Atari/Atari Games Memos and Status Reports 1985 Jed Margolin ___________________________________________________________________________ To: Frank Becker Fr: Jed Margolin Re: Regulator/Audio III Dt: 1/16/85 The Problem: I have run into a Regulator/Audio III board that behaves strangely and I want you to know about it in case there are problems in the field. The main symptom is noise in the speaker that does not go away when the volume is turned all the way down. It may be accompanied by distortion that sounds just like a bad speaker cone (but isn't). The distortion may occur by itself, without the noise. In extreme cases the Regulated +5V is affected. The Fix: Audio: Clip R16 and R17. In Rev B they will not be loaded. Regulated +5V: Connect a 0.1 uF monolythic capacitor (Atari p/n 122002-104) across CR3. This will be added in Rev B. The Theory: 1. The +22V powers the +15V Regulator (Q3) and the Audio amplifiers (Q1 and Q2). 2. The regulated +15V powers the +5V Regulator control circuitry (Q6 and Q7). 3. The +5V Regulator pass transistors (Q7 and Q8) operate from the +10v. I did it this way because the +10 volt output is being operated above its rated current and at low line would not be enough to power the LM305. Therefore I am operating the LM305 from the regulated +15V. Because the +10V is already overloaded, I did not want to operate the audio amplifiers from it, so I connected them to the +22V. This also provides more audio power. This makes it possible for an audio problem to affect the Regulated +5V. If the amplifiers oscillate, it may get on the +22V. This may cause the +15V Regulator to oscillate, which will screw up the regulated +5V. Removing C16,R17 and C14,R16 from the amplifiers reduces the chance of the amplifiers oscillating, and adding the 0.1 uF capacitor across CR3 makes the +15V Regulator more stable. One More Thing: If there is no +10V (for example, if the fuse blows) but there is +15V, the LM305 and the TIP32 will attempt to deliver the current by itself through R20, which will burn up. We have had cases where the fuse looked good (visually) but was revealed by an ohmmeter to be open. cc: Rusty Dawe Chris Downend Morgan Hoff Sam Ly Pat McCarthy Rick Moncrief Doug Snyder _____________________________________________________________________________ To: Rick Moncrief Fr: Jed Margolin Re: Game Manuals Dt: 1/18/85 Before Atari crashed and burned I was on a list somewhere so that I got a copy of each manual as it came out. I haven't gotten any in a long time and nobody knows anything about it. I talked to Cody Lawrence in Publications and she is useless. I asked why I hadn't received a review copy of the manual (since it contained a brand new power supply) and she took it as a personal insult. Pete Takaichi happened to wander in and HE took the question as a personal insult, too. They are both useless. I talked to Melanie Martin and she is willing to send me a manual if she has some extras. Her opinion was that the way to get manuals was to MTO them as they become available. Of course, if I don't have a manual I won't have the part number I need to MTO the manual. I think it is a real waste that I will have to spend all this time getting a game manual. Why don't you use your influence to have a a system set up to take care of this? Jed _____________________________________________________________________________ To: Rick Moncrief Fr: Jed Margolin Re: Status Report Dt: 1/24/85 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Item 1: I have sent the following memo. To: Frank Becker Fr: Jed Margolin Re: Regulator/Audio III Dt: 1/16/85 The Problem: I have run into a Regulator/Audio III board that behaves strangely and I want you to know about it in case there are problems in the field. The main symptom is noise in the speaker that does not go away when the volume is turned all the way down. It may be accompanied by distortion that sounds just like a bad speaker cone (but isn't). The distortion may occur by itself, without the noise. In extreme cases the Regulated +5V is affected. The Fix: Audio: Clip R16 and R17. In Rev B they will not be loaded. Regulated +5V: Connect a 0.1 uF monolythic capacitor (Atari p/n 122002-104) across CR3. This will be added in Rev B. The Theory: 1. The +22V powers the +15V Regulator (Q3) and the Audio amplifiers (Q1 and Q2). 2. The regulated +15V powers the +5V Regulator control circuitry (Q6 and Q7). 