Atari/Atari Games VaxMail 1986 Jed Margolin ___________________________________________________________________________ From: ERNIE::GRAHAM 2-JAN-1986 10:21:33.70 To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK CC: Subj: ATARI GAMES 401-K PLAN John Klein asked me to put the following memo out on junk mail: TO: All Employees FROM: John Klein/Dennis Wood We are quite pleased to report that our 401-K Plan has gotten off to an excellent start. As of today we had 118 employees making contributions to the Plan. We encourage each employee not participating in the Plan to review carefully whether or not you should consider making contributions starting in January 1986. Please keep in mind that Atari will provide matching funds at the rate of $.50 per dollar up to a maximum of $1,500.00 of Atari contribution. If you have any questions about making a deferred or even a voluntary contribution to the 401-K Plan, please see either one of us. We would be pleased to answer your questions. Thank you for your cooperation in getting the Plan started in 1985. We especially appreciated the timely manner in which the various forms were completed. ___________________________________________________________________________ From: KIM::MARGOLIN 3-JAN-1986 21:17:57.69 To: BRAD,MARGOLIN CC: Subj: Brad, I need the following Sound Things for the TomCat demo on Jan 15: 1. Howling Banshee (F14 fires the gun). 2. Jet engine with control of speed. 3. Clunk (Getting Hit) - [Warlords had a nice clunk] 4. Jet Flyby 5. Speech - Use some samples from Star Wars. 6. Music - Ride of the Valkyries - Wagner Jed ___________________________________________________________________________ From: KIM::SCHLAGE "SUTTLES, SHEPPERD, MOTT, or ALBAUGH" 6-JAN-1986 17:03:30.55 To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK,SCHLAGE CC: Subj: HEAR YE, HEAR YE! The front door will relock automatically at 7PM, not 8PM. This is a permanent change. The building will be cleared of all non- Atari employees by 10PM each night. Card access hours will remain unchanged except for the hour between 7PM and 8PM. During this time (in the near future) access to the building will only be recognized at the front lobby and west lobby sensors. The sensor in the east lobby will be deactivated between 7PM and 8AM. The east lobby door was not deactivated today, it was destroyed. I have taken it apart and reassembled it the way it should have been; it will now function as it should. Please continue to let me know if there are problems where the system doesn't work as it should. I know I really don't have to ask for your cooperation--I'm certain I'll be told. sas ___________________________________________________________________________ From: KIM::MARGOLIN 7-JAN-1986 14:08:31.19 To: WOOD,MARGOLIN CC: Subj: What is the status of the Parker Bros./Star Wars royalties? Jed ___________________________________________________________________________ From: KIM::WOOD 7-JAN-1986 14:54:33.71 To: MARGOLIN CC: Subj: Star Wars Royalties I am still discussing the matter with WCI. I hope to have a resolution of the matter this month. DW ___________________________________________________________________________ From: CHARM::MORRIS 7-JAN-1986 17:03:35.80 To: @SYS$MAIL:ENGINEER CC: Subj: New (improved) greenhills 68000 C compiler. (again). There is a new version of the greenhills C compiler available for anyone who wishes to use it. Many bugs have been fixed, including the ROM relocation problem and the corrupt register problem. I have recompiled my game and it still works. Apparently the code generation, and optimiser have been improved. To use it assign ncc (or whatever) to:- SYS$SYSDEVICE:[GREEN.1V7V22]CCOM.EXE If you find any problems let me know. Jim. ___________________________________________________________________________ From: KIM::BRAD 8-JAN-1986 12:18:40.86 To: MARGOLIN CC: Subj: TOMCAT SOUNDS I've looked over the code and put some stuff in rpm to (hopefully) allow it to work on tomcat hardware. In [brad.tomcat]tomcat.lda is the ROM code (8000) for some tests. It should look at the port (upon IRQ) and play sounds. It probably won't work first time (it never does) but we can try it and see what happens - brad - ___________________________________________________________________________ From: KIM::BRAD 8-JAN-1986 18:47:16.51 To: KIM::MARGOLIN CC: Subj: that's ok, Actually that means we can have YAMAHA do the IRQs RPM already has that provision. - brad - ___________________________________________________________________________ From: KIM::SHEPPERD 8-JAN-1986 19:55:52.58 To: @SYS$MAIL:ENGINEER CC: Subj: A new way to program... We have a new EPROM programmer. This one is from a different company than Data I/O so it does things a bit different than what you might be used to. But fear not, it is quite a bit better. Although it doesn't program EPROM's any faster than the DIO, it does everything else substantially faster. It has 512k bytes of internal ram so you can program sets with up to 8 27512's (or 16 27256's). The maximum word size allowed is 128 bits which ought to cover anything we'd do in the near future. It does not, however, allow you to patch data from the keyboard (too bad, Ed and Bob). I've setup a new command procedure to run it and you use it from any of the terminals in the DIO room. The commands are the same as the one's for the DIO except you start it up with: $ IMI !instead of DIO You only need to turn the unit on (switch is in back, upper right corner) to activate it for computer (no Sel F1 Start required). After it does its self-test, the message IMI 3016 appears in the window. If its already on, and the START button is lit, then press it. If the button remains lit, cycle the power on the unit. There are no manufacturer codes required in this unit, so the DEVICE command needs only the generic part name and I assume it means you can program mixed vendor parts simultaneously. But you still need to watch out for 27128's and 27128A's! Each socket has an LED over it and this LED can either be off, glow red, glow yellow or glow green depending on what the IMI is doing or has done. Basically RED means the EPROM didn't program or verify properly or in the case of set programming, indicates a missing part. Green means the EPROM programmed or verified correctly and yellow or off means the socket is not being used. Set programming is done the same as with the DIO except the word size is handled by the VAX not by the IMI. This means that the IMI always thinks that the word size is 8, so if you peek into memory from the keyboard you might not see what you think you ought to. The VAX scrambles the data words during the download into sections the size of a single EPROM and loads them into the IMI in the order that they appear in the input file. For example assume a word size of 24 bits and an EPROM size of 1000 (hex): input file offset: +0 +1 +2 +3 +4 ... +0FFC +0FFD +0FFE data appears at socket 1 2 3 1 2 1 2 3 " 4 5 6 4 5 4 5 6 etc. This is the same as what the DIO would do. The IMI program does what is called a LOAD TEST before beginning programming or verifying. This test checks that all EPROMS are properly loaded into their sockets and if set programming, also checks that there are enough EPROMS to make up at least one set. If either of these tests fail, then the program will display what is needed on the terminal, light the LED's over the sockets to which you must do something, turn on the START button and wait for you fix whatever is wrong and press the START button. The tests are repeated each time you press the lighted START button. If you are programming, the IMI program checks that all the EPROMS that are loaded into the unit are blank. If one or more is not blank, then the red LED over the non-blank part is illuminated, the START button is turned on and the system waits until you load a blank EPROM and press the START button. The blank test is repeated until is succeeds. For the really advanced EPROM user, you can also dynamically change the programming pulse time with a /PULSE=m[.n] command on the FILE or PROG command. The maximum value is 50.9 milliseconds and the minimum time is 0.1 milliseconds. The typical value for the older EPROMs (2732 and smaller) is upwards of 40 milliseconds. The 27256's and co. use a pulse time of about 4 milliseconds. If you change the programming pulse, DO SO AT YOUR OWN RISK! The data may be programmed into the part so it'll verify but shortening the pulse time will also shorten the lifetime of the data in your EPROM. That is to say, your data may "erase" itself over a course of a few days. This may be acceptable for development work where you re-program the EPROM's daily or weekly, but not so hot for parts destined for a field test game or some such. Report errors to this address, ds ___________________________________________________________________________ From: KIM::BRAD 13-JAN-1986 11:19:06.25 To: MARGOLIN CC: Subj: TOMCAT SFX DOWNLOADED IN THE DEVSYS ARE TWO NEW THINGS. GUN FIRE AND MUSIC. I MODIFIED YOUR LISTING OF THE SFX AND NUMBERS TO REFLECT THE CHANGES. - brad - ___________________________________________________________________________ From: KIM::ROLM "SUTTLES, SHEPPERD, MOTT, or ALBAUGH" 13-JAN-1986 12:58:43.80 To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK ! MOSTLY ETS USERS (BUT READ IT ANYWAYS),ROLM CC: Subj: Featured feature HOLD .vs. HANG ONTO There has been some (some???) confusion about exactly what HOLD is and how long HOLD will HOLD for. So, here goes: There are two kinds of hold on the system. There is the star-nine hold you heard about in class, and another kind you get automatically whenever you FLASH. The kind you ask for with a star-nine is called a hang up hold, because after you ask for it you may hang up the phone. The other kind is called an off-hook hold, or flash hold, because if you hang up, the system will KNOW that you forgot about the call (or how to get it back) because you didn't say you wanted to hang up (i.e., it was not a hang up hold). Why are there two kinds? Because when you flash, SOMETHING has to happen to the call you were on, and it's not fair to assume that the call will wait for five minutes or so, if you DO forget. And it is neccesary at times to put someone on hold for longer than a few seconds. Here's the timing info: When you flash, you start a timer. If you don't reconnect (star-one or CNCT) to the guy you were talking to, or do something with or to him (like add him in on a conference call, or transfer him, or park him somewhere, etc) before the timer gets to 35 seconds, the call will go to the operator. If you hang up before this time, your phone will immediately ring, and he will be treated as an incoming call. When you put someone on hangup hold, he will wait 75 seconds (a minute and a quarter) before doing anything. You can hang up, and he won't bother you. After that 75 seconds, he starts watching your phone; if it becomes non-busy, he becomes an incoming call as before. But if your phone stays off hook, he gives up AFTER FIVE MINUTES (not 35 seconds) and goes to the operator. Now a lot of people have complained that this isn't exactly the way it works; but there is a consistent explanation. The button on an ETS marked HOLD under the three lines is a flash hold, and not a hangup hold. I think that ROLM screwed up, and should have labelled it FLASH. But it isn't exactly a flash button either. On single line phones (Rolm calles them FLASHPHONES[tm]) you can flash and then do things like report a bad line, or key in the code for park and an extension; you can do something WITH or ABOUT the other call. On ETS's, you can't do that. If you hit the HOLD button, you have FLASHed, as you can tell by the series of tones, but you may as well be on a different line; you can't affect the other call. Also, if you change lines and come back, you are automatically reconnected to your previous call--you don't get the double tone of a call on hold, EVEN WITH A HANGUP HOLD. This is also more like the multi-button phones than like the single-line phones. You should know that PARKING a call on an extension is the same as the call being placed on HANGUP hold by that extension. It will wait 5 minutes before going back to the operator. But if you want to have someone wait longer than half a minute, you MUST key in a star nine (hangup hold) or the call will go to the operator. I am experimenting with ETS keyboard layouts. MAIL (VAX or paper) any suggestions to me. I already plan on a minimum of PICK, SAVE, REPEAT, BAD LINE, and if I can figure out how, hang up hold. Suggestions could include names for the hangup hold button (wait? hang on? ho-o-o-old? take 5? stall? thimk? working...? Not working? toilet break? Coffee break? vacation? Sabbatical? Maybe you guys better come up with the name...) I know this feature was mostly aimed at the ETS users, but don't you fret, you guys with the "simpleton" phones... I'll get you too... ___________________________________________________________________________ From: KIM::BRAD 14-JAN-1986 10:43:09.03 To: @SYS$MAIL:ENGINEER CC: Subj: pokey design for new systems For new audio systems in the future PLEASE do not copy previous POKEY designs like SYSTEM I and SYSTEM II WHY? 'cause they are extremely too loud compared to the YAMAHA. The audio group has to cut the volume for POKEY sound effects drastically to match with YAMAHA. Fortunately it's not too much a problem on SYSTEM II because of the mixers but on SYSTEM I the volume of the sound effects on POKEY operate on the low end of the scale and thus there isn't any range to work in. During the design phase of SYSTEM I we tried to match the volume of the two chips (YAMAHA and POKEY) with sample files that we had at the time. Unfortunately we didn't have the extensive files and experience we have now. now for YAMAHA. Thanx - bra d- i mean - brad - ___________________________________________________________________________ From: KIM::MARGOLIN 14-JAN-1986 17:38:47.42 To: @SYS$MAIL:EVERYBODY.UAF CC: Subj: TomCat Demo I will be demonstrating the TomCat hardware Wednesday January 15 from 4pm to 5pm in Rick Moncrief's Lab. You are invited. Jed ___________________________________________________________________________ From: KIM::SUTTLES 15-JAN-1986 10:06:03.24 To: KIM::MARGOLIN,SUTTLES CC: Subj: RE: TomCat Demo Are you aware that everybody.uaf is kim users only (no charm users)? sas ___________________________________________________________________________ From: KIM::MARGOLIN 15-JAN-1986 13:16:13.90 To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK CC: Subj: I will be demonstrating the TomCat hardware Wednesday January 15 from 4pm to 5pm in Rick Moncrief's Lab. You are invited. Jed ___________________________________________________________________________ From: KIM::BRAD 22-JAN-1986 16:11:40.07 To: @SYS$MAIL:ENGINEER CC: Subj: pokey design for new systems update Regarding volume levels for POKEY verses YAMAHA: The Gauntlet Audio design has come the closest to balancing the volume levels on these two chips. But for added measure a MIXER was employed so we could fine tune the balance. A MIXER comes in mighty handy because some YAMAHA voices are very soft. Also RPM will automatically change the volume of the sound chips to an individually pre-determined volume level whenever a TI VOICE command is requested. This allows for more comprehensible speech. - brad - ___________________________________________________________________________ From: KIM::COMPLAINT 23-JAN-1986 11:30:56.63 To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK CC: Subj: HVAC bugs (aka features) Send complaints about the A/C in your area to KIM::COMPLAINT. Please be very specific about what it is doing and what is should be doing. We are going to attempt to get it fixed (if possible). ___________________________________________________________________________ From: ERNIE::BROWN 23-JAN-1986 14:45:26.17 To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK CC: Subj: NORTHWESTERN NATIONAL LIFE INSURANCE UPDATE ATARI GAMES HAS JUST BEEN ASSIGNED A GROUP # FOR NWNL MEDICAL AND DENTAL INSURANCE. THE NUMBER FOR BOTH IS GH-I9272-4. OUR INSURANCE REP HAS INFORMED ME THAT I.D. CARDS WILL BE SENT OUT WITHIN A WEEK AND INFORMATION BOOKLETS FOR BOTH MEDICAL AND DENTAL IN APPROXIMATELY 3 - 4 WEEKS. THAT'S ALL FOLKS1! ! SANDI ___________________________________________________________________________ From: KIM::SHEPPERD 27-JAN-1986 11:20:02.12 To: @SYS$MAIL:ENGINEER CC: Subj: The IMI EPROM programmer The people at IMI sent me some new program Eproms for the IMI with fixes for some of the bugs that I told them about. I, in turn, fixed the VAX program to compensate for their bug fixes and in the process, changed it a little. 