Game Boy Advance/Developer cartridges

From Console Research Wiki
Jump to navigationJump to search

Nintendo produced various kinds of flash cartridges for the Game Boy Advance, most of which were intended for developers.

The cartridges can be flashed with an AGB FLASH GANG WRITER or AGB-compatible IS-CGB-EMULATOR.

AGB-FMC

AGB-FMC is the earliest known Game Boy Advance flash cartridge, released in late November or early December 1999.

2 variants of this type are known, distinguished by their flash chip. The Sharp LH28F160BV variant was available in capacities from 16 to 128 megabits, while the Sharp LH28F320BJ variant was available in capacities from 32 to 256 megabits.

Little is known about this cartridge type and no pictures are available. The only known information comes from the IS-FLASH-GANG-WRITER software documentation.

AGB-B01

Presumably, this is an earlier revision of the AGB-B02.

Little is known about this cartridge type and no pictures are available. The only known information comes from the IS-FLASH-GANG-WRITER software documentation.

AGB-B02

Comparison with a retail Game Boy Advance cartridge[1]

This is one of Nintendo's earliest Game Boy Advance flash cartridge, created exclusively for internal use at events like Spaceworld[2] rather than for developers. Today, it is extremely rare, with only a few known to exist.

The front shell resembles a standard retail Game Boy Advance cartridge, but the back shell does not have any model number markings.

The copyright year on the board is 2000.

There is one 32 megabit Sharp LH28F320BJE-PTTL90 flash chip, labelled "U1 16/32Mbit FLASHMEMORY" on the silkscreen above it.

Next to the flash chip is an unmarked QFP chip labelled "U2 MBA0" on the silkscreen below it.

  • AGB-B02-X2 - cart front[3]
    AGB-B02-X2 - cart front[3]
  • AGB-B02-X2 - cart back[4]
    AGB-B02-X2 - cart back[4]
  • AGB-B02-X2 - board front[5]
    AGB-B02-X2 - board front[5]
  • AGB-B02-X2 - board back[6]
    AGB-B02-X2 - board back[6]

AGB-F01

This is the first cartridge revision distributed to developers. The cartridge uses a standard retail black Game Boy Color shell, but has a PCB that extends beyond the top of the casing.

The copyright year on the board is 2000.

There is an AGB-MBA1 IC (marked LZ9JJ15), as well as footprints for 8 flash chips. Each flash chip is a 32 megabit LH28F320BJE-PTTL90, made by Sharp.

There is a dip switch which controls the size of the rom.

64 megabit and 128 megabit cartridges of this type are known to exist.

AGB Cartridge 64M Flash (E201629)

  • AGB-F01-01 - cart front[7]
    AGB-F01-01 - cart front[7]
  • AGB-F01-01 - cart back[8]
    AGB-F01-01 - cart back[8]
  • AGB-F01-01 - board front[9]
    AGB-F01-01 - board front[9]
  • AGB-F01-01 - board back[10]
    AGB-F01-01 - board back[10]

AGB Cartridge 128M Flash (E201637)

  • AGB-F01-01 - cart front[11]
    AGB-F01-01 - cart front[11]

AGB-F02

This revision is shaped like a debugger probe. It is fully cased unlike the previous revision.

The copyright year on the board is 2001.

There is an AGB-MBA1 IC, as well as footprints for 4 flash chips. Each flash chip is a 32 megabit LH28F320BJE-PTTL90, made by Sharp.

There is a dip switch which controls the size of the rom.

64 megabit and 128 megabit cartridges of this type are known to exist.

AGB Cartridge 64M Flash with Case (E201728)

  • AGB-F02-01 - cart front[12]
    AGB-F02-01 - cart front[12]
  • AGB-F02-01 - cart back[13]
    AGB-F02-01 - cart back[13]
  • AGB-F02-01 - board front[14]
    AGB-F02-01 - board front[14]
  • AGB-F02-01 - board back[15]
    AGB-F02-01 - board back[15]

AGB Cartridge 128M Flash with Case (E201736)

  • AGB-F02-01 - cart front[16]
    AGB-F02-01 - cart front[16]
  • AGB-F02-01 - board front[17]
    AGB-F02-01 - board front[17]
  • AGB-F02-01 - board back[18]
    AGB-F02-01 - board back[18]

AGB-F03

This revision is of a smaller form factor. The cartridge uses a standard AGB-013 retail shell (used for Game Boy Advance games with tilt or solar sensors).

