cartridge

Abstract

To provide a novel cartridge that is attachable / detachable with respect to a game device.SOLUTION: A terminal arrangement area of the cartridge is divided into an upper area and a lower area, the cartridge including: a plurality of terminals disposed on the upper area; a plurality of terminals disposed on the lower area; and a plurality of long terminals provided astride over the upper area and the lower area. The long terminals may be a ground terminal, a chip-enabled terminal, a power terminal, or a reset terminal. A strobe terminal and a clock terminal are aligned vertically. Two data input / output terminals are aligned vertically, and the cartridge includes four sets of vertically-aligned data input / output terminals. A long terminal is provided near the vertically-aligned strobe terminal and clock terminal, and a long terminal is provided near the vertically-aligned two data input / output terminals.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a cartridge that can be connected to an information processing device.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there has been a memory cartridge that can be attached to and detached from an information processing device such as a game device (for example, Patent Document 1). For example, such a memory cartridge stores a program to be executed by the game device, and when the memory cartridge is attached to the game device, the program stored in the storage device in the memory cartridge is read out from the game device.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, there has been room for improvement from the viewpoint of making the cartridge smaller.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a new cartridge that can be attached to and detached from an information processing device such as a game device.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention employs the following configuration.

[0007] An example of the present invention is a cartridge having a front end and a rear end, which can be connected to a game device by inserting it into the cartridge slot of the game device from the front end. The cartridge is provided with a terminal arrangement area including a first area and a second area, on which a plurality of terminals that can be electrically connected to terminals of the game device provided in the cartridge slot are arranged. When the direction in which the cartridge is inserted into and removed from the cartridge slot is defined as the first direction and the direction perpendicular to the first direction is defined as the second direction, the second area and the first area are arranged side by side in the first direction. The first area is located closer to the front end of the cartridge than the second area in the terminal arrangement area. The plurality of terminals include at least a first data input / output terminal, a second data input / output terminal, a strobe terminal, a clock terminal, a power terminal, and a ground terminal. The clock terminal and the first data input / output terminal are arranged in the first area. The strobe terminal and the second data input / output terminal are arranged in the second area. A plurality of long terminals spanning the first area and the second area are arranged in the terminal arrangement area. The strobe terminal and the clock terminal are arranged side by side in the first direction. The second data input / output terminal and the first data input / output terminal are arranged side by side in the first direction. The plurality of long terminals include the power terminal and the ground terminal. One of the plurality of long terminals is located next to at least one of the second data input / output terminals and the first data input / output terminals arranged side by side in the first direction in the second direction. One of the plurality of long terminals is located next to at least one of the strobe terminal and the clock terminal arranged side by side in the first direction in the second direction.

[0008] As described above, the two data input / output terminals are arranged side by side in the first direction, and the strobe terminal and clock terminal are also arranged side by side in the first direction. This allows the length in the second direction to be shortened. In addition, long terminals, such as power terminals or ground terminals, are provided next to the first and second data input / output terminals in the second direction. Because power terminals or ground terminals with low voltage fluctuation frequency are provided next to the first and second data input / output terminals, the first and second data input / output terminals are less susceptible to noise. The strobe terminal and clock terminal are also less susceptible to noise because power terminals or ground terminals are provided next to them. This allows for stable data communication. Furthermore, the cartridge is inserted into the cartridge slot from its tip, with the clock terminal (input terminal) located in the first region on the tip side of the cartridge and the strobe terminal (output terminal) located in the second region further back on the cartridge. Therefore, for example, when removing the cartridge from the game device, the output terminal on the cartridge side (strobe terminal on the cartridge side) and the output terminal on the game device side (clock terminal on the game device side) do not come into contact, allowing the cartridge to be removed from the game device more safely.

[0009] In other configurations, the first data input / output terminal and the second data input / output terminal may be arranged such that at least a portion of the two terminals overlap when the second data input / output terminal is moved in the first direction to the position of the first data input / output terminal.

[0010] According to the above configuration, for example, if the second data input / output terminal is moved in the first direction, it will overlap with the first data input / output terminal, and the first and second data input / output terminals will not be substantially shifted in the second direction. Therefore, the length of the cartridge in the second direction can be shortened.

[0011] In other configurations, a first terminal and a second terminal may be provided within the cartridge slot of the game device. When the cartridge is inserted into the cartridge slot and connected to the game device, the first data input / output terminal is connected to the first terminal of the game device, and the second data input / output terminal is connected to the second terminal of the game device. The first data input / output terminal is positioned such that the second terminal of the game device comes into contact with the first data input / output terminal during the process of inserting the cartridge into the cartridge slot.

[0012] According to the above configuration, as the cartridge is inserted into the cartridge slot of the game device, the second terminal of the game device comes into contact with the first data input / output terminal located in the first area of ​​the cartridge. As the cartridge is inserted further in, the second terminal of the game device comes into contact with the second data input / output terminal. In other words, the first data input / output terminal and the second data input / output terminal are not substantially offset in the second direction. Therefore, the length of the cartridge in the second direction can be shortened.

[0013] In other configurations, the first data input / output terminal and the second data input / output terminal may be located in the same position in the second direction.

[0014] According to the above configuration, since the positions of the first data input / output terminal and the second data input / output terminal coincide in the second direction, the length of the cartridge in the second direction can be reduced.

[0015] In other configurations, the plurality of long terminals may include a chip enable terminal. A long terminal of any of the ground terminal, the power terminal, and the chip enable terminal may be located next to at least one of the first data input / output terminals and the second data input / output terminal in the second direction.

[0016] In the above configuration, the chip enable terminal is positioned as a long terminal. The chip enable terminal is a terminal with a low frequency of voltage changes, and its voltage remains approximately constant during data communication via the data input / output terminals. Since the long terminal is positioned next to the two data input / output terminals aligned in the first direction, the two data input / output terminals are less susceptible to noise from the adjacent long terminal. Furthermore, the adjacent long terminal can reduce the impact that the two data input / output terminals have on their surroundings.

[0017] In other configurations, the long terminals located next to at least one of the first data input / output terminals and the second data input / output terminals in the second direction may be formed such that they are located next to at least a portion of the first data input / output terminals in the second direction, and also next to at least a portion of the second data input / output terminals in the second direction.

[0018] According to the above configuration, at least a portion of the two data input / output terminals are positioned adjacent to one long terminal with a low voltage change frequency in the second direction. Therefore, the two data input / output terminals are less susceptible to noise from the adjacent long terminal. In addition, the adjacent long terminal can reduce the influence that the two data input / output terminals have on their surroundings.

[0019] In other configurations, if the first data input / output terminal and the second data input / output terminal are moved in the second direction to the position of the long terminal located next to them, both the first data input / output terminal and the second data input / output terminal after the move may overlap with the long terminal in at least a portion of the configuration.

[0020] According to the above configuration, at least a portion of the two data input / output terminals are positioned adjacent to one long terminal with a low voltage change frequency in the second direction. Therefore, the two data input / output terminals are less susceptible to noise from the adjacent long terminal. In addition, the adjacent long terminal can reduce the influence that the two data input / output terminals have on their surroundings.

[0021] In another configuration, any one of the ground terminal, the power supply terminal, and the chip enable terminal may be arranged as the long terminal adjacent to one side of the first data input / output terminal and the second data input / output terminal in the second direction. The interval between the first data input / output terminal and the second data input / output terminal and the long terminal provided adjacent to one side thereof may be wider than the interval between the first data input / output terminal and the second data input / output terminal and the terminal adjacent to the other side in the second direction.

[0022] According to the above configuration, a long terminal is provided adjacent to one side of the first and second data input / output terminals, and a gap is provided adjacent to the other side. Therefore, for example, a conducting wire or a separator of the first data input / output terminal can be arranged in the gap.

[0023] In another configuration, the ground terminal may be arranged adjacent to at least one of the clock terminal and the strobe terminal in the second direction.

[0024] According to the above configuration, by arranging the ground terminal adjacent to the clock terminal and the strobe terminal, the clock terminal and the strobe terminal are less likely to be affected by noise from the adjacent ground terminal. Also, the influence exerted by the clock terminal and the strobe terminal on the surroundings can be reduced by the adjacent ground terminal.

[0025] In another configuration, the ground terminal arranged adjacent to at least one of the clock terminal and the strobe terminal in the second direction may be formed such that it exists adjacent to at least a part of the clock terminal in the second direction and exists adjacent to at least a part of the strobe terminal in the second direction.

[0026] According to the above configuration, at least a part of the clock terminal and the strobe terminal is arranged adjacent to one ground terminal with a low frequency of voltage change in the second direction. Therefore, the clock terminal and the strobe terminal are less likely to be affected by noise from the adjacent ground terminal. Also, the influence exerted by the clock terminal and the strobe terminal on the surroundings can be reduced by the adjacent ground terminal.

[0027] In another configuration, when the ground terminal arranged adjacent to at least one of the clock terminal and the strobe terminal in the second direction is moved in the second direction to the positions of the clock terminal and the strobe terminal, both the clock terminal and the strobe terminal may at least partially overlap the moved ground terminal.

[0028] According to the above configuration, at least a part of the clock terminal and the strobe terminal is arranged adjacent to one ground terminal with a low frequency of voltage change in the second direction. Therefore, the clock terminal and the strobe terminal are less likely to be affected by noise from the adjacent ground terminal. Also, the influence exerted by the clock terminal and the strobe terminal on the surroundings can be reduced by the adjacent ground terminal.

[0029] In another configuration, the plurality of long terminals may include a reset terminal. The reset terminal may be arranged at one end in the terminal arrangement region in the second direction.

[0030] According to the above configuration, since the reset terminal is arranged at one end in the terminal arrangement region, it is possible to make the reset terminal less likely to be affected by other terminals, and for example, it is possible to prevent the circuit in the cartridge from being reset or reset解除 unexpectedly.

[0031] In another configuration, a ground terminal may be provided adjacent to the other end side of the reset terminal in the terminal arrangement region.

[0032] According to the above configuration, the reset terminal is located at one end of the terminal arrangement area, and a ground terminal is provided next to the reset terminal in the direction toward the other end. Therefore, the reset terminal can be made less susceptible to interference from its surroundings, and for example, it is possible to prevent the circuit inside the cartridge from being unexpectedly reset or released.

[0033] In other configurations, the plurality of terminals may include a third data input / output terminal located in the first area and a fourth data input / output terminal located in the second area. The third data input / output terminal and the fourth data input / output terminal may be arranged side by side in the first direction. The power terminal may be positioned adjacent to one of the second data input / output terminals and the first data input / output terminal in the second direction, and adjacent to the other of the third data input / output terminal and the fourth data input / output terminal in the second direction, both of which are arranged in the first direction.

[0034] In the above configuration, the power terminal is positioned so as to be sandwiched between multiple data input / output terminals. This makes each data input / output terminal less susceptible to noise interference from the power terminal. Furthermore, the presence of the adjacent power terminal reduces the impact that the data input / output terminals have on their surroundings.

[0035] In other configurations, the multiple data input / output terminals, including the first data input / output terminal and the second data input / output terminal, and the power terminal may be arranged alternately in the second direction in at least a portion of the terminal arrangement area.

[0036] According to the above configuration, in at least a portion of the terminal arrangement area, the data input / output terminals and power supply terminals are arranged alternately in a second direction, so the data input / output terminals are less susceptible to noise from the power supply terminals. In addition, the power supply terminals can reduce the influence that the data input / output terminals have on their surroundings.

[0037] In other configurations, the plurality of long terminals may include chip enable terminals. When the power terminal and the chip enable terminal are designated as Type 1 terminals and the plurality of data input / output terminals are designated as Type 2 terminals, the Type 1 terminals and Type 2 terminals may be arranged alternately in the second direction in at least a portion of the terminal arrangement area.

[0038] According to the above configuration, in at least a portion of the terminal arrangement area, terminals with low voltage change frequency (chip enable terminal, power supply terminal) and terminals with high voltage change frequency (data input / output terminal) can be arranged alternately in a second direction. Therefore, data input / output terminals are less susceptible to noise from surrounding terminals. In addition, the influence of the data input / output terminals on the surroundings can be reduced by the presence of terminals with low voltage change frequency.

[0039] In other configurations, the second type terminal may include the clock terminal or the strobe terminal. The first and second type terminals may be arranged alternately in the second direction in at least a portion of the terminal arrangement area.

[0040] According to the above configuration, in at least a portion of the terminal arrangement area, terminals with low voltage change frequency (chip enable terminal, power supply terminal) and terminals with high voltage change frequency (data input / output terminal, clock terminal, strobe terminal) can be arranged alternately in a second direction. Therefore, the data input / output terminal, clock terminal, and strobe terminal are less susceptible to noise from surrounding terminals. In addition, the influence of the data input / output terminal, clock terminal, and strobe terminal on the surroundings can be reduced.

[0041] In other configurations, the first type terminal may also include the ground terminal. The first type terminal and the second type terminal may be arranged alternately in the second direction in at least a portion of the terminal arrangement area.

[0042] According to the above configuration, in at least a portion of the terminal arrangement area, terminals with low voltage change frequency (chip enable terminal, power terminal, ground terminal) and terminals with high voltage change frequency (data input / output terminal, clock terminal, strobe terminal) can be arranged alternately in a second direction. Therefore, the data input / output terminal, clock terminal, and strobe terminal are less susceptible to noise from surrounding terminals. In addition, the influence of the data input / output terminal, clock terminal, and strobe terminal on the surroundings can be reduced.

[0043] In other configurations, the plurality of terminals may include a reset terminal. The reset terminal may be provided at one end of the terminal arrangement area, and the ground terminal may be provided at the other end of the terminal arrangement area. The first type terminals and the second type terminals are arranged alternately from the other end toward the one end. A data input / output terminal may be provided next to the second type terminals that are arranged alternately from the other end toward the one end, and the reset terminal may be provided on the other end side of the data input / output terminal.

[0044] According to the above configuration, a data input / output terminal (Type 2 terminal) is provided next to the Type 2 terminals that are alternately arranged from the other end toward the one end of the terminal arrangement area, and a reset terminal is provided further toward the other end of the Type 2 terminals.

[0045] In other configurations, the power terminal may include a first power terminal and a second power terminal.

[0046] According to the above configuration, it is possible to have two power supply terminals, for example, to separate the power supply for the memory control circuit from the power supply for the data input / output terminals.

[0047] In other configurations, the first power terminal may be connected to a power supply of approximately 3.1V, and the second power terminal may be connected to a power supply of approximately 1.8V.

[0048] In other configurations, the first power supply terminal may be a terminal for supplying power to drive the memory's control circuit, and the second power supply terminal may be a terminal for supplying power to the data input / output terminal.

[0049] With the above configuration, the power supply for the memory control circuit and the power supply for the data input / output terminals can be separated.

[0050] In other configurations, the long terminal and the pairs of terminals arranged in the first direction in the second and first regions, respectively, may be arranged alternately in the second direction in at least a portion of the terminal arrangement region.

[0051] According to the above configuration, one long terminal and two terminals are arranged alternately in the second direction. Therefore, the length of the cartridge in the second direction can be shortened.

[0052] In other configurations, multiple terminal groups, each consisting of the pair of terminals and the long terminal, may be arranged in the second direction within a portion of the terminal arrangement area. The distance in the second direction between the long terminal and the pair of terminals in one terminal group may be shorter than the distance in the second direction between two adjacent terminal groups.

