DavidMil Posted December 22, 2017 Share Posted December 22, 2017 Ok folks, here is something to test a little of your Atari/computer skills. Cheating is encouraged! I want to thank The Doctor for his help! And despite what I told him, I take full responsibility for for all the wrong answers. DavidMil ATARI KNOWLEDGE TEST.pdf 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rybags Posted December 22, 2017 Share Posted December 22, 2017 What machine can use 2 Pokey chips without modification? I doubt any... the 7800 can since it's got the audio in and some games use one anyway. But the problem with 2 would be accomodating them as well as a Rom on the board then getting it all inside a shell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenjennings Posted December 22, 2017 Share Posted December 22, 2017 8. How many bits in a Byte?A. 2B. 7C. 8D. 32 I understand what you're asking , but that will give a fit to those with nitpicking computer science minds. (And we hates them! gollum! gollum!) You would need another qualifier in that question (How many bits in a Byte on the Atari 400/800/XL/XE computers?) (In the Air Force I did programming on a system with 6 bit bytes and 36 bit long words.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenjennings Posted December 22, 2017 Share Posted December 22, 2017 23. How many new graphic modes did the GTIA chip have?A. 3B. 4C. 8D. 16 The OS and BASIC package the behavior to look like "graphics modes", but GTIA doesn't actually provide a graphics mode. GTIA provides 3 additional color interpretations for ANTIC's 14 text/graphics modes. That means an Atari with GTIA has 56 graphics modes (14 ANTIC modes times 4 GTIA color interpretations.) Granted, many of those combinations have debatable usefulness. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_The Doctor__ Posted December 22, 2017 Share Posted December 22, 2017 (edited) so are you saying it added 42 new graphic modes? or none? or are you going to go by useful modes? best to make the question ask how many new color interpretations then, the debate will be ongoing Should the question be how many sanctioned graphics modes were added by Atari with the introduction of GTIA, the OS already supported them and waited on the chip...so were they added? This can go in a lot a directions... Edited December 22, 2017 by _The Doctor__ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Lange Posted December 22, 2017 Share Posted December 22, 2017 (edited) 7. The Atari 65XL had a _____ bit processor. A. 2 bit B. 4 bit C. 8 bit D. 16 bit --- 19. What is a CX85? A. Real time clock interface board B. Atari Keypad C. Adapter to play 2600 games in a 7800 D. One of Atari’s many vapor ware products The correct answer needs slightly more information to be unambiguous. ---- Nice quiz though! Edited December 22, 2017 by Bill Lange Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_The Doctor__ Posted December 22, 2017 Share Posted December 22, 2017 (edited) 8. How many bits in a Byte? A. 2 B. 7 C. 8 D. 32 I understand what you're asking , but that will give a fit to those with nitpicking computer science minds. (And we hates them! gollum! gollum!) You would need another qualifier in that question (How many bits in a Byte on the Atari 400/800/XL/XE computers?) (In the Air Force I did programming on a system with 6 bit bytes and 36 bit long words.) In all honesty the title says test your "Atari Knowledge" ...... though there were also 16 24 32 64 bit architectures that come to mind quickly when you think about Atari as a whole.. shall we include the Atari brand calculators, were they 4 bit? The defacto standard is eight bits in a byte... back in the day what you were referring to were syllables on the older machines Edited December 22, 2017 by _The Doctor__ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenjennings Posted December 22, 2017 Share Posted December 22, 2017 (edited) so are you saying it added 42 new graphic modes? or none? or are you going to go by useful modes? best to make the question ask how many new color interpretations then, the debate will be ongoing Should the question be how many sanctioned graphics modes were added by Atari with the introduction of GTIA, the OS already supported them and waited on the chip...so were they added? This can go in a lot a directions... Essentially, yes. Whether it has GTIA or CTIA -- the "modes" are from ANTIC, and that's 6 text and 8 graphics modes. CTIA provided one color interpretation for those modes, so a CTIA Atari has only those 14 modes. GTIA provided 3 new color interpretations, so 4 * 14 is 56. Many of these combinations are less useful than others. But, "useful" is in the eye of the beholder, so as soon as I say a GTIA color interpretation + ANTIC graphics mode 8 is not useful, someone will jump up and disagree. I'd say there are somewhere between 20 and 30(ish) useful combinations. But, I'm sure someone here has found a use for all 56. Yes, the OS-sanctioned graphics "modes" 9, 10, 11 were already there in code in the CTIA Atari 400/800. (These "modes" are all ANTIC graphics mode F (aka BASIC/OS mode 8 ) plus one of the GTIA color interpretations.) Since the "modes" were already supported in the OS, I guess the question would be "How many color interpretations did GTIA add?" Edited December 22, 2017 by kenjennings Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidMil Posted December 22, 2017 Author Share Posted December 22, 2017 What machine can use 2 Pokey chips without modification? I doubt any... the 7800 can since it's got the audio in and some games use one anyway. But the problem with 2 would be accomodating them as well as a Rom on the board then getting it all inside a shell. I didn't say came with two chips, I said can use two Pokey Chips. (hint: Check out BallBlazer). David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin Payne Posted December 22, 2017 Share Posted December 22, 2017 (edited) I didn't say came with two chips, I said can use two Pokey Chips. (hint: Check out BallBlazer). David From the title alone you do say Atari/Computer which means any Atari system and I do know that Crystal Castles is one machine that uses two