1) It will now allow you to program partial sets. 2) Data downloads will go faster if you specify a fill character (default character is 00) that matches MOST of the data in the EPROM. The program pre-fills the RAM in the IMI with this fill character and won't download streams of 10 or more of those characters found in your input file. ds ___________________________________________________________________________ From: KIM::VICKERS 28-JAN-1986 12:45:55.85 To: @SYS$MAIL:ENGINEER CC: Subj: The Final Frontier I don't know about you, but I'm usually pretty cynical about tragedies. I'm a little surprised to find this space shuttle thing triggering such an emotional response. I guess somehow I see the space program as some kind of symbol of hope for the future of the human race, a sort of mirror opposite to what is symbolized by the arms race. At least these are missiles that aren't supposed to blow up. They seem to symbolize quest, exploration, cooperation, transcendence. And there seem to be a lot of people that come back from orbit feeling somehow changed by the experience, by seeing the earth as a whole, a blue oasis in space, without obvious national boundaries. I don't know if this is an appropriate time to suggest this or not, but I remember overhearing a number of Atarians in the past suggesting the idea of some sort of space exploration game. I feel that now that the video game industry, at least for a while, has gotten past the stage of reinforcing people's space war fantasies, it would be nice if we could go the next step and encourage active participation in a guided fantasy of space exploration. The thing that made the Star Trek series so great was its success at encouraging positive thoughts about the human spirit and our need for quest, invoking an almost sacred aura around the mission to explore new worlds, to boldly go where no man has gone before, etc. There are limits to how much of this atmosphere we can achieve in a video game, but it would be interesting to explore these limits. I don't have any specific game idea to suggest. It could be a simulated space shuttle mission or the first manned flight to Mars. It could be a Voyager-like pass-by through the whole solar system. It could be a space-age Noah's ark, making its escape from Earth moments before the Last War. You could be controlling flight trajectories, docking with other ships, using a simulated shuttle control panel, doing in-flight experiments using remote-control arms, doing space walks, landing the ship, or whatever. There might be bad guys, there might not. It would be nice if it were a multi-player cooperative or cooperative/competitive game. In general the way to do a cooperative game has been to have the players cooperate in competing against a common enemy (Rip-Off, Gauntlet, etc.). It might be interesting to make the common enemy the rigors of space, the difficulty of the mission itself. Different players could be working together in the ship, or piloting different crafts, or whatever. Videodisk would've been ideal for using NASA footage to do great background visuals of planets, moons, and the Earth. But whatever system we might use, I'm sure we can develop evocative graphics and music appropriate to the theme. Well, I just wanted to toss this out and see if anything bounces back. If there seems to be sufficient interest, maybe we can have some brainstorming meetings or something. Maybe there's a game in here / out there somewhere, but we won't know until we look. Earl ___________________________________________________________________________ From: KIM::DROBNY "Buddy Flyback" 29-JAN-1986 10:08:49.22 To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK CC: Subj: a bad day at the office I dont know about you, but I am usually cynical about people who say they are cynical about tragedies! Everybody in this building knows that Earl Vickers is completely insensitive to everything he can get his hands on. But he just loves to remind us all the time. The truth of the matter is that yesterdays explosion of the Challenger spacecraft was a shock to everyone in this country (Except Earl Vickers). I personnally felt quite a shock, for this time their were alot of people including myself who were thinking how successful the shuttle has been and how it began too look more and more like civilians would be taking the trip more and more. Well this truely will happen someday, but yesterday, just like in January of 1967, Our space program suffered a severe loss and setback. And what about those people and students in Concord, New Hampshire who now have to live with what they saw yesterday. I think you might call it the sling-shot effect. They were quite que'd up with much excitement of seeing thier teacher going into space exploration, only to be scorned within seconds by Mr. DEATH. And of coarse this is not to forget by any means the rest of the crew and their families. True these people knew the risk involved. When there are tons of Liquid Hydrogen stored in a "thin-skinned" tank that is twice the size of you, and this tank is strapped to your belly, There is consderable risk. And true, where there is experimentaion there is always faliure of some sort. But NASA has done well with the safety of there missions in the past. (obviosly not well enough yesterday) But I think that evryone knew this was going to happen eventually and it really is amazing to me that it hasnt happend alot more. Anyway, to see a national tragedy right in front of your eyes is one thing, But to see people vaporized as part of that national tragedy is another. And for those people who have to live with the fact that thier husband or wife or mother or father have been taken from them only to know them now as "National Heros", Its got to hurt. Not to mention those children who really are not old enough to understand. Well I'm sorry, but I feel alot of sorrow over what happend yesterday. It's not like we dont have enough troubles with that Jerk in Libya who considers himself a fish beverage (Cod-coffee). The one thing this nation is doing together, to expand itself and reach out to the skies in a peaceful (not including that Star Wars garbage) way, yesterday had to take a step back. Salute to those 7 Americans who died for their country 10 miles above the Atlantic. ___________________________________________________________________________ From: KIM::SUTTLES 29-JAN-1986 11:36:21.83 To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK,SUTTLES CC: Subj: An addendum to the appendix I don't mean to belittle the deaths of the 7 people yesterday, but it seems to me to be one of the more minor tragedies of our times. What really irks me is the public acceptance of the deaths of thousands while they bemoan the deaths of a few, or the imprisonment of a few, or the mistreatment of a few. I am not known as a peacemonger, or "nuke the nukes" freak, but I believe it is more of a travesty for Time/Life books to use the deaths of hundreds of thousands (during VietNam) to make a profit! Watch for the commercials and see if you can eat afterwards. I regret the deaths of those 7, and I empathize with their families, but it is a bigger crisis when a jet airliner crashes in a shopping mall, killing hundreds and leaving emotional scars on the witnesses for the rest of their lives. May all those who have to suffer such things recieve their just rewards sooner. sas ___________________________________________________________________________ From: KIM::DROBNY "Buddy Flyback" 29-JAN-1986 11:40:41.30 To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK CC: Subj: My apologies to Mr. Vickers I must say that, after hearing from Earl, that I truely over-reacted to his message and did not understand what he was trying to say. I therefore must apologize to him publicly for trying to slander his personality for something he was not guilty. I now know he basically felt the same as I and many others over the awful thing that happend yesterday. I apologize Earl and promise that in the future I will read your messages more carefully. ___________________________________________________________________________ From: KIM::VICKERS 30-JAN-1986 11:55:37.00 To: @SYS$MAIL:ENGINEER CC: Subj: what I meant to say was... I just want to thank Chris for his apology, and to explain what it was I meant to say the other day. I can see how a misunderstanding like this can happen, when people are expecting the black humor and bad taste with which my name has apparently become synonymous. What I was trying to say is that although I am usually cynical about tragedies - there's only so much of it you can take from the media every day - that this was a total exception. Tears were rolling down my cheeks the whole time I was driving in to work. It came as a total surprise to me that it affected me this way - I'm not even that much of a space junky. I was just in shock the whole day. And the reason seemed to be not just that 7 people had died, though this was a big part of it - I wouldn't be upset over an unmanned ship exploding - but it was also a sense of loss, like seeing your hopes and dreams blow up. And the point of the mail message was that I felt the last thing these people who died yesterday would have wanted would be for the space program to be cut back. And I felt that something we could do in our own small way, as kind of a tribute, would be to make a game that would help reinforce positive fantasies about space exploration. Maybe my timing was wrong, but I felt that this was a time when all of our thoughts were focused on one thing. I didn't intend it in any sort of exploitive way. I'm sorry if we view our work here as such an insignificant and unimportant form of mindless entertainment that the mail message could only be taken as some sort of sick joke. I feel a need for some kind of meaning in my work. I don't mind if most of the games we make are empty calories, but it would be nice if occasionally we could contribute something, however small, to the culture. I don't know what or how, but something. Earl ___________________________________________________________________________ From: KIM::ALBAUGH 31-JAN-1986 12:07:33.02 To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK CC: Subj: Public Utilities Some time ago, I wrote a little "address-book" program for myself. Yesterday, while talking to a new user, I realized that more of you might like to use it. The following is a bit sketchy, but should let you decide and get you running if you are interested. ADDRESS is a program which takes a name or list of names and produces an address or list of same. For example, suppose you login.com file contained the following: $ ADDR*ess :== $ UTL$EXE:address -b Sys$Userdisk:[Albaugh]phone.lis Then if you typed: $ addr albaugh you would get: 1) Mike Albaugh xxxxxxxxxxx (xxx) xxx-xxxx You could similarly find anybody else on the "Atari Alumni et al" mailing list. You DON'T need to get the name exactly right, although the part of the program that attempts to match mis-spelled names doesn't know about the silent 'g', so "alba" won't match but "albak" will. If you give it more to work with, you have a better chance to match. "Mike Alba" does work, for instance. If it can't find a "close enough" match, it will say so, and also tell you the closest match it found. At present, you need to re-try with that name, if it is the one you wanted. Some time that I have some spare time I will try to make it a bit friendlier. Anyway, you can also just type: $ addr first name second name third name to get several names at once. or: $ addr mike to get all the "mikes" on the list, or: $ addr mike dave to get all the mikes and daves, etc. These multiple listings are actually more useful when the output is sent to a file like so: $ addr -o mikes.lst mike Which will put a list of mikes in the file mikes.lst. You can also get the list of names from a file, with: $ addr -i names.lis Which will look in the file "names.lis" (a text file with one name per line) and show you the corresponding addresses, or more usefully: $ addr -i names.lis -o addresses.lis which you can probably figure out. When you get tired of looking up Atari Alumni, you can also change the "book" you use: $ addr -b mybook.lis fred smith will get the entry for Fred Smith from your own private address book. This file contains entries in which the first line is the "name", to be compared against the name you give ADDRESS, and the following lines, up to the next blank line, contain the address, phone number, etc. Any line that starts with a period will be ignored (to allow me to use .rno files). If the first line ends in a hyphen, the second line will also be considered part of the name. Also, the check for blank lines does NOT ignore spaces and tabs, so if you really want to have a blank line within an entry, just use a line starting with a space. Just take a look at the default "bookfile" (the alumni phone list) to get the idea if you're still confused. When you get tired of typing your bookfile name all the time you can do something like: $ PADDR*ess :== $ UTL$EXE:address -b kim::[Albaugh.private]pphone.lis in addition to the original definition. Note the node-name, so I can use the same file from any system. The alumni list is present on all the Vaxim, but my private list is only on KIM. This makes it a little slow but saves disk space and hassle. Incidentally, my KIM login.com defines paddr without the kim::, because DecNet is to stupid to know when it is already on kim and uses the net anyway if I use a node name. If you've gotten this far, I should warn you that this software is category D support (we give you a phone number to call which is disconnected, say, 555-1000). That is, I'll gladly READ complaints sent to KIM::Albaugh, but do NOT guarantee timely response. Have fun, Mike p.s. This message lives in KIM::Sys$Userdisk:[albaugh.phone]address.doc ___________________________________________________________________________ From: KIM::DOWNEND 4-FEB-1986 10:32:21.70 To: @ALPHAGANG.DIS CC: Subj: Air Conditioning During the past couple of weeks, I've been party to a couple of meetings regarding HVAC - Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning. Here are some miscellaneous details I've picked up: 1) Only exterior offices with windows have both heating and cooling ducts; interior spaces have cooling only; of course all areas get both indirectly as the system circulates air...(IF it circulates air - see below). 2) Until 2 weeks ago, the entire system was being monitored by an Energy Management System that was supposed to increase overall energy efficiency. The experts determined it was not working properly and turned it off. The noticeble side-effect of this seems to be that thermostats NOW seem to do something when you change the setting. 