ROMs can be copied from the read-only memory chips found in
cartridge-based games and many arcade machines using a dedicated
device in a process known as dumping. For most common home video
game systems, these devices are widely available. Dumping ROMs from
arcade machines, which in fact are highly customized PCB's, often
requires individual setups for each machine along with a large
amount of expertise.
Creating ROMs from other media is often considerably easier and can
often be performed with off-the-shelf hardware. For example, the
creation of ROMs from games stored on magnetic tapes (from, for
example, the Sinclair ZX80 computer) generally involves simply
playing the magnetic tape using a standard audio tape player
connected to the line-in of a PC sound card. This is then recorded
to an audio file and transformed into a ROM file using a simple
program. Likewise, many CD and DVD games may be copied using a
standard PC CD/DVD drive. |
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