The copyright year on the board is 2001 (for 64M and 128M) or 2003 (for 256M).

The chips are covered by epoxy.

There are footprints for 3 surface mounted switches. SW1 and SW2 control the size of the rom, while SW3 controls the write-protect.

64 megabit, 128 megabit and 256 megabit cartridges of this type are known to exist.

AGB Cartridge 64M Flash S (E201843)

  • AGB-F03-X1 - cart front[19]
    AGB-F03-X1 - cart front[19]
  • AGB-F03-X1 - cart back[20]
    AGB-F03-X1 - cart back[20]
  • AGB-F03-X1 - board font[21]
    AGB-F03-X1 - board font[21]
  • AGB-F03-X1 - board back[22]
    AGB-F03-X1 - board back[22]
  • AGB-F03-01 - cart front[23]
    AGB-F03-01 - cart front[23]
  • AGB-F03-01 - cart back[24]
    AGB-F03-01 - cart back[24]
  • AGB-F03-01 - board front[25]
    AGB-F03-01 - board front[25]
  • AGB-F03-01 - board back[26]
    AGB-F03-01 - board back[26]

AGB Cartridge 128M Flash S (E201850)

  • AGB-F03-X1 - cart front[27]
    AGB-F03-X1 - cart front[27]
  • AGB-F03-X1 - cart back[28]
    AGB-F03-X1 - cart back[28]
  • AGB-F03-X1 - board front[29]
    AGB-F03-X1 - board front[29]
  • AGB-F03-X1 - board back[30]
    AGB-F03-X1 - board back[30]
  • AGB-F03-01 - cart front[31]
    AGB-F03-01 - cart front[31]
  • AGB-F03-01 - board front[32]
    AGB-F03-01 - board front[32]
  • AGB-F03-01 - board back[33]
    AGB-F03-01 - board back[33]

AGB Cartridge 256M Flash S (E201868) F03-02

  • AGB-F03-02 - cart front[34]
    AGB-F03-02 - cart front[34]
  • AGB-F03-02 - board front[35]
    AGB-F03-02 - board front[35]
  • AGB-F03-02 - board back[36]
    AGB-F03-02 - board back[36]

AGB-F04

This revision is of the same form factor as F03.

The copyright year on the board is 2003.

The chips are covered by epoxy.

There are footprints for 3 surface mounted switches. SW1 and SW2 control the size of the rom, while SW3 controls the write-protect.

A 256 megabit cartridge of this type is known to exist.

AGB Cartridge 256M Flash S (E201868) F04-01

  • AGB-F04-01 - cart front[37]
    AGB-F04-01 - cart front[37]
  • AGB-F04-01 - board front[38]
    AGB-F04-01 - board front[38]

Save Sub-boards

Developer cartridges lack built-in save functionality (officially referred to as "backup memory"). To enable saving, a dedicated save sub-board must be attached to the connector on the developer cartridge or debugger probe. These sub-boards are available in various configurations to support EEPROM, Flash, SRAM, and FRAM saves.

Some specialized sub-boards also integrate hardware expansions, such as a Real-Time Clock (RTC) or an accelerometer.

The sub-boards are divided into two categories based on their connector type.

Type 1 Connectors

These connectors are used by larger developer cartridges, including the AGB-F01, AGB-F02 and debugger probes.

AGB Sub Cartridge 4K EEPROM (E201660)

The EEPROM chip is labelled 9853.

  • AGBSUB1-X1 - front[39]
    AGBSUB1-X1 - front[39]
  • AGBSUB1-X1 - back[40]
    AGBSUB1-X1 - back[40]
  • AGBSUB2-01 - front[41]
    AGBSUB2-01 - front[41]
  • AGBSUB2-01 - back[42]
    AGBSUB2-01 - back[42]

AGB Sub Cartridge W 64K EEPROM (E201785)

The EEPROM chip is labelled 9854.

  • AGBSUB3-01 - front[43]
    AGBSUB3-01 - front[43]
  • AGBSUB3-01 - back[44]
    AGBSUB3-01 - back[44]

AGB Sub Cartridge 256K SRAM (E201678)

The SRAM chip is a Hynix HY62WT081ED70C or Hyundai GM76V256CLLFW10.

There is a Texas Instruments LV2416 IC.

On the other side of the board, there is a CR1616 battery.