3) There are apparently a couple of different types of HVAC systems. One type continuously exchanges air in all parts of the building; since the fans are continuously running, this type is energy in-efficient. The other type of HVAC, the one we have, is more or less an "on-demand" system. In other words, if the thermostat says everthing is o.k. the system will slowly shut-down air flow to the point where it is possible to have no air exchange at all. This situation can be avoided or at least minimized by making sure that the rooms with the thermostats are not sealed off from the general working area and working population. 4) Thermostat locations: Alpha Lab has 2: a) in Runner lab controling Runner, Police, TomCat and half the central area. b) In Thrash lab controling Thrash, Relief, Gauntlet and half the central area. Hardwall offices have 1 in Stempler's office controling Paauw, Theurer, Stempler, Salwitz, McCarthy, Ralston, Hally, Downend, Moore, Shepperd, Suttles, Albaugh, and Dawe. Cubicle offices have 1 outside Paauw's office controling cube area. Common Area has 1 outside Downend's office controling Common area and Cyndy's cubicle. Proto Lab has 1 inside Proto lab controling Proto lab. LSI Lab has 1 inside LSI lab controling LSI lab. Dan's Office has 1 inside Dan's office controling Dan's office. Engr. Conf. Room has 1 inside Conf. Rm. Controling Conf. Rm. 5)There is a plan to break the Hardwall office system into 3 thermostat systems with Paauw, Theurer, Stempler, Salwitz, McCarthy on one Thermostat. Ralston, Hally, Downend, Moore on one thermostat. Shepperd, Suttles, Albaugh, Dawe on one thermostat. 6) Remote Override Switches There are huge "40-ton" HVAC units on the roof controling roughly one quarter of the building each. They are shut off at 6:00 PM weeknights until 8:00 AM (I think) the next morning. They are also shut off on weekends. The computers have separate 24-hr/day 2-ton units. If you are here during an "off" period and the air-temp is unbearable you can turn on one of these 40-ton HVAC units by cycling the "remote override" switches located throughout the building. These switches must be turned from "off" to "on" to activate the HVAC unit. SWITCH LOCATIONS: 1)Outside Paauw's office - controls Alpha lab and the the rest of the back quarter of the building. 2)Outside Shepperd's office - controls Alpha Office space and the rest of the front quarter of the building. Once this switch is cycled the HVAC unit will be activated for one hour. PLEASE USE GOOD SENSE WHEN TURNING ON THESE 40-TON UNITS! That's all for now. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- P.S. RE: Phone System I understand that the front lobby switch board is "shut-down" at 5:00 PM when Evelyn leaves. Therefore, DO NOT expect your unanswered calls to get forwarded to the lobby so you can be paged - after 5:00 PM. Dave S. says they plan to install a "night bell" so that unanswered calls forwarded to the lobby will sound a tone in the Intercom system; then anybody can answer it with the appropriate key strokes on any phone... ___________________________________________________________________________ From: KIM::ROLM "SUTTLES, SHEPPERD, MOTT, or ALBAUGH" 4-FEB-1986 12:13:43.36 To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK,ROLM CC: Subj: HELP!! (Bad line reporting) It has become apparent during the last week that the phone system has a problem with one of the incoming lines. An outside call rings your phone, and when you answer it, it sounds like someone is there, but they say nothing. No matter what you do to convince them to talk, they sit there and wait. Eventually, they hang up. Soon after, they call again, and comment that they had a problem getting through. More than one person has logged this complaint. Here's what I beleive happens: They dial the number, and the phone company connects it to the Rolm system. The Rolm system rings your phone, and tries to send a ringing tone to the caller. Somewhere along the line, the transmission of sound of any kind from the Rolm switch to the caller is blocked. You answer your phone, because it is ringing, and the same thing happens--they hear nothing. They sit there waiting for the phone to ring, and eventually decide that the call didn't go through. So they try again. So, we either have a bad trunk line from the phone company, or we have a bad trunk card. Unfortunately, we have 40 incoming trunks. In order for me to tell which card/line pair is suspect, I need your help. When this happens, (you get a call from someone who can't tell you are there), please FLASH and dial *563. This must be done before you revert to dial tone. It can be done just after they hang up, but you must be quick about it. ETS users don't have to FLASH, and some of you have BAD LINE buttons, which do the same thing. What this does for me, is make an entry in a short list of complaints, which will tell me the extension, the time of day, and the trunk line. When I get more than one complaint with a given thing in common (like trunk line), then I know where to start looking, and I can clear it up. Up until then, we will have to put up with ghost callers (or whatever the current problem is) or pull off each of the 40 lines until the problem is found. By the way, BAD LINE does not just apply to ghost callers. Anytime you have a complaint about the quality of a call, FLASH *563. We can fix noisy (hissing) lines, lines with other people talking on them, etc, if we can tell the telephone company which trunk is giving us the problem. It would be a big help if you could drop me a note when you report a bad line letting me know the time and extension you were at, and what the complaint was about (hissing is one thing, ghost callers is another). Thanx in advance for all your help. sas ___________________________________________________________________________ From: KIM::BRAD 4-FEB-1986 14:52:48.27 To: @SYS$MAIL:ENGINEER CC: Subj: MicroEmacs text editor A public domain EMACS is available in [brad.microemacs]. This version of EMACS has most of the common commands found on the high-priced EMACS, - search, multiple windows, buffers, spawning etc.. It can be defined for AMIGA, ST 520, CP/M, VMS, UNIX V (maybe more, but I can't remember). I can't speak for the other OSs but all commands that are in the brief documentation (kim::[brad.microemacs]m_emacs.doc) work under VMS. Please try it out and tell me if you find any bugs. Better yet, port it over to your machine! (especially if you have a 520 cuz I'd like a copy for myself!). The entire source code in C, makefile and executable version reside in the directory. ED.H is the header file that is used to define your machine/environment If you would like to try it out, define this in your login.com: EMACS :== $ SYS$USERDISK:[BRAD.MICROEMACS]M_EMACS (by the way I'm on KIM::) My initial reactions of MicroEmacs: It works so far It seems to be pretty fast (that is with a VAX, I don't know what will happen using a micro) I like multiple windows I like the thought of having the SOURCE and adding features that I like I like being able to call DCL (create an interactive shell) from the editor, doing a directory, copy or mail, for instance, then going back to the editor where I left off! I like having ONE editor that resides on MANY machines so I don't have to relearn everytime I go to another machine I'm familiar with EMACS, it might take the unfamiliar some time getting used to. Documentation is terse. I should (so they tell me) be able to obtain better doc later. The documentation is suitable for printing on one of the LQ printers [brad.microemacs]m_emacs.doc This product has no guarantee but please let me know if you find any bugs. Not that I would/could fix them but I will post any problems/updates to people that are interested. If you would like to know of any updates or other info on MicroEmacs please send me your name and if there is enough interest I'll create a mailing list. - brad - ___________________________________________________________________________ From: KIM::SHEPPERD 7-FEB-1986 11:23:29.77 To: @SYS$MAIL:ENGINEER CC: Subj: Missing CIT-101 keyboards Did anybody happen to pick up a couple CIT-101 keyboards? They were in the DIO room a couple of weeks ago. The parts to repair them have come in so please return them ifn' you've got 'em. Thanks or else. ds ___________________________________________________________________________ From: ERNIE::DENCKER "Andrea Dencker" 7-FEB-1986 17:24:14.54 To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK CC: Subj: Are you wondering if your MAIL messages are getting read? A while ago I had asked Dave Shepperd about having a MAIL program capa- bility of knowing whether a recipient has read an important message you have sent. Apparently lots of other people across the country using VAXes have also asked for this feature. No one can implement this feature because of the MAIL file protection system: only Digital Equipment can change its software. Unfortunately, Digital's official answer is: "The ability to inform a sender when a message is actually read is a very contentious issue, since many individuals would consider this to be an unacceptable invasion of privacy. Thus, there are no plans to implement such a feature in VMS MAIL." On the other hand, Digital says they are "investigating producing" new MAIL software that would "probably" have message trace capability. Sounds like a lot of vaporware. Dave told me the best he can offer you is the capability of seeing how many new unread mail messages that the recipient has. You can check for such information on anyone on our DECnet. At the operating-system level, type the following: $ MCR CHKMAIL username If the recipient is on another VAX, put the node name immediately ahead of the name with double colons, as in: $ MCR CHKMAIL KIM::username The response at your terminal will be: "User JOHNDOE on node WHATEVERVAX has __ new mail messages." If the user has no unread MAIL messages, you will get no response on your terminal other than the usual $ prompt. The only fly in the ointment is CHKMAIL's inaccuracy: at the moment you use this command, the recipient may have already read your important message and may have just received some other new MAIL message(s). The only guaran- tee of the user having read your message is when you get no response on your terminal. Anyway, good luck using CHKMAIL. Andrea ___________________________________________________________________________ From: ERNIE::GRAHAM 10-FEB-1986 10:50:28.36 To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK CC: Subj: BOB FRYE ASKED ME TO WARN YOU THAT THE ELECTRICIAN WILL BE INSTALLING MOTION SENSORS IN THE SHOWERS TODAY. ___________________________________________________________________________ From: ERNIE::OWENS 10-FEB-1986 11:06:44.04 To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK CC: Subj: Motion Sensors I'm almost afraid to ask. Why do we need motion sensors in the showers? My preference would be remote control tv cameras conected to the big screen i tv. RLO ___________________________________________________________________________ From: ERNIE::MILTY 10-FEB-1986 16:19:59.68 To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK CC: Subj: what's all this motion commotion? I,too,am a bit leary to ask,yet wildly curious about exactly what motion, or motions should we be on the look-out for. And,for that matter,where else might these motions be sensed; or are we talkin' strictly shower dwellers. ___________________________________________________________________________ From: ERNIE::BENZLER 10-FEB-1986 16:32:33.54 To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK CC: Subj: Motion Sensors Alright folks, I got the scoop from our friendly local electrician... I, too was a bit curious about motion sensors in the showers. I thought, maybe water conservation; you know, when you stopped moving around in the shower, the water automatically shut off (or maybe set off an alarm to warn others that you had passed out under water after a long run). Well it's really nothing all that newsworthy. There will be motion sensors in all of the restrooms (not just the showers). When the restroom is unoccupied for 10 minutes, the lights will automatically shut off in order to conserve energy (of course this could happen if you remain very still in the room also!) Anyway, according to my sources the job will not be finished until sometime tomorrow. --Linda ___________________________________________________________________________ From: ERNIE::CAMERON 12-FEB-1986 09:15:37.07 To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK CC: Subj: INFORMATIONAL UPDATE FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT USE THE WOMEN'S RESTROOM BY THE SHOWERS AND HAVE EXPERIENCED THE THRILL OF THE DARKNESS AND/OR FLICKERING LIGHTS, THERE IS NO NEED TO WORRY. DON, THE ELECTRICIAN, ASSURED ME THAT IT IS NOT SUPPOSED TO DO THAT, AND THAT HE WOULD FIX IT. IN THE MEANTIME , THOUGH, I HAVE DISCOVERED A FEW HELPFUL HINTS THAT WILL MAKE YOUR STAY MORE COMFORTABLE; 1. WHEN YOU THINK YOU ARE LOSING YOUR MIND, YOU REALLY AREN'T. THE LIGHTS REALLY ARE FLICKERING. JUST STAY CALM. 2. WHEN THE LIGHTS GO OUT COMPLETELY, SMALL MOTIONS LIKE TRYING TO BREATHE OR REACHING OUT NERVOUSLY DON'T ACTIVATE THE MOTION SENSOR. YOU NEED TO FLAIL YOUR ARMS ABOVE YOUR HEAD AS THOUGH YOU WERE DIRECTING A RUNAWAY PLANE. THEN THE LIGHTS USUALLY COME BACK ON. YOU CAN TEST THIS ANYTIME BY TRYING DIFFERENT MOVEMENTS AND WATCHING THE RED LED MOTION INDICATOR ON THE UNIT. WELL, I HOPE THIS HELPS. I CAN'T TALK LONG BECAUSE I AM VERY BUSY TRYING TO GET THE CONTRACT TO SUPPLY STARTER/BALLASTS. CAROLE P.S. THIS IS THE MOST FUN WE'VE HAD ON JUNK MAIL IN A LONG TIME! THANKS! ___________________________________________________________________________ From: ERNIE::CAMERON 12-FEB-1986 09:41:30.40 To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK CC: Subj: NEVERMIND, IT APPEARS TO BE FIXED NOW ___________________________________________________________________________ From: KIM::DOWNEND 18-FEB-1986 10:20:23.18 To: @ALPHAGANG.DIS CC: Subj: VACATION HOURS I sent Sue (payroll) three complaint letters regarding wrong vacation hours on paystubs...she called me 2/18 to say they are ALL wrong - every employee - B of A messed up she says. Presumably they will get it right at some point in the future and let us know...sorry for any confusion or frustration this may have caused. -Chris ___________________________________________________________________________ From: KIM::FRYE 21-FEB-1986 11:50:36.98 To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK CC: Subj: FACILITIES UP-DATE PARKING LOT...... WEATHER PERMITTING, WE WILL BE RESTRIPING OUR PARKING LOT THIS WEEKEND. DRAWINGS WILL BE POSTED AT EACH LOBBY SHOWING AREAS OF AVAILABLE PARKING DURING THIS TIME. DESIGN SERVICES MAY CONTINUE TO PARK IN THE AREA DESIGNATED "VISITORS PARKING" UNTIL OUR MAIN LOBBY IS RELOCATED. APPROX. 3-14-86. AIR CONDITIONING..... OUR HVAC CONTRACTOR, CAL-AIR WILL START MODIFI- CATIONS MONDAY, 3-24. GAME ROOM..... WHERE HAVE ALL THE GAMES GONE?...RELAX, WE'RE GETTING AROUND TO REPLACING OLD GAMES WITH SOME NEW ONES. THE MOTION SENSOR HAS BEEN INSTALLED ALONG WITH A TIME CLOCK TO CONTROL THE GAMES, HERE'S HOW IT WORKS. FROM 9AM TO 6PM, MON. THRU FRI. THE FUNCTIONS OF THIS ROOM ARE NORMAL AND AT ALL OTHER TIMES, IF NO ONE IS USING THIS ROOM...TOTAL DARKNESS WILL APPEAR. SHOULD YOU WISH TO USE THE GAME ROOM OTHER THEN THE ABOVE HOURS, YOUR IN FOR A TREAT, THE AUDIO EFFECTS FOR THE FIRST FEW SECONDS WILL ASTOUND YOU. ___________________________________________________________________________ From: KIM::DOWNEND 26-FEB-1986 09:26:59.83 To: @ALPHAGANG.DIS CC: Subj: AIR CONDITIONING If you had'nt noticed, they are working on our air-conditioning. Bob warned this was coming about a week ago. They are breaking up a one-thermostat system into 3 separate tthermostat systems; Gary will keep a thermostat for that bank of hard wall offices; Ralston will get a thermostat for the bank along that respective wall, and Albaugh will get a thermostat for the bank of offices around him. Hopefully, better climate control will result. ___________________________________________________________________________ From: KIM::DOWNEND 26-FEB-1986 13:00:25.53 To: @ALPHAGANG.DIS CC: Subj: News Update: please read and delete to save disk space. STATUS UPDATE - 2/86 - CONFIDENTIAL!!! ARARI EYES & EARS ONLY. - ACME show is next week; Friday thru Sunday; 3/7-3/9/86. -Atari will show: Super Sprint, Gauntlet, Temple of Doom, Robo Soccer. -Van Elderen, Moore, Tacakichi, Weatherby, Turner, Drobny, Hally, Logg, Arita are going from Engineering. -They leave Thursday morning. -Nakamura and 2 Namco Engineers will attend the show. - Tentative production quantities of Super Sprint have been agreed upon - see me if you really want to know... - Beginning Monday the factory will stop building games for a 3-5 week period. 