[0053] According to the above configuration, multiple terminal groups can be provided in the terminal arrangement area, and the distance between terminals in the second direction within one terminal group can be shortened, thereby shortening the length of the cartridge in the second direction. In addition, for example, the influence of two terminals adjacent to a long terminal on the surrounding area can be reduced.

[0054] In other configurations, a conductor may be provided between the terminal groups. The conductor may be connected to the terminals arranged in the first region.

[0055] According to the above configuration, the wiring of the terminals located in the first region (i.e., the terminals provided on the side that is first inserted into the cartridge slot) can be provided in the gaps between the terminal groups, and wiring can be done at a lower cost than wiring inside the circuit board.

[0056] In other configurations, the terminal arrangement area may have multiple gaps between the terminal groups, and at least one of these gaps may be provided with two conductors. These two conductors may be connected to two terminals arranged in the first area, respectively.

[0057] According to the above configuration, since the wiring of the two terminals located in the first region is provided in the gaps between the terminal groups, the number of gaps between terminal groups can be reduced, and the width of the cartridge can be narrowed.

[0058] In other configurations, at least a portion of the conductor may be formed to extend from the second-direction side of the terminal in a third direction different from the first and second directions.

[0059] According to the above configuration, for example, the conductor can be formed to extend diagonally from the side of the terminal, which reduces the change in impedance compared to when the conductor is bent at a right angle midway, and thus suppresses the generation of noise.

[0060] In other configurations, among the terminals and multiple long terminals arranged in the first region, the tip of the ground terminal may be located closest to the tip of the cartridge.

[0061] With the above configuration, for example, when viewing the cartridge with the first region at the bottom and the second region at the top (i.e., when viewing the cartridge with the front end at the bottom and the rear end at the top), the lower end of the ground terminal (the tip of the ground terminal) is located at the lowest position. Therefore, when inserting the cartridge into the cartridge slot of the game device, the ground terminal can be configured to make contact with the game device's ground terminal first.

[0062] In other configurations, the plurality of long terminals may include detection terminals for the game device to detect the cartridge, and the tip of the detection terminal may be located furthest from the tip of the cartridge among the terminals arranged in the first region and the plurality of long terminals.

[0063] According to the above configuration, for example, when viewing the cartridge with the first region at the bottom and the second region at the top (i.e., when viewing the cartridge with the front end at the bottom and the rear end at the top), the lower end of the detection terminal (the tip of the detection terminal) is located at the highest position among the terminals and multiple long terminals arranged in the lower region. In other words, the lower end of the detection terminal is located above the lower ends of the terminals arranged in the lower region and the lower ends of the multiple long terminals. Therefore, when inserting the cartridge into the cartridge slot of the game device, the detection terminal can be brought into contact with the detection terminal of the game device last, and the game device can detect the cartridge only after all the terminals on the cartridge have come into contact with the terminals of the game device.

[0064] In other configurations, the detection terminal may also serve as the ground terminal.

[0065] With the above configuration, the detection terminal and the ground terminal can be used interchangeably, reducing the number of terminals.

[0066] In other configurations, the tip of the power terminal may be located closer to the tip of the cartridge than the tip of the clock terminal and the tip of the first data input / output terminal.

[0067] According to the above configuration, for example, when viewing the cartridge with the first region at the bottom and the second region at the top (i.e., when viewing the cartridge with the front end at the bottom and the rear end at the top), the lower end of the power terminal (the tip of the power terminal) is located below the lower end of the clock terminal (the tip of the clock terminal) and the lower end of the data input / output terminals located in the lower region (the tip of the first data input / output terminal). Therefore, when inserting the cartridge into the cartridge slot of the game device, the power terminal can make contact with the terminals on the game device before the clock terminal and the data input / output terminals. Consequently, for example, when power is supplied from the game device to the memory control circuit in the cartridge, power can be supplied to the memory control circuit before the clock terminal and the data input / output terminal make contact with the terminals on the game device.

[0068] In other configurations, the plurality of long terminals may include a chip enable terminal. The tip of the power terminal may be located closer to the tip of the cartridge than the tip of the first data input / output terminal, the tip of the chip enable terminal, and the tip of the clock terminal.

[0069] According to the above configuration, for example, when viewing the cartridge with the first region at the bottom and the second region at the top (i.e., when viewing the cartridge with the front end at the bottom and the rear end at the top), the lower end of the power terminal is located below the lower end of the data input / output terminal, the chip enable terminal, and the clock terminal, which are located in the lower region. Therefore, when inserting the cartridge into the cartridge slot of the game device, the power terminal can make contact with the terminals on the game device before the clock terminal, chip enable terminal, and data input / output terminal. Consequently, for example, when power is supplied from the game device to the memory control circuit in the cartridge, power can be supplied to the memory control circuit before the clock terminal, chip enable terminal, and data input / output terminal make contact with the terminals on the game device.

[0070] In other configurations, when the cartridge is inserted into the cartridge slot of the game device, the terminals arranged in the first region and the plurality of long terminals may come into contact with the terminals of the game device in a different order.

[0071] With the above configuration, when inserting or removing the cartridge from the cartridge slot of the game device, each terminal can be made to contact the terminal on the game device in a different order.

[0072] In other configurations, when the cartridge is inserted into the cartridge slot of the game device, the terminal that first contacts the terminal of the game device among the terminals arranged in the first area and the plurality of long terminals may be a ground terminal.

[0073] With the above configuration, when inserting a cartridge into the cartridge slot of the game device, the ground terminal can first be brought into contact with the ground terminal of the game device.

[0074] In other configurations, the plurality of long terminals may include detection terminals for the game device to detect the cartridge. The game device detects the cartridge when the detection terminal of the game device and the detection terminal of the cartridge come into contact. When the cartridge is inserted into the cartridge slot of the game device, the detection terminal of the cartridge may come into contact with the detection terminal of the game device last among the terminals arranged in the first region and the plurality of long terminals.

[0075] With the above configuration, when inserting the cartridge into the cartridge slot of the game device, the detection terminal on the cartridge is the last to make contact with the detection terminal on the game device. Therefore, the game device can detect the cartridge only after all the terminals on the cartridge have made contact with the terminals on the game device, and data communication between the game device and the cartridge can begin only after all the terminals are securely connected.

[0076] In other configurations, the detection terminal of the cartridge may also serve as the ground terminal.

[0077] With the above configuration, the detection terminal and the ground terminal can be used interchangeably, reducing the number of terminals.

[0078] In other configurations, when the cartridge is inserted into the cartridge slot of the game device, the power terminal may make contact with the power terminal of the game device before the clock terminal and the first data input / output terminal.

[0079] According to the above configuration, the power terminal makes contact with the terminal on the game device side before the clock terminal and the data input / output terminals located in the first region. Therefore, for example, when power is supplied from the game device to the memory control circuit in the cartridge, power can be supplied to the memory control circuit before the clock terminal and the data input / output terminals located in the first region make contact with the terminal on the game device side.

[0080] In other configurations, the plurality of long terminals may include a chip enable terminal. When the cartridge is inserted into the cartridge slot of the game device, the first data input / output terminal, the chip enable terminal, and the clock terminal may contact the terminals of the game device after the power terminal has contacted the power terminal of the game device.

[0081] According to the above configuration, the clock terminal, data input / output terminal, and chip enable terminal make contact with the game device terminals after the power terminal. Therefore, for example, when power is supplied from the game device to the memory control circuit in the cartridge, power can be supplied to the memory control circuit before the clock terminal, data input / output terminal, and chip enable terminal make contact with the game device terminals.

[0082] In other configurations, the plurality of long terminals may include detection terminals for the game device to detect the cartridge, which are used to short-circuit two terminals arranged in the first direction within the cartridge insertion slot of the game device.

[0083] According to the above configuration, the game device can detect the cartridge by short-circuiting two terminals arranged in a first direction on the game device.

[0084] In other configurations, the two terminals arranged in the first direction within the cartridge slot of the game device may be a terminal on the cartridge slot side and a detection terminal on the back side. The detection terminal of the cartridge may come into contact with the detection terminal of the game device last among the terminals arranged in the first area and the plurality of long terminals when the cartridge is inserted into the cartridge slot of the game device.

[0085] According to the above configuration, the detection terminal on the cartridge side makes contact with the detection terminal on the game device side last. Therefore, data communication between the game device and the cartridge can only begin after all terminals are securely connected.

[0086] In other configurations, the detection terminal of the cartridge may also serve as the ground terminal.

[0087] With the above configuration, the detection terminal and the ground terminal can be used interchangeably, reducing the number of terminals.

[0088] In other configurations, the cartridge may include at least one separator located between the plurality of terminals.

[0089] With the above configuration, a separator can be provided between the terminals.

[0090] In other configurations, the at least one separator may be provided to cover a conductor connected to at least one of the plurality of terminals.

[0091] In other configurations, the at least one separator may be provided so as to cover the conductor.

[0092] With the above configuration, the conductors can be protected by the separator.

[0093] In other configurations, the conductor may be connected to a terminal located in the first region and formed to extend in a direction from the front to the rear end of the cartridge.

[0094] According to the above configuration, wiring can be done at a low cost, and the wiring can be protected by separators.

[0095] In other configurations, multiple separators may be provided, and at least one of the multiple separators may be provided to cover two conductors.

[0096] With the above configuration, the wiring of the two terminals can be protected by a separator.

[0097] In other configurations, the conductor may be formed to extend from the second-direction side of the terminal toward a third direction different from the first and second directions.

[0098] According to the above configuration, the conductor can be formed to extend diagonally from the side of the terminal, which reduces the change in impedance compared to when the conductor is bent at a right angle midway, and thus suppresses the generation of noise.

[0099] In other configurations, when the cartridge is viewed from the front, the terminal arrangement area may be divided into multiple areas by the separator, and multiple terminals may be arranged in each of these areas.

[0100] According to the above configuration, for example, a separator can be used to prevent the user's fingers from touching the terminals located in each of the multiple areas.

[0101] In other configurations, the separator may be part of the cartridge housing.

[0102] According to the above configuration, a separator can be formed at low cost.

[0103] In other configurations, the cartridge may also be provided with an opening for inserting a storage medium for storing data.

[0104] According to the above configuration, an external storage medium can be detachably inserted into the cartridge, and the game device can read data from the external storage medium or write data to the external storage medium. For example, a general-purpose storage medium may be used as the external storage medium that is detachably inserted into the cartridge.

[0105] Another example of the present invention is a cartridge having a front end and a rear end, which can be connected to a game device by inserting it into the cartridge slot of the game device from the front end. The cartridge is provided with a plurality of terminals that are electrically connected to terminals of the game device provided in the cartridge slot. When the direction in which the cartridge is inserted into and removed from the cartridge slot is considered the first direction, the plurality of terminals include a second data input / output terminal and a first data input / output terminal arranged in the first direction. The first data input / output terminal is positioned closer to the front end of the cartridge than the second data input / output terminal. The cartridge slot of the game device is provided with a first terminal and a second terminal. When the cartridge is inserted into the cartridge slot and connected to the game device, the first data input / output terminal is connected to the first terminal of the game device, and the second data input / output terminal is connected to the second terminal of the game device. The first data input / output terminal is positioned such that the second terminal of the game device comes into contact with the first data input / output terminal during the process of inserting the cartridge into the cartridge slot.

[0106] According to the above configuration, the cartridge is inserted into the cartridge slot from its tip. The second data input / output terminal and the first data input / output terminal are arranged side by side in the first direction, with the first data input / output terminal positioned closer to the tip of the cartridge than the second data input / output terminal. As the cartridge is inserted into the cartridge slot of the game device, the second terminal of the game device comes into contact with the first data input / output terminal of the cartridge, and as the cartridge is inserted further in, the second terminal of the game device comes into contact with the second data input / output terminal. In other words, the first data input / output terminal and the second data input / output terminal are not substantially misaligned in the second direction. Therefore, the length of the cartridge in the second direction can be shortened.

[0107] In other configurations, the first data input / output terminal and the second data input / output terminal may be arranged such that they overlap at least partially when the second data input / output terminal is moved in the first direction to the position of the first data input / output terminal.

[0108] With the above configuration, the first data input / output terminal and the second data input / output terminal are not substantially offset in the second direction. Therefore, the length of the cartridge in the second direction can be shortened.

[0109] In other configurations, if the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction, a chip enable terminal or a power supply terminal may be provided next to the first data input / output terminal and the second data input / output terminal in the second direction.

[0110] With the above configuration, the chip enable terminal or power supply terminal, which experiences less frequent voltage changes, is positioned next to the data input / output terminal, which experiences more frequent voltage changes, thus making the data input / output terminal less susceptible to noise. Furthermore, because the chip enable terminal or power supply terminal is positioned next to it, the impact of the data input / output terminal on its surroundings can be reduced.

[0111] Another example of the present invention is a cartridge having a front end and a rear end, which can be connected to a game device by inserting it into the cartridge slot of the game device from the front end. The cartridge comprises a plurality of terminals electrically connected to terminals of the game device provided in the cartridge slot. The plurality of terminals include a clock terminal for inputting a clock signal from the game device and a strobe terminal for outputting a strobe signal to the game device. When the direction in which the cartridge is inserted into and removed from the cartridge slot is considered the first direction, the strobe terminal and the clock terminal are arranged side by side in the first direction. The clock terminal is positioned closer to the front end of the cartridge than the strobe terminal.

[0112] According to the above configuration, the cartridge is inserted into the cartridge slot from its tip. The strobe terminal (output terminal) and the clock terminal (input terminal) are arranged side by side in the first direction, with the clock terminal positioned closer to the tip of the cartridge than the strobe terminal. Therefore, for example, when removing the cartridge from the game device, the output terminal on the cartridge side (strobe terminal on the cartridge side) and the output terminal on the game device side (clock terminal on the game device side) do not come into contact, allowing the cartridge to be removed from the game device more safely.

[0113] In other configurations, the clock terminal and the strobe terminal may be arranged such that they overlap at least partially when the strobe terminal is moved in the first direction to the position of the clock terminal.

[0114] With the above configuration, the clock terminal and strobe terminal are not substantially offset in the second direction. Therefore, the length of the cartridge in the second direction can be shortened.

[0115] In other configurations, the game device includes strobe terminals and clock terminals aligned in the first direction. When the cartridge is inserted into the cartridge slot and connected to the game device, the strobe terminals of the cartridge are connected to the strobe terminals of the game device, and the clock terminals of the cartridge are connected to the clock terminals of the game device. The clock terminals may be positioned such that the strobe terminals of the game device come into contact with the clock terminals of the cartridge during the process of inserting the cartridge into the cartridge slot.

[0116] According to the above configuration, when inserting the cartridge into the cartridge slot of the game device, the clock terminal on the cartridge is located in the path through which the strobe terminal on the game device passes. In other words, since the clock terminal and the strobe terminal are not substantially offset in the second direction, the length of the cartridge in the second direction can be shortened.

[0117] In other configurations, if the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction, a ground terminal may be provided next to the clock terminal and the strobe terminal in the second direction.

[0118] With the above configuration, by placing the ground terminal next to the clock terminal and strobe terminal, the clock terminal and strobe terminal are less susceptible to noise. Furthermore, the influence that the clock terminal and strobe terminal have on the surrounding environment can be reduced.