3. The +5V Regulator pass transistors (Q7 and Q8) operate from the +10v. I did it this way because the +10 volt output is being operated above its rated current and at low line would not be enough to power the LM305. Therefore I am operating the LM305 from the regulated +15V. Because the +10V is already overloaded, I did not want to operate the audio amplifiers from it, so I connected them to the +22V. This also provides more audio power. This makes it possible for an audio problem to affect the Regulated +5V. If the amplifiers oscillate, it may get on the +22V. This may cause the +15V Regulator to oscillate, which will screw up the regulated +5V. Removing C16,R17 and C14,R16 from the amplifiers reduces the chance of the amplifiers oscillating, and adding the 0.1 uF capacitor across CR3 makes the +15V Regulator more stable. One More Thing: If there is no +10V (for example, if the fuse blows) but there is +15V, the LM305 and the TIP32 will attempt to deliver the current by itself through R20, which will burn up. We have had cases where the fuse looked good (visually) but was revealed by an ohmmeter to be open. cc: Rusty Dawe Chris Downend Morgan Hoff Sam Ly Pat McCarthy Rick Moncrief Doug Snyder ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Item 2: I have sent a Deviation to production to do the above mods. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Item 3: Regulator/Audio III Rev B is in progress and should be ready to send out for Film and Fab by Tuesday. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Item 4: I am continuing to make progress on TomCat. I expect to have schematics ready by early February for the first wirewrap. It will consist of a 68010 connected to a Vector Generator and will allow me to program the TomCat algorithms to get an idea for future direction. (Will it be fast enough the way it is? Should I increase the processor clock speed? Add a TMS-320? Things like that.) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Item 5: Before Atari crashed and burned I was on a list somewhere so that I got a copy of each manual as it came out. I haven't gotten any in a long time and nobody knows anything about it. I talked to Melanie Martin and she is willing to send me a manual if she has some extras. Her opinion was that the way to get manuals was to MTO them as they become available. Of course, if I don't have a manual I won't have the part number I need to MTO the manual. I think it is a real waste that I will have to spend all this time getting a game manual. Why don't you use your influence to have a system set up to take care of this? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Item 6: According to Publications (Cody Lawrence and Pete Takaichi), only Project Leaders receive review copies of game manuals. Since I am not a project leader I did not receive a review copy of the System i manual even though it used my power supply (and was the first project to use it.) I have always been willing to review and check everything concerning a project that I do, and I usually give same-day turnaround. I get really unhappy when I see errors in manuals; errors that I would have been able to correct. They pulled the exact same crap on Star Wars. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ .end _____________________________________________________________________________ To: Rick Moncrief Fr: Jed Margolin Re: Status Report Dt: 2/15/85 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1. Regulator/Audio III: Regulator/Audio III Rev B has been released. I have given PCB the inputs to create Regulator/Audio III-02, which is intended for use in games that have an Operator Panel. This version uses the same PC board as -01 but is loaded differently. PCB will do it when they have time. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2. TomCat: My hardware (version 4) is in the Assembly queue for wirewrapping. I have started writing the program. I would like shelves on the work benches in the TomCat lab. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 3. The outside door on our side of the building is very difficult to open. 4. I would like to be able to call the elevators from the ground floor. 5. I would like there to be Cocoa at the coffee stations. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ .end _____________________________________________________________________________ To: Dan Van Eldren Fr: Jed Margolin Re: Namco Power Supply Dt: 5/1/85 To put things into perspective I have converted the costs into dollars. I have used the conversion that 12,740 Y = $51.00 . 1K 5K ------------- ----------------- Switch Bracket 120 Y $ 0.48 120 Y $ 0.48 Transformer 3,000 Y $12.00 2,800 Y $11.20 Switcher 5,250 Y $21.00 5,280 Y $21.00 Filter 540 Y $ 2.16 470 Y $ 1.88 Audio PCB 3,210 Y $12.84 3,100 Y $12.40 Metal Base 620 Y $ 2.48 620 Y $ 2.48 ------- ------ ------- ------- 12,740 Y $50.96 12,360 Y $49.44 I do not believe there is any way we can match these prices with a unit that we design, purchase the parts for, and build. I must raise the following questions about the Namco supply: 1. Will the switching power supply operate over a range of 102-135 VAC or must it be redesigned? 