12 employees will stay on full-time; 43 will be furloughed. This was a tough decision, but I think it's wise; When Sales volume has peaks and valleys; the production volume has to follow - it hurts in the long term to keep the factory running and build to inventory. Apparently, the furlough package was well-received by manufacturing employees. - We have purchased a new improved VTI package for custom I.C. layout. This gives us a standard-cell library based on 2-micron CMOS as well as gate array and full custom layout ablility. All the support tools are included too. - Japanese Yen: dollar is weak; 6-12months ago was 250 yen to dollar; now 180 yen to dollar. This is hurting PCB kit dealers in USA since profit margin has been erroded - thats good for us - less competition. - Nintendo is expected to introduce Super Mario Bros. on their VS Coin-op system at ACME. Its been a HOT game in Japan on the Home computer and at the usual $200 Nintendo kit price, its expected to do very well in the USA. Nintendo apparently lost money last year in the US coin-op market, and is expected to pull out of the coin-op market entirely...within 12 months? They already have in Japan - they are concentrating on their VERY succesful Home Computer/game console. - SEGA is expected to introduce 4 new games at ACME: Space Harrier (not really new), Major League Baseball, Quartet (4-player Gauntlet rip-off but not nearly as good); and one other. - Bally Sente is expected to introduce a new game too...rumor has it that Owen Rubin is feverishly working on this one. - Exidy is in Chap. 11 and with the president (Kaufman) recovering from illness, they do not appear to pose a threat. - Data East seems to have fallen off their high horse (Kung-Fu etc); with not much to offer...maybe they have a surprise for us at the show. The strong yen will hurt them too since all their product is licensed from Japan. - Williams will probably introduce the new Steve Ritchie Pinball game. Its supposed to be great. It was ready for AMOA, but they held off cause they had a very good pinball in production...The name High Speed is in my mind, thats either Ritchies, or the one they just finished. I have no idea what the production run on a good pinball is these days...maybe someone going to the show can pump Ritchie... - Market still looks weak, but Atari is positioned VERY well with respect to the competition. - Nakamura and troops will be here week of 3/10-3/14; expect tours and show n' tells; will be a good time to find out details about System I Cocktail implementation issues...IF we have our ducks lined up. Please think about questions, and how to present the questions clearly considering the language barrier. - Bob Stewert (Mfg. Mgr) will be bringing a group of 6-8 ace PCB techs thru for a tour... I would like to show them Gauntlet,Roadrunner,Thrasher Labs. I would like to also go over the game development process using Gauntlet as an example. - let me know if VAX mail like this is sufficient, or if you would rather have a group meeting where questions/answers could be exchanged. ___________________________________________________________________________ From: KIM::FRYE 28-FEB-1986 15:28:20.97 To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK CC: Subj: VOLTAGE DROPS ALL ENGINEERS, WE WERE AMONG THE MANY PG&E CUSTOMERS TO EXPERIENCE FREQUENT VOLTAGE DROPS DURING THIS PASS WEEK. PG&E WAS NOT PREPARED FOR THIS SUDDEN HEAT WAVE AND THUS DID NOT COMPENSATE FOR THE INCREASE IN CUSTOMER USAGE, CAUSING THE VOLTAGE DROPS. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN CORRECTED AND WE'RE BACK TO NORMAL... SO LET'S ENJOY THE HEAT WAVE AS LONG AS IT'S HERE. ___________________________________________________________________________ From: KIM::FRYE 3-MAR-1986 13:32:36.88 To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK CC: Subj: HOT WATER SURVEY ENGINEERING WAS SELECTED TO DO A "HEAT TEST" ONN OUR NEW HOT WATER HEATER INSTALLED AT THE COFFEE STATION LOCATED BY THE ENGINEERING CONF. RM. IT'S BEEN A WEEK AND A HALF SINCE THE HEATER WAS INSTALLED... WHAT'S THE VERDICT? IS IT DOING THE JOB?... CAN I GET SOME FEED BACK?... THE OTHER COFFEE STATIONS ARE WAITING THE OUTCOME... THANKS AGAIN...BOB ___________________________________________________________________________ From: ERNIE::CAMERON 3-MAR-1986 15:19:13.09 To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK CC: Subj: EXERCISE QUESTIONNAIRE ..........THE VOTES ARE BEING TABULATED.............. PLEASE TURN YOURS IN IF YOU HAVE AN INTEREST IN THE HEALTH FACILITIES UP & DOWN, CAROLE (THAT'S SHAPING & TRIMMING, OF COURSE) ___________________________________________________________________________ From: ERNIE::GROSSMAN 4-MAR-1986 11:19:30.15 To: @SYS$MAIL:ENGINEER CC: Subj: SYSTEM 1 GAMES: IDENTIFICATION BYTE - UPDATE 2/86 All System I games are required to initialize a byte in the configuration area (Addr. 1006E specifically) to a certain value. The utility system on the main board interrogates this byte to determine if a new game cart has been installed and clears the EEROM accordingly. For more information see the documentation file on the VAX at KIM::DRA0:[SYSTEM1.DOC]SYSTEM1.DOC. The following values for the byte at 1006E have been assigned. All new System I games should contact Cyndy Grossman (X1734) for assignment of a number. Diagnostic Cart: 255 Pack Rat: 00 Marble Madness: 01 Temple of Doom: 02 Road Runner 03 Relief: 04 Future Vette: 05 Chris Downend and Rich Moore Dist: All programmers in Alpha, Delta, Omega and Rick Moncrief ___________________________________________________________________________ From: KIM::BRAD 6-MAR-1986 14:19:30.75 To: @SYS$MAIL:ENGINEER CC: Subj: CERROR TPU and GREENHILLS C users: A new TPU/EDT function has been added to TPU and I need your help to see if it works. At the moment this function only works for those of you that use the GREENHILLS C compiler (if enough people scream for it 'cerror' could be modified to accept error files generated by different compilers or assemblers). The new function is called: cerr*or [filename][.err] and is invoked on the TPU/EDT command line (GOLD_KP7). 'cerror' reports errors that have occurred during compilation. It does this by first reading in a file (to another buffer) that contains the errors and then searching that file for line numbers where the errors occurred. The file search will default to your working directory and if a file is not specified will look for a file that matches your current edit file that has an extension of .err. You may also specify a file on the command line. For example; after typing GOLD_KP7, you type cerr at the TPU/EDT command line, 'cerror' will look in your current directory for the filename that matches the file that you're editing (the main_buffer's file) with an extension of .err. 'cerror' will then look for the first occurrance of an error, display that error in the message window (bottom of screen), and move the cursor to the line where the error occurred. To find subsequent errors it's best to bind a key to the function. I suggest using the PF2 key. Therefore add this line to your tpu$init file: baf$x_error_next := 'define_key("baf$error_next(current_direction)",pf2)'; By hitting the PF2 key you can find the next error. 'cerror' will also work in the REVERSE direction. You must have an error file that was created by the GREENHILLS compiler. You can obtain this file by redirecting GREENHILLS error reporting to a file. I do this by adding this to my MAKEFILE.: myfile.ol : myfile.c $ assign/user myfile.err sys$error $ ncc -O -Z29 myfile.c KNOWN BUGS: * If you call 'cerror' more than once, TPU will report an error. * 'cerror' does not know if you have edited your source file. So if your error correction involved deleting or adding more or less than what you started out with, the next error reported will be off by that many lines. (you could edit starting from the bottom but most C errors occur because of the first one) - brad - ___________________________________________________________________________ From: KIM::DOWNEND 4-MAR-1986 16:58:02.92 To: MOORE,@ALPHAGANG.DIS CC: Subj: Hail to the Chief NAKAMURA, OUR FEARLESS LEADER AND OWNER OF THE COMPANY THAT MOSTLY OWNS ATARI WILL BE HERE MONDAY AND TUESDAY 3/10-3/11. THERE ARE NO FIRM PLANS, BUT PLEASE PLAN ON TOURS ETC. Now, the Japanese are a traditional people and have a lot of ritual in their business affairs. Therefore, it would be courteous for us to tone down our western ways where appropriate. 1) Let's tidy up our labs and offices - if Rofo can do it, anybody can. 2) On Monday and Tuesday let's make an effort to dress conservatively in spite of the fanstatic weather we have been having. 3) Let's leave gym clothes in the locker room. Maybe I'm overreacting, but I'm proud of the Atari Engineering group and its product, and I want Nakamura be proud too...I don't want him to be distracted by the cultural differences and miss the product. ___________________________________________________________________________ From: KIM::RAINS 11-MAR-1986 11:21:47.26 To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK CC: Subj: Two of Atari's Finest... ... have been recognized for their contribution to the effort. RICH MOORE and CHRIS DOWNEND have been promoted to ENGINEERING DIRECTORS. Both have been dedicated workers and leaders, and their efforts have made our success this year possible (as well as making life manageable for Dan and me). Please offer your congratulations and support to these fine Atarians in their new positions... ...because they'll need it! ___________________________________________________________________________ From: KIM::MARGOLIN 11-MAR-1986 17:02:49.61 To: MARGOLIN CC: Subj: Morris Editor From: CHARM::MORRIS 11-MAR-1986 15:00 To: @sys$mail:engineer Subj: Micro EDT/TPU Editor There now exists an editor which works very much like EDT with a few TPU like window control functions and a lot of EMACS window control functions. At the moment this works for VMS (but TPU is a lot better), and on CPM68K (omni-byte) boards. The source can be re-compiled to work on MSDOS (IBM) and with a little work (which I shall probably be doing in the near future) ATARI 520. So if you need an EDT type editor for your system see me. Jim. Following is a preliminary DOC file for this editor. Skip if you are not interested. EDMAC uses EDT keypad commands, just like EDT except for the following:- No help Key. No page command (Keypad 7). - search for ^L instead. No command (Gold Keypad 7). - use emacs commands. No fill (Gold Keypad 8). - use ^X F to set wrap column No replace (Gold Keypad 9). Additional keypad functions:- Gold I - Splits screen in two and reads in a file to upper window. Gold W - Toggles between split screen and full screen. Gold UP - Goes into included window. Gold DOWN - Goes into main window. Gold L - starts a learn sequence. Gold R - terminates a learn sequence. PF2 - executes the learned sequence. Gold = - show cursor position. Gold ! - spawn command (VMS only). Gold S - spawn cli (VMS only). The EMACS key sequences retained are:- WINDOW CONTROL ^X 1 display only current window ^X 2 split current window (multiple window are permitted) ^X N move to Next window ^X P move to Previous window ^X Z enlarge current window by one or repeat count lines (^U) ^X ^Z reduce current window by one or repeat count lines (^U) ^X ^N scroll current window up one or by repeat count lines (^U) ^X ^P scroll current window down one or by repeat count lines (^U) FILE CONTROL ^Z save file in current buffer and exit ^X ^C Exit without saving buffers. ^X ^R Read a file into current buffer ^X ^S Save current buffer into its file ^X ^V Visit a file. Read file and display in current window ^X ^W Write buffer to file ^X ^F changes current buffer's filename to argument BUFFER CONTROL ^X B prompt for new Buffer ^X ^B show active Buffers ^X ^K Kill a buffer DELETING ^X ^O Kill surrounding blank lines ^X ^K Kill a buffer CASE CONTROL C Capitalize word L Lowercase next word U Uppercase next word ^X ^L Lowercase selected region ^X ^U Uppercase selected region MISC TAB tabs to set tab, to set tab do GOLD TAB, where arg is new tab stop. ^G abort any command in progress ^T Transpose characters ! move current line to repeat count lines from top of window (???) W Copy select range to paste buffer, do not cut. ^X ^X swap mark with cursor position ^X F Set Fill column. ___________________________________________________________________________ From: KIM::FRYE 13-MAR-1986 13:52:26.66 To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK CC: Subj: THE NEW LOBBY THIS COMING MONDAY, 3-17, REMODEL WORK WILL BEGIN IN THE WEST LOBBY (CAFETERIA SIDE). SINCE THIS LOBBY IS THE MAIN INTERSECTION FOR ACTIVITY, AND WE DON'T WANT ANY TRAFFIC JAMS, WE HAVE COME UP WITH THE FOLLOWING SCHEDULE TO BENEFIT BOTH THE CONTRACTORS AND EMPLOYEES. MON AND TUES WORKMEN WILL BE REMOVING CARPET, TILE, CLEANING THE FLOOR, AND TRIMMING DOORS FOR THE NEW TILE. DURING THIS TIME, PLEASE USE THE UPMOST CAUTION WHILE IN THIS AREA AS THE REMAINING CARPET WILL NOT BE GLUED DOWN AT THIS TIME. WED THUR & FRI INSTALLATION OF NEW TILE AND CARPET... THIS WORK WILL BE DONE ON THE SWING SHIFT SO AS TO ALLOW FULL USE OF THE LOBBY BY EMPLOYEES DURING THE NORMAL WORKING HOURS.....AT APPROX. 4PM ON EACH OF THESE DAYS, THE LOBBY, CAFETERIA, AND GAME ROOM WILL BE CLOSED OFF TO ALL EMPLOYEES AND REOPENED THE FOLLOWING MORNING AT 7AM. SAT.....NEW WALLCOVERING TO BE INSTALLED....AND IF ALL GOES WELL, OUR NEW LOBBY WILL BE OPEN FOR BUSINESS MONDAY MORNING. PS....TWO NEW DOORS WILL BE ADDED IN THE HALLWAYS, ONE NEAR THE NEW LOBBY AND THE OTHER IN THE HALLWAY OUTSIDE MONCRIEF'S LAB. ___________________________________________________________________________ From: KIM::MCCARTHY 13-MAR-1986 14:39:46.57 To: @sys$mail:engineer,MCCARTHY CC: Subj: SOFT GATE ARRAY For anyone interested in the XILINX XC-2064 LOGIC CELL ARRAY read on. This is a 1000-1500 gate Gate Array that is configured by downloading a bit stream to it from rom at power up time. The configuration 'links' are maintained in CMOS static ram cells in the IC. I have a spare copy of the data sheet plus some other information obtained at the XILINX - HAMILTON/AVNET Seminar. Some general information : . 12000 bits are required for configuration using a 1Mhz clock requires 12 milliseconds to load. . There are 122 flop flops per IC distributed in 58 I/O blocks and 64 combinational blocks. . Package size is 68 pin PLCC, 48 pin (40 i/o pins) DIP package available soon. . Development software runs on IBM PC XT/AT or compatible, with hard disk. . Full speed in circuit emulator is available. (you can set a hardware breakpoint with this device) PRICING AND AVAILABILITY. Development software: Evaluation Kit $ 250.00 XACT Development system software, including Macro library $3,600.00 SILOS Timing/simulation package $3,500.00 XACTOR in circuit emulator with one pod $3,000.00 (can accomodate 4 pods for simulation of 4 devices at once) XACTOR pods $ 850.00 XACT training/demo package $ 350.00 Piece parts : Speed package 1-24 25-99 100-999 5K+ (end '86) -1 68 lead plcc $60 $53 $47 $20 -2 68 lead plcc $80 $72 $63 $28 -1 (20Mhz) available now, -2 (33Mhz) available end 2nd quarter. 