Document Title: [vax87.txt (text file)]
Atari/Atari Games VaxMail 1987 Jed Margolin
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::RAINS 2-JAN-1987 10:27:26.19
To: @sys$mail:engineer
CC:
Subj: Computer Health Note #3
VAX-edrin Headache #3
You've been poking around somewhere in another directory (something like
SYS$USERDISK:[FRED.STUFF.MORESTUFF.EVENMORESTUFF]) and now you have found
something you want to get back to or reference with out so much directory name
baggage. Sure, it doesn't happen often, but when it does, what a pain! Well,
take the recommended dose of the new and improved Name Directory command (ND
for short).
ND allows you to give the current directory an easy to remember (and easy
to type) logical name by simply saying:
$ ND EASYNAME
Now you can refer to the file you are interested in by referencing
EASYNAME:FILENAME, or you can go to other directories and come back with a
GOSUB EASYNAME.
You can use the DEASSIGN command to free up any logical names you have
created with ND. These temporary logical names automatically go away when
you log out.
You create this complex command by putting the following symbol
definition in your LOGIN.COM file:
$ ND :== ASSIGN 'F$ENV("DEFAULT")
One small caveat, though. The use of logical names has a certain downside
because the system will translate them even when you don't mean to. I would
not suggest naming a directory with the same name as a command. So names like
MAIL are probably not a good idea (although MAILDIR should be fine).
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::RAINS 2-JAN-1987 10:49:15.06
To: @sys$mail:engineer
CC:
Subj: Computer Health Note #4
VAX-edrin Headache #4
So you say that you send a lot of mail to JUNK and ENGINEER, and you're
tired of waiting forever for the DCL prompt to come back?? Well what you need
is a command that will spawn off at separate task to send the mail and leave
you free to do other things.
Just so happens, I have this one already bottled and called POST. First,
you edit your mail message with a standard editor (EDT, TPU, VI, etc.) and
then you issue the command:
$ POST MESSAGE.TXT "@SYS$MAIL:JUNK"/SUBJ="Blah, Blah, Blah..."
After a few seconds, you'll get a spawn message and your DCL prompt will
return. You will be informed when the posting is complete, but you won't have
to wait for it before you go on to other things.
To use POST, you need the following symbol definition in your LOGIN.COM:
$ POST :== SPAWN/NOWAIT/INPUT=NL:/NOTIFY MAIL
WARNING: WHEN YOU LOG OUT WITH SPAWNED SUBPROCESSES ACTIVE, YOU KILL THE
SUBPROCESSES. SO IF YOU LOG OUT WHILE POST IS STILL RUNNING, NOT ALL THE MAIL
WILL GET DELIVERED.
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::RAINS 2-JAN-1987 17:29:51.46
To: @sys$mail:engineer
CC:
Subj: Computer Health Note #3 Revisited
VAX-edrin Headache #3 Revisited: Untested Code
If you tried using ND (Name Directory), you probably found it doesn't
work. The logical name gets set to your home directory. I had originally
implemented this command as a .COM file and it worked. The translation into a
simple symbol assignment doesn't (at least not the way I did it). What WILL
work is to create a file called ND.COM in your home directory which contains
the single line:
$ ASSIGN 'F$ENV("DEFAULT") 'p1
Now put the following corrected symbol definition into your LOGIN.COM file:
$ ND :== @SYS$LOGIN:ND
Sorry about that.
___________________________________________________________________________
From: SANDY::DAVE 2-JAN-1987 19:24:31.32
To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK
CC:
Subj: THUMBS DOWN
WELL I DECIDED TO SPLURGE FOR NEW YEARS EVE. I MADE THE RESERVATIONS MONTHS IN
ADVANCE. I CALLED AHEAD 1/2 HOUR BEFORE TO SEE IF THEY WERE BEHIND SCHEDULE.
I WAS TOLD ABOUT 10 MINUTES. SO I SHOWED UP ON TIME. I WAITED 50 MINUTES BEFORE
I LEFT. ALL I RECIEVED WAS VERY INSINCERE APOLOGIES, AND THE STATEMENT (I QUOTE)
" WELL BY THE TIME YOU GET ANY WHERE ELSE IT WILL BE JUST AS LONG A WAIT".
SO WHERE WAS THIS, YOU ASK. A DIVE CALLED "LE MOUTON NOIR"
THIS PLACE HAS GOOD FOOD, BUT I REFUSE TO WAIT FOR THE PRIVILEGE OF BEING
REAMED OUT IN THE POCKET BOOK. GOOD FOOD DOES NOT MAKE UP FOR AN ATMOSPHERE
OF HOSTILE SNOBBERY.
P.S. THIS IS NOT A SNAP JUDGEMENT, AS ON A PREVIOUS VISIT FOR A SPECIAL
OCCASION I WAITED MORE THAN AN HOUR AFTER BEING SEATED TO RECIEVE
(AN ADMITTEDLY GOOD) DINNER.
YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::RAINS 5-JAN-1987 13:07:15.19
To: @SYS$MAIL:ENGINEER
CC:
Subj: Computer Health Note #4 Revisited
VAX-edrin Headache #4 Revisted: New, Improved Version
After consulting with Steve Suttles, we have a more robust version of the
POST command which works as a batch job rather than a spawned process. It
corrects many of the problems and deficiencies of the old version (which, quoth
Suttles, "...only works if everything is right.").
The new command is used by putting the following symbol definition in your
LOGIN.COM file:
$ POST :== @UTL$COM:POST
The calling format is different from the old POST command. The new
format is:
$ POST MESSAGE.TXT DISTRIBUTION "SUBJECT" /ETC
where: MESSAGE.TXT is the text of your message (.TXT is the default extension).
DISTRIBUTION is a comma-separated list WITHOUT EMBEDDED SPACES OR QUOTES
listing the recipients of your message.
"SUBJECT" is a quoted string with the subject text.
/ETC is miscellaneous switches and qualifiers of the MAIL command.
A batch log is sent to MAIL$LOGIN:POST.LOG, so you can see any problems
which may have occurred. (MAIL$LOGIN is where your mail files are.)
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::RAINS 6-JAN-1987 17:11:09.61
To: @SYS$MAIL:ENGINEER
CC:
Subj: TO BREAKOUT OWNERS OR DESIGNERS
We are looking for Coin-op versions of BREAKOUT and SUPER BREAKOUT and any
technical or creative design information relating to them. This is in regard
to a possible copyright infringement action. Anyone with hardware or design
documentation please contact Dennis Wood at X3765, or reply to me via VAXmail.
-Lyle
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::DOWNEND 6-JAN-1987 17:53:23.98
To: @SYS$MAIL:ENGINEER
CC:
Subj: Contest update
As you may recall, Atari sponsered a contest based on Gauntlet II. The
player had to complete a secret task in a secret room in order to receive
a secret code number. The player then submitted the code number to Atari, and
if it was valid, then their name was entered into a drawing for prizes
totaling over 10,000 dollars in savings bonds. Linda has been administrating
the contest which officially closed 12/19/86. A drawing was to be held
yesterday, but Linda would like to try to reach contestants with invalid
entries to confirm whether they botched up a legitimate entry or were just
taking a wild guess. The drawing will occur tommorrow though, regardless.
We have 417 entries from 349 unique individuals plus 35 invalid entries.
About 3000 Gauntlet II kits were sold into the domestic base of 8000 units.
(THESE ARE CONFIDENTIAL NUMBERS - FOR ATARI PERSONNEL ONLY !!)
And the winners are...
...to be continued
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::SHEPPERD 8-JAN-1987 16:15:37.28
To: @sys$mail:engineer,@sys$mail:wpuser,SHEPPERD
CC:
Subj: New prompts
Have you ever wished the system would display the current default directory
name somewhere so you could easily tell where you were? Well, now there's
a utility to do just that, compliments of LVR. It'll change the prompt
string to include the current directory spec (no device or node name) to a
maximum specifed length or 32 chars whichever is less. For example, it
makes my prompt string look like:
[SHEPPERD] K$ !for my home directory
[UTILITIES.COM] K$ !for UTL$COM:
It constructs the "K$" by extracting the first character from the node name (K
for KIM, E for ERNIE, etc.) and sticking on a dollar sign and a space. You can
change that by defining the string you want to the global symbol PROMPT$TAIL.
You can limit the total size of the generated prompt string (so as not to eat up
too much of your command line space) by defining a value less than 32 to the
global symbol PROMPT$MAXLEN. The utility attempts to squeeze the rightmost
directory names into the space allocated and will truncate to the left all that
won't fit but replacing it with one of "[...", "[.." or "[." depending
on how much room there is.
To use this feature, you must execute UTL$COM:PROMPT sometime after you've
logged in (such as in your LOGIN.COM file). Then you must use the set default
commands SD, CD, DC, GOBACK or WHERE (GOSUB and RETURN are obsolete now because
VMS has DCL commands called GOSUB for go to subroutine and RETURN for return
from subroutine). For example, place the following commands in your LOGIN.COM
file:
$ CD :== @UTL$COM:CD !Change Directory (what GOSUB used to do)
$ SD :== @UTL$COM:SD !Set Default directory
$ DC :== @UTL$COM:GOBACK !change directory back
$ WHE*RE :== @UTL$COM:WHERE !display the set default history
$ PROMPT$MAXLEN == 20 !only if you want to limit the string length
$ PROMPT$TAIL == "What now boss? " !only if you want something different
$ @UTL$COM:PROMPT !setup the prompt stuff
CD and SD don't require full directory specs to change directories. The
procedures will attempt to figure out what directory you are talking about
by looking around both up and down from the current place in the
directory tree. You also needn't specify the "[]"'s nor dots. For example,
$ SD TEST
will hunt around in your directory tree looking for a [.TEST] directory.
SD with no argument simply displays the current default directory. CD is
similar to SD except that it remembers the directory from which you came
and the next CD you execute without an argument will return you to the
previously set directory. DC does a GOBACK to the directory you just
returned from. WHERE shows the complete history (stack) of where you've
been and from where you came. Try them, you'll like them.
Note that if you change your default directory with the DCL command
SET DEFAULT either explicitly or via a command file instead of using the
CD, SD or DC commands, the prompt string will not change so it won't
reflect the current directory. WHERE will always update the prompt string
as will @UTL$COM:PROMPT.
Report trouble to KIM::RAINS.
ds
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::MARGOLIN 13-JAN-1987 15:56:38.87
To: ERNIE::TOLONEN,MARGOLIN
CC:
Subj: Atari 401K Plan
I have a question about Atari's 401K Plan as described in the recent handout
entitled "WELLS FARGO BANK RETIREMENT ADVANTAGE PLANS SUMMARY PLAN DESCRIPTION
FOR THE RETIREMENT ADVANTAGE PLAN OF ATARI GAMES CORPORATION."
In Section 16 (HOW AND WHEN ARE BENEFITS PAID?) under the heading "Benefits
Earned Under This Plan" it states:
"Following your termination of employment, your vested account balances
will be distributed to you in a lump sum, in periodic payments over a specified
term, or in a combination of both methods."
My question involves the next sentence:
"Plan assets allocable to your accounts will be valued as of the
Valuation Date (see Question 8) coinciding with or immediately preceeding
the distribution."
Question 8 says that the Valuation Date is the last day of the sixth and twelfth
months of the Plan year. I assume this means June 30 and December 31. (Please
correct me if I am wrong.)
Therefore, according to the Plan, if I contribute $5,000 to the Plan in the
next five months and leave before June 30, my Plan assets allocable to my
account will be valued as of December 31, 1986.
What happens to my $5,000?
What happens to the company contribution?
(Who is the Plan Administrator?)
Jed
___________________________________________________________________________
From: ERNIE::TOLONEN 13-JAN-1987 17:13:10.04
To: KIM::MARGOLIN
CC:
Subj: 401(K) PLAN
DEAR JED,
I THINK YOU ARE THE ONLY PERSON IN THE COMPANY WHO READ THAT DOCUMENT!!
I WILL ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS IN REVERSE ORDER.
THE PLAN ADMINISTRATORS ARE DENNIS, JOHN KLEIN AND HIDE.
YOU WOULD NOT LOSE ANY MONEY YOU PUT INTO YOUR PLAN, BUT I WILL HAVE TO GET
MORE INFORMATION FOR FOR YOU ABOUT THAT WORDING IN THE PLAN. I UNDERSTAND
THE QUESTION. LET ME GET BACK TO YOU TOMORROW WITH A COMPLETE ANSWER.
THANKS,
JUDY
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::SALWITZ 15-JAN-1987 17:58:47.27
To: @SYS$MAIL:ENGINEER
CC:
Subj: renumber that macro!
For all you macro users.
How many times have you spent your precious work time looking for a
new slot for a local label. You know.. trying to remember if you used
45$ or not.. Have I got the program for you. Direct from the Pete Lipson
school of better C learning: MACRNM.EXE! This fine C program will
renumber your otherwize sloppy local labels for free!
Heres all you do:
In your login.com assignment section:
$RENUM :== $KIM::SYS$USERDISK:[SALWITZ.C]MACRNM.EXE
Then..
After you have spent countless hours creating alot of unsightly unsequenced
local labels you run my program:
$RENUM filename[.MAC] [delta] [base]
Where:
filename[.MAC] -> is your MAC11,MAC65,MAC69 filename
( .MAC extension not neccessary..
we throw that in at no added cost!)
[delta] -> is the (optional!) delta between labels..
ie: 1,10,100..
(we default to 10 at no added cost!)
[base]-> is the (optional!) base of each label
set.
(we default to 10 at no added cost!)
So act today.. don't delay friend.. this offer is limited to
one macro file per run!
send complaints to:
JFS
this address
this address
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::ALBAUGH "Dr. Bizarro" 20-JAN-1987 16:26:14.97
To: MARGOLIN
CC:
Subj:
$ tab = " "
$ tab[0,7] = 9
$ if f$extract(0,1,''P1') .eqs. tab then goto gottab
$ beep no tab
$ exit
$ gottab: beep yes tab
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::SUTTLES 28-JAN-1987 18:17:33.55
To: @SYS$MAIL:EVERYBODY
CC:
Subj: The PURGE
Shortage of disk space has become a problem that we (the systems
group) can't ignore any longer. So here's what we're doing: When you log in,
your disk usage will be checked against your quota, and if what's left is 20%
or less, you will be notified. You will also be notified if the disk has 10%
or less of its available room. You may be well under your quota and still run
out of room if everyone else has filled up the disk. So, if it looks like disk
space might be a problem soon, you will be notified when you log in. It is up
to you to determine if the available space is adequate for your needs or not.
