Micro RetroKomp presentation for Spartez employees. Focuses on the history of Atari, Commodore, Amiga and Sinclair

1. SPARTEZ
MICRO

6. History
1972 - Founded by Nolen
Bushnell and Ted Dabney
1972 - Created PONG
1976 - Sold to Warner
1980 - Atari 800 / 400
1982 - Atari 5200
1983 - Atari 1200XL
1977 - Atari VCS / 2600

7. History
1983 - Video Game Crash
1984 - Jack Tramiel
acquires Atari for $50
1985 - Atari XE and ST
1986 - Atari 7800
1989 - Atari Lynx
1993 - Atari Jaguar
1991 - Atari Falcon030

8. Hardware Atari 2600
1977: Atari VCS (Video Computer System)

9. Hardware Atari 2600
Probably the most fucked
up console ever created
Designed in 2 days
CPU and chipset - $15
Sound and Graphics chip -
TIA - was designed by Jay
Miner

10. CPU MOS 6507 @ 1.19MHz
RAM ?
Graphics TIA
Sound 2 channels
Cart size 4-16KB
Controllers joystick, paddles
Hardware Atari 2600

11. /Atari 2600 is a 7-bit console/
Hardware Atari 2600

12. Memory addressing by CPU
MemHi
(1 byte)
MemLo
(1 byte)
2^8 * 2^8 = 2^16 = 65536 = 64K
Hardware Atari 2600

13. CPU MOS 6507 @ 1.19MHz
RAM ?
Graphics TIA
Sound 2 channels
Cart size 4-16KB
Controllers joystick, paddles
Hardware Atari 2600

14. CPU MOS 6507 @ 1.19MHz
RAM 128
Graphics TIA
Sound 2 channels
Cart size 4-16KB
Controllers joystick, paddles
Hardware Atari 2600

15. CPU MOS 6507 @ 1.19MHz
RAM 128B
Graphics TIA
Sound 2 channels
Cart size 4-16KB
Controllers joystick, paddles
Hardware Atari 2600

16. Hardware Atari 2600

17. Hardware Atari 2600

18. Hardware Atari 2600

19. Hardware Atari 2600

20. Hardware Atari 2600
How games looked like

21. Hardware Atari 2600
Programming today

22. Hardware Atari 2600
Programming today

23. Hardware Atari 2600
Display
262NTSC/312PAL
228 color clock cycles
Overscan (30 NTSC / 36 PAL)
Vertical sync - vblank (40 NTSC / 48 PAL)
Horizontal
blank - hblank
(68 color
cycles)
Drawable area
NTSC 160 x 192
PAL 160 x 228
228 / 3 = 76 CPU cycles

24. Hardware Atari 2600
- no frame buffer
- image drawn by code line by line
- very cheap and flexible
- you tell the TIA what to draw
while it is painting
- 1 background color
- 2 player sprites each with 1 color
- 1 playfield color
- 2 missile sprites reusing player
sprites colors
- 1 ball sprite reusing playfield
color
- 4 color registers: BG, PL, 2x PS
- each color from the palette of 128

25. Hardware Atari 2600
- different colors for NTSC and PAL
- SECAM palette totally fucked up

26. Hardware Atari 2600
- playfield drawing
- mirrored
- repeated
- alternating

27. Hardware Atari 2600
- sprites drawing
- 5 sprites: 2x player,
2x missile, 1x ball
- missiles can be aligned with
player on X axis or independent

28. Hardware Atari 2600
- sprites drawing
- Y: easy (wait for the line)
- X: fucked up:
- X: sprite reset registers
- X: sprite movement
correction +7 / -8
- so you always have to know
where the beam is:
- count the cycles
- WSYNC - stops CPU
- start the timer

29. Hardware Atari 2600
- sprites can also be repeated
or stretched in 7 ways

31. Atari 5200

32. Atari 5200
An attempt to re-enter the
gaming console market in 1982
Internal hardware salvaged
from 400/800 computers
Weird analog joysticks
Only 69 games released

33. Atari 5200
CPU MOS 6502 @ 1.79MHz
RAM 16KB
Graphics ANTICS and GTIA
Sound
POKEY
2 channels
Cart size
2KB BIOS
32KB bank switch
Controllers
analog joystick,
trackball

