- Atari 2600 hardware
The
Atari 2600 went through many makeovers and revisions in its 14 year history. The system also contained a large number of controllers and third-party peripherals.Technical specifications
* CPU: 1.19
MHz MOS Technology 6507
* Audio + Video processor: TIA
** 160 x ~192pixel
** 128 colors (128 on screen. Max 4 per line without programming tricks)
** 2 channel mono sound. 1 square wave, 1 white noise.
* RAM (within a MOS Technology RIOT chip): 128byte s (additional RAM may be included in the game cartridges)
* ROM (game cartridges): 4 kb maximum capacity (32 kb+ withbank switching )
* Input (controlled by MOS RIOT):
** Two screwless DE-9The screwless DE-9 controller ports subsequently became the mechanical/electricalde facto standard for game controllers in the 8-bit and early 16-bit era and were used in most subsequent Atari and Commodore consoles and home computers, among many others including the Sega Genesis.] controller ports, for single-buttonjoystick s, paddles, "trakballs", "driving controllers", 12-key "keyboard controllers" (0–9, #, and *) and third party controllers with additional functions
** Six switches (original version): Power on/off, TV signal (B/W or Color), Difficulty for each player (called A and B), Select, and Reset. Except for the power switch, games could (and did) assign other meanings to the switches. On later models the difficulty switches were miniaturized and moved to the back of the unit.
* Output: B/W or Color TV picture and sound signal throughRCA connector (NTSC ,PAL orSECAM , depending on region; game cartridges are exchangeable between NTSC and PAL/SECAM machines, but this will result in wrong or missing colors and often a rolling picture.)Controllers
The Atari had a large number of input devices (such as joysticks, paddles, keyboards, etc...) as well as third-party components.
The console came packaged with two standard joysticks and a set of paddles. Joysticks, featuring a single button and 4-directional stick, were used by most Atari game and was the predominate input device. Also, the Atari joysticks could be used in "
MSX " and several Japanese computers. It is possible to use the joysticks in Sega systems like theSega Master System or Sega Genesis in games that only require one button.The other main controller, the paddle, was used for games based on one-dimensional movement. These included Pong,
Breakout , andCircus Atari , to name a few. The "driving controller" appeared similar in design to the paddle, but there was only one per DE-9 port rather than two paddles per port. The key difference in function between the paddle and driving controller was that the paddle's wheel had a finite amount it would turn before hitting a stop, while the driving controller's wheel could rotate continuously. This was essential for overhead-view driving games, for which you would have to turn the wheel a total of 360 degrees in one direction every lap.Console models
Six switch models
There were two different designs for the six switch models. Both designs incorporated a switch board and a motherboard which were connected by a 12-pin ribbon cable. [http://www.atariguide.com/menu/sysManmenu3frame.htm Atari Guide Classic Game Archive - Listing of games by Atari for all systems ] ]
CX2600 Sunnyvale
For their first year of production (1977), Atari manufactured the CX2600 with heavy aluminum radio frequency shielding as well as 1/2 inch thick plastic bottom half. These units are easily differentiated from other years of production by their thick molding on the sides of the case, the curved molding on the front of the unit, as well as their heavier weight, giving them the nickname "Heavy Sixer".
CX2600
These models were introduced in 1978 and stayed in production for about two years. The thick molding on the sides and curved molding on the front gave way to thinner and more sharply angled molding reducing the weight of the system. The front right and left molding are angular and overlap the woodgrain. The thick RF shielding remained until the four switch models came out. Atari also included a channel select switch on the bottom right hand side of these systems for the first time.
Four switch models
These models also had two different designs. For the most part, the only difference between the four switch models and the "Light Sixer" is that there are only four switches and retain much of the same moldings. Instead of having two separate boards connected through a ribbon cable, the CX2600-A had one motherboard.
CX2600-A
These models were introduced in 1980. They are similar to the CX2600 "Light Sixer" except where the two difficulty switches were removed from the front of the console to the back. This left four front switches.
Atari 2600
These models were introduced in 1982 and were the first to use "2600" in its name. Besides containing a different logo than earlier models, this model does not have woodgrain on the front and are primarily black, resulting in the nickname of "Darth Vader".
Atari 2600 Jr.
In 1986, a new version of the 2600 was released (although it was planned for release two years earlier). The new redesigned version of the 2600, unofficially referred to as the 2600 Jr., featured a smaller cost-reduced form factor with a modernized
Atari 7800 -like appearance. The redesigned 2600 was advertised as a budget gaming system (under $50) that had the ability to run a large collection of classic games.Motherboard revisions
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.