Now, this has all been said before, except for the courtesy of warning
you to look out for the low ceiling. Also, all those new disk drives have
lengthened (greatly) the time required for backups. Every other weekend, we
make a tape copy of everything on all the computers, and put it in a fireproof
safe. Or try. It has started not to fit.
So, in order to A) reduce the tape storage requirements, B) reduce the
time spent for backups, and C) reduce the number of incidents where available
disk space falls to zero:
WE ARE DELETING ALL YOUR FILES
=== ========
... at least all of them that are out of date. BEFORE (yes, BEFORE)
the biweekly backups are done, we will automatically do a PURGE of all files
on all disks, retaining only the TWO (2) versions that are the most recent. We
have come up with exactly one instance where this would be inconvenient, and
we are willing to forgo the loss of information in that case. The reason we
chose two versions is simple: one is not enough, and three is too many.
Note that this is scheduled to occur only on weekends. The first
weekend that we will automatically purge will be about February 21st. This
gives you about three and a half weeks to see if the files you have superceded
have any remaining value to you. Note also that it will be done BEFORE the
backup, so the old versions will be gone. The files will still be maintained
on the daily backups, but they have a short retention period. You have been
warned.
Notice that this only applies to files that have already been
superceded two or more times. We don't expect any problems, but it's only
fair to let you know. You may, if you wish, address complaints to this mail
address (KIM::SUTTLES), and I will ignore them at my earliest opportunity,
unless you want to learn how to do backups, all day, every other Saturday.
-sas
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::DOWNEND 29-JAN-1987 15:12:33.74
To: @SYS$MAIL:ENGINEER
CC:
Subj: new employee
We have a new programmer starting on Monday 2/2/87.
Please welcome Ed Rotberg back to Atari.
Ed worked here at Atari from 1979 to 1981. He programmed Baseball, and
Battlezone among other things. Then he started his own company, Videa. Then
Videa was bought by Sente. Then Sente was bought by Bally.
Consequently, Ed has in-depth technical and product expertise in the coin-op
game field.
Ed will be joining us in a technical capacity as a senior staff level Software
Engineer with nearly 14 years experience since receiving his BSEE from
the University of Michigan. Ed will be programming and projectleading a coin-op
game project.
Ed's office will be just outside Cyndy's office. He will be using the old
Roadrunner lab for game development. Norm has chosen to move (his option) his
office out of the lab and into the office near Dave Ralstons office.
I am happy to have Ed join our staff - please extend him a warm welcome...let's
see, how do you exorcise evil "Sente" spirits?...
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::FRYE 2-FEB-1987 11:13:54.10
To: @SYS$MAIL:EVERYBODY
Subj: SECURITY, GAMES, AND PLANTS
Some major changes are being made with-in our facilities which in one
way or another will affect all employees. These changes have been
approved and will be put into effect at this time.
SECURITY
To beef up our warehouse security, the two gates separating the manuf-
acturing warehouse from the engineering portion will be kept locked at
all times. The locks have been rekeyed, employees requiring access
through these gates must check out the key from the main lobby.
GAMES
A program has been undertaken to restore our archive games to working
condition whereby they will be retained as archives and at the same
time be available for use by the employees.
The front lobby of 675 will be utilized for this purpose.
All archive games
will be marked with an "ARCHIVE GAME" sticker, and
any game so marked will not be permitted to leave the building.
PLANTS
A decision has been made as to the disposition of our interior plants.
Our plants for the most part are deteriorating adding little
enhancement to our buildings. During the pass two years, several
methods have been tried in hopes of up-grading, but have failed.
In September we aquired the services of an interior landscape con-
sultant to evaluate our plant problems. The results of his survey
allowed us two choices: One being to overhaul (transplant, feed,
and maintain) our existing plants. This sounded pretty good until
we were told that only about twenty-five plants out of all the
plants in the building were worth the efford.
Our second choice, which we decided had more merit, was to remove
all the plants from the buildings and replace them with new ones.
Going along with our second choice created still another problem.
To replace plant for plant would not be an equitable solution as
many of our employees do not have plants in their offices or work
stations.
Giving careful consideration to all aspects, we feel we have arrived
at a conclusion befitting all our employees. The following guide
lines will be put into effect for both the manufacturing and
engineering buildings.
1. New plants will be placed in all common areas, lobbies,
cafeteria, lunnch rooms, and executive offices.
2. Employees are permitted to have personal plants in their
offices and/or immediate work area. The maintenance of
these plants will be the responsibility of the employee.
3. All "Atari" plants (with containers) are to be removed
from our buildings, no exceptions please. Employees
wishing to take their "Atari" plant home are encouraged
to do so with the stipulation that their plant not find
its' way back into our buildings. (Just think, this
would make a nice Valentine's gift for that someone
special).
Our new plants are expected to start arriving shortly after
Valentine's Day. We ask that all the plants be removed by Friday,
February 13th. (How about that for timing ?) Any "Atari" plants
remaining in the buildings after this date will be disposed of.
So I won't be accused of a Saint Valentine's Day massacre, the
clean-up will begin the following Monday.
Three final items:
Please be careful when removing plants from the building, plastic
bags if needed can be obtained from the main lobby.
The plants located in our main lobby and cafeteria are to remain
until replaced with new ones.
Finally, if you have a persoal plant that fits the description of
an "Atari" plant, please contact me for conformation.
Thanks again for your support. Bob
___________________________________________________________________________
From: CHARM::FCDOOM 2-FEB-1987 12:45:05.43
To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK
CC:
Subj: plant confusion
- so if I take my plant home, then bring it back in, everything's ok????
but if I leave it here and don't let it visit my house, it's doomed?????
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::MCCARTHY 3-FEB-1987 13:21:58.24
To: @sys$mail:engineer,MCCARTHY
CC:
Subj: Audio pot alternative
There have been some complaints in recent times about the quality of the
dual audio pot. (At low volume setting the two channels are badly
unbalanced.)
Also, this pot is difficult to source. (Only two sources, both with long
lead times.)
Also, this pot is not cheap ($2.25-$2.50).
??? IDEA ???
Replace the pot with a 256 position electronic audio volume control. The
components would be : 2 DAC-08 ICs (one for each channel) $0.80 each, 1
74ls273 @ $0.30 and about 8 discrete compoments ($0.01 each). Total component
cost is $2.00 and about $0.16 for the extra board space.
How it would work.
Putting the game into self-test after power-on would cause a volume
adjust screen to come up. The volume would be adjusted using the regular
control panel controls (maybe while the game goes thru an attract sequence
with audio enabled). The volume level would be stored in the game EEPROM.
On power-on the volume level would be set from the EEPROM.
I am considering this as a direct possibility on the new SA (stand alone)
Audio board currently in development for Catacombs and probably a few other
games. The only disadvantage that I see is operator familiarity and ease
of use. I am sure that many of you see other problems.
What do YOU think.
Replies to theis address will be appreciated.
Pat Mc Carthy.
___________________________________________________________________________
From: ERNIE::DENCKER "Andrea Dencker" 3-FEB-1987 14:26:36.31
To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK,DENCKER
CC:
Subj: IBM PC (or Macintosh) program for creating banners
Bob Frye asked me if we had the capability of printing banners on
any computer printer in our buildings. I'm talking about the programs in
which you enter the message you want repeated many times, and a dot-matrix
or other printer spews out those words in a 20-foot-long "sign." I am
aware only of the Sideways and Banner programs for the IBM PC.
Do we have anything like this program tucked away on one of our
VAXes or PCs? If you do, contact Bob directly. He needs it for some special
purpose.
Andrea
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::MARGOLIN 4-FEB-1987 13:01:29.83
To: SHEPPERD,MARGOLIN
CC:
Subj: DCL
Dave,
Please try the following:
WRITE SYS$OUTPUT %XFF439EB1/%X10000
WRITE SYS$OUTPUT %XFFFFFF43
Jed
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::SHEPPERD 4-FEB-1987 13:32:14.52
To: MARGOLIN,SHEPPERD
CC:
Subj: DCL
So?
%XFF439EB2 = -12345678.
%X10000 = 65536.
-12345678/65536 = -188.38 in either Hex or Decimal
%XFFFFFF43 = -189.00 in either radix.
Conclusion: %XFF430000 is not equal to %XFF439EB2.
Dividing is not the same as and will not produce the same result as shifting
right. It looks as though you wanted to (-12345678. & -65536.)/65536. which is
the only way you can make sure a shift and divide will produce the same result.
If, on the other hand, you wanted a result in Hex, you should have used FAO:
write sys$output fao("!XL",%XFF439EB2/%X10000)
ds
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::MARGOLIN 4-FEB-1987 13:37:07.40
To: KIM::SHEPPERD,MARGOLIN
CC:
Subj: RE: DCL
Aha. Thank you.
Jed
___________________________________________________________________________
From: ERNIE::CAMERON 4-FEB-1987 16:00:28.24
To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK
CC:
Subj: GOOD-BYE AND FAIRWELL
SAD FAIRWELLS
IT IS WITH GREAT REGRETS THAT I SAY GOOD-BYE. NO, I'M NOT LEAVING, BUT
MY PLANT IS.
MY PLANT AND I HAVE SHARED AN OFFICE TOGETHER FOR EIGHT LOVING YEARS.
SURE, THERE WERE GOOD TIMES AND BAD TIMES, BUT WE STUCK IT OUT. SHE ALMOST
DIDN'T SURVIVE HAVING "PROFESSIONAL" CARE, BUT SHE'S BACK TO GOOD HEALTH
NOW.
SO, SHE'S BEEN FIRED, TERMINATED, ASKED TO GO. WHERE WILL SHE GO? SHE
WILL GO HOME WITH ME, DEFEATED AND BROKEN. I KNOW SHE WILL DIE THERE. SHE
IS USED TO FLUORESCENT LIGHT, NOISE AND STRESS. THE QUIET DARKNESS WILL END
HER LIFE.
AND WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO ME WITH NO DAILY COMPANION AT MY SIDE? IT IS
TRULY A SAD STORY
TRYING NOT TO SOB,
CAROLE
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::MARGOLIN 4-FEB-1987 16:16:34.14
To: ERNIE::CAMERON,BEHENSKY,ERNIE::MOTT,CHARM::SHEPPERD,ALBAUGH,DURFEY,MARGOLIN
CC:
Subj: Doors
From: KIM::JED 2-FEB-1987 11:13
To: @SYS$MAIL:EVERYBODY
Subj: SECURITY, GAMES, AND PLANTS
Some major changes are being made with-in our facilities which in one
way or another will affect all employees. These changes have been
approved and will be put into effect at this time.
DOORS
A decision has been made as to the disposition of our interior doors.
Our doors for the most part are deteriorating adding little
enhancement to our buildings. During the pass two years, several
methods have been tried in hopes of up-grading, but have failed.
In September we aquired the services of an interior landscape con-
sultant to evaluate our door problems. The results of his survey
allowed us two choices: One being to overhaul (transplant, feed,
and maintain) our existing doors. This sounded pretty good until
we were told that only about twenty-five doors out of all the
doors in the building were worth the efford.
Our second choice, which we decided had more merit, was to remove
all the doors from the buildings and replace them with new ones.
Going along with our second choice created still another problem.
To replace door for door would not be an equitable solution as
many of our employees do not have doors in their offices or work
stations.
Giving careful consideration to all aspects, we feel we have arrived
at a conclusion befitting all our employees. The following guide
lines will be put into effect for both the manufacturing and
engineering buildings.
1. New doors will be placed in all common areas, lobbies,
cafeteria, lunnch rooms, and executive offices.
2. Employees are permitted to have personal doors in their
offices and/or immediate work area. The maintenance of
these doors will be the responsibility of the employee.
3. All "Atari" doors (with containers) are to be removed
from our buildings, no exceptions please. Employees
wishing to take their "Atari" door home are encouraged
to do so with the stipulation that their door not find
its' way back into our buildings. (Just think, this
would make a nice Valentine's gift for that someone
special).
Our new doors are expected to start arriving shortly after
Valentine's Day. We ask that all the doors be removed by Friday,
February 13th. (How about that for timing ?) Any "Atari" doors
remaining in the buildings after this date will be disposed of.
So I won't be accused of a Saint Valentine's Day massacre, the
clean-up will begin the following Monday.
Three final items:
Please be careful when removing doors from the building, plastic
bags if needed can be obtained from the main lobby.
The doors located in our main lobby and cafeteria are to remain
until replaced with new ones.
Finally, if you have a persoal door that fits the description of
an "Atari" door, please contact me for conformation.
Thanks again for your support. Jed
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::DOWNEND 4-FEB-1987 18:16:09.67
To: STEMPLER,MCCARTHY,MARGOLIN,SNYDER,HOFF,MOORE
CC:
Subj: Nice feature for our Hardware
It would be very nice if Hardware designs allowed for RAM to be placed in the
Program EPROM sockets during development. Applied Microsystems charges several
thousand dollars for 128k bytes of Emulation RAM. If we could put a piggy back
board in the EPROM sockets and run a couple of jumper wires to bring R/W to the
piggy back, we could give the programmers lots of emulation RAM for cheap. 32k
by 8-bit SRAMS cost $15-20 quantity one. Four of them are needed to make
128k...so for less than $100, we can replace what Applied Microsystems charges
several thousand dollars for.
I would like to see this feature added to PCB's as well as wirewraps if it
didn't cost to much. I imagine all that needs to be done is to make the EPROM
address space writable and bring the appropriate R/W signal to a buffer capable
of driving the new load. This signal would also have to be accessible to the
piggy-back board. Gary Stempler suggested a jumper pin as used on SystemI to
configure the progam space for 27128/27256. This could then be eliminated in
production.