  • AGBSUB2-01 - front[45]
    AGBSUB2-01 - front[45]
  • AGBSUB2-01 - front[46]
    AGBSUB2-01 - front[46]
  • AGBSUB2-01 - back[47]
    AGBSUB2-01 - back[47]

AGB Sub Cartridge 512K Flash S (E201645)

The flash chip is a 512 kilobit Sanyo LE39FW512 TS-70.

  • AGBSUB1-X1 - front[48]
    AGBSUB1-X1 - front[48]
  • AGBSUB1-X1 - back[49]
    AGBSUB1-X1 - back[49]
  • AGBSUB2-01 - front[50]
    AGBSUB2-01 - front[50]
  • AGBSUB2-01 - back[51]
    AGBSUB2-01 - back[51]

AGB Sub Cartridge 512K Flash A (E201652)

The flash chip is a 512 kilobit Atmel AT29LV512.

  • AGBSUB2-01 - front[52]
    AGBSUB2-01 - front[52]
  • AGBSUB2-01 - front[53]
    AGBSUB2-01 - front[53]
  • AGBSUB2-01 - back[54]
    AGBSUB2-01 - back[54]

AGB Sub Cartridge 1M Flash A

It is currently unknown if this configuration was produced by Nintendo or the flash memory was upgraded later by a developer or a previous owner.

  • AGBSUB2-01 - back[55]
    AGBSUB2-01 - back[55]

AGB Sub Cartridge 4K EEPROM + Accelerometer

There is an EEPROM chip labelled 9853.

There is a chip labelled ACC1 BU3668K.

On the other side of the board, there is an Analog Devices ADXL202JQC accelerometer.

The ADXL202JQC is known to have been used in Yoshi Topsy-Turvy (Yoshi's Universal Gravitation) and Korokoro Puzzle - Happy Panecchu!.

  • AGBSUB-SEN-X2 - front[56]
    AGBSUB-SEN-X2 - front[56]
  • AGBSUB-SEN-X2 - back[57]
    AGBSUB-SEN-X2 - back[57]

Type 2 Connectors

These connectors are used by the small form factor developer cartridges, including the AGB-F03 and AGB-F04.

AGB Sub Cartridge S 4K EEPROM (E201876)

The EEPROM chip is labelled 9853.

  • AGBSUBS1-01 - front[58]
    AGBSUBS1-01 - front[58]
  • AGBSUBS1-01 - back[59]
    AGBSUBS1-01 - back[59]

AGB Sub Cartridge S 4KEEP HOL (E202163)

The EEPROM chip is labelled HT01, and is believed to have been manufactured by Holtek, hence the abbreviation "HOL".

  • AGBSUBS1-01 - front[60]
    AGBSUBS1-01 - front[60]
  • AGBSUBS1-01 - back[61]
    AGBSUBS1-01 - back[61]

AGB Sub Cartridge S 64K EEPROM (E201884)

The EEPROM chip is labelled 9854.

  • AGBSUBS1-01 - front[62]
    AGBSUBS1-01 - front[62]
  • AGBSUBS1-01 - back[63]
    AGBSUBS1-01 - back[63]

AGB Sub Cartridge S 256K SRAM (E201942)

The SRAM chip is a Hynix HY62WT081ED70C.

There is a Texas Instruments LV2416 IC.

There is a CR1616 battery.

  • AGBSUBS2-01 - front[64]
    AGBSUBS2-01 - front[64]
  • AGBSUBS2-01 - back[65]
    AGBSUBS2-01 - back[65]

AGB Sub Cartridge S 512K Flash M (E201959)

The flash chip is labelled "AGB-512K MN63F805MPN".

  • AGBSUBS1-01 - front[66]
    AGBSUBS1-01 - front[66]
  • AGBSUBS1-01 - back[67]
    AGBSUBS1-01 - back[67]

AGB Sub Cartridge S 1MF S RTC (E202031)

The flash chip is a 1 megabit Sanyo LE26FV10N1TS-10.

The RTC chip is a Seiko S-3511A.

There is a CR1616 battery and a crystal.

On the other side of the board, there is a Xilinx XC9572XL CPLD, and a switch to turn RTC on or off.

  • AGBSUBS3-X1 - front[68]
    AGBSUBS3-X1 - front[68]
  • AGBSUBS3-X1 - back[69]
    AGBSUBS3-X1 - back[69]
  • AGBSUBS3-X1 - back[70]
    AGBSUBS3-X1 - back[70]

AGB Sub Cartridge S 64K EEPROM + RTC + Solar Sensor

This custom sub-board was designed exclusively for the Boktai series.