[0119] Another example of the present invention is a cartridge having a front end and a rear end, which can be connected to a game device by inserting it into the cartridge slot of the game device from the front end. The cartridge is equipped with a plurality of terminals that are electrically connected to terminals of the game device provided in the cartridge slot. If the direction in which the cartridge is inserted into and removed from the cartridge slot is designated as the first direction and the direction perpendicular to the first direction is designated as the second direction, the plurality of terminals of the cartridge include at least four short terminals and a long terminal whose length in the first direction is longer than that of the short terminals. The four short terminals constitute a first set of short terminals consisting of two short terminals aligned in the first direction, and a second set of short terminals consisting of two short terminals aligned in the first direction, whose position in the second direction is different from that of the first set of short terminals. The long terminal is positioned between the first set of short terminals and the second set of short terminals. When the four short terminals are moved in the second direction to the position of the long terminal, each of the four short terminals after the move overlaps with the long terminal in at least a portion thereof. The long terminal is a power supply terminal or a chip enable terminal, and the short terminal is a terminal whose voltage changes more frequently than that of the long terminal.

[0120] According to the above configuration, at least two sets of two short terminals aligned in the first direction are provided, and a long terminal is provided between the two sets of short terminals. The short terminals are terminals with a high frequency of voltage changes, while the long terminal is a power supply terminal or chip enable terminal with a low voltage change. This prevents noise from entering the short terminal adjacent to the long terminal in the second direction, for example. In addition, the long terminal provided next to it can reduce the influence that the two short terminals have on their surroundings.

[0121] In other configurations, the four short terminals may be data input / output terminals, and the long terminals may be power supply terminals.

[0122] With the above configuration, a power supply terminal with a low voltage fluctuation frequency is provided next to the data input / output terminal, making the data input / output terminal less susceptible to noise from the power supply terminal. Furthermore, the presence of the adjacent power supply terminal reduces the impact of the data input / output terminal on its surroundings.

[0123] In other configurations, the first set of short terminals may be a clock terminal and a strobe terminal aligned in the first direction. The second set of short terminals may be two data input / output terminals aligned in the first direction. The long terminal may be a chip enable terminal.

[0124] With the above configuration, a chip enable terminal with a low voltage change frequency is provided next to the clock terminal and strobe terminal, making the clock terminal and strobe terminal less susceptible to noise from the chip enable terminal. In addition, the chip enable terminal can reduce the influence of, for example, two data input / output terminals on their surroundings.

[0125] In other configurations, the clock terminal may be located closer to the tip of the cartridge than the strobe terminal.

[0126] According to the above configuration, the clock terminal (input terminal) and the strobe terminal (output terminal) are arranged side by side in the first direction, with the clock terminal positioned on the side that is first inserted into the cartridge slot. Therefore, for example, when removing the cartridge from the game device, the output terminal on the cartridge side (strobe terminal on the cartridge side) and the output terminal on the game device side (clock terminal on the game device side) do not come into contact, allowing the cartridge to be removed from the game device more safely.

[0127] Another example of the present invention is a cartridge that can be connected to a game device by being inserted into the cartridge slot of the game device. The cartridge comprises at least one first terminal electrically connectable to the game device and at least one second terminal electrically connectable to the game device. The first terminal includes a power terminal. The second terminal includes a data input / output terminal. The first and second terminals are arranged alternately in a predetermined direction.

[0128] According to the above configuration, the power terminal as the first terminal and the data input / output terminal as the second terminal are arranged alternately in a predetermined direction. Therefore, the data input / output terminals are less susceptible to noise than, for example, the data input / output terminals are arranged in a predetermined direction. In addition, the influence of the data input / output terminals on the surroundings can be reduced.

[0129] In other configurations, the second terminal may include a plurality of data input / output terminals. The first terminal and the plurality of data input / output terminals may be arranged alternately in a predetermined direction.

[0130] In other configurations, the first terminal may include a plurality of power supply terminals. The plurality of power supply terminals and the plurality of data input / output terminals may be arranged alternately in a predetermined direction.

[0131] In other configurations, the first terminal may include a chip enable terminal. The second terminal may include a clock terminal or a strobe terminal. The first and second terminals may be arranged alternately in a predetermined direction.

[0132] With the above configuration, the first terminal (power terminal, chip enable terminal) and the second terminal (data input / output terminal, clock terminal, strobe terminal) are arranged alternately, making the second terminal less susceptible to noise. Furthermore, the influence of the second terminal on its surroundings can be reduced.

[0133] In other configurations, the first terminal may include a ground terminal. The first and second terminals may be arranged alternately in a predetermined direction.

[0134] With the above configuration, the first terminals (power terminal, chip enable terminal, ground terminal) and the second terminals (data input / output terminal, clock terminal, strobe terminal) are arranged alternately, making the second terminals less susceptible to noise. Furthermore, the influence of the second terminals on the surrounding environment can be reduced.

[0135] In other configurations, the second terminal may also include a strobe terminal and a clock terminal arranged side by side in a first direction perpendicular to the predetermined direction. The first direction is the direction in which the user inserts the cartridge into the cartridge slot, and the clock terminal may be positioned on the side to which the cartridge is first inserted when the cartridge is inserted into the cartridge slot.

[0136] With the above configuration, the second terminal (data input / output terminal, clock terminal, strobe terminal) is less susceptible to noise. Furthermore, the influence of the second terminal on its surroundings can be reduced. In addition, the clock terminal (input terminal) and the strobe terminal (output terminal) are arranged side by side in the first direction, and the clock terminal is positioned on the side that is first inserted into the cartridge slot. For this reason, for example, when removing a cartridge from the game device, the output terminal on the cartridge side (strobe terminal on the cartridge side) and the output terminal on the game device side (clock terminal on the game device side) will not come into contact, allowing the cartridge to be removed from the game device more safely.

[0137] In other configurations, a reset terminal may be located at one end in the predetermined direction. The first terminal may include a ground terminal, a chip enable terminal, a first power supply terminal, and a second power supply terminal. The second terminal may include a strobe terminal and a plurality of data input / output terminals. The first and second terminals may be arranged alternately from the other end toward the first end in the predetermined direction. Further adjacent to the first end side of the second terminals arranged alternately from the other end toward the first end, a data input / output terminal may be located, and the reset terminal may be located on the first end side of the data input / output terminal.

[0138] According to the above configuration, the first terminal and the second terminal are arranged alternately from one end to the other, data input / output terminals are placed next to them, and a reset terminal is provided on the one end. Because the reset terminal is provided on one end, it is difficult for unwanted signals to enter the reset terminal.

[0139] In other configurations, a ground terminal may be provided between the data input / output terminal and the reset terminal, which are located next to the second terminals that are alternately arranged from the other end toward the one end, and which are located further toward the one end.

[0140] Another embodiment of the present invention is a cartridge that can be connected to a game device by inserting it into the cartridge slot of the game device. It comprises a plurality of first terminals electrically connectable to the game device and a plurality of second terminals electrically connectable to the game device. The plurality of first terminals include at least one power terminal and at least one ground terminal. The plurality of second terminals include at least one data input / output terminal, a clock terminal and a strobe terminal. A plurality of terminal-dense regions including the first terminals and the second terminals are provided. The plurality of terminal-dense regions are arranged in a predetermined direction. The distance between the terminal-dense regions in the predetermined direction is longer than the distance between the first terminals and the second terminals in the predetermined direction within each terminal-dense region.

[0141] According to the above configuration, multiple terminal-dense regions, each containing a first terminal and a second terminal, are arranged. The first terminal is a power terminal or a ground terminal, and can be a data input / output terminal, a clock terminal, or a strobe terminal. Because the first and second terminals are in close proximity, the second terminal is less susceptible to noise, and its influence on the surroundings can be reduced. In addition, gaps are provided between the terminal-dense regions, making it difficult for them to influence each other.

[0142] In other configurations, a conductor connected to the first terminal or the second terminal may be provided between the terminal-dense regions.

[0143] According to the above configuration, conductors can be placed in the gaps between areas with a high density of terminals.

[0144] In other configurations, the cartridge may include at least one separator located between the terminal-dense regions.

[0145] According to the above configuration, the separator can cover the gaps between densely packed terminal areas, making it difficult, for example, for a user's fingers to touch the terminals. Furthermore, if a conductor is placed in the gap between densely packed terminal areas, the conductor can be protected by the separator.

[0146] In other configurations, the multiple terminal cluster regions may include adjacent first and second terminal cluster regions. The data input / output terminals in the first terminal cluster region and the data input / output terminals in the second terminal cluster region may be adjacent to each other.

[0147] According to the above configuration, even if data input / output terminals in the first terminal density region and data input / output terminals in the second terminal density region are adjacent to each other, a gap is provided between them, making it difficult for these data input / output terminals to influence each other.

[0148] In other configurations, a conductor from the data input / output terminals in the first terminal density region and a conductor from the data input / output terminals in the second terminal density region may be provided between the first terminal density region and the second terminal density region.

[0149] According to the above configuration, by arranging the wires of the data input / output terminals within each terminal-density region in the gaps between the first terminal-density region and the second terminal-density region, the number of gaps can be reduced, and the width of the cartridge can be narrowed.

[0150] Another example of the present invention is a cartridge that can be connected to a game device by being inserted into the cartridge slot of the game device. The cartridge is provided with a terminal arrangement area in which a plurality of terminals are arranged that are electrically connected to terminals of the game device provided in the cartridge slot. When the direction in which the user inserts the cartridge into the cartridge slot is designated as the first direction and the direction perpendicular to the first direction is designated as the second direction, in a part of the terminal arrangement area, a first terminal arranged only once in the first direction and a second terminal arranged in pairs side by side in the first direction are arranged alternately in the second direction.

[0151] According to the above configuration, one terminal and two terminals aligned in the first direction are alternately arranged in the second direction within a portion of the terminal arrangement area. By arranging two terminals in the first direction, the length in the second direction can be shortened.

[0152] In other configurations, the first terminal may be a power supply terminal, a ground terminal, or a chip enable terminal, and the second terminal may be a data input / output terminal, a strobe terminal, or a clock terminal.

[0153] According to the above configuration, by arranging the first terminal (power terminal, ground terminal, chip enable terminal), which has a low frequency of voltage changes, and the second terminal (data input / output terminal, strobe terminal, clock terminal), which has a high frequency of voltage changes, alternately, noise to the second terminal (data input / output terminal, clock terminal, strobe terminal) can be reduced. In addition, the influence of the second terminal on the surroundings can be reduced.

[0154] In other configurations, four terminal groups, each composed of the first and second terminals, may be provided in the second direction within a portion of the terminal arrangement area.

[0155] In other configurations, the second direction is the direction from one end of the terminal arrangement area to the other end, and in a portion of the terminal arrangement area, the first terminal, second terminal, first terminal, second terminal, first terminal, second terminal, first terminal, and second terminal may be arranged in order from one end to the other end. Further to the other end of the second terminal located furthest to the other end in a portion of the terminal arrangement area, the second terminal, first terminal, and first terminal may be arranged in order from one end to the other end. [Effects of the Invention]

[0156] According to the present invention, for example, the width of the cartridge can be reduced. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0157] [Figure 1A] External perspective view of cartridge 1 as seen from the surface. [Figure 1B] External perspective view of cartridge 1 as seen from the back. [Figure 2] External view of the back of cartridge 1 [Figure 3] Block diagram showing the internal structure of cartridge 1 [Figure 4] This diagram shows how cartridge 1 is connected to the information processing device 50. [Figure 5] Diagram showing details of terminals T1 to T16 provided on cartridge 1. [Figure 6] Diagram illustrating the function of each terminal on cartridge 1. [Figure 7] This diagram shows terminals T1, T2, and T3, illustrating the arrangement of each terminal. [Figure 8A] This diagram shows an example where terminal T1 is located adjacent to terminal T2 in the lateral direction in a portion of the vertical direction, and also adjacent to terminal T3 in the lateral direction in a portion of the vertical direction. [Figure 8B] This diagram shows an example where terminal T1 is adjacent to terminal T2 in the lateral direction across the entire vertical dimension, and also adjacent to terminal T3 in the lateral direction across the entire vertical dimension. [Figure 8C] This diagram shows an example where terminal T1 is adjacent to terminal T2 in the lateral direction across its entire vertical range, and terminal T3 is not adjacent to terminal T3 in the lateral direction across its entire vertical range. [Figure 8D] This diagram shows an example where terminal T1 does not exist adjacent to terminal T2 in the lateral direction across the entire vertical direction, and terminal T3 does not exist adjacent to terminal T3 in the lateral direction across the entire vertical direction. [Figure 9] This diagram shows an example of the voltage state of each terminal from the time cartridge 1 is connected to the information processing device 50 until data communication takes place. [Figure 10] A diagram illustrating the spacing between terminals and the position of the lower end of each terminal. [Figure 11] Diagram showing the pin arrangement on the information processing device 50 (main unit) side. [Figure 12] This diagram shows the connection state between the pins on the main unit and the terminals on the cartridge 1 when the cartridge 1 is stored in the cartridge storage compartment 51 on the main unit. [Figure 13] This diagram shows how the terminals of cartridge 1 first make contact with the pins on the main unit when cartridge 1 is inserted into the cartridge slot of the information processing device 50. [Figure 14] This diagram shows the state of each terminal when cartridge 1 is inserted further in (downward) from the state shown in Figure 13. [Figure 15] This diagram shows the state of each terminal when cartridge 1 is inserted further in (downward) from the state shown in Figure 14. [Figure 16] This diagram shows the state of each terminal when cartridge 1 is inserted further in (downward) from the state shown in Figure 15. [Figure 17] This diagram shows the state of each terminal when cartridge 1 is inserted further in (downward) from the state shown in Figure 16. [Figure 18] This diagram shows the state of each terminal when cartridge 1 is inserted further in (downward) from the state shown in Figure 17. [Figure 19] Diagram showing the conductive wires formed on the substrate 12 of cartridge 1. [Figure 20] A magnified view of a portion of the cartridge 1 when the circuit board 12 is housed in the housing 11. [Figure 21] A diagram showing an example of the terminal shape in another embodiment. [Figure 22] A diagram showing an example of the terminal shape in another embodiment. [Figure 23] A diagram showing an example of the terminal shape in another embodiment. [Figure 24] A diagram showing an example of the terminal shape in another embodiment. [Figure 25] A diagram showing an example of the terminal shape in another embodiment. [Figure 26] A diagram showing an example of the terminal shape in another embodiment. [Figure 27] A diagram showing an example of the terminal shape in another embodiment. [Figure 28]A diagram showing an example of the terminal shape in another embodiment. [Figure 29] A diagram showing an example of the terminal shape in another embodiment. [Figure 30] A diagram showing an example of the terminal shape in another embodiment. [Figure 31] A diagram showing an example of the terminal shape in another embodiment. [Figure 32] This diagram shows an example of a configuration in which the non-volatile memory 13 is detachably connected to the cartridge 1. [Figure 33] This diagram shows an example of a configuration in which the non-volatile memory 13 is detachably connected to the cartridge 1. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0158] Hereinafter, a cartridge (for example, a memory card) according to one embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. Figures 1A and 1B are external perspective views of the cartridge 1 of this embodiment. Figure 1A is an external perspective view of the cartridge 1 as seen from the front, and Figure 1B is an external perspective view of the cartridge 1 as seen from the back. Figure 2 is an external view of the back of the cartridge 1. Figure 3 is a block diagram showing the internal configuration of the cartridge 1.