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::FRYE 5-FEB-1987 09:11:53.97
To: @SYS$MAIL:VANGANG,RAINSGANG,KIM::WOOD,ERNIE::EVELYN
CC:
Subj: WAREHOUSE SECURITY
As a result of the new security restraints placed on the warehouse, I
have received complaints primarily due to inconvenience. I agree that
that the gates being locked is a nuisance, as I access the warehouse
more so then others.
The decision to strengthen our warehouse security came as a result of
the east side door being left opened four times in a one week period.
At the present time, we are involved in adding additional security
measures which are due to be completed this month. Once completed,
the system may allow us to re-evaluate our present situation with
respects to the warehouse.
Until then, your cooperation is appreciated, Thanks, Bob.
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::RUSTY 5-FEB-1987 12:00:35.52
To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK,RUSTY
CC:
Subj: Radar trap on McCarthy...
Well, Milpitas is at it again...
Careful! Heading N on McCarthy toward 237, the motorcycle cops are
sitting in wait just past where the speed limit is posted at 25mph.
One cop is sitting just around the sharp right corner (out of sight
behind the large pile of dirt) and will pull you over based on what
his partner who is sitting behind the fence on the incompleted road
to the left tells him is radar gun says. They had a regular production
line going last night and were completely invisible in the dark (the
cop with the radar gun did not have any of his lights on).
Fortunetely I was stuck behind some slow traffic and did not get
caught (this time). But beware, next time could be costly!
Rusty
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::MARGOLIN 5-FEB-1987 13:09:01.93
To: FRYE,WOOD,VANELDREN,MONCRIEF,MARGOLIN
CC:
Subj: Locked Gates
The locked gates would be especially inconvenient in the event of a fire.
(At least for those of us in Moncrief's group.)
Jed
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::FRYE 5-FEB-1987 13:21:06.68
To: KIM::MARGOLIN,WOOD
CC:
Subj: warehouse
Jed, the warehouse is not a legal fire exit from your office area.
This is why the fence was permitted in the warehouse.
___________________________________________________________________________
From: CHARM::ROTBERG "Professor of Gonzo" 5-FEB-1987 14:38:57.60
To: @SYS$MAIL:ENGINEER
CC:
Subj: Be the first on your block...
Yo!
Here are some definitions to (further) customize TPU to add a few features
that I have grown to love on other EDT systems. The funtions added are:
GOLD/Q quit
GOLD/ctrl_Z exit
GOLD/ctrl_W toggle between 80 columns and 132 columns
GOLD/B go to buffer ( = )
GOLD/backspace flip the preceeding two characters
Here is the code to add to your local TPUINI.TPU file:
!
procedure edr$flip !flip preceeding 2 characters
move_horizontal(-1);
edt$delete_char;
move_horizontal(-1);
edt$undelete_char;
move_horizontal(2);
endprocedure
!
procedure edr$set_screen !toggle screen size
if edr$scr_size = 80
then
edr$scr_size := 132;
else
edr$scr_size := 80;
endif;
set(width,main_window,edr$scr_size);
set(width,aux_window,edr$scr_size);
set(width,message_window,edr$scr_size);
endprocedure
!
procedure edr$buffer ! support routine for GOLD/ctrl_B
LOCAL buffer_ptr ,
create_variable_string,
term_char,
buffer_name ;
! This is to move to a new buffer and map it to the main window. If
! the buffer does not exist, create it with the NO_WRITE attribute.
! Get the name from the user.
buffer_name:=read_line('Buffer: '); ! get line from user
edit (buffer_name, trim, upper, OFF); !bite off all white space
if (buffer_name = edt$x_empty)
then
message ('No buffer specified');
return 0;
endif;
! IF it exists just map to it.
buffer_ptr := edt$find_buffer(buffer_name);
if buffer_ptr = 0
then
edt$x_make_buf_var := buffer_name;
create_variable_string := edt$x_make_buf_var + "_buffer := create_buffer(edt$x_make_buf_var)";
execute (create_variable_string);
! Now get the pointer back, we know it is the last buffer in the list
buffer_ptr := get_info (buffers,'last');
! SET (NO_WRITE, buffer_ptr, ON);
set(eob_text, buffer_ptr, '[End of '+buffer_name+']');
endif;
map(current_window,buffer_ptr);
return 1;
endprocedure
!
!
edr$scr_size := 80;
!
!
define_key('edr$buffer',key_name('B',shift_key),"switch buffer");
define_key('quit',key_name('Q',shift_key),"quick quit");
define_key('edr$flip',key_name(bs_key,shift_key),"flip");
define_key('dms$exit',key_name(ctrl_z_key,shift_key),"quick exit");
define_key('edr$set_screen',
key_name(ctrl_w_key,shift_key),"toggle size");
!
Good Luck --
Ed R.
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::DROBNY "Buddy Flyback" 6-FEB-1987 14:23:52.31
To: @SYS$MAIL:ENGINEER
CC:
Subj: AMS 68010's
For those of you that use or maintain any of our AMS 68010
systems, I have in my possession a complete set of schematics of the
hardeware. I have actually had them for a while but never used them
until yesterday when I came across a problem in one of the "Probe Tip"
Pods. These schematics proved extremely valuable for I was able to
fix the problem for about $1.59 instead of the minimum $1000 that
Applied would charge us. So if you need them or would like to make a copy,
see me, but be prepared to stand in front of the copy machine for
awhile for there are alot of pages to be copied. By the way, I have the only
copy in the building so we must keep track of them or back to the $1000
purchase reqs. that are always so much fun to push for signatures.
Be There, Aloha.
___________________________________________________________________________
From: ERNIE::BENZLER 9-FEB-1987 09:51:01.19
To: @SYS$MAIL:EVERYBODY,BENZLER
CC:
Subj: ATARI GAMES HOME SOFTWARE SALES
If you haven't already heard the news (and even if you have), Atari is
number one (and number two!) in European home game software sales!!!
(Of course, we're talking bout Atari Games-designed coin-op product that
has been licensed to European home software companies.)
As far as we know this is an unprecedented event. Never before has one
company held both the number one and number two places in sales at the same
time.
Gauntlet, released by U. S. Gold, became the number one selling game
across Europe for the '86 Christmas season; this is the highest achievement in
the computer games industry in the European market. (Last year the top
selling game at Christmas was Commando and in '84 it was Ghost Busters.) When
the Christmas numbers were compiled, Gauntlet had sales well in excess of
100,000 units of software. As Gauntlet continues to sell during the next few
months, it is expected to become the best selling game in two years!
In addition, Paperboy, distributed by Elite Systems, became the number
two game at Christmas, also selling in excess of 100,000 units.
The success of Gauntlet and Paperboy have created a great deal of
interest in other products from Atari Games. Indiana Jones and Road Runner
have been licensed, on very favorable terms, to U.S. Gold. Super Sprint and
720 are currently subject to various offers from major European software
publishers. Even the three Star Wars games and I, Robot are now being sought
after by certain publishers, despite the market's normal orientation towards
"current" properties.
So pat yourselves on the back and let's keep up the good work!
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::SYSTEM 10-FEB-1987 11:22:09.03
To: @sys$mail:everybody.uaf
CC:
Subj: System down time
You may have noticed that you sometimes get hardware errors (parity errors
etc). This is due to a cancer in disk drive DUA1:. According to a newspaper
article, the drive suffers from excessive lubricant build-up on the heads
which causes read/write errors. The drive maker, Fujitsu, has claimed to have
solved the problem, however, the company from whom we bought it, Emulex,
claims they haven't. We have been told that Fujitsu will either send us a
new drive of the same kind with the problem fixed, or a different kind that
we can use until they can find one that doesn't have that problem. In either
case, it'll be a few days before we get it. So in the meantime we are going
to remove the drive from the system completely. In order to do this, we need
to move 500,000 blocks worth of files off of Kim's userdisk to Charm's.
The system will need to be shutdown for about 3-4 hours to rebuild the
currently 2 volume disk to a 1 volume disk. This procedure will begin
this evening (tues 10-Feb-1986) beginning at about 6pm.
ds
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::SHEPPERD 10-FEB-1987 18:09:46.18
To: @sys$mail:Engineer,SHEPPERD
CC:
Subj: New and improved LLF
LLF v2.0 has been released on Kim and Charm. UTL$COM:LLF.NEW_FEATURES
describes the differences between v1.5 and v2.0 and UTL$COM:LLF.DOC
describes all the features of LLF.
If you haven't logged out and in again since tues at 6pm, then you'll
need to:
$SET COMMAND UTL$COM:LLF
to get LLF to work at all. Let me know of any difficulties.
ds
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::MARGOLIN 10-FEB-1987 18:49:34.57
To: KIM::SHEPPERD,MARGOLIN
CC:
Subj: RE: New and improved LLF
I have logged out and in again and it doesn't work.
PS - I was working on a program when the linker stopped working.
Jed
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::ALBAUGH "Dr. Bizarro" 11-FEB-1987 13:21:12.44
To: MARGOLIN
CC:
Subj:
From: KIM::SHEPPERD 10-FEB-1987 19:42
To: SUTTLES,ALBAUGH,SHEPPERD
Subj: LLF
I released LLF v2.0 yesterday. If there anyone has trouble with it, you can
do the following assignment to get the old one back:
$ ASS UTL$ARCHIVE: LLF$EXE:
I suggest that you not make that a system logical because if others are NOT
having trouble with LLF and have started using its new features, then their
programs will break.
ds
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::MARGOLIN 11-FEB-1987 13:41:35.05
To: KIM::SHEPPERD,MARGOLIN
CC:
Subj: RE: New and improved LLF
Ignore Previous Message.
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::MCCARTHY 11-FEB-1987 15:58:23.61
To: @SYS$MAIL:ENGINEER,MCCARTHY
CC:
Subj: digital volume reply
Thank you for your comments and suggestions on the digital volume control
suggestion. Those replys can be seen in [mccarthy.psu]dacpot.txt.
The biggest concern voiced was "lack of familiarity and ease of use". The
other major concern was "what if the 6502 goes crazy and turns up the
volume to the max".
As stated before I basically agree that ease of use is a major issue. The
best solution I have is to put either a two way return to center toggle
switch or else two buttons inside the coin door, for VOLUME UP and VOLUME
DOWN. I am considering membrane switches for this purpose (plus the extra
functions of 'aux credit' switch and 'enter self test' switch. This
membrane panel would either stick to the audio PCB, or it could be remotely
mounted (stuck to a cleat) near the coin door. With this arrangement, there
is no need to enter self test to set volume.
I am also looking into the idea of an interlock on the volume latch to
avoid the problem of the 6505 going crazy. Two writes would be required to
change the volume level.
Here is a summary of the other changes that are being made to the original
design, based on the well attended design review held on Jan 15.
. The address bus buffers were removed, (deemed not necessary)
. The data bus buffer was removed, (deemed not necessary)
. The spare 27256 ROM socket was removed. More than 32k bytes of program
memory requires the use of a 27512.
. The IRQ counter chain design was not altered. (The alternatives suggested
were either not feasable or were too costly.)
. IRQ acknowledge was added. (This was inadvertently left out)
. The audio op-amps supply voltages were heavily filtered.
. The CPU can be run from either 1.79 Mhz or 3.58 Mhz. When run from 3.58
Mhz, the cpu must be a 65c02 (cmos version).
. The Bank select and address decode circuitry was simplified to a single
PAL ic.
Pat.
___________________________________________________________________________
From: ERNIE::ARVIDSON 13-FEB-1987 07:53:26.88
To: @SYS$MAIL:ENGINEER,ARVIDSON
CC:
Subj: National Semiconductor.
National Semiconductor is no longer represented by BayTech (Wade
Miracle) who, in my opinion gave us poor service. Atari's account is now
handled directly from National; the salesperson is Henri De Roule. He's
anxious to make a presentation to those interested in their microcontrollers,
graphics chips or memory support devices. Can I have a show of hands from
those of you who are interested in a presentation or if you just need new data
books?
erwin
ps: Henri's phone is (408) 730-3009 or 730-0632.
___________________________________________________________________________
From: ERNIE::TOLONEN 13-FEB-1987 11:32:10.20
To: @SYS$MAIL:EVERYBODY
CC:
Subj:
Performance evaluations with merit increase will go into effect on
March 1, 1987. The proposed range for the merit increase is
2% - 6%, depending on performance.
Thanks,
Judy
___________________________________________________________________________
From: ERNIE::ARVIDSON 17-FEB-1987 15:46:23.45
To: KIM::MARGOLIN,ARVIDSON
CC:
Subj: PLCC Extraction Tools.
Jed, here is a list of the extraction tools that I know of.
Burndy is probably the best and can be obtained thru Schweber Electronics,
(408) 748-4700.
EXTRACTION TOOLS
Manufacturer & PN Cost Notes
AMP $25 Tool may damage IC package leads.
* BURNDY QILEXT-1 $15 Appears to be the best tool.
JAE $5 Don't know anything about this one.
TEXTOOL/3M 400-6230-01 FREE. Requires prying chip package out;
will not work with most other sockets.
* Recommended.
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::FRYE 18-FEB-1987 14:44:49.12
To: @SYS$MAIL:EVERYBODY
CC:
Subj: REALITY
IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN THIS SATURDAY AT ATARI. OUR NEW PLANTS WILL BE
HERE, AND THAT LEAVES 48 HOURS REMAINING ON OUR REQUEST TO HAVE ALL
ATARI PLANTS REMOVED FROM THE BUILDINGS. CAUTION, DON'T WAIT TILL
SATURDAY TO TAKE YOUR PLANT HOME, IT WILL BE GONE. SINCE I'VE RE-
CEIVED ONLY A FEW CALLS AS TO PERSONAL PLANTS, IT LOOKS LIKE I'LL BE
BUSY SATURDAY. AS TO THE PEOPLE WHO CONTACTED ME, YOUR PLANTS ARE
SAFE.
JUST A REMINDER, THE 'ATARI' PLANTS ARE NOT 'RETURNABLE'
A WORD ON THE NEW PLANTS:
THE PLANTS WILL BE PLACED THROUGH OUT OUR BUILDING, THE LOCATION AND
SIZE OF THE PLANTS ARE THOSE OF THE INTERIOR PLANT CONSULTANT, AND
MOST IMPORTANTLY, THESE PLANTS DO NOT BELONG TO ATARI.
COME MONDAY, YOUR SUPPORT WILL HAVE MADE OUR BUILDINGS A LITTLE
MORE CHEERFUL.