It features a 64K EEPROM labelled 9854, a 74LV4040A chip, a T272C chip, a solar sensor, and a CR1616 battery.

On the other side of the board, there is a Xilinx XC9572XL CPLD, a switch, a Seiko S-3511A RTC chip, and a crystal.

This is the only known sub-board to feature both type 1 and type 2 connectors. While only observed in cartridges using the type 2 connector, the inclusion of the type 1 connector presumably allows for compatibility with cartridges that use it.

  • AGBSUBS4-X1 - front[71]
    AGBSUBS4-X1 - front[71]
  • AGBSUBS4-X1 - back[72]
    AGBSUBS4-X1 - back[72]
  • AGB-F03-01 - cart front[73]
    AGB-F03-01 - cart front[73]
  • AGB-F03-01 - cart back[74]
    AGB-F03-01 - cart back[74]
  • AGB-F03-01 - board front[75]
    AGB-F03-01 - board front[75]
  • AGB-F03-01 - board back[76]
    AGB-F03-01 - board back[76]

Other Form Factors

Several unique cartridges and sub-boards were also produced for specialized applications.

Game Boy Advance Video Cartridge

SmartMedia card[77]

This cartridge uses the same shell as the IS-NITRO-UIC.

There is a Matrix Memory IC marked 11246-01-99, along with 2 TSOP chip sockets and 2 SmartMedia card slots.

The SmartMedia card serves as the ROM storage.

The board uses a type 1 connector for attaching save sub-boards.

  • AGB-S02-X1 - cart front[78]
    AGB-S02-X1 - cart front[78]
  • AGB-S02-X1 - cart back[79]
    AGB-S02-X1 - cart back[79]
  • AGB-S02-X1 - board front[80]
    AGB-S02-X1 - board front[80]
  • AGB-S02-X1 - board back[81]
    AGB-S02-X1 - board back[81]
  • AGB-S02-X1 - board front with SmartMedia card inserted[82]
    AGB-S02-X1 - board front with SmartMedia card inserted[82]

Sub-board Copier

Screenshot of the Backup Memory Copy program (2001) running

The AGBSUBSWITCH is a routing board used to duplicate data between save sub-boards that use the type 1 connector.

The board features 3 connectors total: one male connector that plugs into a host developer cartridge, and two female connectors on the opposite side to accommodate the source and destination sub-boards.

There are 12 Motorola HC4053A multiplexer chips and a dip switch.

When paired with the "Backup Memory Copy" utility, a Game Boy Advance program, this allows data to be copied from the source sub-board to the destination sub-board.

  • AGBSUBSWITCH-01 - front[83]
    AGBSUBSWITCH-01 - front[83]
  • AGBSUBSWITCH-01 - back[84]
    AGBSUBSWITCH-01 - back[84]
  • AGBSUBSWITCH-01 - back with 2 sub-boards inserted[85]
    AGBSUBSWITCH-01 - back with 2 sub-boards inserted[85]
  • AGBSUBSWITCH-01 - side with 2 sub-boards inserted[86]
    AGBSUBSWITCH-01 - side with 2 sub-boards inserted[86]