[0159] As shown in Figures 1A, 1B, and 2, the cartridge 1 is constructed by housing a substrate 12 within a housing 11 made of resin or the like. The cartridge 1 is formed to be approximately 31.1 mm in length, 21.4 mm in width, and 3.4 mm in thickness. Note that the size of the cartridge 1 is merely an example and is not limited to this. The cartridge 1 has a front end and a rear end, and in the front end region on the back surface of the cartridge 1, a portion of the substrate 12 is exposed from the housing 11, and a plurality of external connection terminals T1 to T16 are provided on this exposed portion. The housing 11 has four separators 11a, and these separators 11a divide the terminal arrangement area where the plurality of external connection terminals T1 to T16 are arranged into five sections. The four separators 11a are formed as part of the housing 11. Herein, in this specification, the tip of cartridge 1 refers to the lower end of cartridge 1 in Figure 2, and the tips of each terminal T1 to T16 refer to the end of each terminal that is closer to the tip of cartridge 1 (the lower end in Figure 2).

[0160] As shown in Figure 3, the circuit board 12 is equipped with a non-volatile memory 13 for storing data (e.g., programs, image data, audio data, etc.), a memory control unit 14, and external connection terminals T1 to T16. The non-volatile memory 13 may be read-only memory or read-write memory. For example, flash memory may be used as the non-volatile memory 13. The memory control unit 14 controls the reading and writing of data stored in the non-volatile memory 13. For example, the memory control unit 14 reads data from the non-volatile memory 13 based on a command from the information processing device and outputs the data to the information processing device. If the non-volatile memory 13 is writable memory, the memory control unit 14 controls the writing of data output from the information processing device to the non-volatile memory 13. The memory control unit 14 may also have a data encryption / decryption function. For example, when the memory control unit 14 writes data to the non-volatile memory 13, it may encrypt the data and write the encrypted data to the non-volatile memory 13. Furthermore, when the memory control unit 14 reads data from the non-volatile memory 13, it may retrieve encrypted data from the non-volatile memory 13, decrypt it, and output the decrypted data to the information processing device.

[0161] Cartridge 1 is detachably connected to a predetermined information processing device. Figure 4 shows how cartridge 1 is installed in the information processing device 50.

[0162] The information processing device 50 is a device capable of executing various applications, and may be, for example, a portable game device or a stationary game device. The information processing device 50 is not limited to a device dedicated to games, but may be a device capable of executing any other application. The information processing device 50 may be capable of executing game applications as well as other applications. Furthermore, the information processing device 50 may not execute game applications, but may be a device capable of executing other applications. For example, the information processing device 50 may be a mobile phone, smartphone, tablet terminal, etc. The information processing device 50 includes, for example, a CPU (not shown), RAM, a storage device (e.g., non-volatile memory or magnetic disk), a display device, input buttons, a touch panel, and a communication device.

[0163] As shown in Figure 4, the information processing device 50 includes a cartridge storage section 51 for storing the cartridge 1. For example, the top surface of the information processing device 50 is provided with a cartridge insertion opening for inserting the cartridge 1, and the cartridge 1 is stored in the cartridge storage section 51 when inserted through this opening. The cartridge 1 is inserted into the cartridge insertion opening of the information processing device 50 from the side where terminals T1 to T16 are located. That is, the cartridge 1 is inserted into the cartridge insertion opening from its tip. The user inserts the cartridge 1 into the cartridge insertion opening of the information processing device 50 from top to bottom in Figure 4, with the side where terminals T1 to T16 are located facing downwards.

[0164] The information processing device 50 is capable of reading and executing a predetermined application program (for example, a game program) stored in the non-volatile memory 13 of the cartridge 1. The predetermined application program may be, for example, a game application, an application for displaying or capturing videos or still images, an application for creating or editing documents, an application for browsing the web, an application for viewing, sending and receiving emails, etc.

[0165] As shown in Figure 4, the cartridge storage section 51 of the information processing device 50 (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the "main unit") is provided with terminals P0 to P16 on the main unit side that are electrically connected to the external connection terminals T1 to T16 of the cartridge 1. Hereafter, the external connection terminals T1 to T16 on the cartridge 1 side will be referred to as "terminals," and the terminals P0 to P16 on the main unit side will be referred to as "pins."

[0166] Next, we will explain the details of the external connection terminals T1 to T16 of cartridge 1. Figure 5 shows the details of the terminals T1 to T16 provided on cartridge 1. Figure 6 is a diagram illustrating the purpose of each terminal on cartridge 1.

[0167] Figure 5 is an enlarged view of a portion of the circuit board 12. In Figure 5, the separator 11a of the housing 11 and the wires from each terminal T1 to T16 are not shown. Below Figure 5 is the cartridge slot of the information processing device 50, and when the user inserts cartridge 1 into the cartridge slot, it is assumed that the cartridge is inserted in the direction from top to bottom (insertion direction) in Figure 5. That is, the lower end of cartridge 1 in Figure 5 is the tip of cartridge 1. In the following, the positional relationship of each external connection terminal (hereinafter simply referred to as "terminal") arranged on the circuit board 12 will be explained, with the direction of insertion and removal of cartridge 1 into and out of the cartridge slot of the information processing device 50 being defined as the up and down direction.

[0168] As shown in Figure 5, the substrate 12 is provided with a terminal arrangement area A (area enclosed by a dashed line) where 16 terminals T1 to T16 are arranged. The terminal arrangement area A is divided into a lower area (also called the "first area") and an upper area (also called the "second area") located above the lower area. The lower area is the area that is first inserted into the cartridge insertion slot when the terminal arrangement area A is divided into two in the direction of insertion and removal of the cartridge 1 (for example, when the terminal arrangement area A is divided by a dashed line passing through the middle of the gap between the two short terminals arranged vertically as shown in Figure 5), and is the area on the tip side of the cartridge 1.

[0169] In terminal arrangement area A, five terminal groups (also called "terminal density areas") containing multiple terminals are formed. Specifically, terminal group B1 is provided on the far left of terminal arrangement area A, terminal group B2 is provided to the right of terminal group B1, terminal group B3 is provided to the right of terminal group B2, terminal group B4 is provided to the right of terminal group B3, and terminal group B5 is provided to the right of terminal group B4. Terminal group B1 consists of one long terminal T1 extending in the vertical direction and two short terminals (T2 and T3) arranged vertically to the right. Similarly, terminal group B2 consists of one long terminal T4 extending in the vertical direction and two short terminals (T5 and T6) arranged vertically to the right. Similarly, terminal group B3 consists of one long terminal T7 extending in the vertical direction and two short terminals (T8 and T9) arranged vertically to the right. Furthermore, terminal group B4 consists of one long terminal T10 extending vertically and two short terminals (T11 and T12) arranged vertically, aligned to the right. Similarly, terminal group B5 consists of two short terminals (T13 and T14) arranged vertically, one long terminal T15 extending vertically, and one long terminal T16 extending vertically, aligned to the right. The following describes each terminal in detail.

[0170] Terminal T1 is provided at the left end of terminal arrangement area A. Terminal T1 is formed so as to straddle the upper and lower areas of terminal arrangement area A and extends in the vertical direction.

[0171] Terminal T1 is a ground terminal, as shown in Figure 6. Terminal T1 is grounded by being connected to the ground pin of the information processing device 50. Terminal T1 also serves as a detection terminal for the information processing device 50 to detect cartridge 1. In the figure, terminal T1, which serves as both a ground terminal and a detection terminal, is denoted as "GND / DET". Terminal T1 is not a terminal through which high-frequency signals flow, like the clock terminal, strobe terminal, and data input / output terminal described later. In other words, terminal T1 is a terminal whose voltage changes relatively infrequently while connected to the ground pin of the information processing device 50. For example, the voltage of terminal T1 may be approximately constant (e.g., 0V). Note that the ground terminal T1 does not need to be 0V as long as the voltage is relatively low.

[0172] Terminals T2 and T3 are provided near the right side of terminal T1. Terminal T2 is provided in the upper region, and terminal T3 is provided in the lower region. Terminals T2 and T3 are arranged side by side vertically, and their horizontal positions coincide. That is, terminal T3 is located on a straight line extending vertically from the position of terminal T2, and if terminal T2 is moved downward to the position of terminal T3, terminals T2 and T3 will overlap at least partially after the move.

[0173] Terminal T2 is a terminal for outputting a strobe signal (strobe terminal), as shown in Figure 6. Terminal T3 is a terminal for inputting a clock signal (clock terminal). In the figure, the strobe terminal is denoted as "DQS" and the clock terminal as "CLK". When cartridge 1 is properly connected to the information processing device 50 (when each terminal of cartridge 1 is electrically connected to each pin on the main unit), the clock signal from the information processing device 50 is input to the clock terminal T3. Also, when cartridge 1 is properly connected to the information processing device 50, the strobe signal is output to the information processing device 50 from the strobe terminal T2.

[0174] The clock signal is used by the main unit to receive data from cartridge 1 via the data input / output terminal, and to transmit data to cartridge 1 via the data input / output terminal. The clock signal is a high-frequency signal that periodically changes between a high-voltage state and a low-voltage state. The voltage state of the data input / output terminal at the timing of the clock signal switching (in other words, the timing when the low voltage switches to a high voltage) determines what kind of data ("0" or "1") is flowing to the data input / output terminal. That is, the clock terminal T3 is a terminal through which a high-frequency signal flows, and is a terminal with a high frequency of voltage changes.

[0175] The strobe signal is a signal that assists the clock signal. The strobe signal is a signal output from cartridge 1 that has a waveform similar to the clock signal, but is delayed. There is a timing difference between the clock signal output by the main unit and the signal output from the non-volatile memory 13 of cartridge 1, which passes through the circuit inside cartridge 1 and is input to the main unit. The main unit uses the strobe signal to determine the extent of this difference. The strobe terminal T2, like the clock terminal T3, is a terminal through which a high-frequency signal flows, and is a terminal with a high frequency of voltage changes.

[0176] A terminal T4 is provided to the right of terminals T2 and T3. Terminal T4 is formed so as to straddle the upper and lower regions of terminal arrangement region A and extends in the vertical direction.

[0177] Terminal T4 is the chip enable terminal, as shown in Figure 6. In the figure, the chip enable terminal is denoted as "CEB". The chip enable terminal is a terminal for inputting a chip enable signal to select whether or not to perform data input / output. When no data communication (for example, input / output of image data or audio data, or input / output of commands) is performed between the cartridge 1 and the information processing device 50, the chip enable terminal T4 is maintained at a high voltage. On the other hand, when data communication is performed between the cartridge 1 and the information processing device 50, the chip enable terminal T4 is maintained at a low voltage. In other words, the chip enable terminal T4 is not a terminal through which high-frequency signals flow, like the clock terminal T3 and strobe terminal T2, and the data input / output terminals described later, and can be said to be a terminal with a low frequency of voltage changes. Conversely, when no data communication is performed between the cartridge 1 and the information processing device 50, the chip enable terminal T4 may be maintained at a low voltage, and when data communication is performed between the cartridge 1 and the information processing device 50, the chip enable terminal T4 may be maintained at a high voltage.

[0178] Terminals T5 and T6 are provided near the right side of terminal T4. Terminal T5 is located in the upper region, and terminal T6 is located in the lower region. Terminals T5 and T6 are arranged side by side vertically, and their horizontal positions coincide. That is, terminal T6 is located on a straight line extending vertically from the position of terminal T5, and if terminal T5 is moved downward to the position of terminal T6, terminals T5 and T6 will overlap at least partially after the move.

[0179] As shown in Figure 6, terminals T5 and T6 are data input / output terminals. In the figure, data input / output terminals are denoted as "IO". At one time, the data input / output terminals function as data input terminals for inputting data into cartridge 1, and at another time, they function as data output terminals for outputting data from cartridge 1.

[0180] Specifically, the data input / output terminal is in the input state before data communication begins. For example, when the main unit reads data stored in the non-volatile memory 13 of cartridge 1, a command for reading data is input from the main unit through the data input / output terminal. At this time, the data input / output terminal is in the input state, so the command is input. When the command is input, the memory control unit 14 switches the data input / output terminal to the output state. The memory control unit 14 then reads the data stored in the non-volatile memory 13 and outputs it through the data input / output terminal. Once the data reading is complete, the memory control unit 14 returns the data input / output terminal to the input state.

[0181] Data communication via data input / output terminals is performed at relatively high speeds, and high-frequency signals flow through the data input / output terminals when data or commands are input or output. In other words, data input / output terminals are terminals where the voltage changes frequently.

[0182] Terminal T7 is provided to the right of terminals T5 and T6. Terminal T7 is formed so as to straddle the upper and lower regions of terminal arrangement region A and extends in the vertical direction.

[0183] Terminal T7 is the power supply terminal for the memory control unit (labeled "Vcc" in the diagram). When cartridge 1 is electrically connected to the main unit, power is supplied from the main unit to terminal T7, and this power supply operates the memory control unit 14 of cartridge 1. The voltage of the power supply supplied from the main unit to terminal T7 is approximately 3.1V. This voltage supplied from the main unit to terminal T7 is approximately constant. In other words, power supply terminal T7 is not a terminal through which high-frequency signals flow, such as the clock terminal, strobe terminal, or data input / output terminal, and can be said to be a terminal with a low frequency of voltage changes.

[0184] Near the right side of terminal T7, terminals T8 and T9 are provided as data input / output terminals. Terminal T8 is located in the upper region, and terminal T9 is located in the lower region. Terminals T8 and T9 are arranged side by side, one above the other. Specifically, terminals T8 and T9 coincide in the lateral direction. That is, terminal T9 is located on a straight line extending vertically from the position of terminal T8, and if terminal T8 is moved downward to the position of terminal T9, terminals T8 and T9 will overlap at least partially after the move.

[0185] Terminal T10 is provided to the right of terminals T8 and T9. Terminal T10 is formed so as to straddle the upper and lower regions of terminal arrangement region A and extends in the vertical direction.

[0186] Terminal T10 is a power supply terminal for data input / output (labeled "Vccio" in the diagram). When cartridge 1 is electrically connected to the main unit, power for data input / output is supplied from the main unit to terminal T10. This power supply provides power to the data input / output terminal, and data communication takes place between the main unit and cartridge 1 via this terminal. The voltage of the power supply supplied from the main unit to terminal T10 is approximately 1.8V. This voltage of the power supply supplied from the main unit to terminal T10 is approximately constant. In other words, power supply terminal T10 is not a terminal through which high-frequency signals flow, such as the clock terminal, strobe terminal, or data input / output terminal, and can be said to be a terminal with a low frequency of voltage changes.

[0187] Near the right side of terminal T10, terminals T11 and T12 are provided as data input / output terminals. Terminal T11 is located in the upper region, and terminal T12 is located in the lower region. Terminals T11 and T12 are arranged side by side, one above the other. Specifically, terminals T11 and T12 coincide in the lateral direction. That is, terminal T12 is located on a straight line extending vertically from the position of terminal T11, and if terminal T11 is moved downward to the position of terminal T12, the moved terminals T11 and T12 will overlap in at least part.

[0188] To the right of terminals T11 and T12 are terminals T13 and T14, which serve as data input / output terminals. Terminal T13 is located in the upper region, and terminal T14 is located in the lower region. Terminals T13 and T14 are arranged side by side, one above the other. Specifically, terminals T13 and T14 coincide in the lateral direction. That is, terminal T14 is located on a straight line extending vertically from the position of terminal T13, and if terminal T13 is moved downward to the position of terminal T14, the moved terminals T13 and T14 will overlap in at least part.

[0189] Here, the eight data input / output terminals (terminals T5, T6, T8, T9, T11~T14) are, in effect, all in an input state at one time and all in an output state at another time. That is, at one time, some of the eight data input / output terminals are in an input state and input data, while other parts are not in an output state and output data. Note that "all are in an input state at one time and all are in an output state at another time" does not mean that the timing of switching between the input and output states of the eight data input / output terminals is perfectly synchronized. As long as the eight data input / output terminals switch at essentially the same time, the timing of switching for each data input / output terminal does not need to be perfectly synchronized.