2. Will the switching power supply operate at an installation ambient of 55 degrees Celsius without derating? 3. Both the switching power supply and the audio amplifier board are single-sided. In the past we have avoided the use of single-sided boards because the the parts have a tendency to fall off due to vibration during shipping. Would that be a problem with this supply? 4. Normally the remote voltage sense lines are connected at the game board. Here they are jumpered together at the supply. Was this done on purpose or is this an error? 5. System I and System II were designed to use +15 VDC and -15 VDC for the audio. This supply contains a 7812 and a 7912 which normally produce +12 VDC and -12 VDC. Are they used in a circuit that raises their outputs to +15 VDC and -15 VDC or do they actually produce +12 VDC and -12 VDC? (System I can probably use +12VDC and -12VDC but Doug does not think it would be satisfactory for System II.) 6. Is the heat sink containing the audio amplifiers and the regulators large enough to operate satisfactorily at an installation ambient of 55 degrees Celsius? 7. Does the transformer have an acceptable temperature rise? Ours are Class 105 transformers with a maximum heat rise of 55 degrees Celsius. This allows them to operate at a game installation temperature of 38 degrees with a 12 degree rise to the inside of the cabinet. 8. How much will it cost to change the transformer to operate at 120 VAC? 9. In order to operate at 220 VAC and 240 VAC, either the power supply must be redesigned or we will have to use an auto-transformer which I believe would cost $14. 9. How much would the Namco supply REALLY cost if we were to use it? Now about our supply (Power Base and Regulator/Audio III): 1. $80 sounds a little high. My guess is that it would cost $70 if we bought the parts intelligently instead of scrapping the parts and then buying them back at a premium. Or paying a premium because of inadequate lead time. 2. If the Regulator/Audio III could use two cheap trimpots for $0.20 each instead of the Dual Audio taper pot that we pay $2.00 for, we could save $1.60 . (The pot wasn't supposed to cost that much; somehow Purchasing has managed to do it.) 3. If I could produce a supply that operated at only 120 VAC I could reduce the transformer cost by $4.00 and the harness cost by $2.00 . Caveat: At Atari there is no way to find out how much things will REALLY cost ahead of time. There is not even a way to find out how much things have REALLY cost in the past. I think you should buy the power supplies from Namco and be done with it. Jed _____________________________________________________________________________ New Product Jed Margolin 5/28/85 This is a box with a microphone connected to it. You can plug headphones into it or you can hook it up to your stereo. Mode 1: You hum into the microphone (or play a kazoo), the box determines the pitch and uses it to control a Yamaha chip set. The play has a wide choice of instrument voices. Mode 2: As in Mode 1, however, it is "recorded". The player can then play it back while recording additional tracks. The tracks can be different instruments. If it is cheap enough it can be marketed for kids as a toy. It can also be marketed for people who play single note instruments (such as clarinet, flute, saxophone) who have not be able to use synthesizer technology if they did not also play a keyboard. Hardware: 1. It will be powered by a transformer lump (To make it easier to do UL) 2. The electronics will be: 6502 RAM (Perhaps Non-volatile) ROM Yamaha chip set Membrane switch pad, with illumiunated switch positions Cheap Pitch Extraction Circuitry (This is the key element) 3. It should come with a cheap microphone and a kazoo so people can start using it right out of the box. _____________________________________________________________________________ TomCat Status 6-27-85 Jed Margolin 1). I have completed a set of schematics for a two board implementation of TomCat. After showing Art Jackson the chip count we have decided to try to put it all on one multilayer board. I am working on a redesign to take advantage of the one-board configuration. It will take about a week. Art doesn't know when Joe will be able to get to it because TomCat has zero priority. If Joe is ever able to work on it I expect to work with him on the schematic entry and on the board layout. 2). Karen is wire-wrapping the TMS-320 math processor for me. It is not very much work but it has already been bumped once because it has zero priority. It will take about two months to program it so I can measure its performance against the naked 68010. 