34. Atari 2600 adapter
for Atari 5200

36. Atari 7800

37. Atari 7800
Another attempt to win back
the gaming console market in
1986
Improved hardware as compared
to Atari 800, but inferior to
NES
Almost 100% backwards
compatible with Atari 2600
Only 59 games were released
for the system

38. Atari 7800
CPU
SALLY
MOS 6502 @ 1.79MHz
RAM 4KB
Graphics
MARIA
160x288 or 320x288,
256 color palette, colourful sprites
Sound
TIA
2 channels
Cart size
4KB BIOS
48KB bank switch
Controllers joystick, paddles

39. Atari 2600 / 5200 / 7800

41. Hardware Atari 800

42. Hardware Atari 800

43. Hardware Atari 800

44. Hardware Atari 400

45. Hardware Atari 400

46. Atari 400/800 specs
Atari 400 Atari 800
CPU MOS 6502
@ 1.79MHz
MOS 6502
@ 1.79MHz
RAM 16KB
up to 48KB ext.
16KB
up to 96KB
ROM 10KB OS
no BASIC
10KB OS
no BASIC
cart slots 1 slot 2 slots
external tape recorder, floppy, printer, modem, etc.

47. Atari 400/800 specs
Atari 400 Atari 800
Graphics ANTIC
CTIA/GTIA
ANTIC
CTIA/GTIA
Sound POKEY
4 channels
POKEY
4 channels
controllers 4x joystick 4x joystick

49. Hardware Atari 1200XL

50. Hardware Atari 600XL

51. Hardware Atari 800XL

52. Atari XL specs
Atari
1200XL
Atari
600XL
Atari
800XL
CPU MOS 6502
@ 1.79MHz
MOS 6502
@ 1.79MHz
MOS 6502
@ 1.79MHz
RAM 64KB
16KB
up to 64KB
64KB
ROM 16KB OS
no BASIC
16KB OS
plus BASIC
16KB OS
plus BASIC
cart
slots
1 slot 1 slots 1 slot
external tape recorder, floppy, printer, modem, etc.

54. Hardware Atari 65XE

55. Hardware Atari 130XE

56. Hardware Atari 800XE

57. Hardware Atari 65EXP

58. Hardware Atari XEGS

59. Hardware Atari XL/XE
Graphic capabilities
delivered by ANTIC and GTIA
ANTIC: Alpha-Numeric
Television Interface Circ.
CTIA/GTIA: Color/George
Television Interface Adapt.

60. Hardware Atari XL/XE
ANTIC: microprocessor with
its own:
- instruction set
- program (display list)
- data accessed over DMA

61. Hardware Atari XL/XE
GTIA: television interface
chip
- controlled by ANTIC
- can be also used by 6502
- is an enhanced version of
Atari 2600 TIA, with its
own:
- colors
- sprites
- collision detection