References

  1. ↑ RGD Discord - Kelly
  2. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYD9QqZmU-Q&t=643s
  3. ↑ RGD Discord - Kelly
  4. ↑ RGD Discord - Kelly
  5. ↑ RGD Discord - Kelly
  6. ↑ RGD Discord - Kelly
  7. ↑ https://www.behindthecode.ca/agb-flash-cartridge/
  8. ↑ https://www.behindthecode.ca/agb-flash-cartridge/
  9. ↑ https://www.behindthecode.ca/agb-flash-cartridge/
  10. ↑ https://www.behindthecode.ca/agb-flash-cartridge/
  11. ↑ https://www.reddit.com/r/gamecollecting/comments/alwas6/latest_purchase_gba_dev_cart_project_alpha/
  12. ↑ https://auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/s1177741690
  13. ↑ https://auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/s1177741690
  14. ↑ https://www.behindthecode.ca/agb-flash-cartridge/
  15. ↑ https://www.behindthecode.ca/agb-flash-cartridge/
  16. ↑ https://digiex.net/threads/flash-write-official-gba-development-flash-carts-with-an-nintendo-ds.15673/
  17. ↑ RGD Discord - Kelly
  18. ↑ RGD Discord - Kelly
  19. ↑ archive.org - Eclectrik
  20. ↑ archive.org - Eclectrik
  21. ↑ archive.org - Eclectrik
  22. ↑ archive.org - Eclectrik
  23. ↑ https://www.behindthecode.ca/agb-flash-cartridge/
  24. ↑ https://www.behindthecode.ca/agb-flash-cartridge/
  25. ↑ https://www.behindthecode.ca/agb-flash-cartridge/
  26. ↑ https://www.behindthecode.ca/agb-flash-cartridge/
  27. ↑ https://www.behindthecode.ca/agb-flash-cartridge/
  28. ↑ https://www.behindthecode.ca/agb-flash-cartridge/
  29. ↑ https://www.behindthecode.ca/agb-flash-cartridge/
  30. ↑ https://www.behindthecode.ca/agb-flash-cartridge/
  31. ↑ https://www.behindthecode.ca/agb-flash-cartridge/
  32. ↑ https://www.behindthecode.ca/agb-flash-cartridge/
  33. ↑ https://www.behindthecode.ca/agb-flash-cartridge/
  34. ↑ insideGadgets Discord - infinest
  35. ↑ insideGadgets Discord - infinest
  36. ↑ insideGadgets Discord - infinest
  37. ↑ https://www.reddit.com/r/gamecollecting/comments/bxqgxv/picked_this_gba_prototype_cartridge_up_at_a/
  38. ↑ Game Boy Discord - Trozzul
  39. ↑ https://www.behindthecode.ca/gameboy-probe-carts/
  40. ↑ https://www.behindthecode.ca/gameboy-probe-carts/
  41. ↑ https://www.behindthecode.ca/gameboy-probe-carts/
  42. ↑ https://www.behindthecode.ca/gameboy-probe-carts/
  43. ↑ https://auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/q1180469539
  44. ↑ https://auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/q1180469539
  45. ↑ https://jp.mercari.com/item/m84059714896
  46. ↑ https://www.goofish.com/item?id=1022016138247
  47. ↑ https://jp.mercari.com/item/m84059714896
  48. ↑ https://tokukai.com/auction/merch.php?category=2084041585&itemcode=p1138974736
  49. ↑ https://tokukai.com/auction/merch.php?category=2084041585&itemcode=p1138974736
  50. ↑ RGD Discord - Kelly
  51. ↑ https://info.sonicretro.org/Category:Game_Boy_Advance_cartridge_scans
  52. ↑ insideGadgets Discord - EchelonPrime
  53. ↑ https://www.ebay.com/itm/365098357509
  54. ↑ https://www.ebay.com/itm/365098357509
  55. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNPQCINCqSo&t=201s
  56. ↑ RGD Discord - Kelly
  57. ↑ RGD Discord - Kelly
  58. ↑ https://auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/u1192735055
  59. ↑ https://auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/u1192735055
  60. ↑ RGD Discord - Kelly
  61. ↑ RGD Discord - Kelly
  62. ↑ RGD Discord - Kelly
  63. ↑ RGD Discord - Kelly
  64. ↑ https://auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/1181504597
  65. ↑ https://auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/1181504597
  66. ↑ RGD Discord - Kelly
  67. ↑ RGD Discord - Kelly
  68. ↑ RGD Discord - Kelly
  69. ↑ insideGadgets Discord - smellyghost (xianyu listing)
  70. ↑ RGD Discord - Kelly
  71. ↑ EchelonPrime, shared by RGD Discord - Kelly
  72. ↑ EchelonPrime, shared by RGD Discord - Kelly
  73. ↑ https://www.ebay.com/itm/167720247338
  74. ↑ https://www.ebay.com/itm/167720247338
  75. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20210918231613/https://www.resetera.com/threads/boktai-prototype-on-ebay-sold-large-pics.487888/
  76. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20210918231613/https://www.resetera.com/threads/boktai-prototype-on-ebay-sold-large-pics.487888/
  77. ↑ RGD Discord - Kelly
  78. ↑ RGD Discord - Kelly
  79. ↑ RGD Discord - Kelly
  80. ↑ RGD Discord - Kelly
  81. ↑ RGD Discord - Kelly
  82. ↑ RGD Discord - Kelly
  83. ↑ RGD Discord - Kelly
  84. ↑ RGD Discord - Kelly
  85. ↑ RGD Discord - Kelly
  86. ↑ RGD Discord - Kelly
Retrieved from "https://wiki.raregamingdump.ca/index.php?title=Game_Boy_Advance/Developer_cartridges&oldid=8231"