On Thu, Dec 06, 2007 at 03:09:03PM -0500, Mark Meiss
wrote:
... the AtariLab system was a science kit for the
Atari 8-bit home
computers that included a cartridge, an interface box that plugs
into the joystick port, and a variety of measurement probes.
Thanks for digging out the info. I was one of the silent, curious
ones.
Atari must have manufactured them far in excess
of
demand (no! not Atari!), because they're still fairly inexpensive NIB.
I may have to go looking for one.
At any rate, here's the scoop on the
interface box: it has 8 phono jacks on
it, arranged into 4 pairs: PADDLE, PTRIG, CONTROL, and POWER.
The PADDLE inputs are the analog inputs...
The PTRIG inputs are digital inputs... the joystick fire buttons.
The CONTROL jacks are indeed digital outputs... They are wired to
the UP and DOWN pins of the connector
So there you have it: 2 analog inputs, 2 digital input/outputs, 2 digital
outputs, and 2 power connections.
Interesting. My own curiosity is from the standpoint of being able to
hang them off of Commodore, not Atari, hardware. It all seems rather
straightforward from your description.
Do you have any info on the sensor probes?
-ethan