Both the NES and Famicom have expansion ports that allow peripheral devices to be connected to the system.
See also: Input devices
The Famicom has a 15-pin (male) port on the front edge of the console.
Because its two default controllers were not removable like the NES, peripheral devices had to be attached through this expansion port, rather than through a controller port as on the NES.
This was commonly used for third party controllers, usually as a substitute for the built-in controllers, but sometimes also as a 3rd and 4th player.
( Female DA-15 on peripheral )
/\ | \ GND | 01 \ | 09 | /OE for joypad 2 SOUND | 02 | | 10 | Out 2 ($4016.2) IRQ | 03 | | 11 | Out 1 ($4016.1) Joypad 2 D4 | 04 | | 12 | Out 0 ($4016.0, Strobe) Joypad 2 D3 | 05 | | 13 | Joypad 1 D1 Joypad 2 D2 | 06 | | 14 | /OE for Joypad 1 Joypad 2 D1 | 07 | | 15 | +5V Joypad 2 D0 | 08 / | / \/
The NES has a 48-pin card edge located on the underside of the NES, beneath a plastic tab which must be cut or broken to expose the connector. The thickness of the connector is exceptionally thick (2.6mm), thicker than standard PCB thicknesses.
Because the NES had controller ports on the front that allowed different devices to be plugged in, the expansion port was a kind of "back up plan" for Nintendo that was never used commercially.
+-------\ +5V -- |01 48| -- +5V Gnd -- |02 47| -- Gnd Audio in -> |03 46| -- NC /NMI <- |04 45| -> out 2 ($4016 write data, bit 2) A15 <- |05 44| -> out 1 ($4016 write data, bit 1) EXP9 ?? |06 43| -> out 0 ($4016 write data, bit 0, strobe on sticks) EXP8 ?? |07 42| ?? EXP0 EXP7 ?? |08 41| ?? EXP1 EXP6 ?? |09 40| ?? EXP2 EXP5 ?? |10 39| ?? EXP3 ($4017 read strobe) /OE for joypad 2 <- |11 38| ?? EXP4 joypad 1 D1 -> |12 37| -> /OE for joypad 1 ($4016 read strobe) joypad 1 D3 xx |13 36| xx joypad 1 D4 /IRQ <> |14 35| xx joypad 1 D0 joypad 2 D2 -> |15 34| -> duplicate of pin 37 joypad 2 D3 xx |16 33| <- joypad 1 D2 duplicate of pin 11 <- |17 32| <> CPU D0 joypad 2 D4 xx |18 31| <> CPU D1 joypad 2 D0 xx |19 30| <> CPU D2 joypad 2 D1 -> |20 29| <> CPU D3 Video out <- |21 28| <> CPU D4 Audio out <- |22 27| <> CPU D5 unregulated power adapter vdd -- |23 26| <> CPU D6 4.00MHz CIC CLK <- |24 25| <> CPU D7 +-------/
Categories: Pinouts