They are based on the mos technology 6502 cpu running at 1. The value of the key selected by the matrix is returned on the. There may be disks that arent games and some will not work, there are multiple versions of some games. With externnal cmos 4052 chips, a key matrix is formed. Now all that is needed is to monitor the 6 key counter bits from the pokey k0k5 and whenever the address changes, present the appropriate bits from the kr1matrix and kr2matrix onto the kr1 and kr2 pokey signals. I really hope you do not decide to suspend atari sales, that would be a huge loss to the atari community. The atari 800 is so named because it has 8 kb of ram memory. Inside the pokey is a 6bit binary counter, a 6bit compare latch, and an 8bit key code latch. Key, atari, 400, keyboard, installation, manual, 8bit, 800, xl, xe, 800xl. The atarimax maxflash flash cartridge system for atari 8bit computers is a high quality, professionally produced cartridge creation suite for the atari 400800xlxe series computers. Pc with an atari 800 keyboard atari 8bit computers.
Atari 800 computer console specifications 112 table 41 pia register selection and function 410. Manuals for the atari 8bit computer family, including the 400, 800, 800xl and 800xe, and related products. If you have an st case with only the keyboard and a usb keyboard controller in, it still takes up quite a bit of desk space, so i. Get the best deals on atari vintage computer parts and accessories and find everything youll need to improve your home office setup at. Atari operating system source listing this is the original june 1979 atari 400800 computer operating system listing, modified to assemble on the microtec cross assembler. The atari 400 shared many of the same components and features as the atari 800. Inside the atari 800 its the 30th anniversary of this 8bit pc classic. Take the anti tarnish silver saver paper shipped with each best upgraded new 1200xl keyboard mylar and note which side of the silver saver paper is the silver anti tarnish treated side, it is opposite the printed side cut it up to thin strips. I worked out the circuit for this a long time ago, but ive never actually built an atari st usb keyboard before.
Further, every key on the keyboard makes that distinct atari click on the audio except for the a key. Atari vintage computer parts and accessories for sale ebay. I had access to a number of 8bit computers in my childhood, but my most favorite was the atari 800, a 1. Pcb and shields assembly xe personal computer field service manual 217. As promised i cleaned up my atari 800 after the sweet haul of the systems a few weeks ago. Maxflash flash multicarts for atari 400800xlxe computers. Built to be mobile, myhub offers users the ability to connect and collaborate with entire teams or just a couple of members.
Owners guide 400 computer system the basic computer rev. Feb 25, 2016 as promised i cleaned up my atari 800 after the sweet haul of the systems a few weeks ago. If interfacing with a real pokey chip, then creating a matrix of virtual keys is certainly the way to go. Take the anti tarnish silver saver paper shipped with each best upgraded new 1200xl keyboard mylar and note which side of the silver saver paper is the silver anti tarnish treated side, it. Atari 400 800 xl xe technical documents atarimania. Now you just have to figure out the pair of pins for each key on the keyboard. I have seen a xl keyboard used on a 400 and what was involved with.
If you have an st case with only the keyboard and a usb keyboard controller in, it still takes up quite a bit of desk space, so i presumed no one would want one. Atari 800 handheld web portal for benjamin j heckendorn. The atari 400 and 800 were announced in december 1978, though they didnt actually start shipping until late in 1979. Atari was created by nolan bushnell and ted dabney in 1972 and became a pioneer in arcade games, home video game consoles and home computers. We made the keyboard pcb first since it was smaller, selfcontained and simpler than the main motherboard. The atari 800 is exclusive to our keyboard edition. The table for translation of this code to atascii is on page 50 of the os users manual. Since they were socketed, and the dead keys seemed to have a pattern this seemed like a logical place to focus on. Atari also distributed software through the atari program exchange from 1981 to 1984, then many apx titles were picked up by antic.
Luckily i found the atari 800 xls keyboard matrix documented online. Lay those strips of silver saver treated paper so the treated side faces close. Atari basic is an interpreter for the basic programming language that shipped with the atari 8bit family of 6502based home computers. The first attempt was the atari graduate keyboard for the atari 2600 designed by peripheral visions, inc. It included a detachable keyboard, a joystick, a lightgun and the games bug hunt and flight simulator ii. Atari 8005200 fpga core manual 1 1introduction the atari 800 fpga core and atari 5200 fpga core provide highly accurate hardware reimplementations of the atari 8bit series of computers. Using an atari 800 xl as a usb keyboard pixelpracht.
One of the most notable differences is the fact that the atari 800 has a full button keyboard while the atari 400 has a membrane keyboard. The keyboard has been converted to act as a usb keyboard with one of my usb keyboard controller boards. Only one rightslot cartridge was produced by march 1983, and later machines in the family omitted the slot. The atari 800 in my collection is a 48k unit with a tape drive and an 810 disk drive pictured below.