48 pin package "soon" ___________________________________________________________________________ From: CHARM::MORRIS 13-MAR-1986 15:46:43.67 To: @sys$mail:engineer CC: Subj: VAXMDM Ok all you VAX MODEM fans. This little utility (and if you don't know what it is, you probably don't want to) is now available in UTL$EXE. Do the following to use it:- $ VAXMDM:== $UTL$EXE:VAXMDM.EXE It allows aborting by ^X now and the command file is no longer needed to run it. Please use this new version, if you are currently using the old one. A repeat of the help documentation follows. Delete now if you are not interested. VaxModem is a version of the common Xmodem found on RBBS/RCPM systems. It allows uploading and downloading to/from the Vax when dialing in. It is useful for anyone who has the equivalent Xmodem or modem7 etc program on their system at home. Or any system that uses the (standard?) Ward Christensen protocol. (SOH,SEC,COMPSEC,128data,crc). This program will allow transfer of text files or binary files, and can use either CRC or checksums. It is run by either typing VAXMDM and waiting for the command prompt, or typing the command and filename on the command line. $ VAXMDM ? This will give a limited help message. $ VAXMDM s file.dat This will open the Binary file file.dat on the vax and send it to your system. $ VAXMDM sa file.src This will open the text file (Variable length CR), file.src on the vax and send it to your system. $ VAXMDM r file.dat This will create the Binary (fixed length 128 byte) file file.dat on the vax and receive data from your system using CRC. $ VAXMDM rc file.dat This will open a binary file file.dat on the vax and receive data from your system, it will expect a a checksum. Note the c option is only effective for the receive command. It will tell the sending program to use CRC or checksum. The program will prompt you with a message similar to the following:- receiving file file.dat in binary using CRC Hit control X slowly a number of times to abort After getting this message start the transfer, for your machine. Typing control X (usually once) will abort VAXMDM. Install it by:- $ VAXMDM:== $UTL$EXE:VAXMDM.EXE Any problems, let me know. Jim ___________________________________________________________________________ From: KIM::SHEPPERD 18-MAR-1986 11:09:03.71 To: @SYS$MAIL:ENGINEER CC: Subj: IMI A new feature you can use on the IMI EPROM programmer from the VAX is the BLANK command which does only a blank check on the EPROM's loaded. IMI_COMMAND> B*LANK You still need to do a device selection before trying a blank check. ds ___________________________________________________________________________ From: KIM::HOFF 20-MAR-1986 17:39:11.43 To: @SYS$MAIL:ENGINEER CC: Subj: VTI VIDEOTAPE I you are using or soon to use the VTI LSI CAD tools this may be of interest to you. Atari now owns a copy of a video taped lecture on the VTITest language. (2 hour lecture by the person who wrote VTITest). It is VERY informative. It's in my office currently. It is available for viewing. Morgan ___________________________________________________________________________ From: KIM::ALBAUGH 21-MAR-1986 18:11:35.09 To: MARGOLIN,BEHENSKY,ALBAUGH CC: Subj: LDA to .ol converter To use it, first define a symbol: LTO*ol :== $ UTL$EXE:LTOOL then use it as: ltool frob fraz To convert frob.lda to fraz.ol or ltool frob To convert frob.lda to frob.ol or ltool -s "$$seg9" frob To do frob, but put it in section 9 etc... The following is from the program source in sys$userdisk:[Albaugh.TI320]: /* LTOOL * Reads a .LDA format file and converts to Intermetrics ".ol" form * to allow it to be linked with other code, e.g. for downloading * into TomCat or other 68000 systems or burning ROMs. The .LDA file * contains word data, but addresses increase by only one for each * word. The output file is intended to be linked with 68000 code, so * it is by default located in section TICODE. (changed for $$seg9). * A different name can be specified with the -s switch to * allow closer control of the location in memory (with a .lc file). * Two global symbols are defined: TMSCODE is the base address of the * block of memory. TMSEND is the length of the block IN WORDS, minus * one, to be convenient for DBF loops. */ Questions cheerfully refunded-- Mike ___________________________________________________________________________ From: CHARM::SHEPPERD 31-MAR-1986 19:17:52.95 To: @SYS$MAIL:ENGINEER CC: Subj: EPROM's and the IMI There was a rumor floating around that the IMI EPROM programmer passed an EPROM that the DIO failed. I'd like some confirmation of this and sample parts if possible. I spoke to the designer of the IMI yesterday to see if he's heard of this happening before. He said no, but it has happened where the IMI fails a part that the DIO passes. To clarify what the IMI does on verfiy, it grounds the OE and CE lines (enables the chip for DC reads) and reads the EPROM by changing only the address lines. The DIO wiggles the OE and/or CE lines in-between each byte read (one of the reasons it is so S-L-O-W). The IMI verifies the part at 5v only not at 4.75 and 5.25 as the DIO does. The part is loaded with a resistor (10k I think) and it is unkown how the DIO loads parts. Whichever programmer you use to make master EPROM's, you must check those parts by inserting them in a working game board before placing your stamp of approval on them. Neither the DIO nor the IMI will check the EPROM for correct access time. A working game board performs a more comprehensive test than either programmer. So you thought that the EPROM's were static ROMs, well read on... He told me of a bug that is present in a number of EPROMS, especially the big ones (27256 and up) where if the OE or CE lines are not changed in an unspecified period of time (its a bug, remember), all outputs will go to 0 and stay there, perhaps because the output drivers are more dynamic in nature than static. In any case, beware (he mentioned AMD as a major culprit). He also mentioned that the EPROMS are VERY sensitive to the voltage on the Vpp pin. If it is not exactly what it is spec'd to be, the outputs may oscillate. ds ___________________________________________________________________________ From: SANDY::DAVE 1-APR-1986 08:23:29.71 To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK CC: Subj: NEW MOVE THIS IS TO INFORM YOU THAT DUE TO THE CONTINUING SLUMP IN LOCAL INDUSTRIAL REAL ESTATE, THE COST PER SQ. FT. HAS REACHED THE POINT WHERE IT IS BECOMING ATTRACTIVE TO MOVE THE CORPORATION TO NEW HEADQUARTERS. THE CURRENT LEADER LOOKS LIKE THE MORGAN HILL INDUSTRIAL PARK AT $.40/SQ.FT. AS WE ARE CURRENTLY PAYING $.75/SQ.FT., YOU CAN SEE A MOVE TO THIS AREA WOULD GREATLY ENHANCE THE POSITION OF THE CORPORATION. MANAGEMENT REALIZES THAT MANY OF YOU HAVE MADE GREAT SACRIFICES IN THE MANY MOVES OF THE PAST FEW YEARS, AND THAT A NEW MOVE WILL NOT BE GREETED WITH ENTHUSIASM. HOWEVER, THE OVERALL GOOD OF THE CORPORATION MUST BE THE TOP PRIORITY FOR ALL OF US, AND WE IN MANAGEMENT LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR CONTINUING SUPPORT IN THIS MATTER. AS MORE INFORMATION ON EXACTLY WHEN THE MOVE WILL TAKE PLACE, AND THE SCHEDULE FOR EACH DEPARTMENT TO MOVE BECOMES AVAILABLE I WILL LET YOU KNOW. IN THE MEANTIME, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS DIRECT THEM TO YOUR SUPERVISOR,AND THEY WILL PASS THEM ON TO THE MOVING COMMITEE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION ON THIS MATTER, DAVID WEYRAD, MOVING COORDINATOR ___________________________________________________________________________ From: KIM::MARGOLIN 1-APR-1986 16:06:17.09 To: VANELDREN,MARGOLIN CC: Subj: I tried to see you today but you were unavailable. 1. My vacation hours are still screwed up. When you changed my vacation request form you had me returning Feb 28, whereas I actually returned on Feb 27. Sue Reddick will not credit me the 8 hours without a written note from you. 2. When do you expect to make your decision on TomCat? 3. I am really annoyed at the hatchet job Chris did on me with his performance review. It contains many egregious errors and displays a reckless disregard for the truth. Jed ___________________________________________________________________________ From: CHARM::SHEPPERD 1-APR-1986 18:29:32.73 To: @SYS$MAIL:ENGINEER CC: Subj: BLISS 16 The good news is that I got anew BLISS compiler with some of the bugs fixed. The bad news is that I got a new BLISS compiler with most of the bugs left in. Actually, there's no new features in this update, only bug fixes. The release notes are in KIM::[SHEPPERD]BLISS.HLP under the "Corrections" category. The file has embedded carriage control, so you might want to print it instead of perusing it with an editor or Lyle's VU pgm. I'll install it if there are no objections. ds ___________________________________________________________________________ From: KIM::MARGOLIN 2-APR-1986 17:17:35.80 To: MCCARTHY,BRAD,MARGOLIN CC: Subj: Audio Stuff Pat, If you are going to design a new Sound Procesor System you might want to consider some of the things I have done on TomCat. 1. The TMS 5220C can be reset by bringing /WS and /RS down (and up) at the same time. Therefore, it does not require a transistor switch to remove -5V from the IC. (TMS 5220C is Atari p/n 137308-002.) 2. The TMS 5220C Clock input will accept an almost TTL level if you tie PROUT to +5v. (You must use a pullup resistor on the CLK input so it will go up to VSS.) The clock frequency must then be half what it would otherwise be, so that for example, 8 KHz sampling requires a 320 KHz clock. 3. At Earl's request I designed into it the capability of having the software be able to select the TMS 5220C Clock frequency so it can handle 8 KHz or 10 KHz sampling at the programmer's choice. 4. In order to accomodate more speech memory I have put together a Sequential Memory. The programmer writes to a location to set the starting address. There is another location that reads the data thus selected. Every Read increments the Sequential Memory address. I have implemented 64K bytes of Sequential Memory (in two 26256's) in addition to 32K bytes of Program memory and 8K bytes of RAM. (An 8K x 8 RAM takes up less board space than two 2k x 8's.) The above should not be considered an endorsement of the idea of having a separate Universal Audio PCB. ---Jed ___________________________________________________________________________ From: KIM::MCCARTHY 2-APR-1986 17:22:56.62 To: KIM::MARGOLIN,MCCARTHY CC: Subj: RE: Audio Stuff Jed. Items 1,2 & 3 are already incorporated in Gauntlet hardware. You may be interested in comparing schematics. Item 4 is interesting and I might take a look at what you have done. Do you agree with the idea of a universal Audio PCB including amplifiers. Pat. ___________________________________________________________________________ From: ERNIE::GROSSMAN 3-APR-1986 10:41:21.85 To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK CC: Subj: BABIES, BABIES AND MORE BABIES YET ANOTHER ADDITION TO THE ATARI FAMILY Martha Kay Wiebenson Weighing in at 7 lb. 7 oz. 18 3/4" in length Mother and baby are at home and doing just fine! ___________________________________________________________________________ From: ERNIE::OHARA 4-APR-1986 13:19:35.31 To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK CC: Subj: Paper Shredding The Paper Shredder has been delayed! He will be here Monday afternoon. jbo ___________________________________________________________________________ From: KIM::SHEPPERD 8-APR-1986 11:50:24.64 To: @sys$mail:engineer CC: Subj: New IMI and DIO feature Due to popular request, I've added a new feature to the IMI and DIO procedures. You can run these jobs from a command file now to reduce the tedium in typing in DEV, FILE, PROG, etc. On the second and subsequent PROG or VERIF commands, it'll pause waiting for you to type CR presumably after you've changed the EPROM's. There's two ways to call these procedures from a .COM file, one is to simply place your DIO/IMI commands as arguments (maximum of 8): $ IMI "DEV 27512" "FILE game.hex 16" "PROG 0-7FFFF" "LOGOUT" You need the double quotes around the arguments if there are spaces in them. If the first character in an argument is an atsign (@), then the argument is assumed to be the name of a file containing more DIO/IMI commands. The assumed file type is .COM and you can put into that file any IMI/DIO commands one per line just as you would type them in. As in the above example: $ IMI "@FRED" where FRED.COM contains: DEV 27512 FILE game.hex PROG 0-7FFFF LOGOUT You can have multiple commands/files on the command line: $ IMI "@FROBOZ" "@FRED" "DEV 27512" "FILE GEEK" "P 0" "EXIT" If you don't include an EXIT in the command stream, then the command file will not terminate, and will instead continue to prompt you for additional commands (just as though you called IMI or DIO with no arguments). This is useful if you just want to setup the IMI/DIO but then want to do the program/verify commands interactively: $ IMI "DEV 27512" "FILE FRED.HEX 16/SQ" If you choose to define a word that does this, then you must put the word IMI or DIO in single quotes and double double quotes around the arguments: $ FRED :== "''IMI' ""DEV 27512"" ""FILE FRED.HEX 16/SQ""" Report problems to this address. ds ___________________________________________________________________________ From: KIM::MARGOLIN 8-APR-1986 16:44:36.60 To: MEYETTE,MONCRIEF,MARGOLIN CC: Subj: AMI Rick, These are the questions I have about the AMI Gate Array for the Vector Generator (Atari p/n 137179-001) and about their letter of 4/3/86: A. Will the new part be compatible with the old part? I mean electrically, mechanically, pin-for-pin compatible? B. What do we get for our money? For Option I: 1. What do they do and what do we do? 2. How is "J flow tooling and manufacture in 5 micron technology" different from the technology used in the old part? 3. They indicate that they are going to scrap this part too. When? For Option 2: 1. What do they do and what do we do? Do I just hand them a schematic and they do the rest fot $13.5K ? 2. If, as I suspect, their advice to "Design complete circuit from scratch" means "Atari designs complete circuit from scratch" how is this to be accomplished? Are they going to provide us with a complete CAD system, at no cost to Atari, or will we have to pay for it? And how much? And who is going to work on my game while I am designing the Gate Array? 