pokey's. Edited December 22, 2017 by Justin Payne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidMil Posted December 22, 2017 Author Share Posted December 22, 2017 19. What is a CX85? A. Real time clock interface board B. Atari Keypad C. Adapter to play 2600 games in a 7800 D. One of Atari’s many vapor ware products The correct answer needs slightly more information to be unambiguous. Nice quiz though! I don't understand what is unambiguous about the correct answer. Can you explain? David 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidMil Posted December 22, 2017 Author Share Posted December 22, 2017 I guess I should have said, "Test Your Atari 8 Bit Knowledge". Sorry, David 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_The Doctor__ Posted December 22, 2017 Share Posted December 22, 2017 (edited) This is the ATARI 8 BIT forum on Atari Age.... seems logical we are talking about 8 bit Atari here... ......bits - syllables - bytes - words ... what else might there be? um 65XL is 65XE or 900XLF.... Guess you can truncate it to 65XLF? we know what he means in any event... Edited December 22, 2017 by _The Doctor__ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rybags Posted December 22, 2017 Share Posted December 22, 2017 7800 Ballblazer has just the one Pokey in the cart. Added to zero Pokey's inside the 7800 gives 1. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_The Doctor__ Posted December 22, 2017 Share Posted December 22, 2017 (edited) the 7800 can use 2 pokey chips or one Gumby without modification...proto Gumby... but I am sure you all have seen the 8 bit Gumby mods for the 800 line... and can draw where that idea came from... Edited December 22, 2017 by _The Doctor__ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_The Doctor__ Posted December 22, 2017 Share Posted December 22, 2017 (edited) The 65XE had a(n) __ bit processor.... in general conversation we know what you're referring to no need for apologies here.... grammar cops will be next! Edited December 22, 2017 by _The Doctor__ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidMil Posted December 22, 2017 Author Share Posted December 22, 2017 7. The Atari 65XL had a _____ bit processor. A. 2 bit B. 4 bit C. 8 bit D. 16 bit Boy I sure messed up that question. I was supposed to be a 600XL. But then a 65XE would have worked in the question too. Sorry, David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_The Doctor__ Posted December 22, 2017 Share Posted December 22, 2017 (edited) Skybird, this is Dropkick with a Red dash Alpha message in two parts. Break Break STAND BYE TO VERIFY Red dash Alpha Red dash Alpha Romeo -- Oscar -- November -- Charlie -- Tango -- Tango -- Lima -- Alpha. Authentication: Two -- Two -- Zero -- Zero -- Four -- Zero -- Delta -- Lima I have a valid message. Stand by to authenticate. I agree with authentication also, sir. Enter launch code. enters [DLG2209TVX] Launch order confirmed. Holy shit. Target selection complete. Time on target sequence complete. Yield selection complete. Begin countdown. T minus 60. What game am I playing on the Atari 8 bit? Edited December 22, 2017 by _The Doctor__ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emkay Posted December 22, 2017 Share Posted December 22, 2017 Question 3. Is a plugged cartridge a modification? If not, any Atari computer allowed to have a second sound-chip inside the cartridge. No need for opening the machine ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_The Doctor__ Posted December 22, 2017 Share Posted December 22, 2017 (edited) No emkay the 7800 cart slot has audio in which mixes with the on board audio of the 7800 and goes out via the standard outputs... the other machines do not do this..... not in this way.... The closest you will get is the pbi interfaces... they have audio in and require more than what was asked here. Cartridge solutions on the 8 bits would require separate output jacks etc. or internal modification, perhaps a cord to sio audio in or pbi audio in... The 5200 later dropped the two ports and added an audio in to the cart slot, so there is a chance here but not on all 5200's Edited December 22, 2017 by _The Doctor__ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emkay Posted December 22, 2017 Share Posted December 22, 2017 No emkay the 7800 cart slot has audio in which mixes with the on board audio of the 7800 and goes out via the standard outputs... the other machines do not do this..... not in this way.... The closest you will get is the pbi interfaces... they have audio in and require more than what was asked here. You are right. It's the PBI-Port. But, in theory it's just the Cartridge port with extensions. Still Plug and Play. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+CharlieChaplin Posted December 22, 2017 Share Posted December 22, 2017 Hmmm, the A8 already has 3 "sound playing chips" onboard: Pokey, GTIA and PIA. Pokey can play sounds, no doubt, GTIA can playback 1Bit sounds and PIA? Connect a data recorder and let it playback sounds coming directly from PIA (not from tape!)... XXL already posted several GTIA sound demos, he also posted a PIA sound demo here at AA or over there at atarionline... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Defender II Posted December 23, 2017 Share Posted December 23, 2017 This is the ATARI 8 BIT forum on Atari Age.... seems logical we are talking about 8 bit Atari here... ......bits - syllables - bytes - words ... what else might there be? um 65XL is 65XE or 900XLF.... Guess you can truncate it to 65XLF? we know what he means in any event... nibble = 4 bits 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_The Doctor__ Posted December 23, 2017 Share Posted December 23, 2017 nibble = 4 bits correct! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidMil Posted December 23, 2017 Author Share Posted December 23, 2017 I'll post the answers tomorrow. Let The Doctor and I know how you all did. I'd also like to encourage others to create a few tests too! But please don't start creating them at 2AM (your time) like I did. DavidMil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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