THANKS, BOB
print
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::FRYE 23-FEB-1987 09:18:54.37
To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK
CC:
Subj: What's in a name?
In case you missed S.J.Mercury business section on Sunday, there was an
editorial by James J. Mitchell, regarding companies changing their names.
He referred to his friend Bernie Chin, president of Name-It-Right, a
leading corporate identity consulting firm, who stated that Atari was a
prospect for a name change.
"Atari," Bernie said. "It's a completely different company from what it
used to be. Its strength isn't video games, but that's what the name
means to the public. It should be changed to something strong, some-
thing that means computers, something like Tramiel & Sons."
I took the liberty to send a copy of this article to yours truly,
hoping that he will give the "REAL ATARI" it's name back.
Tks.,Bob
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::FRYE 23-MAR-1987 10:36:47.81
To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK
CC:
Subj: CONTRACTORS IN HOUSE
Tomorrow, 3/23 Cal-Air will be in our building to work on our A/C system.
They will be installing a transfer system for the main lobby which should
correct our door closing problems. The main door between design services
and the lobby may be blocked off for a while to complete this work.
The second work area involves enineering, just outside the conference
room, through Gary Stempler's office, the printer room and into the
computer room. A return duct will be installed down the hallway in
front of the printer room.
Cal-Air is sensitive to our engineering routine and will make every
efford to complete this job with the least amount of disruption and
are hoping for completion in one day. Thanks, Bob
___________________________________________________________________________
From: CHARM::LOGG 25-FEB-1987 09:44:40.38
To: @SYS$MAIL:ENGINEER
CC:
Subj:
File: CHARM::[LOGG.AMS]DNL.DOC
Date: 12/5/86
The AMS fast download has been upgraded. The changes are shown below.
Dave Shepperd will soon release a new DOWND which pass the symbol table to the
AMS as TEKHEX records. This means one download will load the symbols and data.
1. The AMS will now print any characters that are not part of a TEKHEX
or LDA record. For example, if you started the download (pressed
<ESC><ESC>) before the LLF finished, then any LLF messages will be
displayed. In addition, the sentinel "%" for the TEKHEX record will
be displayed at the beginning of each record.
2. The AMS will now count the number of "." and generate a <CR><LF> when
the count exceeds 80. The terminal no longer need be set on WRAP.
In case you missed all the information on the fast downloader, here it
is again. There is no need to give up compatibility with old HEX files. The
new downloader will support extended TEKHEX, LDA and SYM files. To get the new
downloader do the following:
1. Burn 2 27128-3 EPROMs from the file CHARM::[LOGG.AMS]U55U56D128.LDA
starting at 4000 and ending at BFFF. Label them LOGG-U55 and
LOGG-U56 with the current date. Please label the outside of the
AMS so that we do not send the AMS out for service with these
EPROMs.
2. Replace the new U55 and U56 EPROMs with the ones in the AMS. They
can be found on the PCB connected to the ribbon cable. On power
up you will notice that there are CRC errors. Please ignore these.
When I know how to CRC the EPROMs I will release a new version.
The current version has a CRC value of 273D.
3. In your LOGIN.COM file define the symbol DNL. Please see the DOWND
documentation if you need more information. For example, it is
possible to tell DOWND to download several files at once. More
importantly one can tell DOWND not to load all the uninitialized
data by specifying the starting and ending addresses.
DNL :== MCR DOWND /DELAY=0 /RECORD=250 /ADD=start:end
4. To use the new downloader, perform the following steps. The AMS will
display a "." for each record read successfully. The letter "X"
will be displayed when an transmission error occurs. But don't
worry because the downloader will ask the VAX to retransmit the last
record. A sample download is:
>DNL type this on the AMS as usual
$ DNL filename.xxx<ESC><ESC> download filename.xxx
.................... "." for each record read
> successful completion
If there are any problems report them to me at x1732 or via VAXMAIL at
CHARM::LOGG and I will try to correct them immediately. If you have other
ideas let me know so that I can try them out or document them here in this
file. For those of you that would like to improve on the download time even
further. The following can be done:
1. To speed up communication to the VAX, have the Systems Group set the
terminal to 8 bit NOPARITY. It will also be necessary to change the
AMS too by typing "SET #12,0", "SET #22,0", and "SAV". This will
reduce downloading by approximately 1/11 (from 11 bits per character
to 10 bits).
2. As a last resort, you can break the download data into several
sections and load them separately. This is only helpful if a small
number of these sections are being modified at any one time.
The current performance of the new downloader is shown in the following
table. Please note that your mileage may vary. For your information, it takes
the VAX approximately 5 to 6 milliseconds to receive the ACK and start
transmission of the next record. For this reason, it is desirable to have the
record size as large as possible. There is a buffer in the AMS that holds
the record sent by the VAX and I could not determine its size. This means
I don't know how large a record it takes to blow up the AMS. For now, it seems
to work fine with a record size of 250 and we cannot do much better with a
larger record size, so let's use that size until someone determines the real
buffer size.
TYPE TEKHEX.HEX 56.0 seconds with parity set at 9600 Baud
TYPE TEKHEX.HEX 50.5 seconds with no parity at 9600 Baud
DNL TEKHEX.HEX/rec=32 29.3 seconds with no parity at 9600 Baud
DNL TEKHEX.HEX/rec=64 22.5 seconds with no parity at 9600 Baud
DNL TEKHEX.HEX/rec=96 20.8 seconds with no parity at 9600 Baud
DNL TEKHEX.HEX/rec=128 19.9 seconds with no parity at 9600 Baud
DNL TEKHEX.HEX/rec=200 19.2 seconds with no parity at 9600 Baud
DNL TEKHEX.HEX/rec=250 18.7 seconds with no parity at 9600 Baud
DNL TEKHEX.HEX/rec=300 19.1 seconds with no parity at 9600 Baud
DNL TEKHEX.HEX/rec=400 18.8 seconds with no parity at 9600 Baud
DNL TEKHEX.HEX/rec=500 18.9 seconds with no parity at 9600 Baud
DNL TEKHEX.HEX/rec=infinte 17.1 seconds in theory at 9600 Baud
___________________________________________________________________________
From: CHARM::SHEPPERD 25-FEB-1987 10:23:28.46
To: @SYS$MAIL:ENGINEER
CC:
Subj: DOWND
A new version of DOWND has been released. This one, in conjunction with
Logg's new AMS Eproms, will allow for downloading symbols. It works
just the same as the old DOWND except it has two new options:
/NOSYMBOL - if you don't want symbols downloaded
/SYMBOL_ONLY - if you want only symbols (no data)
It will normally download symbols if there are any in the .HEX or .VLDA
file(s).
ds
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::FRYE 2-MAR-1987 11:38:51.91
To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK
CC:
Subj: KEY
ANYONE HAVING A KEY #LL-228, I NEED TO HAVE THE USE OF IT FOR A FEW MIN.
THANKS,BOB
___________________________________________________________________________
From: ERNIE::BENZLER 2-MAR-1987 12:53:26.48
To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK,BENZLER
CC:
Subj: A MESSAGE FROM THE RECREATION COMMITTEE
ATARI GAMES LOGO/SLOGAN CONTEST
No, we are not trying to come up with a new logo to replace the renown Atari
"fuji" symbol. In fact, we truly wish that the OTHER Atari would take
another name and give us back the exclusive right to use the name Atari and
the logo that has represented OUR technologically innovative and creative
entertainment products.
But enough editorializing...
We want you and yours to put on your creative thinking caps and design some
artwork and a phrase that describes the spirit of Atari Games and symbolizes
our standing as the pioneer of and our continued leadership in the video games
industry.
At our 10th birthday the slogan was simple and full of hope for the future:
"The next decade." Well, we have survived half of that "next decade" and
things look pretty good for the five years to come. Coin Op, the REAL Atari,
is more than just a survivor!
June 27, 1987 marks our 15th birthday. Not a bad accomplishment in this crazy
silicon valley. And we mean to celebrate! (Remember, here at Atari we take
fun seriously!) A real honest-to-goodness, old fashioned birthday party is
planned for that date. We hope that every single Atari employee and every
member of their immediate family will be present for the festivities. (But
you'll hear more about the party at a later date...)
What we want now is your creative input. The logo and slogan that one of you
Atarians comes up with will be used for all sorts of public relations stuff,
both inside and outside of our industry. Aside from the birthday celebration
mentioned earlier, we have been promised the cover of RePlay Magazine for the
month of June, PlayMeter and other trade publications will, at the very least,
feature stories about our company, we will have a birthday theme for our
May/June distributor meeting, and we will seek coverage from the local
newspapers and television stations. In other words, we are going to make a
BIG DEAL out of this!
There are posters all around 675, 735 and 737 describing the contest, prizes,
etc. so the details won't be repeated here. Entry forms can be found in the
lobby of building 675. We want lots of entries to choose from. The
Recreation Committee will be selecting the winning entries (subject to
approval by the Executive Committee). So pick up your entry form today and
bring several copies home to your family! But for now...
Get back to work! (We need to keep those innovative leisure products rolling
off the line!)
Thanks for your attention,
-- THE MEMBERS OF THE RECREATION COMMITTEE
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::HORN "Erich Von Horn" 6-MAR-1987 13:24:55.98
To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK
CC:
Subj: HELP! Does anyone know of a place for rent?
My landlord is selling my house and I need to relocate. I am looking
for a place in one of the following areas:
Castro Valley Hayward Sunol Union City
Los Gatos Some hilly area within 20 miles of here
Some other place interesting
I need it by the end of April or before is better. I willing to pay up to
$360.00 per month, but would prefer about $300.00. Looking for a shared
situation or a small place for just me.
If you know of anything around that fits within the
above criti
criteria(oops!) please let me know.
Thanks,
Yours in Atari, Erich Horn
Office ext. 1765
Home phone [xxx]xxx-xxxx
Vax mail: KIM::HORN
___________________________________________________________________________
From: ERNIE::BROWN 6-MAR-1987 14:32:19.07
To: @SYS$MAIL:EVERYBODY,BROWN
CC:
Subj: NWNL CLAIM FORMS
LATELY, NWNL HAS BEEN ENCLOSING THE WRONG MEDICAL AND DENTAL CLAIM FORMS
WITH THE "EXPLANATION OF BENEFITS" SHEET THAT IS SENT TO US AFTER A CLAIM
HAS BEEN SUBMITTED. OUR CLAIM FORM IS WHITE AND IS THE ONLY ONE WE SHOULD
USE. IF YOU RECEIVE A TAN COLORED FORM, DESTROY IT; IT IS PRE-PRINTED
FOR ATARI (US) CORP AND WILL ONLY INCREASE THE CONFUSION IF IT IS USED
FOR OUR CLAIM USAGE.
I HAVE TALKED WITH OUR CLAIM REP, WHO WAS ALREADY AWARE OF THE PROBLEM
AND HE SAYS HE WILL TRY TO RESOLVE THE MATTER.
SANDI
HUMAN RESOURCE
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::DROBNY "Buddy Flyback" 10-MAR-1987 14:23:54.73
To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK
CC:
Subj: Sandy Feet
If you dont play volleyball at lunchtime, this message is not
for you and to you I apologize. But if your a male, (as in his, or him)
and you play volleyball at lunch, I am asking you to stop and find a
way to leave the court behind you when your done, and not drag half of
it back into the shower-room with you!!!! It is EXTREMELY IRRITATING
to go in to take a shower and have your tootsies fill with sand. I
am sure you can find a way to keep the sand outside where it belongs.
Thanks or else, Frank Burns
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::SHEPPERD 10-MAR-1987 21:11:45.79
To: @sys$mail:engineer,SHEPPERD
CC:
Subj: What's new?
Just when you thought you had it all figured out, we go and change everything.
What has been changed:
Each user on all the systems now has a unique UIC (User Identification Code)
which makes the cluster software officially released. You no longer need to use
DECnet to copy files back and forth between systems. You shouldn't even need to
copy files back and forth at all (except for backup purposes). For those of you
who have directories on other systems, you can access your files (for read and
write) from any system by using the device names of node$USERDISK (userdisk(s))
or node$SYSDEVICE (system disk) for example:
$ DIR KIM$USERDISK:[FRED]
Please avoid using the old (DECNET) method with KIM::, CHARM::, etc. We'd all
appreciate it and so will you. I suggest that you use logical names to point to
the various disks on which you may have directories. I think that you'll find
the cluster much more convenient especially with PRINT, IMI and DIO procedures.
The next thing we changed was the way the ques work on Kim and Charm (Sandy will
soon be joining this group). They operate from a common job que manager file so
each "knows" about the other's ques (both print and batch). Using the cluster
software we were able to make the two line printers spool from a common
SYS$PRINT. The consequence of this is that the items you asked to be printed on
Kim for example, may in fact be printed on Charm's line printer and visa-versa.
So, look in the baskets of either printer for your printout. At the moment, the
batch ques work the same as they always have. You can still reference them as
SYS$BATCH, etc. but they are really named KIM$BATCH or CHARM$BATCH, etc. As for
the letter quality printers, you can use the PRINT command from either Kim or
Charm to either the NEC spinwriter or the Diablo 630 in the common area:
$ PRINT/QUE=LQ0 your_file !NEC spinwriter
$ PRINT/QUE=RAINS$LQ your_file !Diablo
What will be changed:
I'm requesting input from everyone before I make the next major change. If you
have some serious objections, then maybe I won't do it this way:
I plan to combine all the user authorization files of all the systems into one
common file. After this is done, all users will have an account on ALL the
systems, however, each user's account will point to a single directory located
on what will be called his/her "home" system. For example, my home system would
be Kim, so which ever system I logged into, my default directory would be
KIM$USERDISK:[SHEPPERD] so the LOGIN.COM in that directory would be run at
login. Some one else's home directory may be on a different system. Those of you
with accounts on multiple systems will have to specify (if it isn't obvious to
me) which one they want as their home directory. There are some benefits to this
procedure at present, namely the IMI and DIO could be run by anyone without
having to have accounts on Kim and Charm nor would they have to copy files
around or change defaults or whatever. You would no longer need node names on
the mail distributions and indeed you should NOT put node names on the dist
lists, since everyone will have only one MAIL file (in or off of your home
directory) and all systems will know about all the users. This would make
sending mail quite a bit faster (probably almost as quick as sending to someone
on the same node as you). Kim and Charm's batch queues could be combined so that
batch jobs would be scheduled alternately between them to better even the load.