62. Hardware Atari XL/XE

63. Hardware Atari XL/XE
16 Graphic modes

64. Hardware Atari XL/XE
Graphic mode 0 (text mode)
Number of colors: 2
Resolution: 40 x 24
Memory (in bytes): 992

65. Hardware Atari XL/XE
Graphic mode 1 (text mode)
Number of colors: 5
Resolution: 20 x 12
Memory (in bytes): 672

66. Hardware Atari XL/XE
Graphic mode 2 (text mode)
Number of colors: 5
Resolution: 20 x 24
Memory (in bytes): 420

67. Hardware Atari XL/XE
Graphic mode 3 (grph mode)
Number of colors: 4
Resolution: 40 x 24
Memory (in bytes): 432

68. Hardware Atari XL/XE
Graphic mode 4 (grph mode)
Number of colors: 2
Resolution: 80 x 48
Memory (in bytes): 696

69. Hardware Atari XL/XE
Graphic mode 5 (grph mode)
Number of colors: 4
Resolution: 80 x 48
Memory (in bytes): 1176

70. Hardware Atari XL/XE
Graphic mode 6 (grph mode)
Number of colors: 2
Resolution: 160 x 96
Memory (in bytes): 2184

71. Hardware Atari XL/XE
Graphic mode 7 (grph mode)
Number of colors: 4
Resolution: 160 x 96
Memory (in bytes): 8138

72. Hardware Atari XL/XE
Graphic mode 8 (grph mode)
Number of colors: 2
Resolution: 320x192
Memory (in bytes): 8138

73. Hardware Atari XL/XE
Graphic mode 9 (grph mode)
Number of colors: 16
Resolution: 80 x 192
Memory (in bytes): 8138

74. Hardware Atari XL/XE
Graphic mode 10 (grph mode)
Number of colors: 9
Resolution: 80 x 192
Memory (in bytes): 8138

75. Hardware Atari XL/XE
Graphic mode 11 (grph mode)
Number of colors: 16
Resolution: 80 x 192
Memory (in bytes): 8138

76. Hardware Atari XL/XE
Graphic mode 12 (text mode)
Number of colors: 5
Resolution: 40 x 24
Memory (in bytes): 1152

77. Hardware Atari XL/XE
Graphic mode 13 (text mode)
Number of colors: 5
Resolution: 40 x 12
Memory (in bytes): 660

78. Hardware Atari XL/XE
Graphic mode 14 (grph mode)
Number of colors: 2
Resolution: 160x192
Memory (in bytes): 4296

79. Hardware Atari XL/XE
Graphic mode 15 (grph mode)
Number of colors: 4
Resolution: 160x192
Memory (in bytes): 8138

80. Hardware Atari XL/XE
Sprites
- 4 8bit sprites similar to
Atari 2600
- each sprite with its own
missile
- sprites overlay the
graphic mode, but use
always 2x1 hires pixels

81. Hardware Atari XL/XE
Graphic mode tricks
- change palette between
lines
- use text modes to display
graphics
- use sprites to add extra
colors to the image
- interleave graphic modes
- use interlacing

82. Hardware Atari XL/XE
CIN software graphic mode
- 192 x 160 x 128 colors

83. Hardware Atari XL/XE
TIP software graphic mode
- 160 x 100 x 256 colors

84. Hardware Atari XL/XE
DEMO
(live presentation)

85. Hardware Atari XL/XE
But you can go even further
- RastaConverter

86. Hardware Atari XL/XE
DEMO
(live presentation)

87. Hardware Atari XL/XE
But you can go even further
- brightess artefact

88. Hardware Atari XL/XE
DEMO
(live presentation)

89. Hardware Atari XL/XE
But you can go even further
- playing music with GTIA?
no problem!

90. Hardware Atari XL/XE
DEMO
(live presentation)

92. Hardware Atari 520ST

93. Hardware Atari 1040STFM

94. Atari ST specs
Atari ST Atari STF
Atari
STFM
CPU Motorola 68000
@ 8MHz
RAM 512 (520 models)
1024 (1040 models)
ROM
TOS
192KB / 256KB
ports 2xjoystick (incl. mouse), cartridge,
2x MIDI, floppy, HDD, modem, printer
TV - -
built in
modulator
sound YM2149 YM2149 YM2149

95. Atari ST graphic
info colors
hires
640x400
requiring
special
monitor to
display this
mode
black and
white
midres
320x400
requiring
other type
of monitor
STFM model
could
display it
on TV
4 from the
palette of
512
lowres
320x200
16 from the
palette of
512

96. Atari ST graphic

97. Atari ST graphic

98. Hardware Atari 1040STE

99. Atari ST vs STE
differences
- wider palette (4096)
- 4 joystick ports
- added BLiTTER
- added DMA sound with 8-
bit PCM sound at
6.25/12.5/25/50 kHz and
stereo RCA output
- easily expandable to 4MB

100. Atari ST(E)
- much more modern design
- successful in sound
editing and DTP

102. History
1954 - Founded by Jack
Tramiel - typewriters
1959 - adding machines
1969 - calculators
1977 - Commodore PET
1981 - Commodore VIC
1982 - Commodore 64
1976 - acquired MOS
1984 - acquired Amiga

