I figured this was the place to ask. I'm trying to figure out where I can get a 72 ping cartridge connector to use in a project. I don't want a replacement connector for a front loading nes.
From what I've seen finding a connector with the right pitch is the hard part. At this point the only way I can think of to get the connector is to rip apart a game genie or to steal one from a nes clone. Any thought?
Thanks.
http://nesdev.com/bbs/viewtopi ... highlight=
You would have found it quite easily if you had searched the forums....
If you had read my post you would have noticed that I specifically said that i didn't want that one.
Also searching for "72 pin connector" and such only brought up topics like yours that didn't have a suitable replacement.
Now I did find this
http://www.newark.com/cinch/50-36sn-12/ ... tid=286999
But the pitch is wrong the nes slot from my understanding has a pitch of 2.50 mm where as the one linked above has a pitch of 2.54
He's not pointing you to the thread just to read it: It's because this post should've gone in there. [Post-Merge Candidate]
If you read the second page, you'd find that the straight connectors are part of that thread as well, and that other people are looking to find them. I'd like a strong source for them myself.
If you only need one or a couple, then you can order
these, then cut them down to 36-pins per (chop off 24 pins on each with a rotary tool). Bingo 36+36=72: A straight-edge 72-pin connector with the correct pitch made from two trimmed 60-pin connectors; net cost: $8 per connector plus freight costs from China.
Either that, or have them custom made if you need a lot of them; net cost, $3 per connector plus a huge tooling fee (~US$5,500) , minimum 1,000 pieces.
Also: Please try to be respectful...
Xious wrote:
A straight-edge 72-pin connector with the correct pitch made from two trimmed 60-pin connectors;
It will be out of alignment though, as the 60-pin is 2.54mm pitch. Seems like the error would add up too quickly (pins on the cart are fairly wide).
Oh crumbs: I thought that the 60f had the same pitch as the 72. I.ll see what I can find from my Chinese suppliers.
Sorry if I came off as rude or disrespectful it was not intentional.
Any way I've been in contact with the developers of kazzo / unagi.
http://translate.googleusercontent.com/ ... ybcE_Y1XTw
And i noticed that they have 72 pin connectors available I emailed and asked what the pitch was and they responded that is was 2.54mm. I've asked how much they have tested the kazzo with the 72 pin connector they are using with any luck it still works.
This is the one he said they use. I looked at the datasheet but I honestly don't know how to read it.
http://search.digikey.com/scripts/DkSea ... =A31721-ND
Would still love to find a proper replacement though without killing a game genie or clone though.
No worries... It just felt as though you were getting awfully defensive there because you were given a link to read, and that often means bad news...
FYI, 0.04 off pitch is a big cumulative discrepancy, so I see troubled waters...I don't think the Yobo (et al) type clones use a 2.54m pith connector, so they.re out there somewhere and I'll see if I hear back from my suppliers in China after the New year.
If I can get them, who will want some and how many pieces do you need? I'd probably be looking at a 100pcs minimum order...
Depending on price I would like to order 5 or 10.
How do you go about measuring the pitch on these connectors? It would be interesting to find out exactly what is being used. I figured worst case scenario is I'll keep an eye out for game genies or really really cheap clones.
I'll let you know what response I get from the kazzo develepers they are using the 2.54 mm pitch connector but it's very possible that since it's mainly a japanese device they might not notice issues with the nes side of things. Worst case scenario i figure is I will have to use my converter that came with my famicom clone.... or here's a thought I'll pull the connector out of that
Teancum wrote:
Depending on price I would like to order 5 or 10.
How do you go about measuring the pitch on these connectors? It would be interesting to find out exactly what is being used.
Accurate digital calipers.
From the center of pin 1 to the center of pin 36 is 87.5 mm. An ordinary ruler would show 35 pitches as a length between 87 and 88 mm, which bounds 1 pitch between 2.486 and 2.514 mm. Kids, do try this at home.
If you can get them i'd like a couple. I was tempted to get tthe 2.54mm one to see how off it would be.
Well, simple math says that the cumulative difference for 71 spaces is 2.84mm, more than the width of one pin-space to begin-with, and thus wider than one of the NES cart pins as well; I would thin it's off by around 1.2 pins of width by the end.
You can also use something of a known pitch to measure against, like another connector, or a PCB with pre-drilled holes (they make vero in a variety of pitch scales). The problem comes in with nonstandard stuff, where you need absolute accuracy: This is one of those items, but for most stuff, you can just eye it and know what it wants... I could use an analogue micrometer if I was hard-up for a measurement, but I'm not sure I'd trust any non-industrial ruler made int he past 25 years to be anywhere near accurate.
My old drafting tools though, are quite another matter: They may be analogue, or I may need a loupe to see the markings, but they're spot-on. I used cheap tools to measure the NESpander connectors on my first run-through of having them moulded, which is why they turned out wrong: Stupid mistake, and I should know better.
So I received a reply from the kazzo developer.
He sent me this picture.
http://img820.imageshack.us/f/86895712.jpg/
Which was this connector.
http://search.digikey.com/scripts/DkSea ... =A31721-ND
He tested Nes dumping and said that he didn't have a single nes game he wasn't able to dump. So I think I will take the plunge and order a few soon and let you know how it all turns out.
looks like the pins don't line up exactly, but they don't touch the pin next to them either. That's the important thing. After seeing this picture I opened up my Retro Duo to see if perhaps the clones do in fact just make do with 2.54mm slots. The pins don't line up exactly in a retro duo either.