3). I expect to be able to give a show-and-tell after I have integrated the TMS-320 into the program. This will be in two to six months depending on whether I can get the TMS-320 system wire-wrapped, whether I will be spending time with Joe (laying out the board), and how much time is wasted because the project has zero priority. 4). My productivity is reduced considerably by the poor ventilation system. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ TomCat, so far. Jed Margolin 6/27/85 Runway: Main Algorithm Strobe Lights VASI Lights Terrain Objects Independent control of enemy ship Firing the Guns Macros for Object Drawing Routines Macros for VG Alphanumerics Objects: Cube Rocket Airplane BattleZone: Tank, Flying Saucer, Buzz Bomber ABZ: Helicopter Horizon Headup Up Display: Heading, Airspeed, Altitude, Thrust Grid (made possible by full 3D Clipping) Aerodynamics: In progress Hardware: Analysis of 68010 timing. Generation of real timing strobes for the hardware. Vector Generator Memory Contention Circuit. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Hardware Specifications: Main Processor: 68010 @6MHz 512K EPROM (16 x 27256) 8K RAM (includes 4K in MOSTEK ZeroPower RAM) A/D Converter 8 bit option switch Switch Inputs (7) Hardware Pseudo-Random Number Generator (23 bit Linear Feedback Shift Register) 16 Bit Parallel Game-Link Interface Analog Vector Generator: Analog Vector Generator with 16K RAM Sound Processor: 6502 processor @1.79 MHz 32K Program and Music EPROM (1 x 27256) 64K Speech EPROM (2 x 27256) [Program loads an address into a counter, Every SROM READ increments the counter] Yamaha Chip Set Pokey (2) TMS-5220C Speech Synthesizer Coin Switch Inputs Coin Counter Outputs 8 Bit Option Switch 8 Bit Parallel Interface to 68010 Math Processor: TMS-320 Digital Signal Processing IC (For faster math calculations) 4K Words RAM for TMS-320 (Interfaced to 68010) _____________________________________________________________________________ To: Dennis Wood Fr: Jed Margolin Re: Revised Vaction Policy Dt: 7/12/85 Since the new vacation policy takes effect March 31, 1986 I assume that the "old" vacation policy will be in effect until then. Is this correct? Since I currently have almost 5 weeks of vacation accrued and my anniversary date is January 15 your memo indicates that if I don't take most of it (all but two weeks) before January 15, I will lose it. Is this correct? Now, about the "old" policy. The last memo that I have on vacation policy is dated 3/12/84 and was issued by Richard Stearns who was at that time the Human non-Resources Director. According to this memo, employees could not carry over more than two weeks of vacation time each CALENDER year, starting January 1, 1986. This is the first time I have heard about the anniversary date method. When was it changed to the employee's anniversary date? Jed _____________________________________________________________________________ To: Components Engineering Fr: Jed Margolin Re: Specification Review Sheet; Transformer, Power, Domestic, p/n 142041 Dt: 7/24/85 Section 3.5 Thermal Protection: Is it necessary to have a thermal cut-out? Wouldn't the fuse in the primary circuit be sufficient? Section 4.2 Leads: 4.2.1 Size; 4.2.6 Connectors If you are going to specify the part number of the Faston you should also specify which wire sizes are acceptable, not just a minimum size. Section 5.0 Environmental Requirements: 5.3 Temperature Rise Why are you using 55 degrees for the delta R method and 50 degrees for the thermocouple probe? Also: 105 degrees C maximum transformer temperature - 55 degree C rise in transformer - 38 degree C maximum game installation temperature ------ 12 degree C maximum temperature rise from outside the game cabinet to the inside, where the transformer will be mounted. In the past, Upright cabinets would have about a 4 degree C temperature rise. The 12 degrees originally was needed because of cocktail cabinets. Are the new cabinets actually this bad? Cover Sheet: You have Earl on it twice. _____________________________________________________________________________ To: Dennis Woods Fr: Jed Margolin Re: Ants Dt: 8/12/85 There are ants in my lab. In fact, there are ants all over the building, and have been for several weeks. What is your plan for dealing with this problem? _____________________________________________________________________________ In looking at the specification for the new transformer (142042) I noticed that in Section 3.1 and in Figure 1 the 220/240 version is a 142041-101 while in Section 10 it is a 142041-002. Also, I think you need to specify that the Faraday shield is to be grounded to the core. Jed _____________________________________________________________________________ PURCHASE REQUISITION