The Mr. Backup Z64 is a game backup device

Game backup device

A game backup device, formerly usually called a copier and more recently a flash cartridge, is a device for backing up ROM information from a video game cartridge to a computer file called a ROM image and playing them back on the real hardware...

 designed by Harrison Electronics, Inc., able to store Nintendo 64

Nintendo 64

The , often referred to as N64, was Nintendo′s third home video game console for the international market. Named for its 64-bit CPU, it was released in June 1996 in Japan, September 1996 in North America, March 1997 in Europe and Australia, September 1997 in France and December 1997 in Brazil...

 games as ROM image

ROM image

A ROM image, or ROM file, is a computer file which contains a copy of the data from a read-only memory chip, often from a video game cartridge, a computer's firmware, or from an arcade game's main board...

s on Zip Diskettes.

Units such as this can make copies of a game which can be played in a Nintendo 64 emulator

Emulator

In computing, an emulator is hardware or software or both that duplicates the functions of a first computer system in a different second computer system, so that the behavior of the second system closely resembles the behavior of the first system...

.

Design

Unlike the Doctor V64

Doctor V64

The Doctor V64 is a development and backup device made by Bung Enterprises Ltd that is used in conjunction with the Nintendo 64. The Doctor V64 also had the ability to play Video CDs, audio CDs and had an option for applying stereo 3D effects to the audio.- History :The Doctor V64 came out in 1996...

, which plugs into the expansion slot in the bottom, this backup unit plugs into the cartridge slot. The Nintendo 64 perceives it as a regular game cartridge. This unit also came with a basic back lit black text LCD panel and buttons enabling users to unlock and use features of this backup unit. It also had bios that could be upgraded. Some units included the ability to add game-genie codes and various other cheats and saved games.

Hardware revisions

The original Z64 had a hardware set limit of 128 Mbit. Because it was not capable of addressing any ram above 16MB, users could not open the system and change the Ram stick to a larger one and play bigger games. Once 256 Mbit games became more prevalent, the parent company released hardware version 2.0 which shipped with a 32MB ram chip and had the ability to address all 32MB of ram, allowing the larger games to play. The units could not be upgraded from 1.0 units;the user had to re-purchase a brand new 2.0 unit. No further hardware revision was made to allow for the playing of the few 512 Mbit games that were released.

Features

Features of the Z64 include:

• Independently operating without connecting to computers or any peripherals
• Simple installation, plug and play with only a few buttons
• Capable of automatically detecting a defective game cartridge
• Capable of backing up game cartridge data into Zip Disk
• Capable of playing games from the cartridge
• Capable of playing game files stored on the Zip Disk
• Capable of storing the game record (Eeprom + SRAM)
• Capable of clearing data files stored in the diskette
• With built-in 256 Mbit memory (32 MB DRAM)
• With built-in ZIP-100 disk drive
• Store average 6–12 files in one ZIP-100 diskette
• Average 16–64 seconds to back up each cartridge depending on game size
• Function could upgrade for future version
• Flash BIOS for convenient upgrade from Zip Disk

Specifications

The Z64's system specifications are:

• Range of Working Temperature: 0 to 55 °C*
• Range of Storage Temperature: -25 to + 80 °C
• Net Weight: 1.5 kg
• Power: 5W
• Input: AC100 - 240V, 0.2A
• Output: DC +5V / Maximum: 1.6A
• Dimension: 24 cm x 14 cm x 13 cm (L x W x H)
• Internal RAM: 256Mbits (32MB, 8x32 72-pin NP EDO SIMM) Standard
• Media: 100MB PC Format Zip disk
• CPU: 386SX/40 MHz
• BIOS: Flashable

External links

• Mr. Backup Z64 user manual
• Information about the Mr. Backup Z64