[0190] A terminal T15 is provided near the right side of terminals T13 and T14. Terminal T15 is provided so as to straddle the upper and lower regions of terminal arrangement region A and is formed to extend in the vertical direction.

[0191] Terminal T15 is the ground terminal (labeled "GND" in the diagram). When terminal T15 is connected to the ground pin of the main unit, cartridge 1 is grounded. Since terminal T15 is a ground terminal, its voltage is approximately constant (for example, 0V). In other words, terminal T15 is not a terminal through which high-frequency signals flow, such as the clock terminal, strobe terminal, or data input / output terminal, and can be said to be a terminal with a low frequency of voltage changes.

[0192] A terminal T16 is provided near the right side of terminal T15. Terminal T16 is provided so as to straddle the upper and lower regions of terminal arrangement region A and is formed to extend in the vertical direction.

[0193] Terminal T16 is a reset terminal (labeled "RES" in the diagram) for inputting a reset signal. When a reset signal is input to cartridge 1, each device of cartridge 1 (such as the memory control unit 14) is returned to its initial state. Specifically, the devices are reset when terminal T16 becomes low voltage. Then, after a predetermined time has elapsed since the main unit detected cartridge 1, the main unit raises terminal T16 to a high voltage state, releasing the reset. In this state, data communication becomes possible between the main unit and cartridge 1. Basically, after the main unit and cartridge 1 are electrically connected, terminal T16 is maintained in a high voltage state (reset released state). For this reason, the reset terminal T16 is not a terminal through which high-frequency signals flow, like the clock terminal, strobe terminal, or data input / output terminal, and can be said to be a terminal with a low frequency of voltage changes.

[0194] (Explanation of the characteristics of the arrangement of each terminal) Next, the characteristics of the arrangement of each terminal will be explained. As shown in Figure 5, two terminals are arranged side by side vertically, and these two vertically aligned terminals are not offset horizontally. This allows for a narrower width for the cartridge 1 while increasing the number of data input / output terminals, enabling high-speed data communication with the information processing device 50. Note that the horizontal positions of the two vertically aligned terminals do not need to be perfectly aligned; for example, as shown with terminals T2 and T3 in Figure 31 later, the two vertically aligned terminals may be slightly offset horizontally.

[0195] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 5, terminals with a low frequency of voltage changes, such as the ground terminal, chip enable terminal, and power supply terminal, are placed near terminals with a high frequency of voltage changes, such as the clock terminal, strobe terminal, and data input / output terminal. Specifically, a ground / detection terminal T1 is provided near the left side of the strobe terminal T2 and the clock terminal T3. Terminal T1 is formed to span the upper and lower regions and has a length that spans all of terminal T2 and part of terminal T3.

[0196] Figure 7 is a diagram showing terminals T1, T2, and T3, illustrating the arrangement of each terminal. The axis parallel to the vertical direction of cartridge 1 (the direction in which cartridge 1 is inserted into and removed from the cartridge slot on the main unit) is defined as the y-axis, and the axis parallel to the horizontal direction of cartridge 1 is defined as the x-axis.

[0197] As shown in Figure 7, the y-axis coordinate of the upper end of terminal T1 is "y1", and the y-axis coordinate of the lower end of terminal T1 is "y4". Similarly, the y-axis coordinate of the upper end of terminal T2 is "y1", and the y-axis coordinate of the lower end of terminal T2 is "y2". Furthermore, the y-axis coordinate of the upper end of terminal T3 is "y3", and the y-axis coordinate of the lower end of terminal T3 is "y5".

[0198] The y-axis range of terminal T1 is "y1" to "y4", and the y-axis range of terminal T2 is "y1" to "y2", and the entire y-axis range of terminal T2 is included in the y-axis range of terminal T1. Also, the y-axis range of terminal T3 is "y3" to "y5", and a part of terminal T3 (the part from y3 to y4) is included in the y-axis range of terminal T1, but another part of terminal T3 (the part from y4 to y5) is not included in the y-axis range of terminal T1.

[0199] In other words, terminal T1 is adjacent to terminal T2 horizontally across its entire vertical dimension, and adjacent to terminal T3 horizontally in a portion of its vertical dimension. For example, if terminals T2 and T3 are moved to the left to the position of terminal T1, the entirety of the moved terminal T2 will overlap with terminal T1, and a portion of the moved terminal T3 will overlap with terminal T1. However, if terminals T2 and T3 are moved to the left to the position of terminal T1, at least a portion of the moved terminal T2 may overlap with terminal T1, and at least a portion of the moved terminal T3 may overlap with terminal T1. For example, if the horizontal width of terminals T2 and T3 is narrower (or wider) than the horizontal width of terminal T1, then if terminals T2 and T3 are moved to the position of terminal T1, the moved terminals T2 and T1 will overlap in part, and the moved terminals T3 and T1 will overlap in part. In this case as well, we say that "terminal T1 is located next to terminal T2 in the lateral direction, and also next to terminal T3 in the lateral direction." In other words, "terminal T1 is located next to terminal T2 in the lateral direction" means that if a straight line is extended horizontally (specifically to the left) from at least a portion of terminal T2 in the vertical direction, that line will reach terminal T1. Similarly, "terminal T1 is located next to terminal T3 in the lateral direction" means that if a straight line is extended to the left from at least a portion of terminal T3 in the vertical direction (in the example shown in Figure 7, the range is y3 to y4), that line will reach terminal T1.

[0200] Thus, since the ground terminal T1 is located near the strobe terminal T2 and the clock terminal T3, the strobe terminal T2 and the clock terminal T3 are less susceptible to noise. In other words, since the voltage at terminal T1 is almost constant (for example, 0V), electromagnetic noise is unlikely to be generated from this terminal. For this reason, terminals T2 and T3, which are located near terminal T1, are less susceptible to noise.

[0201] For example, if data input / output terminals with a high frequency of voltage changes are provided near the strobe terminal T2 and clock terminal T3, a high-frequency signal flowing through these data input / output terminals can generate an electromagnetic field that may affect the strobe terminal T2 and clock terminal T3. The reverse is also true; if data input / output terminals are provided near the strobe terminal T2 and clock terminal T3, a high-frequency signal flowing through these terminals can affect them. In other words, if a high-frequency signal flows through a terminal, that terminal becomes a source of noise, and the waveform of signals flowing through terminals surrounding that terminal may be distorted. If the waveform of the high-frequency signal flowing through the clock terminal T3, strobe terminal T2, and data input / output terminals is distorted, incorrect data may be transmitted or received. In this embodiment, terminals with a high frequency of voltage changes that cause noise are not provided near the strobe terminal T2 and clock terminal T3, and terminal T1 with a low frequency of voltage changes is provided instead. Therefore, the system is less susceptible to noise and can prevent the transmission or reception of incorrect data. Furthermore, since high-frequency signals flow through the strobe terminal T2 and clock terminal T3, they may affect other surrounding terminals. However, because terminal T1 is provided nearby, the influence on terminals other than T2 and T3 can be reduced. In other words, the electromagnetic field influence from the strobe terminal T2 and clock terminal T3 is easily absorbed by the nearest terminal T1, and the influence on other terminals can be reduced compared to when terminal T1 is not provided nearby.

[0202] Figures 8A to 8D show examples of cases where the length and position of the terminals are changed. Figure 8A shows an example where terminal T1 is adjacent to terminal T2 in the lateral direction in part of the vertical direction, and adjacent to terminal T3 in the lateral direction in part of the vertical direction. Figure 8B shows an example where terminal T1 is adjacent to terminal T2 in the lateral direction throughout the entire vertical direction, and adjacent to terminal T3 in the lateral direction throughout the entire vertical direction. Figure 8C shows an example where terminal T1 is adjacent to terminal T2 in the lateral direction throughout the entire vertical direction, and not adjacent to terminal T3 in the lateral direction throughout the entire vertical direction. Figure 8D shows an example where terminal T1 is not adjacent to terminal T2 in the lateral direction throughout the entire vertical direction, and is not adjacent to terminal T3 in the lateral direction throughout the entire vertical direction. In Figures 8A to 8D, the vertical direction is the y-axis direction in Figure 7, and the horizontal direction is the x-axis direction in Figure 7.

[0203] In Figure 8A, the upper end of terminal T2 is not included in the vertical range of terminal T1, while the lower end of terminal T2 is included in the vertical range of terminal T1. Also, the upper end of terminal T3 is included in the vertical range of terminal T1, while the lower end of terminal T3 is not included in the vertical range of terminal T1. In other words, terminal T1 is adjacent to terminal T2 horizontally in a portion of its vertical range, and adjacent to terminal T3 horizontally in a portion of its vertical range. To put it another way, if terminals T2 and T3 are moved to the left to the position of terminal T1, a portion of the moved terminal T2 will overlap with terminal T1, and a portion of the moved terminal T3 will overlap with terminal T1.

[0204] Furthermore, in Figure 8B, the upper end of terminal T2 coincides with the upper end of terminal T1, and the lower end of terminal T2 is included within the vertical range of terminal T1. Also, the upper end of terminal T3 is included within the vertical range of terminal T1, and the lower end of terminal T3 coincides with the lower end of terminal T1. In other words, terminal T1 is adjacent to terminal T2 in the horizontal direction across the entire vertical range of terminal T2, and adjacent to terminal T3 in the horizontal direction across the entire vertical range of terminal T3. To put it another way, if terminals T2 and T3 are moved to the left to the position of terminal T1, the entirety of terminal T2 after the move will overlap with terminal T1, and the entirety of terminal T3 after the move will overlap with terminal T1.

[0205] The above-described effects can also be achieved with terminal arrangements as shown in Figures 8A and 8B. Specifically, in Figures 7, 8A, and 8B, terminal T1, which experiences infrequent voltage changes, is located in the vicinity of at least a portion of terminal T2 in the lateral direction, and also in the vicinity of at least a portion of terminal T3 in the lateral direction. As a result, both terminals T2 and T3 can be made less susceptible to noise, thereby improving waveform quality.

[0206] On the other hand, in Figure 8C, the upper end of terminal T2 coincides with the upper end of terminal T1, and the lower end of terminal T2 is included in the vertical range of terminal T1, but the upper end of terminal T3 is not included in the vertical range of terminal T1. In other words, terminal T1 is adjacent to terminal T2 horizontally across its entire vertical range, but terminal T3 is not adjacent to terminal T3 horizontally across its entire vertical range. To put it another way, if terminals T2 and T3 are moved to the left to the position of terminal T1, the entirety of the moved terminal T2 will overlap with terminal T1, but the entirety of the moved terminal T3 will not overlap with terminal T1.

[0207] Therefore, in the terminal arrangement shown in Figure 8C, terminal T2 is located near terminal T1 in the lateral direction, thus reducing the impact on other terminals as described above. On the other hand, terminal T1 is not located near terminal T3 in the lateral direction.

[0208] Furthermore, in Figure 8D, terminals T2 and T3 are not included in the vertical range of terminal T1. That is, terminal T1 does not exist adjacent to terminal T2 in the horizontal direction across the entire vertical range of terminal T2, nor does terminal T3 exist adjacent to terminal T3 in the horizontal direction across the entire vertical range of terminal T3. In other words, if terminals T2 and T3 are moved to the left to the position of terminal T1, the entirety of terminal T2 after the move will not overlap with terminal T1, and the entirety of terminal T3 after the move will not overlap with terminal T1.

[0209] Returning to Figure 5, the same applies to the data input / output terminals. That is, the data input / output terminals, like the strobe terminal T2 and the clock terminal T3, are terminals with a high frequency of voltage changes. Near the left side of data input / output terminals T5 and T6, there is a chip enable terminal T4, which has a low frequency of voltage changes. Also, near the left side of data input / output terminals T8 and T9, there is a power supply terminal T7, which has a low frequency of voltage changes. Also, near the left side of data input / output terminals T11 and T12, there is a power supply terminal T10, which has a low frequency of voltage changes. Also, near the right side of data input / output terminals T13 and T14, there is a ground terminal T15, which has a low frequency of voltage changes.

[0210] Thus, in this embodiment, long terminals (T1, T4, T7, T10, T15) with a low frequency of voltage changes are arranged in the lateral vicinity of two short terminals (T2 and T3, T5 and T6, T8 and T9, T11 and T12, T13 and T14) that are arranged vertically and have a high frequency of voltage changes. The long terminals are formed to span the upper and lower regions and are located near at least a portion of both of the two short terminals. By providing long terminals in the vicinity of two short terminals, the two short terminals are less susceptible to noise from the nearby long terminals, and the influence of the two short terminals on other terminals can be reduced.

[0211] The long terminal and the two short terminals in its vicinity may be arranged as shown in Figures 7, 8A, 8B, and 8C.

[0212] Furthermore, since no other terminals are provided to the right of the reset terminal T16, it is less susceptible to noise. In addition, a terminal T15 (ground terminal) with a low frequency of voltage changes is provided near the left side of the reset terminal T16. For example, if terminals T13 and T14, which have a high frequency of voltage changes, are provided near the reset terminal T16, noise may enter terminal T16, potentially causing each device in the cartridge 1 to be reset. In this embodiment, in order to minimize noise entering the reset terminal T16, a ground terminal T15 is provided between the reset terminal T16 and the data input / output terminals T13 and T14.

[0213] As described above, in this embodiment, terminals with low voltage change frequency (ground terminals T1, T15, chip enable terminal T4, power supply terminals T7, T10) are provided near terminals with high voltage change frequency (strobe terminal T2, clock terminal T3, data input / output terminals T5, T6, T8, T9, T11~T14). This makes it less susceptible to noise. In addition, the influence of terminals with high voltage change frequency (T2, T3, T5, T6, T8, T9, T11~T14) on the surrounding environment can be reduced.

[0214] Here, we will explain the voltage state of each terminal when cartridge 1 is inserted into the cartridge slot of the information processing device 50 and data communication is performed. Figure 9 is a diagram showing an example of the voltage state of each terminal from the time cartridge 1 is connected to the information processing device 50 until data communication is performed.

[0215] As shown in Figure 9, when cartridge 1 (card) is inserted into the cartridge slot of the information processing device 50, first the voltage levels of power terminal T7 (Vcc) and power terminal T10 (Vccio) become "high voltage". Next, the voltage level of reset terminal T16 (RES) becomes "high voltage". While cartridge 1 is connected to the information processing device 50, the voltage levels of power terminal T7 (Vcc), power terminal T10 (Vccio), and reset terminal T16 (RES) are maintained at "high voltage". When the voltage level of reset terminal T16 (RES) becomes "high voltage", the preparation on the cartridge 1 side is complete, and the voltage level of chip enable terminal T4 (CEB) becomes "high voltage".

[0216] When the information processing device 50 reads data from cartridge 1 (or writes data to cartridge 1), the voltage level of the chip enable terminal T4 (CEB) becomes "low voltage," and the voltage level of the clock terminal T3 (CLK) changes between "high voltage" and "low voltage" at regular intervals. Although not shown in the diagram, the strobe terminal T2 also exhibits a waveform similar to that of the clock terminal T3, albeit with a slight delay. In addition, the eight data input / output terminals (IO) change between "high voltage" and "low voltage" depending on the data being input or output. Specifically, commands are sent from the information processing device 50 to cartridge 1 using the eight data input / output terminals (IO), and then, after a predetermined waiting time (BUSY), the actual data (for example, image data or audio data stored in cartridge 1) is sent from cartridge 1 to the information processing device 50.