Techincally you could switch systems (via a SET HOST) if you found the one you
were on was too busy, however, you'd be jumping from the frying pan into the
fire if you switched from say, Kim to Ernie, Sandy or Mike during the day. I say
this is technically possible, but Ernie, Sandy and Mike don't have the same
software installed as Kim and Charm (and visa-versa) so your jobs probably
wouldn't run on those systems anyway. We will be adding more Kim's, Charm's and
Ernie's to the cluster in the next few months so the SET HOST scheme may become
more of a possibility. We plan to make the first new VAX a processor dedicated
to batch jobs. You'd still be able to SET HOST to it, but you may not want to if
it has 4 to 6 batch jobs running on it all the time. More about this as things
develop.
These features, however, do not come free. The cluster node that has the user
authorization, mail, network, job que and rightslist files has to remain up or
the whole cluster would grind to a halt (crash). I'm going to put those files on
the system with the highest reliability whichever one that might be. Accessing a
file through the cluster costs both CPU time and access time. The raw data rate
is roughly 1/2 of what it is via a locally connected disk and between 10 and 25%
of both systems invloved in the I/O dissappears during the transfer. We are not,
for most of the applications that we run on Kim and Charm anyway, anywhere near
being I/O bound so that might not even appear noticeable.
From: KIM::SHEPPERD 12-MAR-1987 15:53:33.92
To: @dups,SHEPPERD
CC:
Subj: One for all...
You guys currently have accounts on more than one system. Beginning on Monday
morning, EVERYONE will have an account on ALL the systems. This is available
because after that date there will be a single user authorization file. This
file will point your default login to a single node and no matter which system
you login on, you will always be pointing to that same "home" directory.
The consequence of this is that you will no longer be able to get at your MAIL
messages on a particular node by just logging on on that node. What you will
have to do (or even what you can do now) is, once in MAIL, type:
MAIL> SET FILE node$USERDISK:
where "node" is the node name on which you wish to read mail. If your mail
directories are not named the same on each different node, then you'll need to
specify the directory in addition to the node$USERDISK:. For example, in my
case, I've SET MAIL_DIR on all the nodes except ERNIE to [.MAIL] so I'd have
to type:
MAIL> SET FILE ERNIE$USERDISK:[SHEPPERD]
to get to my mail messages on ERNIE.
This also implies that only the LOGIN.COM file that is present in your home
directory will be run at login. If you have procedures that need to be run
differently on each node (as many of us do), then you'll need to use
conditional execution in your LOGIN.COM file such as:
$ node := 'f$getsyi("NODENAME") !see which node we are, trim spaces
$ kim = "IF node .EQS. ""KIM"" then "
$ _kim = "IF node .NES. ""KIM"" then "
$ charm = "IF node .EQS. ""CHARM"" then "
$ _charm = "IF node .NES. ""CHARM"" then "
$ kim $ do_kim_only_command
$ _kim $ do_command_only_if_not_kim
$ _kim _charm $ do_command_if_not_kim_and_not_charm
You get the picture?
ds
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::SHEPPERD 14-MAR-1987 15:27:29.18
To: @SYS$MAIL:EVERYBODY,SHEPPERD
CC:
Subj: New mail procedures
Starting today, everybody has an account on every computer. This means that
MAIL "knows" about everyone on every node all the time. You no longer need
to specify a node name when mailing to someone, and you should remove all
references to node names in any .DIS files that you may have made. MAIL
will stil work if you use a node name, but you'll find to be MUCH faster
if you don't (and everyone else will benefit from the reduced CPU loads too).
ds
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::FRYE 16-MAR-1987 15:51:03.20
To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK
CC:
Subj: "The Sands Of Atari"
The SAND epidemic here at Atari is out of control.... First it invaded
our main lobby, then you could do the shuffle on the manufacturing floor,
and now the sand dunes in our showers. Where will it end?
I agree with Chris, the sand has got to go.
Since the ball has landed in my court, I've notified the landscape con-
tractor to install a hose bib (connection) in the patio area near the
volleyball court. This will allow the players to wash off their feet
befor entering the buildings.
An up-side-down hard brush will also be installed to clean the bottoms
of shoes.
Now the ball is back in your court, step on it, jump on it, drown it
or what ever, let's keep the sand out of our buildings.
Thanks, Bob
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::SHEPPERD 16-MAR-1987 18:47:45.69
To: @NEWDUPS,SHEPPERD
CC:
Subj: Changes to the changes
Ok, ok, ok...It's back to the way it was (sort of). If you login to a system
where you have a local LOGIN.COM in a directory on the local USERDISK named the
same as it is on your home system, then the system will execute that login,
define SYS$LOGIN to point to that directory and SET DEFAULT to the new
SYS$LOGIN. If not then it'll execute your LOGIN.COM on your home node and leave
your default there. For example:
User FRED's home directory is KIM$USERDISK:[FRED]
He also owns the directory CHARM$USERDISK:[FRED] and it has
a LOGIN.COM file in it.
He also owns the directory ERNIE$USERDISK:[FRED] and it doesn't
have a LOGIN.COM file in it.
He has no directory on SANDY
If FRED logs in on CHARM, it'll execute the LOGIN.COM file in
CHARMUSER$DISK:[FRED] and set his default there too.
If he logs into ERNIE or SANDY, then, since there's no LOGIN.COM file,
it'll execute KIM$USERDISK:[FRED] and leave his default at KIM.
ds
___________________________________________________________________________
From: CHARM::SHEPPERD 17-MAR-1987 20:27:13.58
To: @SYS$MAIL:ENGINEER,SHEPPERD
CC:
Subj: DOWND
More changes. DOWND used to blow up if you tried to download too big of
a file, now it'll try to download what it can instead. It may still exit
with error status on KIM until Kim can be re-booted to reset an errant
sysgen parameter.
There is a problem with DCL in that it won't return to the requesting
program the complete command line if using the MCR facility. You MUST
follow the program name with whitespace to delimit user stuff from
DCL stuff. For example, in the case:
$ DNL := MCR DOWND
$ DNL/ADDR=0:1000 fred !or
$ MCR DOWND/ADDR=0:1000 fred
DCL will use the expression DOWND/ADDR=0:1000 (which is what the expression
will be after the DNL symbol substitution) as the filename of the program to
run and will "eat" the /ADDR=0:1000. DOWND asks DCL for the remaining
command line parameters and is given only "fred".
You can get around this by one of the following ways:
$ DNL /ADDR=0:1000 fred !always follow the DNL with a space or
^ this space is important
$ MCR DOWND /ADDR=0:1000 fred !ditto
^ watch this space
$ DNL = "MCR DOWND " !define DNL with a trailing space or
^ this space is important
$ DNL := $DOWND !define DNL as a foreign command
The setup time for DOWND increases linearly with the size of the input file
in ADDRESS SPACE, not necessarily with the quantiy of data. This is because
it builds a memory image of the data to be loaded. If you compile 1 byte at
address 0 and one byte at address 1000 (hex), the file is assumed to be 65k
bytes big even though there's only 2 bytes in memory. Two things happen as
a result of this. One is you may exceed your virtual memory quota (most people
have about 8Mb of quota). The second is the excessive time it'll take VMS to
deliver n megabytes of virtual memory. If you know what the address limits
are of the data you want to download (or MIXIT, it has the same restrictions),
then specify them. It's fastest if you specify both a lower and upper limit.
It's slightly faster still if you specify to exclude symbols (/NOSYM), even if
the file you are downloading has no symbols in it.
On a similar note, when using MIXIT, I suggest that you select a binary file
format wherever possible; VLDA is the most flexible. Not only are the files
smaller, but MIXIT, DIO, IMI and DOWND can process them many times faster
than they can the TEKHEX and ROM formats. A number of you are taking .HEX
files, MIXIT'ng them into .ROM files then doing something else with them.
If that something else doesn't involve editing or assembling, then you should
be MIXIT'ng them into a VLDA file (VLDA files can be appended).
ds
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::SHEPPERD 18-MAR-1987 18:49:39.97
To: @SYS$MAIL:ENGINEER,SHEPPERD
CC:
Subj: Take a BATCH of this...
There's a new batch que on Kim and Charm that you are free to use which will
alternately submit jobs on each system in order to balance the batch job load. I
highly recommend that you use this, or at least try it a few times to see if it
really works. After a breakin period, I will make the procedure the default. In
your LOGIN.COM (at least those on Kim and Charm), place:
$ assign 780_BATCH SYS$BATCH
or, if you'd rather not "break" SYS$BATCH, then do submits as:
$ SUBMIT/QUE=780_BATCH bla_bla...
or,
$ SUB*MIT :== SUBMIT/QUE=780_BATCH/NOTIFY...etc.
If you are one of those people with directories on both Kim and Charm, then
read on...
There could be a problem if you submit a job on Kim, it starts up on Charm
executes your LOGIN.COM file on Charm and that LOGIN.COM doesn't setup the same
environment as you've setup on Kim. Your batch job may fail because some symbol
or logical name hasn't been defined as expected or some such thing. When
we first went to common system authorization file, I chose to force everyone
to use a LOGIN.COM file in a "home" directory in order to remove these kinds
of problems, but that caused other problems instead. Soooo, I put it back the
way it was. Now with the BATCH system, it becomes yet again slightly different.
(I think this is how operating systems get so confused; the designers have to
use bandaids to make the system compatable and really make a mess of
things).
What happens in BATCH is the system finds which disk the file you have submitted
lives on. It then "pretends" to have logged in on that system for the purposes
of looking for your LOGIN.COM and setting SYS$LOGIN. This will not work under
all circumstances, such as submitting a .COM file that lives on a different
node. Also the node conditionals that you may have in your LOGIN.COM file
will NOT be fooled by this. Anyway, try it. I will probably work fine for your
simple day to day stuff such as compiles, links etc.
___________________________________________________________________________
From: SANDY::DAVE 23-MAR-1987 10:30:45.21
To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK
CC:
Subj: A RECOMMENDATION
EVERY SUNDAY NIGHT FROM 8 TO 10 PM THERE'S A GREAT SHOW CALLED
"NEW VISIONS" ON THE VH-1 MUSIC CHANNEL (10-B ON GILL CABLE)
IT FEATURES FUSION JAZZ, JAPANESE JAZZ, JAZZ JAZZ, AND JUST PLAIN BIZARRE
VIDEOS YOU WILL PROBABLY SEE NO WHERE ELSE. TRY IMAGINING A MIX OF
SPYROGYRA
SADAO WATANABE
MARK EGAN
FRANK ZAPPA
FRESH AIRE/WINDOM HILL
MILES DAVIS
JEAN LUC PONTY
ETC.
AND ONE OF THE BEST FEATURES IS THAT EACH WEEK THEY HAVE ONE OF THESE GUYS
AS THE GUEST V-J, SO ITS GOT A DIFFERENT ANGLE EACH TIME.
CZECH IT OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::MARGOLIN 23-MAR-1987 16:28:05.30
To: ERNIE::BROWN,MARGOLIN
CC:
Subj: RE: CONTEST DEADLINE
New Slogan:
" Come Play With Us"
Jed
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::DOWNEND 25-MAR-1987 17:16:46.03
To: @SYS$MAIL:ENGINEER
CC:
Subj: 680x0 Processor Prices
I just received some price quotes from Mary B. on 680x0 processors.
Since they are quoting leadtimes, I assume they are available now.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
8 mHz, 5000 qty.
plastic ceramic
-------- --------
68000 MOTOROLA 6.75 - 6 WEEKS
SIGNETICS 3.10 5.10 ?
HITACHI 8.20 ?
68010 MOTOROLA 14.55 24.80 2-4 WEEKS
------------------------------------------------------------------
WOW! Components will get the plastic parts qualified ASAP. Be sure to call out
the P/N for the plastic parts in future designs. Programmers should REALLY
consider 68000's over 68010's since it can mean another $10.00 savings!
___________________________________________________________________________
From: ERNIE::ARVIDSON 26-MAR-1987 07:32:09.05
To: @SYS$MAIL:ENGINEER
CC:
Subj: Reply to "680x0 Processor Prices"
Another reason to strongly consider the 68000 over the 68010 is
that as far as I know, only Motorola makes the 68010. Signetics, contrary
to the 68010 data in their book, will most likely never produce this.
Another source for the 68000 is Thomson Components Mostek. Their salesperson
claimed last week that they are very competitive. He will bring databooks,
availability and more details soon.
erwin
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::FRYE 1-APR-1987 15:53:48.96
To: @SYS$MAIL:EVERYBODY
CC:
Subj: POWER SHUTDOWN
PG&E HAS INFORMED ME THAT ON SUNDAY, APRIL 12 THIS BUSINESS PARK WILL BE
WITHOUT ELECTRICITY FROM 6AM TO 4:30PM.
PG&E WILL BE ADDING ADDITIONAL VOLTAGE TO THIS AREA AS WELL AS INSTALLING
A NEW TRANSFORMER FOR OUR BUILDING.
PG&E WILL RECONFIRM THIS DATE AT WHICH TIME I WILL DO THE SAME, (KEEP IN
MIND, THERE WILL BE NO ACCESS INTO OUR BUILDING DURING THE SHUTDOWN).
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::DOWNEND 1-APR-1987 18:11:15.56
To: @SYS$MAIL:ENGINEER
CC:
Subj: FYI: Surface-mount IC's - PCB processing
The Atari PCB line is building about 650 NAMCO-designed Rolling Thunder
PC Boards. Each Rolling Thunder PCB has (2) surface mount devices (SMD).
They are plastic flat packs with gull-wing leads. Each SMD has 80 pins
on 20-25 mil centers; there are 24 leads on two sides and 16 leads on the
other two sides.
Normally, the SMD's are attached first, using "vapor-phase" or "re-flow"
equipment, and then the pin-in-hole parts are wave-soldered as a second step.
