Star Tech Journal
Issue: 1983-November - Vol 5 Issue 9 - Page 11
11
STAR*TECH JOURNAL/NOVEMBER 1983
ATARI
School For
Electronic
lames
STAR WARS TECH TIPS:
* CONTROL CALIBRATION * FREEZE MODE WARNING
* PCB COMPONENT CHANGES * AMO RAMs* GAME OPTIONS
FLIGHT CONTROL CALIBRATION
The Star Wars game has a self-calibrating flight control. The game circuitry
monitors the position of the cursor on the display in relation to the flight
control vertical and horizontal position. Calibration is quickly accomplished by
moving the cursor to all four extreme edges of the display. Calibrating is also
accomplished during normal game play, but may take a few minutes to
optimize.
TWO-WEEK COURSE
COVERS VIDEO AND
PINS. BY SCHEMATICSI
OUR 11th YEAR!
TESTING THE NOVRAM
Do not test the NOVRAM unnecessarily. Each test decreases the life of the
NOVRAM.
Cals
Coin
College
FREEZE MODE WARNING
Switch 8 on the Option Switch located at lOD puts the game into a freeze-frame
mode,which can be advanced frame-by-frame by pressing the Left Trigger.
There are some sections of the game that use an extra high brightness level in
order to achieve a special effect such as the Death Star explosion.
During normal game play these effects last only a short time and there is no
danger of harming the cathode-ray tube (CRT) or the display electronics.
However, if you use Freeze Frame during these times and for an extended
period, you may damage the CRT (by burning a hole in its phosphor) or
damage the high-voltage board
MAIN PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD COMPONENT CHANGES
On Rev. A and Rev. B Main Boards make sure that R3 is 68 ohms. It should
be either a 68-ohm resistor, or a 220-ohm resistor parallel with a 100-ohm
resistor. (All resistors are ¼-watt, ±5%, carbon film.)
C3 has been changed from a 39 pF to a 100 pF capacitor. These changes
are in the 12 MHz clock circuit and will ensure that the oscillator will start on
power-up. Some boards exhibited a power-up problem when tested on the PAT
9000 test fixture.
N
AMD RAMs
In positions 5F and 5H on the Main Board, do not use RAMs from Advanced
Micro Devices (labeled AM9128-15 or AM9128-10). The symptoms of bad
RAMs are that the self test and the Matrix Processor tests run okay, yet the
three-dimensional objects in the game ( stars, TIE fighters, and towers) become
distorted. Parts from Synertek (SY2128) are usuable, and parts from other
manufacturers will probably work.
OPTION CHANGE
To maximize your Star Wars earnings and longevity, Atari has specifically
designed Star Wars to give players more value in game times. They strongly
suggest you change this game to 2 coins/play. This advice is based on
extensive test results. To do this, change the options to:
2 COINS/PLAY (½ credit)
6 SHIELDS
HARD DIFFICULTY
1 BONUS SHIELD
CHANGING THE GAME OPTIONS
After entering self test, press the auxiliary coin switch to obtain the game
options display. Any of the options displayed in the first section of the Game
Options display can be changed without setting the option switches on the
Main Board. Select the option to be changed by moving the flight control up or
down. Press the left-hand fire trigger to cycle through the available option
setting. The changecl option is immediately stored in the NOVRAM and is
unaffected by turning off the power or the self-test switch.
If you change the options by using the option switches located on the Main
Board, you will have to go back to the Game Options display and select the
line marked "Reset Options". By changing this to "Yes" it will reset the
NOVRAM to correspond to the switches on the Main Board Failure to do this
will result in unchanged options. If the NOVRAM fails, the microprocessor
will then read the option switches themselves.
P.O . BOX 810
NICOMA 'PARK, OK
73066
405/789·534
**'k******************
* * ROUTES WANTED * * t
t
•
,t(
-tc Established company wishes t~ •
iC purchase music, amusement -tc
t
iC
-tc
!
! -tc
!
and/or cigarette routes in PA,
NJ, DE, MD, WVA, VA or NC. ,tc
Any size routes considered, -tc
large or small.
We are equipped with 2-way
radios, beepers, in house elec-
iC tronic shop and computer sys-
tem, coin handling equipment
• and our own service and parts
• center.
!
t
,tc
-tc
!
t
• t
•
,t(
•
•
iC
Staffed by reliable, competent, :
-tc and fully trained personnel.
•
! t LfJCO I
•
,t(
st:rulct:s
cnt:stt:r. ua.
:
FOR INFORMATION CALL
-tc
1-800-424-1100
iC
IN PENNSYLVANIA CALL
:
iC
1-800-422-1100
•
!
t
-tc
,t(
t
iC
•
iC
:
Ask for Ronald Lee for strictly iC
confidential inquiries.