3. If Atari bears the cost for redesigning this part why in the world would we choose AMI, a company that has already screwed us once? (And on the same part.) C. Pricing: The way their prices are listed, if we were to go with Option I and buy 15K would we pay $5.50 each for 5K (the First 5K) and $5.25 each for 10K (The Next 10K) or would we pay $5.25 each for $15K ? Either they are using a nonstandard method of quoting prices or they are using a language other than English. Perhaps they are using AMI English. Jed cc: Rick Moncrief ___________________________________________________________________________ From: KIM::SHEPPERD 8-APR-1986 20:51:04.44 To: @SYS$MAIL:ENGINEER CC: Subj: BLISS 16 bugs The bug that Dennis found the other day is actually related to the AND operator. The AND will screw up predictably and even more seriously than what was happening to Dennis. To wit: EXTERNAL ARRAY : VECTOR [,BYTE]; LOCAL TEMP:UNSIGNED BYTE; TEMP = 7; ARRAY[0] = .ARRAY[2] AND .TEMP; Generates the following code: MOV #7,R0 ;TEMP MOV ARRAY+2,ARRAY+0 ;This is a real GEEK thing to do COM R0 BICB R0,ARRAY+0 Notice that not only does it incorrectly generate a word move from what might be an odd address, but it stomps all over ARRAY+1. This problem only seems to happen when using an AND operator and when the operands are addresses of bytes. If TEMP is declared as a word then it generates the correct code. Both the current compiler (v4.1) and the new one (v4.2) do exactly the same thing in this instance. At the moment, I have no recommended solution to this problem. (Patient: Doctor, Doctor, it hurts when I do this! Doctor: Well, don't do that; That'll be fifty bucks, please.) If you want to try the new compiler, do: $ set command utl$mac:bliss042 which will make subsequent compiles use the v4.2 compiler. If you want v4.1 back, logout and back in again. ds ___________________________________________________________________________ From: KIM::FRYE 9-APR-1986 16:23:04.75 To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK CC: Subj: "FRESH AIR" EFFECTIVE THIS FRIDAY, OUR AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM WILL BE ON THE FOLLOWING SCHEDULE. A/C #1 (DAN'S ENGR. AREA) FAN MON - FRI ON 5:30AM OFF 9:00PM A/C " " ON 6:30AM OFF 7:00PM A/C #2 (LYLE'S AREA) FAN MON - FRI ON 6:30AM OFF 9:00PM A/C " " ON 7:30AM OFF 7:00PM A/C #3 (DESIGN SER.,LOBBY,GAME RM., EX-SIZE RM,& CAFE.) FAN MON - FRI ON 6:30AM OFF 10:00PM A/C " " ON 7:00AM 0FF 7:00PM A/C #4 (ADMIN. & PUBS.) FAN MON - FRI ON 7:00AM OFF 8:00PM A/C " " ON 8:00AM OFF 6:30PM A FEW ADDITIONAL NOTES..... WE WILL BE INSTALLING A DRINKING FOUNTAIN IN THE EXERCISE RM. AND EXHAUST FANS FOR BOTH SHOWERS. THIS WORK SHOULD BEGIN THIS COMING WEEK AND I'LL TRY TO LET YOU KNOW WHAT DAYS WILL BE INVOLVED. BOB ___________________________________________________________________________ From: KIM::FRYE 11-APR-1986 10:37:54.33 To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK CC: Subj: I'VE BEEN GETTING REPORTS THAT THE KITCHEN SMELL IS STILL A PROBLEM. DURING THE PASS TWO WEEKS, WE HAVE INCREASED THE HOOD EXHAUST TO THE MAX. I'VE REQUESTED THE HOOD MANUFACTURE TO PAY US A VISIT TO SEE IF HE CAN RESOLVE THIS PROBLEM. I WILL GET BACK TO YOU WITH THE RESULTS...SORRY KAREN THAT YOU HAVE TO BE SETTING RIGHT ON TOP OF THIS....BOB ___________________________________________________________________________ From: KIM::DOWNEND 14-APR-1986 16:55:23.80 To: @ALPHAGANG.DIS CC: Subj: HVAC I am going to a meeting 4/16 @10:00AM that is to be a final wrap-up session of our air-conditioning problems. "Cal Air has stated that all the problems from our last meeting have been worked out and that our A/C system is acceptable." Notably, at the last meeting I brought o up the issues of: 1) Loud vibration in Jed's old lab; 2) Cold/hot spots in Alpha-labs; 3) Sporadic function in the Hard wall office wing. I also mentioned that air-exchange seemed to be generally marginal. Please let me know if you have any complaints regarding those issues as well as any that have surfaced recently. Thanks, Chris Downend ___________________________________________________________________________ From: KIM::FRYE 15-APR-1986 13:55:56.50 To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK CC: Subj: A/C MEETING CHANGE THE HVAC WRAP-UP MEETING HAS BEEN CHANGED FROM WEDNESDAY TO FRIDAY, APRIL 18th, @ 11 AM IN THE EXECUTIVE CONFERENCE ROOM. THANKS, BOB ___________________________________________________________________________ From: KIM::RAINS 16-APR-1986 17:43:34.17 To: @sys$mail:junk CC: Subj: Just browsing? There is a new utility available on the system. It is a text browser which allows you to examine random points in a source file (i.e., somewhere between "TYPE" and "EDIT/READ_ONLY"). So why use it rather than "EDIT/READ_ONLY"? For now, only a couple of reasons. First, it's a wee bit faster than the editor, and uses fewer sytem resources (big deal, you say). Second, it supports the concept of bookmarks. You can quickly access any of 5 places in the text with a single keystroke. This is NICE when you want to switch quickly among several places in the text, and want a full screen of information in each place. The program is called "VU". You need to define the following symbol (probably in your LOGIN.COM) to use it: $ vu :== @utl$com:vu Then you can call it by: $ vu textfile where "textfile" is any non_ambiguous_file_spec. No switches are supported at this time. The command structure is very similar to EDT keypad mode cursor functions, with the editing and character oriented stuff removed. Additionally: RETURN forward 22 lines LINE FEED backward 22 lines SPACE BAR forward a line BACK SPACE backward a line GOLD a thru Set the associated bookmark at the GOLD e current cursor postion a thru e Go to bookmark A thru E Control-Z exit You need a CIT-101 or equivalent to run it properly. It does nasty things with files that aren't variable CRLF or stream-LF. If you need to look at runoff documents, you will want to use "RVU" instead: $ rvu :== @utl$com:rvu Please send questions, comments, bug reports and suggestions (which are likely to be ignored) to KIM::RAINS. Lo V> / \ Rains ___________________________________________________________________________ From: MIKE::AVL "Jeff Bell/Components_Engineering" 17-APR-1986 14:04:45.39 To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK CC: Subj: On-Line Approved Vendors List Access The Approved Vendors List (AVL) has been moved to MIKE (Rovax) MIKE users may access the AVL on-line by including $ AVL :==@ATARI$AVL:LOGIN in their LOGIN.COM file and then typing "AVL" at the system prompt ($). Remote users should login to node MIKE via DEC-NET (type SET HOST MIKE and login as READAVL (no password is required). Local node (MIKE) Users: If you do not know how to include "AVL" in your LOGIN.COM file, you may simply type @ATARI$AVL:EDITLOGIN and your LOGIN.COM file will be updated to include this word. You may then type "AVL" at the system prompt ($) for quick access. Remote node (ERNIE, CHARM, KIM or SANDY) Users: You may copy ATARI$AVL:READAVL.COM to your own default directory and define a word in your LOGIN.COM file to execute it. READAVL.COM will simply log you into MIKE as READAVL. ___________________________________________________________________________ From: KIM::SYSTEM 17-APR-1986 17:19:52.82 To: @sys$mail:everybody CC: Subj: Non-junk mail I'd just like to recap some MAIL protocol. @SYS$MAIL:JUNK is for messages that are not super important to anyone. Any vax user who doesn't want to be bothered with softball game or party announcements or the like can simply have his/her name deleted from the list. THEREFORE... messages that are actually significant to the operation of the company should NOT be sent to JUNK, but to the people actually concerned with the message in question. There is a list EVERYBODY, but it is protected from casual use, as there are VERY few messages that need to go to literally everybody (e.g. building closing or computers down). If you think you have such a general-interest message, see me or one of the other system folk. Hope I didn't come off too uptight, but there has been a whole lot of non-trivial traffic on junk lately and some important messages could be missed. Mike ___________________________________________________________________________ From: KIM::FRYE 22-APR-1986 07:39:11.69 To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK CC: Subj: FACILITIES FOR THE NEXT FEW DAYS, WE WILL BE HAVING CONTRACTORS IN AND ABOUT THE BUILDING. TODAY: APPLIED RESEARCH LAB AND THE MAIL ROOM....CONSTRUCTION OF NEW OFFICES. EXERCISE ROOM, INSTALLING NEW DRINKING FOUNTAIN. WEDNESDAY OR THURSDAY: HOT MOPING ON THE ROOF (TO PREVENT LEAKS) THE ROOFING CONTRACTOR HAS ASSURED ME THAT YOU NEED NOT PARK YOUR CAR A MILE AWAY FROM THE BUILDING AS ALL THE HOT MOPING WILL BE DONE TOWARDS THE CENTER OF THE BUILDING.....BUT, WE MAY EXPERIENCE SOME ODOR WITHIN THE BUILDING VIA THE AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM. OUR ELECTRICIAN WILL BE INSTALLING TIMERS FOR THE NEW EXHAUST FANS IN BOTH MENS AND WOMENS SHOWERS. THIS WORK WILL BE DONE AFTER 4 PM. HOPEFULLY THIS WEEK. JUST GOT A CALL... THEIR GOING TO HOT MOP TODAY THE IDEA OF THIS LETTER IS TO GIVE YOU SOME WARNING, AS YOU SEE, THINGS CHANGE. THANKS, BOB ___________________________________________________________________________ From: KIM::DOWNEND 22-APR-1986 16:18:19.65 To: MCCARTHY,STEMPLER,LY,SHERMAN,HOFF,MARGOLIN,MEYETTE,MOORE,MONCRIEF,DOWNEND CC: Subj: Please come to a meeting - we need to resolve an issue: MEETING: DO WE WANT "REMOTE SENSE" ON SWITCHING SUPPLIES? WHEN: 4/23/86 @ 1:00 PM WHERE: CENTRAL CONF. ROOM Currently, we specify remote sense as a requirement on switching supplies. All 5V, 10A switchers procured have met the requirement - although I don't think we used it (Pat can confirm this). TX-1 used a switcher from LH Research - did we use remote sense on it? The problem is that we are currently using 5V, 15A switchers in Super Sprint and no manufacturer has anything with remote sense in our price range. We have bought 2000 from Sierracin without remote sense on a deviation basis. QUESTION: If we are NOT going to use remote sense, do we want to pay the extra cost for it? QUESTION: If we ARE going to use remote sense (and you'll have to convince me of that), is the benefit worth the extra cost in our application? In my relatively naive approach, I see our supplies situated physically close to the logic PCB's and I see our current load as being fairly steady. Given that situation, remote sense seems unnecessary. The VIRTUE of remote sense seems to be that our factory will NOT have to check and adjust 5V manually (assuming remote sense is connected to the 5V output at the supply). This is not insignificant given the transitory nature of our production line workers. ___________________________________________________________________________ From: KIM::DOWNEND 22-APR-1986 16:28:12.38 To: MCCARTHY,STEMPLER,LY,SHERMAN,HOFF,MARGOLIN,MEYETTE,MONCRIEF,DOWNEND,MOORE CC: Subj: REVISED: RESCHEDULED TO THURS. 4/24/86 @ 1:00PM Please come to a meeting - we need to resolve an issue: MEETING: DO WE WANT "REMOTE SENSE" ON SWITCHING SUPPLIES? WHEN: REVISED: THURS. 4/24/86 @ 1:00PM WHERE: CENTRAL CONF. ROOM QUESTION: If we are NOT going to use remote sense, do we want to pay the extra cost for it? QUESTION: If we ARE going to use remote sense (and you'll have to convince me of that), is the benefit worth the extra cost in our application? ___________________________________________________________________________ From: KIM::DOWNEND 22-APR-1986 17:12:36.25 To: MCCARTHY,STEMPLER,LY,SHERMAN,HOFF,MARGOLIN,MEYETTE,MONCRIEF,DOWNEND,MOORE CC: Subj: CORRECTION: GAUNTLET SWITCHER Pat says remote sense IS run to the logic board on Gauntlet. My error - the swichers came in from Japan with a shunt on the remote sense and I thought they were used as-is. oops. ___________________________________________________________________________ From: KIM::WOOD 24-APR-1986 11:05:40.85 To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK CC: Subj: Gauntlet - Home Computer Licensing We have recently entered into a licensing agreement with U.S. Gold, a UK company, to distribute home computer versions of Gauntlet in Europe, Australia and New Zealand. They have been licensed for Commodore, Sinclair, Amstrad and Acorn BBC home computers. We received a double digit royalty rate and a very good advance. We were knocked-off last year by a large UK company who did a pirated version of Marble Madness. We are currently in settlement negotiations with them. Hopefully we will reach a conclusion with them soon. Regards DW ___________________________________________________________________________ From: KIM::SHEPPERD 24-APR-1986 19:28:05.53 To: @sys$mail:everybody CC: Subj: A list of MAIL lists Several new mail lists have been added to the systems in the past few months (years?) that probably most people have forgotten or never knew. So, for the benefit of all those who did forget, those who never knew, and all the new users here's a list of the mail lists available: List Who's on it ------ -------------- JUNK almost everybody ENGINEER All of engineering UNIX a few Unix buffs SYSTEM The system people MOORETEAM Rich Moore's team ANIMATORS All the animators RAINSGANG Lyle Rains's team VANGANG Dan VanEldren's team ALPHATEAM Chris Downends's team COMPONENT Components engineering STAFF The big cheeses TEAMTACO Pete Takahichi's group SURVIVORS The Atari softball team SVUSERS System V users MFG Manufacturing and Customer Service PURCH Purchasing CUSTSVC Customer service FINANCE Finance and Accounting Use @SYS$MAIL:list in reply to MAIL's "To:" prompt to send a message to the people on the list. (@SYS$MAIL:JUNK for example). If you're on a list and you don't want to be, send mail to KIM::COMPLAINT and your name will be removed. If you want to know who is on a specific list, type: @UTL$COM:WHOSONIT list where "list" is the mail list you're intrested in. This might take a minute or two to complete. (I.E. @UTL$COM:WHOSONIT ENGINEER to find out who's on the ENGINEER list). The contents of any list are subject to change without notice. Ignore the underscore in the names (I.e. KIM::_SHEPPERD = KIM::SHEPPERD). If you want to keep the report, you can type: @UTL$COM:WHOSONIT list filename which will place the report into a file named "filename" (default file type = .LIS) so you can print it out later. For example: @UTL$COM:WHOSONIT FINANCE FIN will place the names of the people on the FINANCE mail list into a file named FIN.LIS. ds ___________________________________________________________________________ From: KIM::SHEPPERD 24-APR-1986 19:28:05.53 To: @sys$mail:everybody CC: Subj: A list of MAIL lists Several new mail lists have been added to the systems in the past few months (years?) that probably most people have forgotten or never knew. So, for the benefit of all those who did forget, those who never knew, and all the new users here's a list of the mail lists available: List Who's on it ------ -------------- JUNK almost everybody ENGINEER All of engineering UNIX a few Unix buffs SYSTEM The system people MOORETEAM Rich Moore's team ANIMATORS All the animators RAINSGANG Lyle Rains's team VANGANG Dan VanEldren's team ALPHATEAM Chris Downends's team COMPONENT Components engineering STAFF The big cheeses TEAMTACO Pete Takahichi's group SURVIVORS The Atari softball team SVUSERS System V users MFG Manufacturing and Customer Service PURCH Purchasing CUSTSVC Customer service FINANCE Finance and Accounting Use @SYS$MAIL:list in reply to MAIL's "To:" prompt to send a message to the people on the list. (@SYS$MAIL:JUNK for example). If you're on a list and you don't want to be, send mail to KIM::COMPLAINT and your name will be removed. If you want to know who is on a specific list, type: @UTL$COM:WHOSONIT list where "list" is the mail list you're intrested in. This might take a minute or two to complete. (I.E. @UTL$COM:WHOSONIT ENGINEER to find out who's on the ENGINEER list). The contents of any list are subject to change without notice. Ignore the underscore in the names (I.e. KIM::_SHEPPERD = KIM::SHEPPERD). If you want to keep the report, you can type: @UTL$COM:WHOSONIT list filename which will place the report into a file named "filename" (default file type = .LIS) so you can print it out later. For example: @UTL$COM:WHOSONIT FINANCE FIN will place the names of the people on the FINANCE mail list into a file named FIN.LIS. ds ___________________________________________________________________________ From: CHARM::DND2 25-APR-1986 17:19:38.79 To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK CC: Subj: SPACELORDS So you finally get to see and play SPACELORDS the next hot product from ATARI. We have placed one in the EE common area for your examination. This is the released program so that if you find any bugs please yell or call x1739. Remember that this product must be a surprise to all our distributors and operators so please help ATARI by not spreading the word to the outside just yet. ___________________________________________________________________________ From: KIM::DOWNEND 28-APR-1986 10:10:58.67 To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK CC: Subj: Previous Message on Spacelords The Distributors find out about Spacelords May 21, 1986...keep the lid on til then. ___________________________________________________________________________ From: KIM::DOWNEND 28-APR-1986 11:13:20.77 To: @ALPHAGANG.DIS CC: Subj: Tunes Let's keep the music in the Alpha-labs down to a dull roar... the bass notes penetrate walls in this building with no problem...even into the office space! Thanks, Chris ___________________________________________________________________________ From: KIM::MCCARTHY 29-APR-1986 18:06:20.14 To: @sys$mail:engineer,MCCARTHY CC: Subj: new trakball Ic You may have seen a data sheet circulated recently for a Mouse interface IC from NEC, the uPD4701c. This chip may be used for a single Trakball / dual steering wheel interface in place of the LETA chip. It accepts the same type of Quadrature signals that our optical coupler produces and counts all four phases of the quadrature signal (same as Leta Hi resolution mode). Main Advantages of the uPD4701 : No CPU wait states required. No clock required. 