To do this successfully however, requires the use of certain types of fluxs
during wave-solder and a FREON wash after wave-solder. Since Atari does not
have the right flux/wash, we cannot use that processing method. Instead, the
PCB's will be wave soldered here at Atari as usual, then the PCB's will be sent
out to have the SMD's attached as a second step. They will hand-solder each pin
of the SMD. The Cost: $3.00 per PCB ($1.50 per part).
___________________________________________________________________________
From: CHARM::SHEPPERD 1-APR-1987 20:27:12.00
To: @SYS$MAIL:ENGINEER,SHEPPERD
CC:
Subj: downd
I noticed that the AMS dev sys Xoff's the vax after a DOWND before it
has a chance to type out the stats, so it doesn't run SLEEP. I fixed
that by making it not type out the stats anymore. After the download
it quietly goes to sleep without any messages. If for some reason
you want to see the stats, you can include a /STAT on the command
line.
ds
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::FRYE 9-APR-1987 09:45:59.61
To: @SYS$MAIL:EVERYBODY
CC:
Subj: FACILITIES BITS & PIECES
POWER SHUTDOWN Just a reminder, the power will be off for both 675 and
735 on Sunday, 4/12, from 6 am to 4:30 pm. All perishables should be re-
moved from department refrigerators and this would be an opportune time to
defrost.
MEN'S SHOWERS Both showers are running full force.
VOLLEYBALL Because of your concerned effords in keeping the sand out
of the building, a mini foot shower has been installed in the patio.
FOCUS ROOM Auditors will be using the focus room starting Monday and
through the end of April.
Thanks, Bob
___________________________________________________________________________
From: ERNIE::GROSSMAN 9-APR-1987 10:19:25.95
To: @SYS$MAIL:ENGINEER
CC:
Subj: VTI Application Notes
Morgan Hoff has asked me to make-up a new binder to be housed in the
CAD Lab - "VTI Application Notes"
Included in that binder will be three sets of notes -
"Final Verification of Cell-Based IC Designs
Using Cell Layout"
"Test Generation Guidelines"
"Power and Clock Distribution in Cell-Based IC Designs"
___________________________________________________________________________
From: SANDY::DAVE 9-APR-1987 14:44:35.28
To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK
CC:
Subj: IT FIGURES
SO YOU SAY YOU'RE CONFUSED BY RECENT EVENTS FOREIGN EVENTS WISE???
YOU'D LIKE TO KNOW IF THE PEOPLE IN CHARGE ARE REALLY THAT STUPID???
WELL BUNKY, I HAVE FIGURED IT OUT!! YOU SEE ITS LIKE THIS:
FACT #1 : ITS BEEN WELL KNOWN THAT THE NEW SOVIET EMBASSY IS SITTING
IN A VERY ADVANTAGEOUS LOCATION TO RECIEVE ALL SORTS OF MICROWAVE PHONE
LINKS, AND HAS DIRECT LINE OF SIGHT ON A NUMBER OF IMPORTANT GOV'T BUILDINGS.
FACT #2 : ITS BEEN WELL KNOWN BUT UNDER REPORTED, THAT OUR NEW
EMBASSY BUILDING IS BEING RIDDLED WITH BUGS AS IT IS CONSTRUCTED.
FACT #3 : IT IS COMMON KNOWLEDGE THAT THE STAFF AT THE US MOSCOW
EMBASSY IS ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY KGB AND FRIENDS.
SO MY THEORY IS THAT THE MARINE GUARD WAS UNDER ORDERS TO FRATERNIZE
SO AS TO CREATE ENOUGH OF A SCANDAL THAT THE FACT OUR NEW EMBASSY WAS BEING
BUGGED COULD DRAGGED IN AS PART OF THE MEDIA EVENT. ALL THIS TO GIVE THE
PREZ ENOUGH OF AN EXCUSE TO SAY " THE SOVIETS CAN NOT OCCUPY THEIR EMBASSY,
UNTIL WE RECIEVE A NEW, BUG FREE EMBASSY"; AN EVENT THAT WILL NOT HAPPEN
FOR A LONG, LONG TIME.
OF COURSE, THIS SCENARIO WOULD BE TRANSPARENT UNLESS WE HAD ALREADY
DEMONSTRATED OUR INCOMPETENCE WITH THE IRAN IMBROGLIO.
SO REST EASY MY FRIENDS. IRAN DIDN'T USE US TO STING THE RUSS-IONS
AND THE ISRAELIS, WE USED THE IRANIANS TO STING THE RUSSIANS AND IN THE
PROCESS LENGTHEN THE IRAN-IRAQ WAR, WHICH RON'S PERSONAL FRIEND
ADNON KASHOGGHI WANTS TO CONTINUE, SO HE CAN KEEP SELLING THEM ARMS!!
MY HAT IS OFF TO COL. OLIVER FOR THIS BRILLIANT MASTER STROKE.
P.S. IT IS NO COINCIDENCE THAT OLIVER N. IS A MARINE>>>>>>
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::DOWNEND 13-APR-1987 12:28:54.31
To: @SYS$MAIL:ENGINEER
CC:
Subj: Surface mount correction
Put it in print and it's bound to be wrong. The 80-pin SMD's in Rolling
Thunder are being soldered on at a cost of $3.00 each, total of $6.00 per
board, not the originally quoted $1.50 each, $3.00 per board.
___________________________________________________________________________
From: ERNIE::DENCKER "Andrea Dencker" 13-APR-1987 19:40:42.52
To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK,DENCKER
CC:
Subj: Telephone area codes (online info)
MAGICALLY QUICK SEARCH FUNCTION
If you are interested in having at your fingertips an answer to
the question "What part of the country is that telephone area
code?" or "What's the area code of Boston?", here's how to get it.
Simply insert this line into your LOGIN.COM file anywhere above the line
that reads $ EXIT:
$ AC :== SEARCH SYS$USERDISK:[DENCKER.MISC]AREA-CODES.LIS
or you can copy that AREA-CODES.LIS file over to your directory and call it
by your new name.
To use the "AC" command, type:
$ ac what-you're-looking-for For example: $ ac boston
$ ac 818
$ ac oregon
$ ac "new york"
Note that if you're looking for two words that are separated by a space, you
have to enclosed them with quote marks.
The resulting display on your screen will be all lines in the file
AREA-CODES.LIS that contain the characters you're searching for. The file
only has the largest city in most area codes; the rest you have to look up
in the phone book. The file does, however, mention the fact that three new
area codes will be created in 1988 in Colorado, Florida, and Massachusetts.
You can type the search string in uppercase or lowercase -- it doesn't
matter. If you don't like the "ac" command, you can make up a different
word, such as "area".
Remember, after you update your LOGIN.COM file, you have to type
$ RESTART to make the new command take effect (equivalent to logging out and
in again). No warranties of accuracy or fitness for a particular purpose
are expressed or implied.
Andrea
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::DOWNEND 16-APR-1987 11:57:47.42
To: STEMPLER, SNYDER, MCCARTHY, LY, HOFF, MARGOLIN, ARVIDSON, MEYETTE
CC:
Subj: PLASTIC 68000'S
According to the Components Engineering Status report as of 4/15/87:
"Two Signetic plastic 68000 microprocessor samples were tested in a System I
game [running Road Blasters - 7.xx mHz clock] for 96 hours at 70 degrees
centigrade with no failures." I believe they were 8 mHz parts.
QUESTION: DO ANY OF YOU HAVE ANY OTHER TESTS YOU WOULD LIKE PERFORMED BEFORE
WE ADD THIS PART TO THE AVL?
If yes, then please get your input to Erwin by 4/21/87.
Erwin, if you do not receive any additional test requests, please add this
part to the AVL and give Gary Stempler and Doug Snyder the part number since
they have immediate applications.
Thanks, Chris
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::SHEPPERD 18-APR-1987 15:21:16.38
To: @NEWTERM,SHEPPERD
CC:
Subj: Bad terminal lines
The TXG and TXH terminal ports on Kim crapped out so I moved all the terminals
that were connected to any of those lines to alternate ones. So if your
dev_sys (most were dev sys's) doesn't work, it may be because I hooked it
up wrong or unhooked a port that was recorded as being unused but it
really was.
The following lines were disconnected because they were recorded as being
unused:
TXB7: edt_user in the Rustbucket
TXD1: edt_user in the ceiling (??)
TXD7: edt_user in the Audio lab
TXF4: edt_user in the Rustbucket
TXF5: ams_68k in the Rustbucket
TXG6: blu_box in the Rustbucket
The following lines were moved:
From: To: Type Location
TXG0: TXF5: edt_user Klein's office
TXG1: TXI2: edt_user Shepperd's office
TXG2: TXA0: blu_box Margolin's lab
TXG4: TXA4: blu_box Morris's lab
TXG5: TXA5: blu_box Horn's lab
TXG7: TXA6: imi_prog IMI programmer
TXH0: TXA7: blu_box Audio dev sys I
TXH1: TXB7: ams_68k Audio Omnibyte I
TXH3: TXD1: blu_box Thrasher lab
TXH4: TXD3: blu_box Wiebenson's DND
TXH6: TXD7: blu_box Dawe's lab
TXH7: TXF4: blu_box Dungeon lab
ds
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::FRYE 20-APR-1987 14:42:36.64
To: @SYS$MAIL:EVERYBODY
CC:
Subj: EARLY BIRD LUNCHERASE
Tomorrow, Tuesday we will need to shut off the cafeteria grills and hood
at 1:30 pm for cleaning and testing of the halon system. Be sure to get
your order in early. All other services will remain the same.
___________________________________________________________________________
From: ERNIE::CAMERON 20-APR-1987 14:49:01.79
To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK
CC:
Subj:
DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THE FIRST CAFETERIA ON THE MOON?
GREAT FOOD....... NO ATMOSPHERE......
___________________________________________________________________________
From: SANDY::PAAUW 20-APR-1987 15:13:06.49
To: @SYS$MAIL:ENGINEER
CC:
Subj: VTI CAD TOOLS DOCUMENTATION AVAILABLE FOR V6R5
The V6R5 SOFTWARE RELEASE BULLETIN, V6R5 SOFTWARE STATUS BULLETIN, and a cover
letter for the V6R5 software are now in the black binder labelled "SOFTWARE
STATUS BULLETINS" in the cad lab. The cover letter lists some major changes
to V6R5 and also covers standard cell incompatibilities between V6R4 and V6R5.
-- DON
___________________________________________________________________________
From: ERNIE::EVELYN 21-APR-1987 08:14:01.30
To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK
CC:
Subj: Secretary's Week
Just a reminder for those who might be interested:
Flower list is available in the lobby - order by Wednesday for
delivery on Thursday. Some of the specials - Large roses 2 doz $10.00
Baby roses 2 doz. $9.00 and Large carnations 2 doz. $10.00.
There is a complete list of all the flowers offered from the
Flowerman.
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::FRYE 22-APR-1987 14:11:23.09
To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK
CC:
Subj: BITS & PIECES.....
April 22, HAPPY SECRETARIAL DAY to all the bosses out there.....
From manufacturing..... Two gentlemen resembling Bartles & Jaymes are
looking into the possibility of a joint mafg. - engr. road blaster day.
Customer Service..... requesting that the perpetual volleyball trophy be
placed in their area for awhile.
Rec committee..... A road blaster for each employee ???
Egineering..... FOR SALE, ONE USED SKATE BOARD RAMP, disassembly extra.
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::PPS 22-APR-1987 17:32:03.57
To: @sys$mail:engineer
CC:
Subj: Soliciting input on new PBUTIL
The PPS staff is in the process of designing an updated
utility to take the place of the current PBEXTRACT, PBREDUCE, and
PBFORM functions. This new utility will be written in C, will
handle the vertical reflect capability of our new hardwares, and
support all current features across horizontal & vertical
extractions. Additionally, this utility will include extensions
to work with the new .RAD file format to be used on the new
Animation Workstation (TAT for short). Since this utility will
support our graphic work into the 1990's, I am soliciting input
during this design phase; Any Suggestions ?
A final note, the .DAT & .PBR format will be replaced with
a more friendly file format, and a macro file include feature
will be implemented to allow for customized output formats.
Mr. PPS
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::MCCARTHY 23-APR-1987 12:07:07.86
To: @sys$mail:engineer,MCCARTHY
CC:
Subj: Programming programmable logic
A purchase order is being put through to replace the 303A-001 DATA I/O
logicpak adaptor with the 303A-011A V02 adaptor. (We get a $50 refund for
trading in the old one.)
With the -011a we can program most makes of PALs and IFPLs. Without it we
cannot program any PALs. The only thing we loose is the ability to program
the Signetics 100 series (82S100 - 82S106). I have complete literature on
the -011A. Come by if you want to see it.
The assumption is being made that the ability to program the Signetics 100
series is no loss. If this is incorrect then speak quickly.
Pat McC.
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::MARGOLIN 23-APR-1987 12:45:52.32
To: MCCARTHY,MARGOLIN
CC:
Subj: DIO
Are the 82S123, 129, 130, 131, 137, and 185 part of the Signetics 100 series
that we will no longer be able to program?
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::MCCARTHY 23-APR-1987 19:38:59.97
To: KIM::MARGOLIN,MCCARTHY
CC:
Subj: RE: DIO
No. We will still be able to program all proms.
The 82S100 series refers to 82S100 through 82S103.
Pat.
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::MCCARTHY 24-APR-1987 10:50:35.76
To: @SYS$MAIL:ENGINEER,MCCARTHY
CC:
Subj: programming logic part 2
I need to clarify my earlier message on programming programmaple logic.
The 82S100 series refers only to 82S100 through 82S103.
The LOGICPAK and its adaptors only program programmable logic (PLAs,IFPLs,
FPLA, PALs, etc.
PROMS are not affected in any way as they are programed using the UNIPAK.
I.E. You can still program 82S23,123,129,130,131,137,147,185 ETC.
Sorry for the confusion.
Pat.
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::ALBAUGH "Dr. Bizarro" 28-APR-1987 16:22:38.02
To: @SYS$MAIL:ENGINEER
CC:
Subj: "new" as68k
I have just replaced as68k on both Kim and Charm. If it blows up
on you, change your symbol to use utl$exe:old_as68k instead. Then VaxMail
me a note giving particulars of the screwup. The new version adds two
features:
If you just say " as68k fred", it will look for fred.s and fred.asm
(in that order) rather than giving you a blank look.