!
*********************
STAR*TECH JOURNAL/NOVEMBER 1983
ATARI
School For
Electronic
lames
STAR WARS TECH TIPS:
* CONTROL CALIBRATION * FREEZE MODE WARNING
* PCB COMPONENT CHANGES * AMO RAMs* GAME OPTIONS
FLIGHT CONTROL CALIBRATION
The Star Wars game has a self-calibrating flight control. The game circuitry
monitors the position of the cursor on the display in relation to the flight
control vertical and horizontal position. Calibration is quickly accomplished by
moving the cursor to all four extreme edges of the display. Calibrating is also
accomplished during normal game play, but may take a few minutes to
optimize.
TWO-WEEK COURSE
COVERS VIDEO AND
PINS. BY SCHEMATICSI
OUR 11th YEAR!
TESTING THE NOVRAM
Do not test the NOVRAM unnecessarily. Each test decreases the life of the
NOVRAM.
Cals
Coin
College
FREEZE MODE WARNING
Switch 8 on the Option Switch located at lOD puts the game into a freeze-frame
mode,which can be advanced frame-by-frame by pressing the Left Trigger.
There are some sections of the game that use an extra high brightness level in
order to achieve a special effect such as the Death Star explosion.
During normal game play these effects last only a short time and there is no
danger of harming the cathode-ray tube (CRT) or the display electronics.
However, if you use Freeze Frame during these times and for an extended
period, you may damage the CRT (by burning a hole in its phosphor) or
damage the high-voltage board
MAIN PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD COMPONENT CHANGES
On Rev. A and Rev. B Main Boards make sure that R3 is 68 ohms. It should
be either a 68-ohm resistor, or a 220-ohm resistor parallel with a 100-ohm
resistor. (All resistors are ¼-watt, ±5%, carbon film.)
C3 has been changed from a 39 pF to a 100 pF capacitor. These changes
are in the 12 MHz clock circuit and will ensure that the oscillator will start on
power-up. Some boards exhibited a power-up problem when tested on the PAT
9000 test fixture.
N
AMD RAMs
In positions 5F and 5H on the Main Board, do not use RAMs from Advanced
Micro Devices (labeled AM9128-15 or AM9128-10). The symptoms of bad
RAMs are that the self test and the Matrix Processor tests run okay, yet the
three-dimensional objects in the game ( stars, TIE fighters, and towers) become
distorted. Parts from Synertek (SY2128) are usuable, and parts from other
manufacturers will probably work.
OPTION CHANGE
To maximize your Star Wars earnings and longevity, Atari has specifically
designed Star Wars to give players more value in game times. They strongly
suggest you change this game to 2 coins/play. This advice is based on
extensive test results. To do this, change the options to:
2 COINS/PLAY (½ credit)
6 SHIELDS
HARD DIFFICULTY
1 BONUS SHIELD
CHANGING THE GAME OPTIONS
After entering self test, press the auxiliary coin switch to obtain the game
options display. Any of the options displayed in the first section of the Game
Options display can be changed without setting the option switches on the
Main Board. Select the option to be changed by moving the flight control up or
down. Press the left-hand fire trigger to cycle through the available option
setting. The changecl option is immediately stored in the NOVRAM and is
unaffected by turning off the power or the self-test switch.
If you change the options by using the option switches located on the Main
Board, you will have to go back to the Game Options display and select the
line marked "Reset Options". By changing this to "Yes" it will reset the
NOVRAM to correspond to the switches on the Main Board Failure to do this
will result in unchanged options. If the NOVRAM fails, the microprocessor
will then read the option switches themselves.
P.O . BOX 810
NICOMA 'PARK, OK
73066
405/789·534
**'k******************
* * ROUTES WANTED * * t
t
•
,t(
-tc Established company wishes t~ •
iC purchase music, amusement -tc
t
iC
-tc
!
! -tc
!
and/or cigarette routes in PA,
NJ, DE, MD, WVA, VA or NC. ,tc
Any size routes considered, -tc
large or small.
We are equipped with 2-way
radios, beepers, in house elec-
iC tronic shop and computer sys-
tem, coin handling equipment
• and our own service and parts
• center.
!
t
,tc
-tc
!
t
• t
•
,t(
•
•
iC
Staffed by reliable, competent, :
-tc and fully trained personnel.
•
! t LfJCO I
•
,t(
st:rulct:s
cnt:stt:r. ua.
:
FOR INFORMATION CALL
-tc
1-800-424-1100
iC
IN PENNSYLVANIA CALL
:
iC
1-800-422-1100
•
!
t
-tc
,t(
t
iC
•
iC
:
Ask for Ronald Lee for strictly iC
confidential inquiries.
!
*********************
Future scanning projects are planned by the International Arcade Museum Library (IAML).