C3 FAQs

What is the C3 and what is it useful for ?



 C3, short for Carbon Copy Card, consists of a GameBoy cartridge

and a programmer. This cartridge has been specially modified for

reprogramming. What this means to you is that you can write your

own programs for GameBoy and try them on a GameBoy, Pocket

GameBoy, or Super GameBoy.





Will the C3 programmer work on my IBM-PC ?



 I can't tell you for sure if it will or not. About 1 out of

20 computer parallel ports have trouble using the C3 pro-

grammer. Personally, I think this is due to a variation in

the tolerances of the capacitors used on these ports.



 NOTE: THE PROVIDED SOFTWARE WILL NOT WORK ON ANY VERSION OF

WINDOWS NT BECAUSE NT DOESN'T ALLOW DIRECT HARDWARE ACCESS.



 The C3 programmer and software has been tested and found to

work fine on everything from an original 8088 to a Pentium 200

IBM-PC compatible.



 If you order one and it doesn't work you can either try it on

a different computer, add another parallel port card to your

computer, or return it within 30 days and get a full refund.





Can you make a C3 programmer that will work on every PC ?



 Yes, but with the current design I would have to make the

filter capacitors much larger to work with EVERY parallel

port. This would make cart reading and writing slower for

EVERYONE. I really don't want to do that. You can modify

the programmer yourself to get it to work with your system

but this cancels any refund if your not happy with it.





Can you put multiple programs on it at once ?



 No. Not unless you add the '3-in-1 C3 mods' to the cart.





Are you going into mass production of these units ?



 I have no current plans to mass produce these. I have a few for

sale and when these are gone I have no current plans to produce

more. (This may possibly change in the future.)





You know, your units are expensive and you could lose

market share unless you lower your prices!



 That would be good actually. I have no desire currently to

produce the C3 programmer or sell any of the other parts that

I do. I wish someone else would sell some or all of what I

currently offer. I sell these currently to stimulate GB

software production! : )



 Also, since I'm not in a position to mass produce, naturally

prices will be higher than those that are in such a position.





What do I need to test my programs on a GameBoy ?



 Well you need a C3 cart, C3 programmer, and a power supply.

The programmer will plug into a parallel port on an IBM-PC

or compatible if clearances allow. If clearances don't

allow, then you need a DB-25 male-to-female cable. I don't

currently offer these cables but they should be easy to

locate wherever modems are sold. The length is not important

because the software can be slowed down to accomodate with

the -w option.



 If you wish to plug the C3 programmer directly into the

parallel port connector (instead of using a cable) then

you will need to remove the cable mount studs on the

C3 progammer connector. These will easily unscrew with

pliers or a small wrench.





What are the prices of each piece ?



These are the prices for what I offer.

Here is a parts list for the C3 Programmer.





What is the capacity of the C3 cart ?



 The standard C3 cart is 4 Megabits (512K Bytes) of

Flash EPROM, 8K Bytes RAM, MBC1, and battery backup

for the RAM.





Will the C3 work with the GameBoy Color ?

Will the C3 work in Double-Speed mode on the GBC?



 The C3 will work fine on the GameBoy Color. If you're

wanting to play GameBoy Color games that will

be a problem because most GameBoy Color game ROMs are

8 Megabits and larger (which won't fit on the C3 cart.)



 Programs that run in Double-Speed mode on the GBC have

shown to run just fine in many different tests.



 Basically, if your program is designed to run on the

GameBoy Color and it is 4MegaBits or smaller then you

shouldn't have any problems.



 

Do you plan on making larger flash carts ?





 Probably not. The labor is just too great for the

larger carts.



 If you are a licensed Nintendo developer then

obtain a 32mbit flash cart from them. The C3

programmer and software will program these just

fine and, in fact, tends to be faster at programming

than the original Nintendo hardware/software.



 Here are plans, though, for those that

wanted to make a 32mbit cart themselves.





How long does it take to program all 4 Megabits ?



 On a Pentium 100 it takes 2 minutes, 25 seconds. This

should be about average for most computers unless you

have a 486 or slower in which case it might take longer.



 Using the same setup but using a Nintendo 32mbit flash

cart instead takes only 30 seconds for 4mbit.





Can I use MBC1 or MBC2 programs on the C3 cart ?



 Yes. The C3 cart contains the MBC1 and the MBC1 can do

everything the MBC2 can do and more.





Does the C3 cart quickly drain batteries ?