[0217] As shown in Figure 9, the chip enable terminal T4 (CEB) is maintained at a "low voltage" while data communication is taking place between the information processing device 50 and the cartridge 1. Meanwhile, while data communication is taking place, the clock terminal T3 (and the strobe terminal T2) and the eight data input / output terminals alternate between "high voltage" and "low voltage".

[0218] Thus, the voltage levels of power terminals T7, T10, and reset terminal T16 are maintained at "high voltage" while the information processing device 50 and cartridge 1 are connected. The chip enable terminal T4 changes between "high voltage" and "low voltage" while the information processing device 50 and cartridge 1 are connected, but the frequency of this change is low. In other words, the chip enable terminal T4 changes from "high voltage" to "low voltage" when data communication starts, but remains at "low voltage" during data communication. In contrast, the clock terminal T3, strobe terminal T2, and the eight data input / output terminals change between "high voltage" and "low voltage" during data communication (while the chip enable terminal T4 maintains "low voltage"), and the frequency of this change is high.

[0219] In this specification, terminals whose voltage level changes between "high voltage" and "low voltage" during data communication are referred to as "terminals with a high frequency of voltage changes." Specifically, "terminals with a high frequency of voltage changes" refer to the clock terminal T3, the strobe terminal T2, and the eight data input / output terminals (T5, T6, T8, T9, T11, T12, T13, T14). On the other hand, terminals whose voltage level is relatively stable during data communication (for example, terminals with a nearly constant voltage) are referred to as "terminals with a low frequency of voltage changes." Specifically, "terminals with a low frequency of voltage changes" refer to the ground / detection terminal T1, the chip enable terminal T4, the power terminals T7 and T10, the ground terminal T15, and the reset terminal T16.

[0220] Next, we will explain the spacing between each terminal and the position of the lower end of each terminal. Figure 10 is a diagram illustrating the spacing between the terminals and the position of the lower end of each terminal.

[0221] As shown in Figure 10, the lateral distance between terminal T2 and terminal T1 is, for example, approximately 0.2 mm, and the lateral distance between terminal T3 and terminal T1 is, for example, approximately 0.2 mm. Similarly, the lateral distance between terminal T5 and terminal T4, which are included in terminal group B2, is also approximately 0.2 mm, and the lateral distance between terminal T6 and terminal T4 is also approximately 0.2 mm. The same applies to other terminal groups. That is, the lateral distance between any two terminals included in the same terminal group is always approximately 0.2 mm.

[0222] Furthermore, the lateral distance between terminal group B1 and terminal group B2 is approximately 1.0 mm. The same applies to other terminal groups; a terminal group is separated from its neighboring group by approximately 1.0 mm. In other words, the distance between a terminal group and its neighboring group is longer than the lateral distance between each terminal within that group.

[0223] In this embodiment, "neighborhood" typically refers to the lateral distance (approximately 0.2 mm) between two terminals belonging to the same terminal group. However, the range of "neighborhood" is not limited to approximately 0.2 mm. Specifically, the range of "neighborhood" may be limited to the distance between pin P0 and pin P2 shown in Figure 11 (described later) (for example, approximately 1.2 mm).

[0224] Furthermore, the upper ends of the six long terminals (T1, T4, T7, T10, T15, T16) and the five terminals located in the upper region (T2, T5, T8, T11, T13) are aligned vertically. Similarly, the upper ends of the five terminals located in the lower region (T3, T6, T9, T12, T14) are aligned vertically. In this embodiment, the widths of terminals T1 to T16 are all the same, for example, approximately 1 mm.

[0225] The vertical lengths of the five short terminals in the upper region (T2, T5, T8, T11, T13) and the five short terminals in the lower region (T3, T6, T9, T12, T14) are all the same, for example, approximately 4.5 mm. On the other hand, the vertical positions of the lower ends of the six long terminals and the vertical positions of the lower ends of the five terminals in the lower region are different, as shown in Figure 10.

[0226] Specifically, as shown in Figure 10, terminal T15 is the longest in the vertical direction, and its lower end is located at the very bottom. For example, the vertical length of terminal T15 is approximately 11.3 mm. Terminals T7 and T10 are the next longest after terminal T15, and their vertical lengths are the same. For example, the vertical lengths of terminals T7 and T10 are approximately 10.9 mm. Therefore, the lower ends of terminals T7 and T10 are located approximately 0.4 mm higher than the lower end of terminal T15.

[0227] Furthermore, the vertical lengths of terminals T4 and T16 are the same; for example, the vertical length of terminals T4 and T16 is approximately 10.5 mm.

[0228] Furthermore, the lower ends of terminals T3, T4, T6, T9, T12, T14, and T16 are aligned. That is, the vertical positions of the lower ends of terminals T3, T4, T6, T9, T12, T14, and T16 coincide. The lower ends of terminals T3, T4, T6, T9, T12, T14, and T16 are located, for example, about 0.8 mm higher than the lower end of terminal T15.

[0229] Furthermore, terminal T1 is the shortest of the long terminals in terms of its downward extension, and its vertical length is, for example, approximately 10.1 mm. Specifically, the lower end of terminal T1 is located approximately 0.4 mm higher than the lower ends of terminals T3 (and similarly for T4, T6, T9, T12, T14, and T16).

[0230] Thus, the tip of the ground terminal T15 (i.e., the lower end of terminal T15 in Figure 5) is located closest to the tip of cartridge 1. Also, among terminals T1, T3, T4, T6, T7, T9, T10, T12, T14, T15, and T16 (i.e., terminals other than those located in the upper region), the tip of the ground / detection terminal T1 (see Figure 5) is located furthest from the tip of cartridge 1. Furthermore, the tips of the power terminals T7 and T11 are located closer to the tip of cartridge 1 than the tip of the clock terminal T3 (and similarly the chip enable terminal T4, and data input / output terminals T6, T9, T12, and T14). Note that the sizes of each terminal shown in Figure 10 are merely examples, and the length and width of each terminal may be changed.

[0231] (Pin arrangement on the main unit) Next, the arrangement of the pins on the main unit will be explained. Figure 11 is a diagram showing the arrangement of the pins on the information processing device 50 (main unit). In Figure 11, the cartridge insertion slot is located on the upper side, and the vertical direction in Figure 11 is the insertion and removal direction of cartridge 1. As shown in Figure 11, 17 pins, P0 to P16, are arranged in the cartridge storage section 51 of the main unit. Pins P0, P2, P4, P5, P7, P8, P10, P11, P13, P15, and P16 are located in the upper area of ​​the cartridge storage section 51. Pins P0, P2, P4, P5, P7, P8, P10, P11, P13, P15, and P16 are arranged side by side horizontally. That is, the vertical positions of the 11 pins P0, P2, P4, P5, P7, P8, P10, P11, P13, P15, and P16 coincide. Furthermore, pins P1, P3, P6, P9, P12, and P14 are located on the lower side of the cartridge storage section 51 and are arranged horizontally. That is, the vertical positions of the six pins P1, P3, P6, P9, P12, and P14 coincide.

[0232] Furthermore, the lateral positions of two pins aligned vertically coincide. Specifically, the lateral positions of pins P0 and P1 coincide, the lateral positions of pins P2 and P3 coincide, and the lateral positions of pins P5 and P6 coincide. Also, the lateral positions of pins P8 and P9 coincide, the lateral positions of pins P11 and P12 coincide, and the lateral positions of pins P13 and P14 coincide.

[0233] Each pin P0 to P16 is positioned so as to be approximately in the lateral center of each terminal T1 to T16 when the cartridge 1 is stored in the cartridge storage section 51. For example, the distance between pin P0 and pin P2 is approximately 1.2 mm, which is the distance between terminals T1 and T2 (approximately 0.2 mm) plus the width of terminals T1 and T2 (1.0 mm × 1 / 2 × 2 = 1.0 mm). Similarly, the distances between pins P4 and P5, P7 and P8, P10 and P11, P13 and P15, P15 and P16, and P1 and P3 are also approximately 1.2 mm. Furthermore, the distance between pin P2 and pin P4 is approximately 2.0 mm, which is the distance between terminal group B1 and terminal group B2 (approximately 1.0 mm) plus the width of terminals T2 and T4 (approximately 1.0 mm). Similarly, the spacing between pins P5 and P7, P8 and P10, and P11 and P13 is approximately 2.0 mm.

[0234] Figure 12 shows the connection state between the pins on the main unit and the terminals on the cartridge 1 when the cartridge 1 is stored in the cartridge storage section 51 on the main unit.

[0235] As shown in Figure 12, when cartridge 1 is fully stored in the cartridge storage compartment 51 on the main unit side (i.e., when cartridge 1 is inserted into the cartridge insertion opening of the main unit side from its lower end and is inserted all the way to the back of the cartridge storage compartment 51 and fixedly stored in the cartridge storage compartment 51), terminal T1 of cartridge 1 is electrically connected to pins P0 and P1 on the main unit side. Also, terminals T2 to T16 of cartridge 1 are connected to pins P2 to P16 on the main unit side, respectively.

[0236] Pin P0 on the main unit is the ground pin. Pin P1 is a detection pin for detecting cartridge 1. The information processing device 50 detects cartridge 1 when it detects that pins P0 and P1 are short-circuited.

[0237] Pin P2 is a strobe signal pin for inputting the strobe signal from cartridge 1, and pin P3 is a clock signal pin for outputting the clock signal to cartridge 1. Pin P4 is a pin for outputting the chip enable signal. Pins P5 and P6 are data input / output pins. Pin P7 is a power supply pin for supplying power to the memory control unit 14 of cartridge 1, and its voltage is approximately 3.1V. Pins P8 and P9 are data input / output pins. Pin P10 is a power supply pin for supplying power to cartridge 1 for data input / output, and its voltage is approximately 1.8V. Pins P11 to P14 are data input / output pins. Pin P15 is a ground pin. Pin P16 is a pin for outputting the reset signal (reset release signal).

[0238] (Status of each terminal when a cartridge is inserted) Next, the state of each terminal when cartridge 1 is inserted into the cartridge slot of the information processing device 50 will be explained. Figures 13 to 18 show the transition of the contact state of each terminal when cartridge 1 is inserted into the cartridge slot. Figure 13 shows how the terminals of cartridge 1 first make contact with the pins on the main body side when cartridge 1 is inserted into the cartridge slot of the information processing device 50. Figure 14 shows the state of each terminal when cartridge 1 is inserted further in (downward) from the state in Figure 13. Figure 15 shows the state of each terminal when cartridge 1 is inserted further in (downward) from the state in Figure 14. Figure 16 shows the state of each terminal when cartridge 1 is inserted further in (downward) from the state in Figure 15. Figure 17 shows the state of each terminal when cartridge 1 is inserted further in (downward) from the state in Figure 16. Figure 18 shows the state of each terminal when cartridge 1 is inserted further in (downward) from the state in Figure 17.

[0239] In Figures 13 to 18, the pins on the main unit that are not in contact with the terminals of cartridge 1 are shown as dashed white circles, while the pins on the main unit that are in contact with the terminals of cartridge 1 are shown as filled circles.

[0240] As shown in Figure 13, when cartridge 1 is inserted into the cartridge slot of the information processing device 50, the lower end of the ground terminal T15 is located at the lowest point (i.e., the tip of the ground terminal T15 is located closest to the tip of cartridge 1), so the ground terminal T15 makes contact with the ground pin P15 on the main unit side first. By making the ground terminal T15 contact the ground pin P15 on the main unit side first in this way, any unwanted charge accumulated in the electronic circuit inside cartridge 1 can be discharged.

[0241] As shown in Figure 14, when the cartridge 1 is pushed further down from the state shown in Figure 13, the power terminals T7 and T10 come into contact with the main unit's pins P7 and P10, respectively. When the power terminal T7 comes into contact with the main unit's power pin P7, it becomes possible to supply power to the memory control unit 14 inside the cartridge 1, and when the main unit's power pin P7 is ON (approximately 3.1V), the memory control unit 14 becomes operational.

[0242] As shown in Figure 15, when cartridge 1 is pushed further down from the state in Figure 14, terminal T3 and pin P2 on the main unit, terminal T4 and pin P4 on the main unit, terminal T6 and pin P5 on the main unit, terminal T9 and pin P8 on the main unit, terminal T12 and pin P11 on the main unit, terminal T14 and pin P13 on the main unit, and terminal T16 and pin P16 on the main unit come into contact with each other.

[0243] As shown in Figure 16, when cartridge 1 is pushed further down from the state shown in Figure 15, terminal T1 and pin P0 on the main body side come into contact.

[0244] In the state shown in Figures 15 and 16, terminal T3 is in contact with pin P2, terminal T6 is in contact with pin P5, terminal T9 is in contact with pin P8, terminal T12 is in contact with pin P11, and terminal T14 is in contact with pin P13. These terminals are in contact with pins on the main unit that are different from the pins they should be connected to. However, in this state, the detection pin P1 on the main unit is not in contact with terminal T1, so the main unit does not detect cartridge 1, and no signal is input from the main unit to each terminal of cartridge 1.

[0245] If cartridge 1 is pushed further down from the state shown in Figure 16, it will reach the state shown in Figure 17. In this state shown in Figure 17, all pins on the main unit side except pin P1 are in contact with terminals T1 to T16. That is, terminal T1 is in contact with pin P0, terminal T2 with pin P2, terminal T3 with pin P3, terminal T4 with pin P4, terminal T5 with pin P5, terminal T6 with pin P6, terminal T7 with pin P7, terminal T8 with pin P8, terminal T9 with pin P9, terminal T10 with pin P10, terminal T11 with pin P11, terminal T12 with pin P12, terminal T13 with pin P13, terminal T14 with pin P14, terminal T15 with pin P15, and terminal T16 with pin P16. In this state, since the detection pin P1 on the main unit side is not in contact with terminal T1, the main unit does not detect cartridge 1, and no signal is input from the main unit side to each terminal of cartridge 1.

[0246] Then, as shown in Figure 18, when the cartridge 1 is pushed further down from the state in Figure 17, terminal T1 makes contact with pin P1 on the main unit side, and all pins P0 to P16 and terminals T1 to T16 make contact. As a result, the main unit detects the cartridge 1, and a signal is input from the main unit side to the cartridge 1.

[0247] As is clear from Figures 13 to 18, first the ground terminal T15 makes contact with the ground pin P15 (Figure 13), then the power terminals T7 and T10 make contact with the power pins P7 and P10 respectively (Figure 14). Next, the chip enable terminal T4, reset terminal T16, strobe terminal T2, clock terminal T3, and data input / output terminals (T5, T6, T8, T9, T11-T14) make contact with the pins on the main unit (Figure 17). Finally, the detection terminal T1 makes contact with the detection pin P1 on the main unit (Figure 18).

[0248] When cartridge 1 is inserted into the cartridge slot of the information processing device 50, the terminals make contact with the pins on the main unit in this order, allowing for safer insertion of cartridge 1.

[0249] In other words, the initial contact between the ground terminal T15 and the ground pin P15 on the main unit allows any unwanted charge accumulated in the circuitry within the cartridge 1 to be discharged.

[0250] Next, when power terminals T7 and T10 make contact with power pins P7 and P10 on the main unit, respectively, if power pin P7 on the main unit is ON, power is supplied to the memory control unit 14 in the cartridge 1, making it possible to control the signals input to each terminal of the cartridge 1. When power is supplied to the memory control unit 14 and the memory control unit 14 is operational (when power pin P7 on the main unit is ON and power pin P7 and power terminal T7 are in contact), even if some unexpected signal is input to the terminals of the cartridge 1, that signal can be controlled (ignored).

