CPU memory map

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Revision as of 07:52, 28 May 2015 by Bregalad (talk | contribs) (Technically, a mapper *could* switch the vectors alone. Also, the vectors are parts of "usual ROM")
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Address range Size Device
$0000-$07FF $0800 2KB internal RAM
$0800-$0FFF $0800 Mirrors of $0000-$07FF
$1000-$17FF $0800
$1800-$1FFF $0800
$2000-$2007 $0008 NES PPU registers
$2008-$3FFF $1FF8 Mirrors of $2000-2007 (repeats every 8 bytes)
$4000-$401F $0020 NES APU and I/O registers
$4020-$FFFF $BFE0 Cartridge space: PRG ROM, PRG RAM, and mapper registers (See Note)

See Sample RAM map for an example allocation strategy for the 2KB of internal RAM at $0000-$0800.

Note: Most common boards address ROM and Save/Work RAM in this format, especially in common iNES mappers:

  • $6000-$7FFF = Battery Backed Save or Work RAM
  • $8000-$FFFF = Usual ROM, commonly with Mapper Registers (see MMC1 and UxROM for example)

The CPU expects three addresses called "vectors" in fixed places at the end of the cartridge space, like so:

  • $FFFA-$FFFB = NMI vector
  • $FFFC-$FFFD = Reset vector
  • $FFFE-$FFFF = IRQ/BRK vector

If a mapper doesn't fix $C000-$FFFF to the last bank or use some sort of reset detection, the vectors need to be stored in all banks.