If you use the -x1 switch, it will change all "move.l #sym,An" to
"lea sym,An", which is a wash in bytes and cycles, but which the Applied
Microsystems will properly disassemble. This feature was added to a custom
version (utl$exe:xas68k.exe) and has been used for some weeks by some Eds.
The current change is to make it switch selectable.
Mike
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::FRYE 30-APR-1987 11:22:29.53
To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK
CC:
Subj: LAUNDRY ROOM ?
It has been brought to my attention that the men's shower room has been
turned into a messy laundry room.
For the benefit of all, please remove excess clothing and towels when
through using the showers.
Wall lockers have been provited for this purpose and if needed, additional
lockers can be provited.
Thanks for your cooperation.
___________________________________________________________________________
From: ERNIE::FRYE 30-APR-1987 11:34:03.33
To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK
CC:
Subj: CORRECTION
PROVITED SHOULD BE PROVIDED, SORRY
___________________________________________________________________________
From: CHARM::MORRIS 5-MAY-1987 13:28:16.25
To: @SYS$MAIL:ENGINEER
CC:
Subj: Greenhill C, Are you having trouble??
If your greenhills C compiler just stopped working see me.
Jim.
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::ALBAUGH "Dr. Bizarro" 6-MAY-1987 17:09:25.38
To: @SYS$MAIL:ENGINEER
CC:
Subj: 680x0 Systems?
I'm attempting to put together a "generic" foundation/o.s./utility ROM
for Motorola 680x0 based game hardware. The idea is to get something that is
more-or-less standard from the programmer's (and operator's) point of view, and
relatively easily "ported" to new hardware. In doing this, I have become aware
of the following different hardware configurations for which games are being
actively developed. I would very much like to hear from anyone who knows about
the others that I know exist, with a description like that below:
Hardware name Contact Description
System I Ly/Albaugh The original Stamp/MO 68K hardware
Comes in at least three flavors
Gauntlet McCarthy/Flanagan Single-board/More M.O.s
Catacombs Snyder/Flanagan Cost reduced, Single board "System I"
Rasteroids Stempler/Rotberg Cost reduced/Interlaced/"med res"
System II/68 ??/Harper? System II (med res) with 68010 CPU
Tank...??? ??/Turner/Avellar Looks like Gauntlet so far?
??? ??/Kwinn/Salwitz? Dueling 68000's?
System IV ??/Morris May not be applicable
The most important info I need is the contact person for the hardware
and software.
Thanks in advance,
Mike
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::MARGOLIN 6-MAY-1987 17:18:08.21
To: ALBAUGH,MARGOLIN
CC:
Subj: 680x0
System 4 exists but there are no plans to produce it.
Instead, we will be using:
GSP TURBO
which is a 68010 based design that uses a Texas Instruments
34010 GSP for Graphics. The "TURBO" is because of a clever
trick to get it to do Polygon Fills at 48 Mega-Pixels/sec.
The hardware has an Analog Devices ADSP-2100 to do math.
Jed
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::MARGOLIN 7-MAY-1987 16:47:38.06
To: POPKIN,MARGOLIN
CC:
Subj:
Gary, I think this is the connector.
Atari Games Inc. Approved Vendors List -
7-MAY-1987 16:43:33
AVL Search for: 179157-060
P/N GENERIC DESCRIPTION
179157-060 CONNECTOR,HEADER,60CKT,RIGHT-ANGLE,.10_CENTERS
MANUFACTURER VENDOR P/N
BERG_ELECTRONICS/DUPONT 65823-126
Jed
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::SHEPPERD 7-MAY-1987 17:09:14.20
To: @sys$mail:engineer,SHEPPERD
CC:
Subj: A new and improved LLF
I just released version 2.1 of LLF, so watch out. There were a number of
bugs in the cross-reference feature which should have caused an acc-vio
failure or at least jibberish to be printed if anyone had asked for one.
There is also a bug in the VAXC optimizer that I haven't been able to
isolate which may have caused some unusual problems. The latest version is
compiled with that level of optimization removed (so far, no problems).
The two most visible changes with this version of LLF are the sticky
directories on the input filenames and the FILE and LIBRARY commands
in the option file.
The sticky directories behave exactly the same as all the other VMS
commands; subsequent files in a list inherit the node, device and
directory of the file preceeding it. For instance:
$ LLF one,fred:two,three
the file "three" inherits the device and directory specified by the
logical name "fred:" on file two. If you don't want that, you need
to say:
$ LLF one,fred:two,sys$disk:[]three,four,...etc.
the SYS$DISK:[] will restore the default to the current default directory.
The FILE and LIBRARY commands in the option file allow for you to get around
the 1024 character limits placed on the DCL command line input. You can
specifiy as many files as you need and they will be processed in the order
that they appear in the FILE/LIBRARY directive(s) and also in the order
in which the option file appears in the command line input. For example,
an option file named FRED.OPT contains:
FILE ( one.ol two.ol )
LIBRARY ( three.lib )
FILE ( four.ol )
and a command input of $ LLF five,fred/opt,six will process the files
in the following order:
five,one,two,three/lib,four,six
As with command input, the default file types of .OL, .OBJ or .LIB will
be used on the files specified in the option file and the sticky directories
behave the same as on the command line except the directories are not
remembered across FILE or LIBRARY directives (i.e. each new FILE directive
starts with a default of SYS$DISK:[]).
___________________________________________________________________________
From: ERNIE::ARVIDSON 11-MAY-1987 16:41:28.43
To: MARGOLIN,ARVIDSON
CC:
Subj: Resistor Network, Ladder.
I talked to Glen Miller, the sales rep for MuRata. He would like to obtain
pricing. What was the small quantity that you wanted to order now? What production
quantities would you like pricing for? The question came up as to which values are
matched to 0.25%; we assume that 1K's are matched to each other and that 2K's are
matched to each other. Am I correct is assuming that the 1K's and 2K's are matched
to each other also? He said that these would have to be special ordered since none
of the resistors are matched to 0.25%.
erwin
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::MARGOLIN 11-MAY-1987 17:48:22.82
To: ARVIDSON,MARGOLIN
CC:
Subj: R2R Resistor Network
Irwin, I am sending you a copy of my correspondance on the R2R Ladder Network.
The question of what matches within 0.25% has never come up before. In order
for this thing to work, each "R" must be within 0.25% of every other "R".
Since "R" is nominally 1K, 0.25% is 2.5 ohms so that each "R" is plus or minus
2.5 Ohms and each "2R" is plus or minus 5.0 Ohms. If the "R"s don't track
with the "2R"s, it doesn't work. The absolute tolerance on "R" is not critical,
only the relative tolerance.
2 April 1987
Atari Games Corp.
675 Sycamore Drive
P.O. Box 361110
Milpitas, CA 95035-1110
Richard Ponce de Leon
Brooks Technical Group
883 Stierlin Road
Mountain View, CA 94043
Dear Richard,
As Evelyn suggested I am faxing the drawing for the R2R Resistor
Network for which I would like a quote.
I would like the quote for quantities of 1K, 5K, 10K, and 25K.
I expect the game that I am considering this part for will be produced
in the 3rd Quarter this year.
I would also like cost and delivery information for 100 prototype
units.
Sincerely yours,
Jed Margolin
Senior Staff EE
Atari Games Corporation
4/22/87 From Richard Ponce de Leon
NRE for Soft Tooling and 10 prototypes - $250. [8-10 weeks]
NRE for Soft Tooling and 50 prototypes - $300. [8-10 weeks]
NRE for Hard Tooling - $250. [18 weeks]
25K 10K 5K 1K
----- ----- ----- -----
$0.38 $0.43 $0.49 $1.14
24 April 1987
Atari Games Corp.
675 Sycamore Drive
P.O. Box 361110
Milpitas, CA 95035-1110
Jim Calhoun
Moulthrop Sales
Dear Mr. Calhoun,
As Judy suggested I am faxing the drawing for the R2R Resistor
Network for which I would like a quote.
I would like the quote for quantities of 1K, 5K, 10K, and 25K.
I expect the game that I am considering this part for will be produced
in the 3rd Quarter this year.
I would also like cost and delivery information for 100 prototype
units.
I have included the quote from LTI that you got for us three years
ago but you may select whatever company you feel is most appropriate.
Sincerely yours,
Jed Margolin
Senior Staff EE
Atari Games Corporation
Phone: (408) 434-1730
FAX: (408) 434-3776
5/6/87 from Moulthrop Sales, Janet
LTI Resistor Network:
100 prototypes - $3.15 ea + $400 NRE 6-7 weeks ARO
1K 5K 10K 25K
----- ----- ----- -----
$0.63 $0.46 $0.43 $0.38
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::DURFEY 12-MAY-1987 10:37:09.75
To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK
CC:
Subj: Sick time
A person (non-exempt) has all 12 days of sick time acrued by the end of
the year. This person then contracts hepatitis and not wanting to loose
their two and a half weeks bonus sick pay, comes to work and infects the
entire company and then everyone has to go home.
just a thought
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::MARGOLIN 18-MAY-1987 16:01:46.97
To: MONCRIEF,MARGOLIN
CC:
Subj: VRAMs
Rick,
The Hitachi Video RAMs are: HM53461P-15
The Mitsubishi VRAMs are: M5M4C264P-15
They are available from:
Diplomat Electronics
1310 Kifer Road
Sunnyvale, CA 94086
(408) 737-0204
The Salesman is Dave Appleman but he is usually not
in. Greg seems to do most of the real business.
(I have recently been in contact with them for an
updated quote.)
Jed
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::FRYE 19-MAY-1987 08:54:18.85
To: @SYS$MAIL:EVERYBODY
CC:
Subj: COMPUTER ROOM A/C
THIS MESSAGE IS DIRECTED TO ALL PERSONNEL
HAVING ACCESS TO OUR MAIN COMPUTER ROOM.
Having recently completed installation
of a second a/c backup system for the
computer room, I would like to take this
time to define it's operation.
Should the main a/c unit for the comp-
uter room fail, a red lite located in
the center of the room on the hallway
wall will come on. Please follow the
instructions posted.
A test was conducted following the
compleation of this system. The results
showed that all the computer equipment
could remain running as the room temp
erature remained normal. The additional
backup air was supplied from a/c #2 and
no complaints were received from that
area during the four hour test.
Bob
___________________________________________________________________________
From: ERNIE::GROSSMAN 19-MAY-1987 13:45:08.02
To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK
CC:
Subj:
W A N T E D
The staff of the all new, extremely exciting Atari Games
Newsletter is searching for "WANT ADS" to appear in this
publication.
If you have any items that you have wanted to buy, sell,
trade, or give away, you now have the opportunity to do that
in the official Atari Games Newsletter. The PREMIER edition
will be put out in June. So you must act fast to make sure
your ad appears in the first edition of this glossy, glitzy
new publication.
All ads need to be submitted to Cyndy Grossman (via Vax mail
"Grossman" or interoffice to 675) NO LATER THAN MAY 29.
So get busy and clean your attic, garage or the whole house
and advertise those items in the Atari Games Newsletter.
[Plans are to publish the newsletter on a bi-monthly basis
so this is NOT a one time offer but will be repeated in
July for inclusion in the Summer Vacation issue to be
published in August.]
___________________________________________________________________________
From: ERNIE::ARVIDSON 20-MAY-1987 17:00:08.08
To: MARGOLIN,ARVIDSON
CC:
Subj: Resistor Network, Ladder Configuration.
Jim Calhoun representing Panasonic tried to contact you to discuss
your requirements. The best that they would be able to do in the area of
matching is 0.5% instead of 0.25%. The absolute value tolerance would be 2%.
Jim wanted to find out if you could live with 0.5% matching.
erwin
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::MARGOLIN 20-MAY-1987 18:14:31.68
To: ARVIDSON,MARGOLIN
CC:
Subj: R2R
I have quotes from Centralab and from LTI for R2R Networks which I
got as a response to my drawing which specified 0.25% matching.
For an 8 bit network, 0.25% gives an accuracy of 0.64 LSB.
0.5% would give an accuracy of 1.28 LSB. Since this figure is
greater than one LSB, there would be no point using 8 bits.
I want to stay with 0.25% matching, especially since we have quotes from
two companies who say they can do it.
The quote from LTI came via Moulthrop Sales which also employs a
gentleman by the name of Jim Calhoun. (Could he be the very same
Jim Calhoun referred to in your message?)
Jed
___________________________________________________________________________
From: ERNIE::ARVIDSON 21-MAY-1987 07:33:42.74
To: KIM::MARGOLIN,ARVIDSON
CC:
Subj: RE: R2R
OK on the 0.25%.
Yes, it's the same Jim Calhoun. I wonder why he didn't mention LTI.
Maybe he assumed that I knew about the LTI quote.
I'll watch for other potential sources.
erwin
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::MCCARTHY 26-MAY-1987 17:34:13.95
To: @SYS$MAIL:ENGINEER,MCCARTHY
CC:
Subj: cost data
A costing of the more common components used on our PC boards is available.
Full instructions are given in the file
kim$userdisk:[MCCARTHY.costs]areadme.lis
To obtain a listing of all the components use
$ print kim$userdisk:[mccarthy.costs]*.lis
This costing information will be updated regularly.
___________________________________________________________________________
From: ERNIE::ARVIDSON 28-MAY-1987 16:32:51.43
To: MARGOLIN,ARVIDSON
CC:
Subj: R2R Ladder Network.
The Atari part number is 118015-001
___________________________________________________________________________
From: ERNIE::TERRI 29-MAY-1987 09:38:11.12
To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK
CC:
Subj: Bye from Terri
To all of my friends here at Atari, I say Good-Bye.
I have been here for 14 1/2 years and now it's time
for a change. For those of you who didn't get a chance
to talk with me about my Sailing Trip to San Diego &
back, see Jess Melchor - he has a letter that I wrote
about my trip.
Bye, Terri Walters
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::DOWNEND 29-MAY-1987 17:27:42.47
To: STEMPLER, MCCARTHY, PAAUW, HOFF, LY, SHERMAN, SNYDER, MARGOLIN, DROBNY, ROWE, LEVI, WIEBENSON, NGUYEN, DURFEY, DOWNEND, MOORE
CC:
Subj: LETA II precautions
Several months ago, we converted LETA to a CMOS Gate array and called it
LETA II. The old HMOS part is no longer available. It works fine (I think)
in Trackball/opto-coupler applications. Apparently, there are additional
circuit precautions needed if you plan to use it to read switches - the
fast transition of a switch together with the long control harness, causes
latch-up....see below...
