5200 Fonts or Character Sets

[SoundGammon]

A few years ago, I was able to make a custom OS rom for my 5200. What I did was change the character set to a better looking "Computer Font". I never liked the original Atari set when it got enlarged by different graphics modes. I did this by copying the rom with my eprom burner into the ram of my 800 computer and then downloading off a floppy disc a different character set into the space where the 5200 set was and burned a new 5200 OS onto a 2532 eprom.

 

I dug out my eprom burners the other day for some chip checking on one of my pinball machines and got thinking about where my 5200 and notes are so I can make more. Just wondering if there is any interest out there for those who would want one?

 

If memory serves, I believe I have a disc of just fonts from Compute magazine.

It also contained a font editor that I was planning to do a Star Raiders font. For those who have played the game, it had a custom font in the bottom portion of the screen, where the messages on top used the Atari original font. I have a couple of extra 5200s that I plan to put it in for a custom Star Raiders game.

 

On the downside, when I booted up the 5200 version of Activision's River Raid back then, the far zero (0) on the right, part of the score, stayed at the original Atari font, while the rest of the score was at the newer computer font. Guess you don't score by 10's and so forth, but by single numbers! Bummer!

 

I also did custom OS for my 800XL, using the original 800 OS Rev A and added the fast math routines for basic.

 

More info coming once I dig all my stuff out and try to remember how I did it!

[+Allan]

I'd love a copy of some of the different font BIOSs. I have an eprom burner so all I'd need is the BIOS to burn.

 

Allan