Atari also distributed software through the atari program exchange from 1981 to 1984, then many apx titles were picked up by antic software. The pokey chip scans the keyboard matrix to detect when keys are pressed. Atari 800 games and software go to atari 800 emulator web page in addition to the free games offered by the dog daze home page, hundreds of other 1980sera atari computer games are available for free at the following web sites. The program will ask for a filename and, upon the user entering it, it will read it and output it to the screen in an 80x25 improvised text mode graphics mode 8. The atari 8bit family is a series of 8bit home computers introduced by atari, inc. In 1979, the atari 400 and atari 800 were born to fulfill this promise. Because the xe game system used the same hardware as the 8bit computer, a lot of software and hardware for the atari 8bit computers are compatible. Get the best deals on atari vintage computer parts and accessories and find. This article is an overview of programs available for the atari 8bit family of home computers the 400800, xl, and xe series.
Theres an interface to allow using a pc keyboard on the atari, and i believe it uses a pic. Atari 400 computer console specifications 111 table 12. The 400 has a membrane keyboard, 800 has fulltravel keys, two cartridge ports, monitor output, expandable memory slots up to 48 kb. The mode switch on the back switches between the normal mode where all the keys act according to what is printed on them, when the mode switch is pressed, the board beeps and changes to a mode where the keys are mapped to work with an atari 800 series emulator. Because the 800 was considered the best models of the atari 8bit line. Mar 23, 2015 the keyboard has been converted to act as a usb keyboard with one of my usb keyboard controller boards. Since they were atari products, they were supremely strong graphical performers. Atari owners must content themselves with one of two dot matrix printersthe atari 825 the. Atari 400 800, common items atari best electronics home. Because i couldnt find an identical connector to purchase online i figured i could just desolder it from the pcb. All of the machines in the family are technically similar and differ primarily in packaging. It also includes joystick 0 and reset, option, select and start keys which are not part of the keyboard matrix and require their own wires.
I know that the keyboard matrix are somewhat different. One advice i can suggest assuming atari has simple matrix keyboard interface, you could try booting it up without the keyboard and simulate keystrokes with a jumper wire on the keyboard connector according to the matrix and connector pinout. In addition to the free games offered by the dog daze home page, hundreds of other 1980sera atari computer games are available for free at the following web sites. Xformer runs your atari 400800, atari 800xl, and atari xe software on your pc the original xformer project began in 1986 as an effort to run atari 800 basic on the atari st desktop computer using emulation to translate the 6502 machine code of the atari 800 to the 68000 machine code of the atari st.
This would let you rule whether its the keyboard at fault or something in the actual computer. I have ordered parts and software from best electronics dating all the way back in to the 80s. The atari models 400 and 800, which were the companys first models, were excellent graphics computers, but had several problems in competing in the highly competitive home market. I have several atari cartridges and most of the original manuals for the machine as well. In 1987, after seeing the success of the nes, atari introduced xe game system, based on the xe hardware. The requirement might be the same doing it the other way i imagine the atari key matrix would be sufficiently different to a pc kb that you couldnt just hook one up and have it work. The keyboard of the atari 800 with the motherboard of a 800 xl. Xformer runs your atari 400 800, atari 800xl, and atari xe software on your pc the original xformer project began in 1986 as an effort to run atari 800 basic on the atari st desktop computer using emulation to translate the 6502 machine code of the atari 800 to the 68000 machine code of the atari st.
We celebrate the occasion as we always do, by tearing the product apart and showing you the pieces. Atari 400 faulty keyboard retrocomputing stack exchange. Aug 18, 2015 i worked out the circuit for this a long time ago, but ive never actually built an atari st usb keyboard before. Line numbers are pin numbers of keyboard connector j8. The games list for this system are currently unsorted. This is very much like the detachable keyboard on the atari xegs.
Superficially, the keyboard resembles that of the ibm selectric, but the right shift key is one silly little centimeter to the right of where an experienced typist expects to find it. Unlike most basics of the home computer era, atari basic is not a derivative of microsoft basic, and differs in significant ways. Introduction, theory of operation, silkscreen and schematics, trouble shooting and testing, disassembly assembly, maintenance, 400 diagnostic flow charts, 400 800 symptom check list, 800 diagnostic flow charts, game controllers, parts list and atari service bulletins 189 pages. I found this thread atari 400 faulty keyboard some columns work, most do not and a few random newsgroup conversations which all suggest swapping u24 and u25, which are the 4051s used i assume in decoding the keyboard matrix. Atari computer the atari 8bit family is a series of 8bit home computers introduced by atari, inc. Designed to look like a friendly typewriter, the atari 800 is an expandable system with two easily accessable cartridge ports under a front cover, and a removable top with four expansion slots inside. A new series of peripherals rounds out the atari line. I doubt the whole keyboard matrix scanning thing is implemented in atari800 i assume there is no need to do that but if you plan to implement pokeys keyboard scanning process, please consider to make it possible to connect a real atari keyboard to the gpio. The first components after the keyboard connector were 2 encoderdecodermux ics 4051that take the keyboard matrix inputs and feed them to the pokey custom chip. The atari 400, despite its membrane keyboard and single internal rom cartridge slot, outsold the full keyboard and ram expandable atari 800 by a 2to1 margin. This goal is attainable using any of the five programs described here. The 800 was better than the 400 because it didnt have a membrane sic keyboard and had more standard memory and better upgrade options.
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