[0251] Furthermore, the device is configured so that the detection pin P1 on the main unit and terminal T1 make contact last. Therefore, the main unit will not detect cartridge 1, and no signals from the main unit will be input to each terminal of cartridge 1 until all terminals are connected to the main unit pins to which they should be connected. For example, if the main unit detects cartridge 1 in the state shown in Figure 16, a data read command may be sent from the main unit to cartridge 1. In this case, for example, terminal T6 should be connected to pin P6 on the main unit, but since it is connected to pin P5, an unexpected signal may be input. However, in this embodiment, since the device is configured so that the detection pin P1 on the main unit and terminal T1 are connected last, this situation can be prevented.

[0252] Note that power terminals T7 and T10 do not necessarily need to contact the main unit's pins simultaneously; for example, power terminal T7 may contact pin P7 on the main unit first. That is, the lower end of power terminal T7 may be positioned lower than the lower end of power terminal T10. Also, for example, the ground terminal T15 may be the same length as power terminals T7 and T10.

[0253] (Status of each terminal when removing the cartridge) To remove cartridge 1 from the main unit, follow the reverse order of the above steps. Specifically, the state will transition from the state shown in Figure 12 to Figures 18, 17, 16, 15, 14, and 13, until all terminals are no longer in contact with the pins on the main unit.

[0254] Specifically, first, the detection pin P1 loses contact with terminal T1, and the main unit recognizes that cartridge 1 has been removed (Figure 17). The main unit then immediately switches the reset pin P16 from a high voltage state to a low voltage state. That is, a reset signal is sent to cartridge 1. In this state, the reset terminal T16 of cartridge 1 is in contact with pin P16 on the main unit side, and the power terminal T7 is also in contact with the power pin P7 on the main unit side. Therefore, if power is supplied from the main unit side, cartridge 1 can receive this reset signal. The memory control unit 14 of cartridge 1 initializes the circuit in response to the receipt of this reset signal.

[0255] In a reset state (when the reset terminal T16 is at a low voltage (0V)), the memory control unit 14 of cartridge 1 ignores any signals input from the main unit. Therefore, even if any unexpected signals are input to the terminals of cartridge 1, malfunctions can be prevented. For example, even if an incorrect signal is input to the data input / output terminal of cartridge 1 from the main unit for some reason, the memory control unit 14 of cartridge 1 will ignore that signal. Therefore, malfunctions can be prevented.

[0256] Furthermore, in the state shown in Figure 17, the ground terminals T1 and T15 are also in contact with the ground pin on the main unit side, so no unnecessary charge accumulates in the circuit inside cartridge 1, and the reset terminal T16 is also in contact with the reset pin P16 on the main unit side. Therefore, the reset terminal T16 will not become unexpectedly high voltage, and the reset will not be released. Consequently, even if an unexpected signal flows to each terminal of cartridge 1, the possibility of malfunction is low.

[0257] Furthermore, the reset terminal T16 is located near the right side of the ground terminal T15, and no other terminals are located to the right of the reset terminal T16. Therefore, when inserting or removing cartridge 1 from the main unit, the possibility of other pins on the main unit (e.g., data input / output pins) coming into contact with the reset terminal T16 is low, and the possibility of the reset terminal T16 becoming unexpectedly high-voltage is low (i.e., the possibility of the reset being released is low).

[0258] When the state changes from the state shown in Figure 17 to the state shown in Figure 16, the terminals T2, T5, T8, T11, and T13 in the upper region of cartridge 1 cease to contact the upper pins P2, P5, P8, P11, and P13 of the main body, and instead, the upper pins P2, P5, P8, P11, and P13 of the main body come into contact with the terminals T3, T6, T9, T12, and T14 in the lower region of cartridge 1, respectively.

[0259] Specifically, in the state shown in Figure 16, the strobe signal pin P2 on the main unit and the clock terminal T3 on cartridge 1 are in contact. The strobe signal pin P2 on the main unit is the pin to which the strobe signal from cartridge 1 is input, and no signal is output from this pin P2 to cartridge 1. Also, the terminal T3 on cartridge 1 is the terminal to which the clock signal from the main unit is input, and no signal is output from this terminal T3 to the main unit. In other words, in the state shown in Figure 16, the input pin P2 and the input terminal T3 are in contact, and no signal flows between pin P2 and terminal T3.

[0260] If the clock terminal and strobe terminal are reversed (i.e., the clock signal pin and clock terminal are on the upper side, and the strobe signal pin and strobe terminal are on the lower side), when removing cartridge 1 from the main unit, the state shown in Figure 16 will occur, causing the clock signal pin on the main unit side and the strobe terminal on cartridge 1 side to come into contact, potentially resulting in the input of an unintended signal.

[0261] However, in this embodiment, the strobe terminal and strobe signal pin are positioned on the upper side, and the clock terminal and clock signal pin are positioned on the lower side. Therefore, when removing cartridge 1 from the main unit, only the input-state pin on the main unit side and the input-state terminal on the cartridge side come into contact. In this case, it is possible to avoid the input of unintended signals as described above.

[0262] Furthermore, in the state shown in Figure 16, data input / output terminals T6, T9, T12, and T14 are in contact with pins P5, P8, P11, and P13 on the main unit, respectively, which are different pins from the ones they should be in contact with. However, even in this state, power terminal T7 is in contact with the main unit's power pin P7, and (if the main unit's power pin P7 is ON) the memory control unit 14 is in an operational state in a reset state. Therefore, even if a signal is input to terminals T6, T9, T12, and T14, the memory control unit 14 can ignore this signal.

[0263] Furthermore, all eight data input / output terminals switch between input and output states at the same time. The memory control unit 14 of cartridge 1 switches all eight data input / output terminals T5, T6, T8, T9, T11~T14 to either input or output states based on commands from the main unit. For example, when the main unit reads data from cartridge 1, it outputs a command to read data from the eight data input / output pins P5, P6, P8, P9, P11~P14. This command is input to the eight data input / output terminals T5, T6, T8, T9, T11~T14, which are in the input state. The memory control unit 14 of cartridge 1 then switches the eight data input / output terminals to the output state. The eight data input / output pins on the main unit side are also switched to the input state. The memory control unit 14 then reads the data from the non-volatile memory 13 and outputs the data from the eight data input / output terminals. Once the data reading is complete, the memory control unit 14 returns the eight data input / output terminals to the input state.

[0264] That is, the memory control unit 14 switches all eight data input / output terminals T5, T6, T8, T9, T11 to T14 to the input state at a certain timing and switches all of them to the output state at another timing.

[0265] Therefore, even if the state shown in FIG. 16 occurs while the cartridge 1 is being removed from the main body, the pins P5, P8, P11, P13 on the main body side do not become the output state, and the terminals T6, T9, T12, T14 of the cartridge 1 do not become the output state. For example, while data is being transmitted from the cartridge 1 to the main body side, all eight data input / output pins P5, P6, P8, P9, P11 to P14 on the main body side are in the input state, and all eight data input / output terminals T5, T6, T8, T9, T11 to T14 of the cartridge 1 are in the output state. When the cartridge 1 is being removed from the main body at a high speed while the main body is reading data in the cartridge 1, until the process when the cartridge 1 is removed from the main body side (such as the process of ending data input / output) is performed, as shown in FIG. 16, the pins P5, P8, P11, P13 on the main body side and the terminals T6, T9, T12, T14 of the cartridge 1 are in a contact state. Even in such a case, the pins P5, P8, P11, P13 on the main body side are in the input state, and the terminals T6, T9, T12, T14 of the cartridge 1 are in the output state. That is, both the pins on the main body side and the terminals of the cartridge 1 do not become the output state. The same is true while data is being transmitted from the main body side to the cartridge 1.

[0266] Thus, when inserting and removing the cartridge 1, the clock terminal T3, the data input / output terminals T6, T9, T12, T14 contact pins different from the pins on the main body side that they would normally contact. However, even in such a state, the terminals and pins in the output state do not contact each other, and the signals input to each terminal are controlled by the memory control unit 14 of the cartridge 1. Therefore, the cartridge 1 can be removed from the main body more trouble-free.

[0267] When changing from the state shown in FIG. 16 to the state shown in FIG. 15, the terminal T1 and the pin P0 on the main body side no longer make contact. Even in this state, the power supply terminal T7 is in contact with the power supply pin P7 on the main body side, and (when the power supply pin P7 on the main body side is ON) the memory control unit 14 is in an operable state in the reset state. That is, the signals input to each terminal of the cartridge 1 can be controlled by the memory control unit 14 (for example, it is possible to maintain the state of the terminal at the time of reset (the state where no current flows through the terminal)).

[0268] When changing from the state shown in FIG. 15 to the state shown in FIG. 14, all terminals except the power supply terminals T7 and T10 and the ground terminal T15 no longer make contact with the pins on the main body side. Even in this state, the reset terminal T16 is in a low voltage state (0V), and since the power supply terminal T7 is in contact with the power supply pin P7 on the main body side, when the power supply pin P7 on the main body side is ON, power is supplied to the memory control unit 14, so the memory control unit 14 is in an operable state.

[0269] When changing from the state shown in FIG. 14 to the state shown in FIG. 13, the two power supply terminals T7 and T10 no longer make contact with the power supply pins P7 and P10 on the main body side, and only the ground terminal T15 is in a state of making contact with the ground pin P15 on the main body side. And finally, the ground terminal T15 no longer makes contact with the pin P15 on the main body side, and the cartridge 1 is completely removed from the main body. Since the ground terminal T15 finally comes out of the main body (since the ground terminal T15 is in contact with the ground pin P15 of the main body until the end), the cartridge 1 is removed from the main body in an electrically stable state.

[0270] As described above, in the cartridge 1 of the present embodiment, due to the above-described arrangement and length of the terminals, the cartridge 1 can be inserted and removed more safely.

[0271] (Wiring from each terminal) Next, the wiring for connecting each terminal to the circuit in the cartridge 1 will be described. FIG. 19 is a diagram showing the conductive wires formed on the substrate 12 of the cartridge 1.

[0272] As shown in Figure 19, the conductor 15 is formed on the surface of the substrate 12 by printing. Although not shown in the illustration, this conductor 15 connects each terminal T1 to T16 to the memory control unit 14 in the cartridge 1. The conductors from terminals T3, T6, T9, T12, and T14 located in the lower region extend upward through the gaps between the terminal groups. Specifically, the conductors are drawn out diagonally upward (for example, at a 45-degree angle with the horizontal direction being 0 degrees) from the sides of terminals T3, T6, T9, T12, and T14 located in the lower region, and the conductors are formed to bend midway and extend linearly upward.

[0273] One might consider drawing the conductor out from the side of the terminal in the 0-degree direction (directly to the side), bending it at a right angle midway, and extending it upwards. However, bending the conductor at a right angle midway causes the wire width to widen at this right-angle section compared to other sections, resulting in a change in impedance at the right-angle section, which can cause noise. Therefore, in this embodiment, the conductor is bent at an angle smaller than 90 degrees (for example, 45 degrees), minimizing the change in wire width, and thus minimizing the change in impedance, thereby reducing the likelihood of noise generation.

[0274] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 19, the wire from terminal T12 and the wire from terminal T14 extend upward through the same gap. This reduces the number of gaps, thereby narrowing the overall width of cartridge 1.

[0275] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the wires are not drawn out from the upper ends of terminals T3, T6, T9, T12, and T14 provided in the lower region, but are drawn out from the side. As a result, when the circuit board 12 is housed in the housing 11, these wires are hidden by the separator 11a of the housing 11. In addition, since the wires are drawn out from the side rather than from the upper ends of the terminals, the pins on the main body do not come into contact with the wires when inserting or removing the cartridge 1 from the main body (the pins on the main body do not pass over the wires when passing between the terminals arranged vertically), thus preventing physical damage to the wires.

[0276] Figure 20 is an enlarged view of a part of the cartridge 1 when the circuit board 12 is housed in the housing 11. As shown in Figure 20, each terminal T1 to T16 is exposed to the outside, and the gaps between terminal groups (e.g., T1 to T3) and terminal groups (e.g., terminals T4 to T6) are covered by separator 11a, which is part of the housing 11. In this way, all the wires from terminals T3, T6, T9, T12, and T14 are covered by separator 11a. This protects the wires. In addition, separator 11a prevents the user's fingers from touching each terminal.

[0277] Furthermore, the conductor 15 is not limited to being printed on the surface of the substrate 12; it may also be formed inside the substrate so that the conductor 15 is not visible on the surface of the substrate 12.

[0278] (Main effects) As described above, the terminals T1 to T16 of cartridge 1 have distinctive arrangements and lengths, which produce the following main effects.

[0279] In other words, multiple pairs of terminals, which are arranged vertically (in the insertion / removal direction of cartridge 1), are arranged horizontally. This increases the number of data input / output terminals, enabling high-speed data input / output, while also shortening the horizontal length of cartridge 1.

[0280] Furthermore, terminals with a low frequency of voltage changes (ground terminal, power terminal, chip enable terminal, reset terminal) are provided near terminals with a high frequency of voltage changes (data input / output terminals, strobe terminals, clock terminals). In particular, two terminals with a high frequency of voltage changes are arranged vertically, and a long terminal with a low frequency of voltage changes, spanning the upper and lower regions, is provided near either the left or right side of these two terminals. This allows two short terminals with a high frequency of voltage changes to be placed next to one long terminal with a low frequency of voltage changes, and long terminals can be placed near many data input / output terminals. As described above, by providing terminals with a low frequency of voltage changes near terminals with a high frequency of voltage changes, the terminals with a high frequency of voltage changes can be made less susceptible to noise. In addition, by providing long terminals with a low frequency of voltage changes nearby, the influence of terminals with a high frequency of voltage changes on their surroundings can be reduced.

[0281] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the strobe terminal T2 and the clock terminal T3 are positioned in the upper and lower regions, respectively. This prevents contact between the clock signal pin (output) on the main unit and the strobe terminal (output) on the cartridge when removing the cartridge 1 from the main unit. Therefore, the cartridge 1 can be removed from the main unit more safely.

[0282] Furthermore, in this embodiment, four pairs of data input / output terminals, arranged vertically, are provided. At a given time, all eight data input / output terminals are either in an input state or an output state. Therefore, when removing cartridge 1 from the main unit, even if the lower data input / output terminals come into contact with the upper data input / output pins on the main unit side, neither the main unit side nor the cartridge side will be in an output state. As a result, cartridge 1 can be removed from the main unit with less trouble.

[0283] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when inserting cartridge 1 into the main unit, the terminal T1 and the detection pin P1 on the main unit side are configured to make contact last. As a result, the main unit will not detect cartridge 1 until all terminals are connected to the pins on the main unit side, and no unexpected signals will be input to cartridge 1 from the main unit. Conversely, when removing cartridge 1 from the main unit, the detection pin P1 on the main unit side first separates from terminal T1, and the main unit will no longer detect cartridge 1. From this point onward, no signals will be output from the main unit, thus reducing the possibility of unexpected signals being input to cartridge 1 from the main unit side.

[0284] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when inserting cartridge 1 into the main unit, the ground terminal T15 makes contact first. This allows any unwanted charge accumulated in the cartridge 1's circuitry to be discharged.

[0285] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when inserting cartridge 1 into the main unit, the power terminal T7 makes contact with the power pin on the main unit before the data input / output terminal, reset terminal, and chip enable terminal make contact with the pins on the main unit, allowing power to be supplied to the power terminal T7. When the power pin P7 on the main unit is ON, the memory control unit 14 of cartridge 1 becomes operational. This makes it possible to control signals even if unexpected signals are input to each terminal before cartridge 1 is fully inserted into the main unit.

