How are ROM dumps made?

[Gryph]

I couldn't find an appropriate forum since this includes arcade and console so I am asking here.

 

In my effort to understand the world of emulation more and how things are done, I always wanted to know how the games are taken for their cartridge/CD/board and then turned into to the lovely ROMs that we play at home.

 

I'm sure its a pretty difficult process but I don't really anything about how its actually done.

[Xeon]

im not sure of the devices they use and how theyre really called but i think theyre commonly called as "Copiers" (at least SNES ROMs were produced this way). and believe it or not, those hardwares are INDEED pricey (doesnt matter for what system it is now, but for the most part they are expensive). its technical stuff beyond that point.

 

someone can explain better. thats just all i remember from it.

Edited March 9, 2004 by Xeon

[Thunder In Paradise]

Actually, from what little I've read on the subject so far, ROMS are made or "dumped" by way of an EEPROM reading machine. It's a little machine that lets you "dump" the rom data into a file. This is accomplished my pulling certain chips off of say, an arcade PCB, then "plugging" them into the reader, and reading the data. Kinda simple, but I think the EEPROM readers are a little pricey and somewhat hard to find?? ???

This is why newer games on the Naomi hardware or that stupid Atomiswave hardware can't be emulated, but I believe, atleast with the Naomi, the it's 2 things working in unison to make the game play, and just the single cart like earlier arcade games.

[Agozer]

Thunder in Paradise has it pretty much correct. Cart-based console games are dumped using copiers (Neo-Geo cart used a backup device called Multi Game Doctor 2). Arcade boards are dumped with devices similar to EEPROM readers, but they aren't EEPROM readers per se. (At least, not in all cases).

 

Backup devices can also send rom data directly to the console, making it possible to play the dumps directly with your console.

[brage_1984]

i actualy own an snes game copier that copys snes games on an 3,5 disc that could be read on an computer, that gadget was not that pricy. but good on the snes days with free games

[ugenn]

i actualy own an snes game copier that copys snes games on  an  3,5 disc that could be read on an computer, that gadget was not that pricy. but good on the snes days with free games

Me too. I still have it to this very day (Super Wild Card 2.8 ). Sadly, my SNES went kaput a few years back. :{

Edited March 9, 2004 by ugenn

[Gryph]

Thanks for the response. I checked for these EEPROMs and they are quite pricey...how do these ROM dumpers afford these?

[Agozer]

Thanks for the response. I checked for these EEPROMs and they are quite pricey...how do these ROM dumpers afford these?

Many of them seem to use PayPal or other means of getting financial support from others. Some dumpers get donated EEPROM readers/boards.

[ugenn]

Thanks for the response. I checked for these EEPROMs and they are quite pricey...how do these ROM dumpers afford these?

I believe most of these dumpers aren't your typical "hAx0r-in-a-basement" types. They're more likely to be companies that sell bootleg carts and boards, so the initial investment on the equipment would pay off for itself pretty fast.

[Gryph]

Thanks for the response. I checked for these EEPROMs and they are quite pricey...how do these ROM dumpers afford these?

I believe most of these dumpers aren't your typical "hAx0r-in-a-basement" types. They're more likely to be companies that sell bootleg carts and boards, so the initial investment on the equipment would pay off for itself pretty fast.

Hahahaha! H@><0r-in-a-basement... Ok, so it's companies that are behind this. Wonderful! If I were rich, I'd buy a couple of EEPROM boards and donate them. Or I'd just buy the actual arcade machine and not have to worry about that. But then I would be a greedy bastard...I must share the wealth.

[StriderVM]

Yep.... They have it explained well.... A ROM is just well, a carbon copy of a game, except in data format..... =P

 

And yes, arcade dumping is really expensive. But the catridge console emulation is fortunately less expensive, still expensive though, I remember the time I still saw them in "shops" they are usually twice the price of the console itself......

 

what GryphonKlaw said is usually the rom dumpers are usually the bootleggers itself, so that they can "return" the losses they get from trying to dump the darn thing.... XD

 

Actually the biggest reason on why the new generation console systems and arcades are hard to emulate is not the rom, but more on the emulation itself, they simply are a whole lot more complicated than the old system. And a lack of documentation about the system. (No data to copy, they resort to trial and error, which might take forever and a day... =P ) The biggest exception to these rule that I saw was the N64 and the Gameboy Advance emulation.......