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v107/ ... 0_0430.jpg
The picture is blurry but hopefully it's clear enough to see. Perhaps the clones do use a 2.54mm slot. Of course I'd want to see more evidence before I plugged up a PowerPak in a slot I knew was 2.54mm.
EDIT: Ok I couldn't resist. I bought a couple from digikey. I'll see how things line up.
I finally was able to get my hands on my Yobo FC nes converter uses the same commector as pictured above. Also I compared it to my game genie connector and they are definitely spaced differently.
I got my connectors from digikey. They line up just like the one in the retroduo. I tested the continuity between each pin and the pin next to it. Each pin connects properly to the pin it is suppose to connect to, and does not touch the pin next to it. These connectors do seem to be suitable for NES carts.
I'm glad we were able to get to the bottom of this. I plan on making my order to digikey soon.
Super-Hampster wrote:
I got my connectors from digikey. They line up just like the one in the retroduo. I tested the continuity between each pin and the pin next to it. Each pin connects properly to the pin it is suppose to connect to, and does not touch the pin next to it. These connectors do seem to be suitable for NES carts.
Are you saying that the 2.54mm pitch connectors work for you? I've purchased those before, and I can confirm that they do not. Also, as pointed out above, the 0.04mm difference adds up until eventually you get a pin shorted or connected wrong. So I have both experimental and logical evidence that these don't work - really confused as to how it could possibly function for you.
Also, the board thickness is wrong on these connectors - which seems OK at first, until you rub all the copper off of your games!
They don't line up dead center, however I connected an card edge out of a game genie to the connector and tested the continuity between the pin on the gg board and the pin it was suppose to correspond to and got a beep from the continuity meter. So every pin connects to the pin its suppose to.
I also, with the gg card edge connected, tested the continuity between each pin and the pin next to it and got no beeps. So there are no shorts with any of the pins and pins next to them. Also, upon inspecting it visually and comparing it with the connector on the Retro Duo it seems to be the same connector. The pins in the connector of the Retro Duo also do not line up dead center on the cart in the same way as they do from the digi key connectors.
I also did the same experiment with the NES motherboard.
I'm moving at the moment so I had to pack up my soldering stuff before I finished actually trying it on a real NES. I'll let you know how that goes.
Super-Hampster wrote:
They don't line up dead center, however I connected an card edge out of a game genie to the connector and tested the continuity between the pin on the gg board and the pin it was suppose to correspond to and got a beep from the continuity meter. So every pin connects to the pin its suppose to.
I also, with the gg card edge connected, tested the continuity between each pin and the pin next to it and got no beeps. So there are no shorts with any of the pins and pins next to them. Also, upon inspecting it visually and comparing it with the connector on the Retro Duo it seems to be the same connector. The pins in the connector of the Retro Duo also do not line up dead center on the cart in the same way as they do from the digi key connectors.
I also did the same experiment with the NES motherboard.
I'm moving at the moment so I had to pack up my soldering stuff before I finished actually trying it on a real NES. I'll let you know how that goes.
You've done the testing thoroughly, just as I would have suggested it be done. I just can't believe the results! If the connectors you have from Digikey really are 2.54mm pitch, then they absolutely cannot work. They are off by 0.04mm on every pin meaning after 30 pins (30 * 0.04 = 1.2mm) you are off by half a pitch - enough to interfere. Not just "don't line up dead center", but short together guaranteed by geometry. Logically, a 2.54mm pitch connector cannot work. From this, I can only see two explanations:
1. The Digikey connectors are not really 2.54mm pitch.
or
2. You are in for a rude awakening when you try these out
See my post below (from 6 years ago, yikes!) for my experience with these connectors:
http://nesdev.com/bbs/viewtopic.php?t=619
teaguecl wrote:
They are off by 0.04mm on every pin meaning after 30 pins (30 * 0.04 = 1.2mm) you are off by half a pitch - enough to interfere. Not just "don't line up dead center", but short together guaranteed by geometry. Logically, a 2.54mm pitch connector cannot work.
If you line up the pins at one end, you'd get 1.2mm error at the other. If you lined up the pins in the middle, you'd get .6mm error on one side and -.6mm on the other. That's a quarter of a pitch, which might be fine.
You know, I noticed on my Yobo NES knock-off that the connector did not fit 100% correct. I guess this answers the question
teaguecl wrote:
2. You are in for a rude awakening when you try these out
See my post below (from 6 years ago, yikes!) for my experience with these connectors:
http://nesdev.com/bbs/viewtopic.php?t=619
This is why i went to a local used game shop and got a $7 copy of super mario bros to test it with
$7 for SMB1? Sounds like an expensive store to me
So maybe I am confused. I thought we were talking about the female end?
qbradq wrote:
$7 for SMB1? Sounds like an expensive store to me
So maybe I am confused. I thought we were talking about the female end?
Maybe, but it beats plugging in a $125 powerpak to test it with
. Actually the prices vary depending on how rare and popular they are. Some were as low as $3. But it's the only place in town I know of that has shelves full of retro games. They use to be cheaper there like 12 years ago I got a Sega CD there for $35. They want alot more for them now.
I'm confused by your confusion. We are talking about the cartridge connector on the NES itself.