Questions tagged [atari]
For questions about different versions of, and products for, Atari consoles and home computers.
79 questions
10 votes
1 answer
691 views
What size belt to buy for the Atari 1010 program recorder?
I got a nice Atari 600XL with a 1010 "Program Recorder" (cassette player). Too bad the motor drive belt broke and I am now trying to find a good replacement. I already tried a square belt, ...
- 1,389
8 votes
1 answer
582 views
"Paul's method" moniker for the 6502 RTS trick
In 6502 assembly programming, there's a common trick (usually called the RTS trick) for performing indirect jumps by pushing the target address minus one on the stack and executing a RTS instruction. ...
- 331
20 votes
2 answers
2k views
Bank switching and extra RAM on the Atari 2600, but there's no R/W line on the cartridge?
So the pinout on the Atari 2600 cartridge includes address lines A0-A12, and data lines D0-D7. But there's no R/W line exposed to the cartridge, yet cartridges that do stuff like implement bank ...
- 737
48 votes
6 answers
27k views
How were the 70s versions of pong and similar games implemented without a programmable computer?
My Dad once commented "Back in the 70s - when Wozniak was working at Atari - they were building games using electronics - not programming computers." As a Computer Science graduate without ...
- 3,107
9 votes
3 answers
768 views
Using the reset button to enable double firing in Space Invaders on the Atari VCS\Atari 2600: was it a glitch or a hidden feature?
As a kid a favorite game was Space Invaders on Atari (I'm guessing it was a 2600, it was the late 70s to early 80s). In addition to fast reflexes I had a card up my sleeve that secured me high scores: ...
- 191
9 votes
2 answers
2k views
Atari SIO vs IEEE 488
When Atari was designing the 800 series of computers, they needed a way to connect peripherals. To comply with FCC regulations on RF emission, it needed shielded cables. To achieve low cost of entry ...
- 65.4k
5 votes
1 answer
433 views
Did Atari lobby against FCC regulation change?
In the 1970s, FCC limits on RF emissions applied to 'anything that plugs into a TV', and were stringent and difficult to pass. Atari went to extraordinary lengths regarding this when designing their ...
- 65.4k
9 votes
2 answers
2k views
Was it possible to give an Atari 800 (not XL) 64KB of RAM?
The original Atari 800 could have up to 48K of RAM installed through the use of memory cards. When the 800XL came out, it was now possible to have up to 64K of RAM by disabling the BASIC ROM. After ...
- 19.2k
14 votes
2 answers
712 views
How does the Atari ST's VDI polygon filling algorithm work?
I recently noticed something in Neochrome as well as Larry Mears' "Instant Graphics and Sound" programs: Polygons have slightly different shapes depending on whether an outline is drawn or ...
- 291
2 votes
0 answers
215 views
Atari 1040 STFM power supply issue & high-pitch noise
I have an Atari 1040 STFM that's been sitting in the basement for about 30 years. It doesn't power on. The power indicator light is not illuminated and there's a high-pitch noise coming from the power ...
- 121
19 votes
1 answer
2k views
In what sense would the Atari 3200 have been a 10-bit machine?
The Atari 3200 was a canceled project that would have produced a compatible successor to the 2600. Little seems to be known about it; about the best reference I have been able to find is https://...
- 65.4k
5 votes
0 answers
341 views
Atari SM144 Horizontal lines after turning off then on
I recently bought an Atari SM144 monochrome monitor so I could play with an old Atari ST. It works to a certain degree, it turns on all good and I can play for a while, but after some time it gives ...
- 151
0 votes
2 answers
847 views
How did Atari RF output work?
I know that RF stands for radio frequency but what chip in the Atari handles the video output and does anybody know if something similar would work on a modern tv?
- 711
6 votes
2 answers
655 views
When were Player/Missile graphics in Atari computers first documented?
The Atari 400 and 800 came out in 1979. The hardware included the ability to overlay sprites ("players" and the smaller "missiles") over the display. AFAIK, this capability is ...
- 2,158
4 votes
1 answer
387 views
What is the CMOS cache battery on the Atari STacy motherboard?
I am restoring an Atari STacy, and it is a notoriously hard device to open — I am planning to replace the floppy drive and internal CMOS battery in one go... but while I know the floppy is an Epson ...
- 365