 4AD01697 and 433706F0 for Super Mario Bros.
And the nes.txt database has 4AD01697, so the game gets recognized correctly. Note: It will most likely not detect the exact region or revision, that's normal.
Super Jeopardy! (USA).nes
CF4487A2,9B25F249,4E45531A081010080000000000000002
Super Mario Bros. (Europe).nes
9A2DB086,4AD01697,4E45531A020101080000000001000001
Super Mario Bros. (World).nes
D445F698,2F5CD53A,4E45531A020101080000000002000001
Super Mario Bros. + Duck Hunt (Europe).nes
91B4B1D7,300619D4,4E45531A04022148000000000100002A
Manual mapper setup
If you can't find the game in the database at all you can also manually select the mapper and size information of the cartridge.
You can find the needed info on one of those websites, it's important that you input all the info correctly and don't leave anything out.
- http://nes.dnsabr.com/
- http://bootgod.dyndns.org:7777
- https://nescartdb.com/
- http://tuxnes.sourceforge.net/nesmapper.txt
The Cart Reader can output both a *.bin and *.nes file. The *.bin file contains just the maskrom data of the cartridge while the *.nes file has an addition iNES emulation header added. This header is not found in the cartridge. The Cart Reader has a database with all the emulation headers and tries to add the header to the bin file after dumping but it might not recognize all the games.
To manually add the emulation header you can go to http://nes.dnsabr.com and search for your game. Once found copy the 32 letters/numbers from the Header (hex) column and paste them in front of the data in the nes bin file using a hex editor. It is important that you don't overwrite any of the existing bytes but add it in front.
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Cart Reader V5
Overview
Supported Systems
List of user-created Adapters
Community Discord Server
Build Guide
Recommended Tools
What to order
How to build
More Information
How to order a PCB
How to flash the Arduino
Flashing the snesCIC
Preparing the SD Card
Automatic Voltage Selection
Real‐Time Clock
Advanced
Troubleshooting
Calibrating the ClockGen
Designing your own Adapters
Serial Monitor
Savegame Conversion
Older Revisions
About
Cart Reader V4
Cart Reader V3
Cart Reader V2
Cart Reader V1
Firmware Archive
Nintendo 64
Read N64 cartridge
Reading a Controller Pak
Reflashing N64 Repros
Reflashing a Gameshark
Super Nintendo
Reading SNES/SFC carts
Reflashing NP carts
Reflashing SNES/SFC Repros
Reflashing BSX 8M carts
NES and Famicom
Dumping NES Games
Adding auto mapper to a game
Game Boy
Reading a Game Boy rom
Reflashing NP GB Memory carts
Writing custom flashcarts
Game Boy Advance
Reading a GBA save game
Reflashing GBA repros
SEGA
Reading Mega Drive Genesis games
Reading Master System games
Other
Flashrom Programmer
Flash-Adapter
AM29F016-AM29F032
MX29F1610
MX29L3211
MX29LV160
MX29LV320
S29GL032
39F040 PLCC32