12 bit accuracy. Main disadvantages : Only one Trakball (= 2 steering signals) per IC. Costs : $3.50 @ 5K, $2.75 @ 10K, $2.25 @ 20K Last known cost on LETA was $2.60 @ qty unknown. For more Information on the uPD4701C contact Erwin in componemts. ___________________________________________________________________________ From: KIM::SHEPPERD 2-MAY-1986 10:54:09.44 To: @SYS$MAIL:ENGINEER CC: Subj: Bliss bug # 1 Awhile ago someone reported a BLISS-16 bug where the compiler was generating word mode references to an array of bytes. I isolated the bug to the use of the AND operator and sent in an SPR to DEC. Here is the text I sent them: "There is a problem with the AND operator when the operands are addresses of bytes as demonstrated with the following code fragment: MODULE BUG (ENVIRONMENT(T11), ADDRESSING_MODE(ABSOLUTE)) = BEGIN EXTERNAL ARRAY : VECTOR [,BYTE]; GLOBAL ROUTINE BUG1 : NOVALUE = BEGIN LOCAL TEMP : BYTE; TEMP = 7; ARRAY[0] = .ARRAY[2] AND .TEMP; END; END ELUDOM Not only does it make a word reference to an arry of bytes which may be located on an odd byte boundary, but it stomps all over an adjacent cell. The problem seems to occur only when the AND operator is used with addresses of bytes. This problem is present in both BLISS-16 V4.1 and V4.2." I got the reply this morning: "Thank you for reporting this problem to us. It is indeed a bug in the BLISS-16 compiler. The problem also occured with the OR operator as well as the AND. We have fixed the problem and will include the correction in the next maintenance release of BLISS-16. In the meantime, you can work around the problem by introducing a temporary byte sized variable and assigning the result of the AND to it and then assigning the value of the temp to ARRAY[0]. Thank you for your interest in the BLISS products." ds ___________________________________________________________________________ From: ERNIE::MOTT 2-MAY-1986 11:12:32.35 To: KIM::MARGOLIN CC: Subj: Hey, Guess what? I'm alive and well! Went down today to 4day and got 4 new tires, they didn't have Michelen in my size, so I got Continental's (31.65 per tire). Also had them balanced and aligned and bought a guarantee for 5% of the sales price- 50,000 mile repair/replacement if I take it in every 4-6000 miles for a free checkup. Don't know if I got ripped off or not, but it seems like a good deal and I feel better. Thanks, Steph ___________________________________________________________________________ From: KIM::MARGOLIN 2-MAY-1986 16:06:32.56 To: WOOD,MARGOLIN CC: Subj: TomCat I have a stand-alone TomCat game running in a Star Wars cabinet and have linked it to a TomCat board running on the bench. If you would like to try it out it will be available almost every afternoon (except next week when I will be on vacation). Jed ___________________________________________________________________________ From: KIM::WOOD 2-MAY-1986 17:32:17.14 To: KIM::MARGOLIN CC: Subj: Tomcat I got your message. When you come back from vacation please prepare for battle. I will be ready. ___________________________________________________________________________ From: KIM::FRYE 5-MAY-1986 08:05:11.23 To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK CC: Subj: 3/4" VIDEO MACHINE / EXERCISE ROOM FOR ALL YOU JANE FONDA FANS I HAVE INSTALLED A 3/4" VIDEO RECORDER AND MONITOR IN THE EXERCISE ROOM FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE. IF YOU GIRLS CAN SWEET TALK ROB ROWE INTO HOOKING IT UP YOUR IN BUSINESS. ROB.... THE RECORDER MUST BE PLUGED INTO THE SAME OUTLET AS THE DRINKING FOUNTAIN AS THE OTHER PLUGS ARE TIED INTO THE GAME ROOM, CONTROLED BY A MOTION SENSOR. ALSO I COULD NOT FIND ANY CABLES TO GO WITH THE RECORDER. SLANTBOARD.... THANKS TO ALL THE GUYS AND GALS WHO WERE GETTING SET TO MAKE US A SLANTBOARD, DENNIS HAS GIVEN ME THE GO AHEAD TO BUY A READY MADE ONE.... SHOULD BE IN-HOUSE THIS WEEK. BASKETBALL.... I'M IN NEED OF A FOUR FOOT LENGTH OF STEEL PIPE, 2-1/2 TO 3 INCHES IN DIA. TO COMPLETE OUR GOAL SETUP. THE COURT SHOULD BE COMPLETED BEFOR THE 15TH. I HEAR MFG IS LOOKING FOR A FEW GOOD TEAMS TO BEAT. SHOWER.... EXHAUST FANS WERE INSTALLED LAST WEEK IN BOTH SHOWERS. THE FANS SHOULD ALSO AID OUR MOTION SENSORS AS WE HAVE HAD SOME COMPLAINTS OF DARK SHOWERS. SHOULD YOU EXPERIENCE PROBLEMS WITH THE LIGHTING IN THE SHOWERS, PLEASE LET ME KNOW SO REPAIRS CAN BE MADE. BOB ___________________________________________________________________________ From: KIM::DOWNEND 6-MAY-1986 12:53:13.21 To: MCCARTHY,STEMPLER,PAAUW,HOFF,SHERMAN,LY,MARGOLIN,PATTEN CC: Subj: MED. RES. DISPLAY SPEC 6 MAY 86 TO: Dan Van Elderen, Lyle Rains, Rick Moncrief, Rich Moore, Rick Meyette Via VAX Mail: Pat McCarthy, Gary Stempler, Don Paauw, Morgan Hoff, Dave Sherman, Sam Ly, Jed Margolin, Tom Patten FROM: Chris Downend SUBJECT: MEDIUM RESOLUTION DISPLAY SPECIFICATIONS I have a proposal regarding the display for the next medium resolution game hardware we develop at Atari. The technical specs are somewhat unorthodox at first glance, but there are strong economic reasons behind them. The specification issue is particularly relevant now because I understand that Wells-Gardner plans on phasing out the current Medium Resolution Chasis in favor of a new design. The new design would be in production in 3/87-6/87 timeframe I believe. Here are the proposed specifications (Atari '86): 1) 19-inch CRT 2) .50 mm dot-pitch [800 dot-trios/scan (400mm/800=.50 mm dot-pitch)] 3) 640x350 (HxV) pixel resolution non-interlaced 4) 21.8 kHz horizontal scan frequency 5) 60 Hz vertical scan For reference, Paperboy had a resolution of 512x384 (HxV) and a horizontal scan frequency of 24.5 kHz; .52mm triplet pitch. Ideally, a display should have a 4:3 ratio of H:V pixels so the pixels are square. Unfortunately, 640x350 yields rectangular pixels which is undesireable. (640/350=1.83; 4/3=1.33; 512/384=1.33). The reason for selecting 640x350 is LOWER COST derived from compatibility with a large parallel market: the IBM PC. IBM PC's are a commonplace tool. There are 5 million IBM PC/XT and clones in the world. Two-thirds of them have been sold with monochrome video cards and displays - this market has no potential for us. In 1981, IBM introduced an improved color standard called the Enhanced Color Graphics Adapter (EGA). Recently, it has received wide acceptance with an estimated 140,000 units sold in 1985; there are projections of 400,000 sales in 1986, and further projections of "90% of all PC Graphics boards sold will be EGA-compatible by 1990". The EGA standard calls for 640x350 pixels with a 21.8 kHz hor. scan rate. The IBM 5174 display (EGA compatible) has a 13" screen and .31mm Dot-pitch. Video Drive is straight TTL RGB with a few bits of intensity control yielding 64 possible colors. I think there is 1-bit per gun plus 3 bits of intensity. Of course we would want a product with a 19-inch screen and an analog front end. In summary, I propose that we solicit a display with the above "Atari '86" specs from Wells-Gardner. Wells would then be positioned to offer a 19-inch EGA-compatible display in the PC market with consequent cost-reduction through volume production; we would also benefit via reduced prices; if Wells "neglects" to pass along cost-savings, we would be well-positioned to solicit bids from competitors already servicing the EGA-compatible market - NEC, AMDEX, Princeton, C.Itoh, Taxan, Samsung, and Goldstar. A word of caution: the existing vendors make 13-inch displays only; the 19-inch version we would require is feasible, but not currently in production. As a general guide, I believe we should be able to get an "Atari '86 display for under $225...retail prices for the 13-inch 640x350 displays hover around $500 with case and glare shield. ___________________________________________________________________________ From: KIM::FRYE 6-MAY-1986 13:27:59.44 To: @SYS$MAIL:EVERYBODY CC: Subj: WAREHOUSE SECURITY EFFECTIVE TODAY, 5-6-86, THE GATES SEPARATING OUR SECTION OF THE WAREHOUSE FROM MANUFACTURING WILL BE LOCKED AT 4:30 PM EACH DAY UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. DAN VAN AND MYSELF HAVE KEYS TO THESE GATES SHOULD YOU HAVE A NEED TO THE MANUFACTURING SIDE. THANKS, BOB ___________________________________________________________________________ From: KIM::PPS 6-MAY-1986 17:42:59.90 To: @sys$mail:engineer CC: Subj: System I Mid-Screen Interrupt, Revisited The following message is of interest to System I Programmers and Engineers: PROBLEM: Due to incomplete address decoding on the System I TTL MAIN PCB, the previously documented mid-screen interrupt read address overlays the Program ROM address range. There was a mod way back when to fix this, but it apparently wasn't implemented. SOLUTION: To ameliorate this situation the address of the interrupt read port is being changed from the previously advertised range of 200,200-3FF,FFF to the new range of 2E0,000-2FF,FFF. This range is in the upper, unused area of the program rom decoder. The mod was to run "G1" of the Program ROM address decoder to "/A21". This is done on the LSI MAIN PCB but not on the TTL MAIN PCB. BACKGROUND: Roadrunner was experiencing serious frame overrun problems - the game would literally slow down to half speed. The problem was hardware dependent; i.e. some PCB sets ran fine, others did not. In one situation we found an LS244 that had bent pins which caused the failure. Then the problem reared its head again: this time the problem would occur on most boards when Vcc was lowered to 4.8 volts; it happens with ALL boards when lowered to 4.6 VDC. After some careful sleuthing Don was able to isolate the problem to a bus-contention problem between an O.S. ROM on the Main PCB and an LS244 on the Cart PCB. Lowering Vcc let the LS244 lose to the ROM (as I understand it) which would screw up the 68010 programs ability to deal with MIDSCREEN INTERRUPTS properly...frame overrun was the result. A hardware mod is possible. It involves adding a wire to run "NOT A21" to a couple of places. Since there are (5) variations of MAIN PCB's in the field (between Board Revisions and ECN's) this field change would be horrendous to document. Instead, a software change can avoid the bus contention. Reference Don Pauuw's solution above. ___________________________________________________________________________ From: KIM::LY 7-MAY-1986 10:30:49.52 To: @SYS$MAIL:ENGINEER CC: Subj: OOPS! WRONG PLACE...SYSTEM1.DOC PLEASE IGNORE MY PREVIOUS MAIL MESSAGE ABOUT SYTEM1.DOC. THE UPDATED VERSION OF SYSTEM1.DOC IS NOW IN KIM::DRA0:[SYSTEM1.DOC] SYSTEM SYSTEM1.DOC IN DRA0:[GENERAL] WILL BE DELETED... PLEASE MAKE A NOTE OF IT . THANK YOU SAM ___________________________________________________________________________ From: KIM::MARGOLIN 12-MAY-1986 17:24:35.39 To: MONCRIEF,MARGOLIN CC: Subj: Turkey Gate Array Summary for Turnkey Gate Array (prices include NRE) Atari would be responsible for supplying the schematic and the Test Vectors. 1K 2.5K 5K --- ---- ---- Oops Board $13. $13. $13. Fujitsu $24.43 $12.71 $8.50 AMI not quoted $6.16 If we only sell 1,000 we don't need anybody's Gate Array. If we sell 2,500 it is a toss-up. If we sell 5,000, AMI's Gate Array is the most cost effective. (Assuming they can actually deliver it.) 5/12/86 Offer from Norcomp for Fujitsu gate array. A. Initiation of Program $10,000. B. Schematic Conversion included C. Simulation/Layout/Validation $4,080. D. Prototypes and final approval $5,450. E. Additional samples (max 650 pcs) $46. F. Qualification samples (max 250 pcs) $120. Production: 1K 5K ---- ----- $4.90 $4.60 Contract says that the buyer is responsible for the test vectors. Therefore: 1K = 19,530 NRE + 4,900 = 24,430 which is $24.43 each. 5K = 19,530 NRE + 23,000 = 42,530 which is $8.50 each. For oops board = $13 (approximately) Breakeven Point: n * 13 = 19,530 + (n * 4.90) (n * 13) - (n * 4.90) = 19,530 n * 8.10 = 19,530 n = 2,411 pcs Even if the oops board costs $18 Breakeven Point: n * 18 = 19,530 + (n * 4.90) (n * 18) - (n * 4.90) = 19,530 n * 13.10 = 19,530 n = 1,490 pcs The AMI quote was: Design complete circuit from scratch in 3 micron or 2 micron double metal gate array. We supply schematic and test vectors. (Unfortunately they did not give a price for 1K quantity) Lead time: 10 weeks NRE: $13.5K Unit Price: $3.46 (5K) The breakeven point for a $13 oops board is n * 13 = 13,500 + (n * 3.46) (n * 13) - (n * 3.46) = 13,500 n * 9.54 = 13,500 n = 1415 pcs Summary for Turnkey Gate Array (prices include NRE) Atari would be responsible for supplying the schematic and the Test Vectors. 