[0286] (modified version) Note that the shape, arrangement, and size of the terminals of cartridge 1 are not limited to those described above. The following describes some variations of cartridge 1.

[0287] Figures 21 to 31 show examples of terminals in other embodiments. In Figures 21 to 31, as described above, terminals arranged on the circuit board 12 of the cartridge 1 are represented by T1 to T16, and pins on the main body side are represented by P0 to P16.

[0288] As shown in FIG. 21, the lower ends of each terminal may all be aligned. Specifically, in the modification shown in FIG. 21, the lower ends of six long terminals (T1, T4, T7, T10, T15, T16) spanning the upper region and the lower region and the five terminals (T3, T6, T9, T12, T14) in the lower region have the same vertical position.

[0289] Also, as shown in FIG. 22, the lower ends of the terminals other than terminal T1 may be aligned. Specifically, in the modification shown in FIG. 22, the lower ends of five long terminals (T4, T7, T10, T15, T16) spanning the upper region and the lower region and the five terminals (T3, T6, T9, T12, T14) in the lower region have the same vertical position. On the other hand, the lower end of the ground and detection terminal T1 is located above the lower ends of the other terminals. Therefore, when inserting the cartridge 1 into the main body, the detection pin P1 on the main body side contacts the terminal T1 last. That is, the main body detects the cartridge 1 in a state where all the terminals are connected to the pins on the main body side. Thereby, the main body can transmit a signal to the cartridge 1 in a state where all the terminals of the cartridge 1 are connected to the pins on the main body side, and can prevent a malfunction from occurring.

[0290] Also, as shown in FIG. 23, the lower end of the terminal T15 may be aligned with the terminals T7 and T10.

[0291] In the above embodiment, when inserting the cartridge 1 into the main body, each terminal of the cartridge 1 is connected to the pins on the main body side in the order of (1) to (4) shown below. (1) First, contact the ground terminal T15 with the ground pin P15 on the main body side. (2) Contact the power supply terminals T7 and T10 with the power supply pins P7 and P10 on the main body side. (3) Contact the strobe terminal T2, the clock terminal T3, the chip enable terminal T4, the eight data input / output terminals T5, T6, T8, T9, T11 to T14, and the reset terminal T16 with the pins P2, P3, P4, P5, P6, P8, P9, P11 to P14, P16 on the main body side, respectively. (4) Connect the ground / detection terminal T1 to the detection pin P1 on the main unit.

[0292] In contrast, in the modified example shown in Figure 23, the ground terminal T15, power terminals T7 and T10 are first connected to pins P15, P7 and P10 on the main unit side, respectively. Even with this configuration, any unnecessary charge in the cartridge 1 is discharged first, and the memory control unit 14 can be made ready to receive power. When power is supplied to power terminal T7 from the main unit side, the memory control unit 14 can control the signal.

[0293] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 24, some long terminals may be formed to be shorter. For example, in Figure 24, the chip enable terminal T4, power terminals T7 and T10 are located in the upper region and are configured to be short, similar to the other terminals located in the upper region (T2, T5, etc.).

[0294] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 25, all long terminals except terminal T1 may be formed to be short. Specifically, in the example shown in Figure 25, the chip enable terminal T4, power terminals T7 and T10, ground terminal T15, and reset terminal T16 are provided in the upper region and are formed to be short, similar to the other terminals provided in the upper region (T2, T5, etc.). On the other hand, the ground and detection terminal T1 is formed to span both the upper and lower regions. This is because the main unit detects cartridge 1 when pins P0 and P1 on the main unit side are short-circuited, so this terminal T1 needs to be formed to be at least the distance between pins P0 and P1.

[0295] Note that Figures 24 and 25 are merely examples, and at least one of terminals T4, T7, T10, T15, and T16 may be formed shorter. For example, terminals T15 and T16 may be formed shorter (similar to terminal T13). Alternatively, terminals T4 and / or T16 may be configured to be shorter.

[0296] Alternatively, as shown in Figure 26, the ground / detection terminal T1 may be divided into two short terminals, and these two terminals may be connected by a wire. Two terminals connected by such a wire are electrically a single terminal and are substantially the same as the long terminal T1 that spans the upper and lower regions shown in Figure 5. Note that when terminal T1 is seemingly divided into two terminals as in Figure 26, the wire may be printed on the surface of the substrate 12, or the wire may be formed inside the substrate 12 so that it is not visible from the outside.

[0297] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 27, the width of some terminals may be wider. For example, in the example shown in Figure 27, terminal T4 is shortened (placed in the upper region), and the width of terminal T3 is increased to the area created by shortening terminal T4. Also, terminal T15 is shortened, and the width of terminal T14 is increased to the area created by shortening terminal T15.

[0298] In other words, in the above embodiment, as shown in Figure 5, four terminal groups, each containing one long terminal and two short terminals arranged vertically, were formed in a horizontal direction. Furthermore, gaps were provided between the terminal groups. In other embodiments, for example, as shown in Figure 27, when the cartridge 1 is fixed to the main body, the shape of each terminal can be anything as long as each terminal of the cartridge 1 is connected to the correct pin on the main body side.

[0299] For example, as shown in Figure 28, the distance between terminals may all be set to be the same, and gaps between terminal groups as shown in Figure 5 may not be necessary. Even with such terminal shapes, terminals with a low frequency of voltage changes are provided near terminals with a high frequency of voltage changes. For example, a ground / detection terminal T1 is located near the left side of the strobe terminal T2, a chip enable terminal T4 is located near the left side of the data input / output terminal T5, a power supply terminal T7 is located near the left side of the data input / output terminal T8, a power supply terminal T10 is located near the left side of the data input / output terminal T11, and a ground terminal T15 is located near the right side of the data input / output terminal T13. Similarly, a ground / detection terminal T1 is located near the left side of the clock terminal T3, a chip enable terminal T4 is located near the left side of the data input / output terminal T6, a power supply terminal T7 is located near the left side of the data input / output terminal T9, a power supply terminal T10 is located near the left side of the data input / output terminal T12, and a ground terminal T15 is located near the right side of the data input / output terminal T14.

[0300] Furthermore, in Figure 28, as in Figure 5, terminals with low voltage change frequency and terminals with high voltage change frequency are arranged alternately horizontally in at least a portion of the terminal arrangement area. For example, in the upper area, terminals T1, T2, T4, T5, T7, T8, T10, and T11 are arranged horizontally, with terminals with low voltage change frequency and terminals with high voltage change frequency being arranged alternately horizontally. In addition, a data input / output terminal T13 is provided to the right of terminal T11, a ground terminal T15 is provided to the right of that, and a reset terminal T16 is provided to the right of that (at the right end of the terminal arrangement area). Similarly, in the lower area, terminals T1, T3, T4, T6, T7, T9, T10, and T12 are arranged horizontally.

[0301] In addition, in Figure 28, the wires from each terminal may be formed inside the circuit board 12.

[0302] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 29, for example, the terminals of the cartridge 1 in the above embodiment may be positioned at different locations in the vertical direction or formed to have different lengths in the vertical direction. In the example shown in Figure 29, the terminals T4, T5, T10, T11, and T12 are different in position and length from the terminals shown in Figure 5, etc. Specifically, terminal T4 is formed to be shorter than terminal T4 shown in Figure 5, so that when the cartridge is fully inserted into the main body, the upper end of terminal T4 contacts pin P4 on the main body side. Also, terminal T5 is moved higher than the position shown in Figure 5, so that when the cartridge is fully inserted into the main body, the lower end of terminal T5 contacts pin P5 on the main body side. Also, terminal T10 is formed to be shorter, so that when the cartridge is fully inserted into the main body, the lower end of terminal T10 contacts pin P10 on the main body side. Furthermore, terminal T11 is longer and positioned lower than terminal T11 shown in Figure 5, so that when the cartridge is fully inserted into the main body, the upper end of terminal T11 contacts pin P11 on the main body side. Also, terminal T12 is shorter than terminal T12 shown in Figure 5, so that when the cartridge is fully inserted into the main body, the upper end of terminal T12 contacts pin P12 on the main body side.

[0303] Even with the terminal arrangement shown in Figure 29, when the cartridge is fully inserted into the main unit (when it is completely inserted and secured in the main unit), each terminal on the cartridge is electrically connected to the corresponding pin on the main unit. Therefore, the main unit can read data from and write data to the cartridge.

[0304] Thus, as long as each terminal of the cartridge is electrically connected to each pin on the main unit, the position and shape of each terminal of the cartridge can be anything. Even if the position and shape of each terminal are changed, at least some of the multiple terminals of the cartridge will be configured such that terminals with a low frequency of voltage changes are located laterally near terminals with a high frequency of voltage changes.

[0305] Specifically, the ground / detection terminal T1 is located near the left side of the strobe terminal T2, and the chip enable terminal T4 is located near the left side of the data input / output terminal T5. Additionally, the power supply terminal T7 is located near the left side of the data input / output terminal T8, and the power supply terminal T10 is located near the left side of the data input / output terminal T11. Furthermore, the ground terminal T15 is located near the right side of the data input / output terminal T13.

[0306] Furthermore, in at least a portion of the terminal arrangement area, terminals with low voltage change frequency and terminals with high voltage change frequency are arranged alternately in the horizontal direction. In the example shown in Figure 29, for example, in the upper area, terminals T1, T2, T4, T5, T7, T8, T10, and T11 are arranged horizontally (in the direction in which the upper pins on the main body are arranged), and terminals with low voltage change frequency and terminals with high voltage change frequency are arranged alternately in the horizontal direction.

[0307] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 30, the ground terminal T15 does not necessarily have to be provided. Even without terminal T15, the cartridge is grounded by the connection of terminal T1 to pin P0 on the main unit side. Therefore, the ground terminal T15 is not necessary.

[0308] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 31, two short terminals arranged vertically may be slightly offset horizontally. For example, in Figure 31, terminals T2 and T3 are arranged vertically, and the horizontal centers of terminal T2 and terminal T3 do not perfectly coincide. Similarly, terminals T5 and T6 are arranged vertically, and the horizontal centers of terminal T5 and terminal T6 do not perfectly coincide. Thus, the horizontal centers of two vertically arranged short terminals may be substantially offset horizontally to the extent that they contact the pins on the main body. In other words, the two vertically arranged terminals do not need to be precisely aligned horizontally. Also, the widths of two vertically arranged short terminals do not necessarily need to be the same; they may be narrower than terminal T8, as shown by terminal T9 in Figure 31. (Conversely, it may be configured to be wider than terminal T8.) In this way, as long as it is in contact with the pin on the main body side, the width of one of the two terminals arranged vertically may be narrower (or wider) than the other terminal.

[0309] Note that the modified examples shown in Figures 21 to 31 are merely illustrative, and the position, size, and distance between terminals can be anything as long as each terminal on the cartridge is electrically connected to each pin on the main unit. In addition, the terminal arrangement area may include terminals that are not electrically connected to any pin on the main unit, as well as terminals that are electrically connected to any pin on the main unit.

[0310] Furthermore, the non-volatile memory 13 of the cartridge may be detachably connected to the cartridge 1.

[0311] Figures 32 and 33 show examples of configurations in which a non-volatile memory 13 is detachably connected to a cartridge 1. In the example shown in Figure 32, for example, an insertion slot for inserting the non-volatile memory 13 is provided at the upper end of the cartridge 1. The non-volatile memory 13 is inserted through this insertion slot and fixed to the cartridge 1. The information processing device 50 reads a predetermined program or data (e.g., a game program or game data) from the non-volatile memory 13 via the cartridge 1, or writes a predetermined program or data to the non-volatile memory 13. A general-purpose non-volatile memory may be used as the detachable non-volatile memory 13. For example, an SD card, miniSD card, microSD card, etc. may be used as the detachable non-volatile memory 13. Alternatively, a general-purpose non-volatile memory based on other standards may be detachably connected to the cartridge 1. In the example shown in Figure 33, for example, an insertion slot for inserting the non-volatile memory 13 is provided on the side of the cartridge 1, and the non-volatile memory 13 is inserted through the insertion slot provided on the side. In this way, the non-volatile memory 13 may be detachably connected to the cartridge 1. Furthermore, the non-volatile memory 13 is not limited to being inserted from the top or side of the cartridge 1. For example, a recess for fitting the non-volatile memory 13 may be formed on the front or back surface of the cartridge 1, and the non-volatile memory 13 may be detachably connected to the cartridge 1 by fitting it into the recess.

[0312] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, a non-volatile memory 13 was used as a storage device for storing predetermined programs and data, but any storage medium capable of storing information (for example, a magnetic disk, an optical disk, etc.) may be used instead of the non-volatile memory.

[0313] Furthermore, the cartridge of the present invention may be provided with an insertion slot for inserting another cartridge (for example, a cartridge storage section 51 provided by the information processing device 50) instead of the insertion slot for the non-volatile memory 13 in the above embodiment. In that case, the information processing device 50 reads a predetermined program or data (for example, a game program or game data, etc.) stored in another cartridge inserted into the insertion slot via the cartridge of the present invention, or writes data to the other cartridge. In other words, the cartridge of the present invention also includes so-called adapter-type cartridges that mediate communication between another cartridge and the information processing device 50.

[0314] Furthermore, although cartridge 1 is provided with separators 11a, separators 11a are not necessarily required. For example, some or all of the four separators 11a shown in Figure 2 may be omitted. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0315] 1 cartridge 11 Housing 12 circuit boards 13 Non-volatile memory 14. Memory Control Unit 50 Information Processing Device (Main Unit) 51 Cartridge storage compartment A Terminal placement area T1~T16 Cartridge terminals P0~P16 Pins on the main unit

Claims

1. A cartridge that can be connected to a game device by being inserted into the cartridge slot of the game device, The aforementioned cartridge is inserted into the cartridge insertion port from its tip end. The cartridge is provided with a terminal arrangement area in which a plurality of terminals are arranged that are electrically connected to the terminals of the game device provided in the cartridge insertion slot. When the direction in which the user inserts the cartridge into the cartridge slot is designated as the first direction, and the direction perpendicular to the first direction is designated as the second direction, in a portion of the terminal arrangement area, a first terminal arranged alone in the first direction and a pair of second terminals arranged side by side in the first direction are alternately arranged in the second direction. In a portion of the terminal arrangement area, four first terminals are arranged, and four sets of second terminals are arranged. The four first terminals and the four pairs of second terminals are arranged such that one first terminal and one pair of second terminals are alternately arranged in the second direction. A cartridge in which the four first terminals include at least two first terminals whose tip ends are positioned in the first direction in different locations.

2. At least one of the four aforementioned first terminals is either a power terminal, a ground terminal, or a chip enable terminal. The cartridge according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the eight second terminals is a data input / output terminal, a strobe terminal, or a clock terminal.

3. The second direction is the direction from one end of the terminal arrangement area to the other end, and in a portion of the terminal arrangement area, the first terminal, second terminal, first terminal, second terminal, first terminal, second terminal, first terminal, and second terminal are arranged in order from one end to the other end. The cartridge according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, in a portion of the terminal arrangement area, the second terminal, the first terminal, and the first terminal are arranged in order from one end to the other end, further toward the other end of the second terminal located furthest toward the other end.

4. The eight aforementioned second terminals have a first length, The cartridge according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the four first terminals include a first terminal having a second length longer than the first length and a first terminal having a third length longer than the second length.

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