103. Commodore PET

104. Commodore PET
Released in 1977
Came in three series
Targeted as a serious
business machine with
tons of peripherals

105. CPU MOS 6502 @ 1MHz
RAM 4-96KB
Graphics 40x25 / 80x25 text
Sound piezo beeper
Commodore PET

106. Commodore PET

107. Commodore VIC-20

108. Released in 1980
First computer to sell in
1M units
Commodore VIC-20

109. CPU MOS 6502 @ 1MHz
RAM 5-32KB
ROM 20KB
Graphics
VIC 176x184
16 colours
Sound VIC 3 channels
Commodore VIC-20

110. Commodore VIC-20

111. Commodore VIC-20

112. Commodore 64

113. Commodore 64

114. Commodore 64
Released in 1982
Guinness World Record for
highest number of units
sold for single computer
model: 10M-17M
Dominated 8-bit computer
market throughout 80s

115. CPU MOS 6510 @ 1MHz
RAM 64KB
ROM 20KB
Graphics
VIC-II 320x200
16 colours +
sprites
Sound SID 6581 / 8580
Commodore 64

116. Commodore 64

117. Commodore 64

118. Commodore 128

119. Commodore 128

120. Commodore 128
Released in 1985
Nearly fully compatible
with Commodore 64
Dual CPU: MOS 8502 and
Zilog Z80A
Three operation modes:
C128, CP/M, C64

121. CPU
MOS 8502
@ 1 or 2 MHz
Zilog Z80A @ 4MHz
RAM 128KB
Graphics
VIC-IIE 320x200
16 colours +
sprites
MOS 8563 640x200
16 colours +
blitter
Sound SID 6581 / 8580
Commodore 128

122. Commodore 128

123. Commodore 16 / 116 / plus/4

124. Released in 1984
Was designed to be an
entry level 8bit computer
Became a marketing flop
Commodore 16 / 116 / plus/4

125. CPU
MOS 7501 or 8501
@ 0.9 1.76MHz
RAM 16KB
ROM 30KB
Graphics
TED 320x200
121 colours
Sound TED 2 channels
Commodore 16 / 116

126. CPU
MOS 7501 or 8501
@ 0.9 1.76MHz
RAM 64KB
ROM 64KB
Graphics
TED 320x200
121 colours
Sound TED 2 channels
Commodore plus/4

127. Commodore 16 / 116 / plus/4

128. Commodore 16 / 116 / plus/4

130. History
1979 - Jay Miner leaving
Atari
1982 - project Lorraine
started with Miner as
head designer
1984 - first working
prototype ready
1985 - Amiga 1000
1986 - Amiga 500
1996 - Amiga 1200 and 4000

131. Amiga specs
CPU Motorola 680x0 @ 7MHz upwards
RAM 512 KB upwards
ROM 128 - 512 KB
OS Amiga OS on Kickstart
graphics OSC/ECS/AGA
sound PAULA - DMA, stereo 4 channel, 8-bit
with filters

132. Amiga 1000

133. Amiga 2000

134. Amiga 3000

135. Amiga 4000

136. Amiga 4000T

137. Amiga 500

138. Amiga 500+

139. Amiga 600

140. Amiga 1200

141. Amiga CDTV

142. Amiga CD32

143. Amiga non-AGA
graphics

144. Amiga AGA
graphics

146. History of Sinclair
1973 - incorporated as
Ablesdeal, later renamed
1980 - ZX80, cheapest
computer in UK
1981 - ZX81
1982 - ZX Spectrum, deal
with Timex
1984 - Sinclair QL, ZX
Spectrum+
1986 - sold to Amstrad

147. ZX80

148. ZX81

149. ZX Spectrum

150. ZX Spectrum+

151. ZX Spectrum 128

152. ZX Spectrum +2

153. ZX Spectrum +3

154. ZX Spectrum
CPU Zilog Z80 @ 3.5MHz
RAM 16 / 48 / 128 KB
Graphics
256x192 = 32x24 grid of 8x8 chars
8 colours, 2 per char
Sound beeper or AY38910
connectors main bus, stereo jack, joystick
Controllers keyboard, joystick

155. ZX Spectrum
graphics

156. ZX Spectrum
graphics

157. ZX Spectrum
sounds

158. Sinclair QL

159. ZX Spectrum
CPU 68008 @ 7.5 MHz
RAM 128 KB (up to 896 KB)
Graphics 256x256 8 colours, 512x256 4 colours
Sound beeper or AY38910
connectors
expansion slot, ROM cartridge socket,
dual RS-232 ports, QLAN local area
network ports, dual joystick ports,
external Microdrive bus
Controllers keyboard, joystick