1K 2.5K 5K --- ---- ---- Oops Board $13. $13. $13. Fujitsu $24.43 $12.71 $8.50 AMI not quoted $6.16 If we only sell 1,000 we don't need anybody's Gate Array. If we sell 2,500 it is a toss-up. If we sell 5,000, AMI's Gate Array is the most cost effective. (Assuming they can actually deliver it.) Jed ___________________________________________________________________________ From: KIM::DOWNEND 13-MAY-1986 15:15:41.88 To: MONCRIEF,MARGOLIN,PATTEN CC: Subj: power supply: opinion solicited From: KIM::DOWNEND 13-MAY-1986 14:56 To: RAINS,VANELDREN,MOORE,MCCARTHY,STEMPLER,ERNIE::MEYETTE,HOFF,SHERMAN,SANDY::DAVE,LY,DOWNEND Subj: Power Supplies: Opinions Solicited 13 MAY 86 In our never-ending search for a more cost-effective power supply, it has been suggested that we look into using the same power supply found in the IBM PC/XT. They have beefy outputs and due to volume, they have become very cost-effective. A quick scan of PC magazines shows XT-style 135 watt supplies selling for $88.00 quantity one ($.65/watt). This is the retail price and includes a chrome/nickel plated enclosure, fan, and sexy-looking on/off switch. The assumption is that we should be able to to buy them at substanially less than $.50/watt in volume (5000) and without enclosure/fan/switch. QUESTION: Assuming the economics make sense, do the technical specifications make sense? Here is data gleaned from the label on an actual XT power supply: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- CON. P8 (GOES TO MAIN LOGIC PCB): +12V @.20A -12V @.25A CON. P9 (GOES TO MAIN LOGIC PCB): -5V @.30A +5V @ 12.00 A CON. P10 (GOES TO FLOPPY DRIVE): +12V@2.00A +5V @ 1.50 A CON. P11 (GOES TO HARD DISK): +12V@2.00A +5V @ 1.50 A ----- ----- ----- ----- 4.2 .25 .30 15.0 MFG: ASTEC MODEL #AA12152 INPUT 110V,3A, 50/60 HZ MADE IN HONG KONG REMOTE SENSE: ??? There is a line labeled "power good"; maybe its remote sense. Please send comments to kim::downend, or speak up the next time our paths cross. ___________________________________________________________________________ From: KIM::MCCARTHY 13-MAY-1986 15:39:55.25 To: @[mccarthy]psup,MCCARTHY CC: Subj: power supplies RE. XT power supplies. The ASTEC spec that Chris published breaks down to : 75 watts @ 5 volts, 50 watts @ 12v, 3 watts @ -12v & 1.5 watts @ -5v. This sounds like a big brother to the ASTEC supply we used on Gauntlet when we were stuck for one week with no supplies for production. We had to put a dummy 1 amp load on the 12 Volt output to maintain regulation. The 'Power OK' signal is probably a Power On Reset, not remote sense. The 12 Volt output is reasonably useless to us. Future designs could make use of it if it came for free. We would still need a seperate power supply for our audio amplifiers (unless we went to use 2 ohm speakers). My conclusion. This particular supply has to compete in price with our 50-70 watt supplies. We should see if ASTEC (or any other third party supplier in the Personal computer industry) is interested in working with us. P.S. You can use the [MCCARTHY]PSUP distribution list to reply on this topic to the people addressed in Chris's original message. ___________________________________________________________________________ From: KIM::SHEPPERD 13-MAY-1986 16:42:43.19 To: @SYS$MAIL:ENGINEER CC: Subj: Disk space and VT100's Calling all VT100's. Anybody out there in engineering that has a DEC brand VT100 (has the characters VT100 stamped on a plastic piece attached to the right side of the terminal) can exchange that piece of junk for a real CIT-101 if you want. Come and see me. Quantities limited, so first come first served. For those of you on KIM, try the following sequence of commands in an attempt to reclaim some precious disk space: $ MAIL MAIL>COMPRESS MAIL>EX $ DELETE the_MAIL.OLD_file ! from the directory appearing on the message regarding its creation. ds ___________________________________________________________________________ From: KIM::SHEPPERD 14-MAY-1986 19:42:14.94 To: @SYS$MAIL:ENGINEER CC: Subj: Yet another TPU section file I think I've fixed the Gold/up arrow problem (that was, typing a gold/up arrow while the main window was full screen would sometimes lockup the cursor; you'd have to type gold/down and another gold/up to unstick it). I also fixed the line mode substitute command to accept delimiters other than "/". As it stands now, any printable special character (i.e. any non-alphabetic or non-numeric) can be used as a delimiter. Also, if there is no range specified, you don't need the trailing delimiter (as with EDT). ds ___________________________________________________________________________ From: ERNIE::OHARA 15-MAY-1986 14:17:12.41 To: @SYS$MAIL:EVERYBODY CC: Subj: NEW! Office Supply Requisition form To whom it may concern; if you wish to order Office Supplies from me please use this form. It can be found at any Mail Station, look for the slot, or in the Pocket outside my door. thanks jbo ___________________________________________________________________________ From: KIM::MARGOLIN 15-MAY-1986 14:52:14.68 To: DOWNEND,MARGOLIN CC: Subj: Power Supply Are the specifications with all outputs fully loaded? The audio could be done with Bridge amplifiers (at additional cost). If it doesn't have remote voltage sense, we shouldn't use it. How do the cost figures really compare for this supply verses one built to our spec, assuming we buy 25,000 ? ___________________________________________________________________________ From: MIKE::LANES 19-MAY-1986 15:37:48.70 To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK CC: Subj: MILEAGE REIMBURSEMENT TO INFORM THOSE WHO TURN IN MILEAGE REPORTS THE RATE PER MILE IS NOW .21 ___________________________________________________________________________ From: KIM::DOWNEND 20-MAY-1986 17:39:42.76 To: RAINS,VANELDREN,MOORE,MCCARTHY,STEMPLER,ERNIE::MEYETTE,HOFF,SANDY::DAVE,MARGOLIN,MONCRIEF,PATTEN,DOWNEND CC: Subj: SUMMARY ON PC POWER SUPPLY PROPOSAL A few days ago I solicited comments on the technical aspects of using an IBM PC style Power supply in our games - mainly for cost savings. Overall, I recommend a two-prong approach from here: 1) Leave existing designs as-is since there are too many conversion problems to change now. 2) Seriously consider this type of supply on new designs with new cabinets and new electronics which could take advantage of the large 12 volt supply, the built-in fan and the built-in on/off switch. There is NO REMOTE SENSE which is still a problem. I found more technical specifications in the IBM Technical Reference: 1) output voltage current,min. current max +5 2.3 15.0 -5 0 .3 +12 .4 4.2 -12 0 .25 2) The "power good" signal is the logical AND of the DC output-voltage sense signal and the AC input voltage fail. It is TTL compatible up-level for normal operation or down-level for fault conditions. 3) There was no information about temperature de-rating. 4) Provides a filtered AC output (switched by on/off), 120VAC @ 1.0 A - this is a non-standard connector designed for use by the IBM monochrome monitor. Here is a summary of the feedback received: 1) McCarthy:...sounds like big brother to ASTEC we used in Gauntlet for awhile - had to put a 1AMP load on 12 volt output to maintain regulation. ...12 volt output is relatively useless to us; would still need separate supply for audio amp. [ I believe this is meant in the context of EXISTING system designs] ...we should see if ASTEC or other 3rd party in PC industry is interested in working with us. 2)Hoff: ... sounds like some level of investigation is warranted. ...Is audio voltage/current correct? ...how much would the supply save in $'s? 3)Margolin: ...Are specs with all outputs fully loaded? ...The audio could be done with a bridge amp (at extra cost) ...If it does'nt have remote sense, we should'nt use it. ...How do the cost figures really compare for this supply versus one built to our spec, assuming we buy 25000? ............................................................................... For future reference, here is our current power supply cost: output: 5 VDC @10 Amps 0-55 degrees cent. remote sense optional; 12 VDC unreg @ 2amps from transformer; 12VDC reg @ .5 A added to Audio Aux PCB in later revisions to support System I. SL POWER SUPPLY A043363-01 (10 AMP SWITCHER): A043625-01 (15 amp switcher) CHASSIS: 3.21 no data in ASK system, but I 5V SWITCHER: 30.92 have a cost from Cost Accting. LINE FILTER: 3.65 as of 5/5/86 for materials of: TRANSFORMER: 11.45 MISC: 3.54 ------------ MATERIAL: 52.77 65.56 LABOR: .84 .84 FIXED OVRHD.: 6.07 6.07 VAR. OVRHD.: 2.25 2.25 ------------ ------------- FULLY ABSORBED:61.93 74.72 AUDIO AUX PC BOARD, A043354-01 (ORIG. STYLE W/O EXTRA REGULATORS): MATERIAL: 13.36 LABOR: 2.12 FIXED OVRHD.: 10.52 VAR. OVRHD.: 3.89 ------------ 29.89 (I find it amazing that we DOUBLE the cost of a PCB with labor and overhead... probably due to the high-labor content of this hand-stuffed board and a overhead rate that is 6.8 times the labor content; the overhead is 9.9 times the labor content on the power base!?) These numbers are "standard costs" pulled from the ASK system on mike via MANMAN using the LI,1215 command. Final Note: I just opened the latest issue of PC Week Magazine and found an advertisement from 47st. Computer (Mailorder discounter) for a 135W supply for...$64.95 (qty. 10+)...wow, that's $.50 a watt including a fan, a case and an on/off switch and connectors. That compares favorably with $74.72 for the existing 15-amp power base. ___________________________________________________________________________ From: CHARM::DND2 21-MAY-1986 10:51:08.10 To: @SYS$MAIL:ENGINEER CC: Subj: DATA IO We now have a documented case where the DATA IO programmed a 27128-2 and verified it. Yet the AMS will read some of the data as 00's. Even more amazing is that the IMI does not verify the part and also reads 00's where there should be a valid opcode of 23. When we ask the DATA IO to read the failing address it reads 23 which explains why it verifies the part. Ed Logg ___________________________________________________________________________ From: KIM::DOWNEND 21-MAY-1986 12:46:59.05 To: @SYS$MAIL:ENGINEER CC: Subj: RECAP: 68010 AMS source-level Debugger Here is the collected opinion on the AMS/Intermetrics Source-level Debugger: 1) The "general" Tool would be neat to have. 2) The Intermetrics Implementation (according to those who know) is'nt worth the paper its printed on (need to update that old saying to: Isn't worth the ferric oxide its magnetized on) First of all, Intermetrics does not have a good reputation here at Atari. We have used an Intermetrics C cross-compiler here and have adandoned it due to: 1) MANY bugs which Intermetrics refused to fix; and 2) It produces code that is 20-40% longer and slower than the Greenhill compiler we currently use. Second, Jim Morris has seen and used the Intermetrics Debugger at a show and reports that: - NOT realtime - It patches breakpoints into the code, excutes one instruction, checks if its the breakpoint you want and so on...it will not exucute code realtime which makes it just about useless in a video game. - Doesnt use any of the sophisticated breakpoint features of the AMS. - The VAX C debugger would do the same job only better. Third, Dave Shepperd notes that a "cross-debugger" would indicate that the software runs on the VAX and sends commands down to the AMS to debug...this would most certainly bring KIM and CHARM to their knees. Forth, Mike Albaugh points out that we have a large base of software that is based on the Greenhill compiler and converting to the Intermetrics would be painful. Morris adds that Greenhill keeps 32-bit integers while Intermetrics keeps 16-bit integers....... In Summary, the Validate Software is not what we need - at any price. Jim also reports that his contacts at AMS say they are working on an internally developed source level debugger that truly uses the AMS capabilities which may suit our needs. Unfortunately, that software is 1-2 years away. ___________________________________________________________________________ From: CHARM::MORRIS 23-MAY-1986 13:40:31.80 To: @sys$mail:engineer,@sys$mail:animators CC: Subj: Micro EDT/TPU The EDT look-alike is now available for the Atari ST. This is a version of the Micro-emacs editor that I have severely hacked about to make it look like EDT, with the window capabilities of TPU (and EMACS). Documentation is in CHARM::SYS$USERDISK:[MORRIS.CPM68K.EMACS]ED.DOC. If anyone is interested in a copy for the ST see me. Jim. ___________________________________________________________________________ From: KIM::MARGOLIN 29-MAY-1986 15:43:02.52 To: VICKERS,MARGOLIN CC: Subj: New TI Rep. Iraj has been promoted and now takes care of Apple Computer. Our new rep is John Hendricks. He is coming over tomorrow on Friday, May 30, at 1:30 pm to bring me the data sheet on the TMS32010 14 MHz. part. You are invited. RSVP. Jed ___________________________________________________________________________ From: KIM::MARGOLIN 30-MAY-1986 15:58:59.28 To: VICKERS,MARGOLIN CC: Subj: PASS Jon Hendricks says that the guy to talk to about the PASS system is Dan Cox who can be reached at the general TI number (980-9000). I think you might already know him. I got the data sheet on the TMS32010-14. The maximum clock is actually 14.4 MHz so it can be used with a standard 14.31818 MHz crystal. Jed ___________________________________________________________________________ From: KIM::VICKERS 30-MAY-1986 16:14:23.68 To: KIM::MARGOLIN CC: Subj: RE: PASS I figured out that to get the analysis to work right at the 25% higher clock rate, the clock on the analysis board needs to be about 35% higher. Of course, why didn't I think of that? Earl ___________________________________________________________________________ From: CHARM::FLANAGAN 2-JUN-1986 15:01:31.63 To: @SYS$MAIL:EVERYBODY CC: Subj: LUCKIEST GUY IN THE WORLD!!!! Well, I did it this weekend. I went down to LA to pick up my girlfriend who goes to school at CSUN, and got engaged. Yes, she actually said yes. In fact she said yes so fast I didn't hear her the first time. The wedding will be July, 1987. I just had to tell everybody! Happily yours, Bob Flanagan PS Her name is Michelle Nissim, soon to be Mrs. Michelle Nissim Flanagan ___________________________________________________________________________ From: KIM::ALBAUGH "Dr. Bizarro" 3-JUN-1986 08:44:10.60 To: @SYS$MAIL:ENGINEER CC: Subj: Software Rots! To my knowledge, nobody but me ever used the non-menu option setting routine in System 1 (the one that looks like a set of DIP switches). So, of course, it doesn't work. I think I broke it when I added the menu-driven one. Anyway, It's fixed now, but that is irrelevant since there are quite a few "broken" systems out in the field. The only effect this should have is to force System 1 programmers to provide a game-option menu from the start (which should not be a real hassle). On the bright side, I found this bug with "lint", the subject of the next message, and would HIGHLY recomend it to all "C" programmers. Mike ___________________________________________________________________________ From: KIM::ALBAUGH "Dr. Bizarro" 3-JUN-1986 08:47:01.67 To: @SYS$MAIL:ENGINEER CC: Subj: LINT- A program checker I have gotten the Unix(tm) program "lint" running on vms. For those of you unfamiliar with it, lint is a program-checker for the "C" programming language. A short description and instructions for use are in the file: KIM::DOK:LINT.DOC. Slightly different but no less obscure documentation can be found in the Unix(tm) manuals. The actual knowledge needed to use it effectively can be found by using it, and perhaps asking me questions while doing so. I have a few planned improvements, but want to do them at the same time I fix the bugs you folk are going to discover. A word of warning: The first time you "lint" a set of files, you are going to be overwhelmed (the -e option helps!). Temper that with a word of encouragement: it IS worthwhile. I found a serious bug and much silliness in the System 1 o.s. with it, and a couple of weeks ago I spent two days tracking down a bug that lint would have caught (if I had had it then). If you program in "C", please give it a try, and let me know what's happening. ___________________________________________________________________________ From: KIM::ALBAUGH "Dr. Bizarro" 3-JUN-1986 16:03:23.98 To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK CC: Subj: A gentle reminder Please notice the "to:" line of this message. The "junk" distribution list is specifically intended for messages of general interest, but not REALLY vital or business_related. Free kittens, restaurant referals, etc. properly go to "junk", which is not a comment on the content of the message. This is NOT the place to send messages like holiday schedule, parking-lot repaving, etc. Conversely, "everybody" IS intended for business_related messages which EVERYBODY (note the name) NEEDS to see. If your message fits that description, then PLEASE DO use "everybody", so nobody misses out. When we made it possible for non-systems people to use "everybody", in response to a growing need, we asked that it not be used for casual traffic. I am repeating that request. The only people you will miss by using "junk" are those who have specifically requested NOT to receive general-interest stuff. I, grouch that I am, am nonetheless on "junk". Knowing that, can you imagine the sort of grouches that have requested removal from junk? Do you really want to give a kitten to such a person? Do you think they buy flowers? I thought not. Just as a recap: the following lists exist: junk Just about everybody, except a few grouches everybody Literally everybody with a VAX account engineer The whole engineering dept. unix People interested in the unix(tm)