 It uses the same amount of power as Zelda or any

other 4mbit cart. It uses half the power that a

GameBoy using a Super Smart Card (SSC) requires.

(SSC is no longer sold by China Coach Limited.)





Do you have photos of it ?



 Yes. Cart & Programmer and Programmer Guts Close Up.





What kind of power supply do I need ?



 A 9 to 12 Volt, 100mA or greater DC or AC power supply

with a connector with an outside diameter of 5.5mm and

inside diameter of 2.1mm is ideal. A power supply with

a connector of 5.5mm outside and 2.5mm inside probably

will also work.



 If you use a DC power supply the polarity is not important.





What is the light & the switch for ?



 The switch controls power on and off. TURN OFF POWER WHEN

THE PROGRAMMER IS NOT IN USE. There are several reasons for

this. The cartridge should not be removed or installed when

power is on. Also, the voltage regulator will continue

generating heat while power is on. If someone is mistaken

enough to use a power supply higher than 12 volts, this heat

will destroy the C3 programmer over time.



 The light shows when the switch is on and the power supply

is functioning.





Is it compatible with the ReadPlus programmer ?



 Software-wise yes. The cart is even identical to the

ReadPlus cart. The programmer hardware is slightly different

though. Use this C3 Software to

access the C3 programmer. You can also try ReadPlus

software that may be obtained from Reiner Ziegler's

web page. Check my 'other sites' page for a link to

his page.





Can I read/write Bung carts with the C3 programmer ?



  You can read them but you can not currently write to them.

This is due to technical difficulties that may or may not be

correctable in software. Right now though it's not possible.





Do I need any special hardware on my PC computer ?



 No. A standard parallel port (with proper chip as

mentioned earlier) on an IBM-PC or compatible should work

fine. Though, you might have to disable EPP and ECP modes

on the parallel port. This is usually done by editing the

BIOS on your computer during power-up. Setting the parallel

port to Normal mode should fix any problems in this area.



 The C3 software WILL NOT WORK ON WINDOWS NT!!!! Windows

NT requires special kernel mode drivers to access the

parallel port. No kernel drivers are currently available.



 The C3 programmer will either plug directly into the

parallel port or you may use a DB-25 male-to-female extension

cable. The length is not important but 6 feet (2 meters) or

less would be ideal. The longer the cable length, the larger

the -w delay option that will be required.



 One person has even had success plugging the C3 programmer

into the printer port on his parallel port ZIP drive.





I just got a C3 cart & programmer. I notice that when I

connect the programmer to my parallel port, the light will

dimly glow even with no power applied. Is this normal ?



 Yes. Modern chips have protection on their inputs to

protect them from over-voltage. As a result, this pro-

tection causes a small voltage to always be present on

on the programmer. When you plug a cart into the pro-

grammer the light should get even more dim.



 There is an advantage to this light slightly glowing

with the power off. After inserting a cart into the pro-

grammer, slightly adjusting the cart to make the light

the MOST dim indicates cart is making the best connection!

Apply power by turning on the power switch only AFTER

adjustment has been completed.





How do I test it on my computer ?



 First, select a power supply & apply power. Turn on power

switch. If light doesn't come on then the programmer isn't

getting power. Check power supply and try again.



 Second, connect C3 programmer to your parallel port.

Either directly or through a DB-25 male-to-female cable.



 Third, make sure power is off (light is off or very dim)

and insert the C3 cart into the C3 programmer with the

CART LABEL FACING UP. Now turn on the power switch.



 Fourth, attempt to read the cart using the following:

readplus -s test

When this completes verify cart read with:

readplus -v test

If this completes okay with no error messages, then you

are now ready to use your C3 programmer. REMEMBER TO

TURN OFF POWER WHEN INSERTING OR REMOVING CARTS.



 It the last step failed, add the option -w 100 to each

of the commands above. Repeat the last step. If it still

fails, double the value of the number after the -w and

try again. If it still fails after trying this several

times, then there is a power supply, cable, or parallel

port problem.





What is the programmer covered with ?



 The C3 programmer is enclosed in heat-shrink material

in order to protect surfaces you place it on and to help

protect it against static electricity. Since it has a

tendancy to shrink when exposed to heat, don't place it

on surfaces that get hot or else the covering might

split open. Also, don't allow it to be exposed to direct

sunlight in non-ventilated areas such as automobiles.





Do you plan on supporting the Mac any time soon ?



 There are no current plans to support the Mac.