Project Title and Project Number: TomCat 378XX; also Project 478XX Requestor: Jed Margolin Extension: 747-2864 Date: 10/23/85 Reason For Request: Parts For Development and Field Test Prototypes Dept. No. and Acct Code: {I don't know} Date Material Required: November 13, 1985 Deliver To: 1272 Borregas, Sunnyvale Total Estimated Cost: $375 Item Description Mfg Part No. Qty Est Price Unit ---- ---------------------------- ------------ ---- ---------- ---- 1 NMOS Digital Signal Processor TMS-32010 10 37.50 ea Please order from: Wyle 727-2500 Attn: Janelle Note: The normal price of TMS-32010 is $95 for singles, $60 in 10's (from Marshal). Wyle is giving us the price for 5K quantity. I would like to order the parts now before they change their minds. PURCHASE REQUISITION Project Title and Project Number: TomCat 378XX; also Project 478XX Requestor: Jed Margolin Extension: 747-2864 Date: 10/23/85 Reason For Request: Parts For Development and Field Test Prototypes Dept. No. and Acct Code: {I don't know} Date Material Required: December 2, 1985 Deliver To: 675 Sycamore Drive, Milpitas Total Estimated Cost: $1200 Item Description Atari p/n Qty Est Price Unit ---- ---------------------------- ------------ ---- ---------- ---- 1 Multi-Layer Printed Circuit 043415-01 10 $1200 10 Boards made from the supplied artwork. Size 11.5" x 20.7", approx 5200 holes. Includes: Solder Mask on Both sides Silkscreen _____________________________________________________________________________ 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 _____________________________________________________________________________ Erwin, About 137434-001 NMOS Digital Signal Processor, TMS-32010 The sources are Texas Instruments and General Instrument. Texas Instruments is ok. General Instrument has twice promised me samples and failed to deliver them. General Instrument Corporation 3080 Olcott St Suite 230 C Santa Clara, CA 95051 (408) 496-0844 The old GI rep was Sally McGrew, The new GI rep is Earl Porter If they don't come through with two samples pretty soon, we should take them off the AVL. Jed _____________________________________________________________________________ Dennis, I haven't forgotten you, it's just that Max is using one system to develop a real aerodynamic model and therefore I usually don't have two systems available to link together. I am having more boards stuffed so I can leave a two-player version up and running continuously. Jed _____________________________________________________________________________ Chris, at your suggestion I have gone to the TomCat lab to check it out and have found that the rumble from the ventilation unit remains unacceptible. Jed _____________________________________________________________________________ To: Dan van Elderen Fr: Jed Margolin Re: Marketing of non-game Products Dt: 3/21/86 From OnSat magazine (a satellite TV program guide) Mar 23 - Mar 29: ============================================================================== * Nation's First Commercial Satellite Network Takes Computer Message to Marketplace * The nation's first commercial satellite distribution network for computer users has been established by Computer Distribution Network (CDN), and can be seen on Galaxy 2, transponder 5, Monday-Friday at 2:45 pm (ET). The CDN signal is not scrambled. The new network carries mainline advertising messages from manufacturers and distributors of computers and computer related products. CDN's programming also includes special programs, such as training in the use of computers, computer products and software, panel discussions, seminars, videoconferences, demonstrations of computers, and other programming developed exclusively for the business computer user. CDN currently airs six hours of weekly programming, but plans expanding to a schedule of 24 hours of program availability seven days a week. For additional information contact CDN, 1 Woodfield Lake, Suite 117, Schaumburg, IL 60195. ============================================================================== Although it is aimed at commercial and industrial users consider also that there are about 2 million home satellite dishes in North America. Some are owned by people who have no other way to get any TV but some are owned by people who like to buy Expensive Toys. If we had a non-game product to sell this could be a really good way of reaching a target market. A small ad in one of the satellite TV guides could let people know that Atari was demonstrating something interesting on CDN. Just about anyone with a dish can receive this service. I have taped 45 minutes from one of the shows if you want to look at it. Jed cc: Rick Moncrief _____________________________________________________________________________