...........................................................................
From: SANDY::PAAUW 29-MAY-1987 13:41
To: DOWNEND
Subj: leta II
Ed said that the program would crash due to the Leta. I checked with Doug and
he said that the switch inputs were ringing below ground, probably due to the
length of the cables. This can cause SCR latchup in CMOS and this was apparently
the case with the Leta's. The Leta chips would get very hot until power was
removed. This is a classic symptom of SCR latchup.
Doug replace the Leta with a lsttl part that also wouldn't work. The inputs
would occaisionally be asserted onto the data bus even when the chip was not
enabled. This would cause the program to crash. A Schottky part seems to be
able to handle the ringing and is working OK for now. Doug believes that
the cure for the ringing would be to place series resistors in series with
the input wires.
In any case, I believe that the problem goes farther than the Leta and that
SCR latchup is not surprising under these circumstances.
I just realized that I'm sending this only to you. Could you forward this
to the others and to myself? Thanks.
-- Don
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::BRAD 1-JUN-1987 14:15:34.06
To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK,BRAD
CC:
Subj: 2 column text utility
If you write text files often you may have found yourself frustrated
editing your file if it contained columns. Now there is a utility that will
take an ascii file and process it into two columns. To use this utility add
this line to your login.com:
$ col*umn :== $ utl$exe:2col
To use the utility, edit your ascii text file and include the
appropriate commands (see below). I suggest using EDT or TPU since it appears
re-editing an ascii file in WORDMARC is a pain. I mention re-editing because
you may want to go back to your text file and touch it up after you process it
thru the utility.
All commands should be preceded by a carriage return and followed by a
space. No more than one carriage return is allowed between column commands.
There are just a few commands in two catagories: 1) column commands and
2) formating commands.
The column commands are:
{L put following text in the Left column.
{R put following text in the Right column.
{N treat text as is [default].
} end the current column.
The formating commands are:
{CL<arg> set left margin by <arg> [default = 0].
{CR<arg> set beginning right column by <arg> [default = 40].
{CR<arg> set right margin by <arg> [default = 80].
{S<arg> set spacing between columns by <arg> [default = 5].
{P<arg> set spacing between paragraphs by <arg> [default = 1].
Process your text file after you have typed in the appropriate
commands by typing:
$ column
at the '$' prompt. When you run the utility it will prompt you for your input
file. The output file will be the same name as your input file but with the
extension: .2COL. You can also indicate your input file and your output file
on the commandline like this:
$ column infile.txt outfile.2col
The default extensions are: .TXT for the input file and .2COL for the output
file.
There is also help available on how to use this utility. Just type:
$ column ?
And the list of commands will appear. Or you can contact me if you have
problems.
There are no guarantees with this utility, and if you do something
wrong it will just usually blow up. But it is much easier to use then trying
to format 2 columns in an editor.
- brad -
___________________________________________________________________________
From: CHARM::LOGG 3-JUN-1987 09:56:04.00
To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK
CC:
Subj: I just have to get this off my chest!
If someone offered to pay you $11,000 tomorrow if you pay them
$10,000 today, would you do it? Even if the party is backed by
US government? Well think twice and listen to my tale. It could
happen to you!!!!!
Let's say you worked for the IRS and wanted to fuck some poor bastard.
Suppose you sent him the standard form letter, saying that he deducted
$5,000 from some investment that the IRS does not approve of. The
poor bastard thinks the IRS is out to screw him so he pays the $5000
plus $10,000 in interest from his investment three years earlier
so that the IRS does not continue to add more interest to the
amount he owes. The poor bastard is so confident that he is right
that he pays an attorney $2500 to sue the IRS in court. Court cases
usually take several years but for our argument the IRS decides the
day it receives the attorneys nasty letter that it has made a mistake
and returns the bastards $15000 plus $1000 in interest. (I should
point out the IRS charges you 9% interest but only pays 8%.) The
poor bastard thinks he has won until he has his taxes done. His
accountant tells him that of the $10,000 he paid in interest, he
can deduct $6,500. But the $11,000 in interest returned to him
is ordinary income. So the poor bastard has to additional taxes of
33% x ($11000 - $6500) = $1500. Not only has he lost $2500 in attorneys
fees but has paid $1500 more in taxes! So much for tax reform!
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::MARGOLIN 3-JUN-1987 14:07:21.45
To: FRYE,MARGOLIN
CC:
Subj:
KINDLY SUPPLY ME WITH THE NAME OF THE COMPANY THAT MAKES
THE MOTION SENSORS USED ON THE DOOR CAMERAS, AS WELL AS
THE MODEL NUMBER OF THE SENSORS.
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::SUTTLES "Yo speako TECO" 4-JUN-1987 10:35:39.27
To: MARGOLIN,SUTTLES
CC:
Subj: NVR/clock/calendar chip
Can I get specs from you, and how do I go about getting a
part? As I recall, you said that it was 2Kx8 minus the last 8 bytes
(this is a question).
sas
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::DOWNEND 5-JUN-1987 11:32:22.25
To: @SYS$MAIL:ENGINEER
CC:
Subj: EPROM Purchasing News
Petersen/Wallin reports that things are really crazy in the EPROM market.
We have contracts for delivery of large quantities at reasonable prices, but
the spot price in the market is up to $12.00 for 27512's; hence deliveries
have gotten flakey and Peteren suuspects the manufacturers are slipping
our orders to fill more lucrative orders. Atari recently had to buy 10,000
27512's through distribution at $8.15 to meet current commitments. Rod
Petersen also suggests we use $8.00 as the cost for 27512's until things
settle out in the EPROM market. In the mean time, they have been working
with Erwin Arvidson to get more vendors on the AVL - I believe Rod said that
Toshiba, Mitsubishi, TI are now on the AVL for 27128/27256/27512. Manufacturing
reports that the Toshiba's program much faster than AMD or any of the others.
Also Toshiba and Mitsubishi have a fallout rate of about 1/2 % as opposed 1 %
with AMD. Wallin also said they will be looking for ROM vendors since we have
a verbal quote of $2.50 for 23512 ROM's from Sharp (masks extra - about $2000).
Getting 200 ns parts is a REAL problem, getting 250 ns parts is easier, and
Manufacturing would like to use 250's instead of 200's wherever possible or
even "slightly not possible". Engineers should evaluate their timing and
be prepared to make a judgement call in this respect.
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::FRYE 7-JUN-1987 16:53:31.78
To: @SYS$MAIL:EVERYBODY
CC:
Subj: MA BELL
ON TUESDAY, JUNE 9TH PACIFIC BELL WILL
BE WORKING ON OUR LONG DISTANCE CALLING
LINES FROM 1 TO 3 PM.
TWO LINES WILL REMAIN OPEN AT ALL TIMES.IT JUST MAY TAKE A LITTLE LONGER TO GET
YOUR OUTSIDE LINE.
THANKS, BOB
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::ALBAUGH "Dr. Bizarro" 8-JUN-1987 17:19:43.62
To: @SYS$MAIL:ENGINEER
CC:
Subj: VMS Hints and Kinks part 44352883
Maybe I was just the last to discover this, but the VMS SEARCH
utility is a bit spiffier than most of us give it credit for. There is,
for example, the /MATCH qualifier. The simplest real useful example of
this I came up with is:
$ search/match=and *.s "MOVE.W",",-(SP)"
Which will type out all the lines containing the two strings, i.e. find the
places that GreenHills 1.8.0 screwed you by pushing a word, rather than a long,
as a parameter. /Match also has other neat possibilities.
Explore and Enjoy
Mike
___________________________________________________________________________
From: MIKE::HUDSON 15-JUN-1987 10:55:06.60
To: MARGOLIN
CC:
Subj: PR STATUS
PR # 001855 - MOULTROP SALES - P.O. # CQ65736
PR # 001854 - BROOKS TECHNICAL - P.O. # CQ65701
PLEASE REFER TO P.O. # WHEN CALLING FOR STATUS.
THANK YOU
CANDY X 3955
___________________________________________________________________________
From: ERNIE::YAMAMOTO 15-JUN-1987 14:06:18.03
To: @SYS$MAIL:EVERYBODY
CC:
Subj: TWO CONTESTS . . .WIN UP TO $500
ATARI GAMES CORPORATION is looking for a new name and logo that can be
recognized within the entire home computer/video game world.
We are having Mindscape of Northbrook, Illinois, convert our coin-op
games for home computers and video game machines. We, therefore, need a
logo and name that shows no resemblance to our present company name and
logo nor can it be a derivative of our present name and logo. Please
keep in mind we, as a coin-op manufacturing company, are not changing
our name, just creating a new name and logo for our games to be
distributed under the home consumer software market. So, let's go
creative and think of something completely NEW!
This is a contest for all Atari employees, not just those
with artistic ability!
We have 2 contests; one for those who are good with words can submit
a name for our name contest, while those who are artistic can submit
a drawing for our logo. If you have an idea for both, submit both.
Entries will be judged by a selected committee of fellow employees and
any name or design that is chosen to represent our company will win a cash
prize of $250 for a name and $250 for a logo.
All entries become the sole property of ATARI GAMES CORPORATION.
Deadline for entries: June 30, 1987.
Submit entries to: REBECCA DEPEW
Legal Assistant
675 Sycamore Drive
Milpitas, CA 95035-1110
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::WIEBENSON 17-JUN-1987 15:16:44.26
To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK
CC:
Subj: Through the nose
Apparently the FCC is spending a lot of time trying to take from the
modem users (US) and give to the phone companies (THEM). I just heard
something about a $5/hour tax suggested! What's going on?! This same
FCC is responsible for program-length commercials being allowed on TV,
...shopping channels, get rich quick shows, and mindlessly violent
cartoons. With communications technology advancing so rapidly, I think
we need a FCC with a little forsight and a combined IQ in at least the
three figure range. It might also help if they only recieved paychecks
from one employer.
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::SHEPPERD 17-JUN-1987 15:39:49.36
To: @sys$mail:engineer,SHEPPERD
CC:
Subj: LLF v2.2
Announcing version v2.2 of LLF so watch out, it may blow up. There are a
great number of changes in this release mostly in order to complete the
port to the Atari ST, and hopefully nothing much different than v2.1
(the one you've been using) as far as the VAX is concerned.
Differences you might want to know about:
The command line processor has been replaced and no longer uses callbacks to the
VMS's CLI. This means that the command line interpreting may not be as robust as
is used to be. It also means command qualifiers may be abbreviated to 1
character (no check for ambiguity is done). Commas between filenames are treated
as white space so white space may substituted for commas. Multiple option files
are allowed and they allow two new options:
FILE (filename ...)
LIBRARY (filename ...)
There may any number of filenames specified in either of the commands separated
by white space or commas. Specifying filenames in a FILE directive allows LLF
to run slightly faster than forcing it to extract filenames from a library.
I also should reiterate the points about constants expressed in an option file.
They are interpreted as constants are in C, that is assumed to be decimal unless
prefixed with a 0 which means octal or a 0x (or #) which means hex. Comments
are delimited with a double dash (--) or exclamation point (!) and end-of-line.
The C comment construct of /* and */ can also be used to comment text across
multiple lines.
More details about LLF may be found in DOK:LLF.DOC
ds
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::ALBAUGH "Dr. Bizarro" 17-JUN-1987 15:49:38.86
To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK
CC:
Subj: Dave Wiebenson's Nose
Welllll Nooow, it all depends whose ox is gored. The "$5/hour tax"
Dave Wiebenson is complaining about is actually the removal of an
equivalent gift the FCC gave companies like CompuServe some time ago. It all
started when the founder of MCI noticed that if he didn't have to subsidize
home telephone service, he could sell long-distance at lower rates than
Ma Bell. Ma was understandably annoyed at this, and when the dust cleared
we got pretty much the current situation: You buy your local phone service
from PacBell for whatever the PUC allows (often slightly BELOW their cost.)
They make up the difference by charging Long-Distance companies (e.g. MCI)
"access charges" which the long-distance companies (no fools) pass on to
you. The theory is that poor folks get a break and yuppies who make a lot
of long distance calls won't notice the extra charge. When this whole mess
was set up, the "information providers", who in most other ways resemble
long-distance companies, cried poor and got an exemption "for a few years,
until business picks up". The net result was that I (who have never logged
on to Compuserve) was subsidizing Dave and (not-so-coincidentally CompuServe).
Lately the FCC has noticed that the Chairman of the board of CompuServe drives
a nicer car than I do and decided it was time to let me off the hook.
I happen to like that idea.
Mike
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::HARPER 18-JUN-1987 10:47:40.85
To: @SYS$MAIL:ENGINEER
CC:
Subj: A miracle
Warning!! The UV ROM eraser can do more than erase your chips. While
erasing 16 27512s (with a "White Water" sticker on them), I returned to
find that 10 of the ROMs magically turned into 27256s!! Now this is either
an act of God or the act of a slimeball. Please note that my sticker was
still on the ROMs (like I wouldn't notice!!).
A little peeved...
Dennis
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::SHEPPERD 18-JUN-1987 15:42:57.39
To: @SYS$MAIL:ENGINEER,SHEPPERD
CC:
Subj: VMS bites again...
LLF now uses the C argc/argv argument convention to get the command line stuff.
DCL specifies that no single argument be greater than 256 chars and that the
total of all arguments be no greater than 1024 chars. Unfortuneatly, commas
do NOT delimit arguments when using the argc/argv system, you must use white
space. For example:
file1,file2
is 1 argument as far as DCL is concerned, whereas:
file1, file2
is 2 arguments. A problem shows up when you have a very long list of filenames
such as you might have in a makefile and DCL assumes that list to be one
argument. You'll get a nasty message:
%DCL-E-TOOLNG, Argument to too damn long, shorten it up you turkey
or words to that effect. To fix that problem, insert spaces between one or more
filenames instead of or in addition to commas.
ds
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::SHEPPERD 18-JUN-1987 16:07:22.42
To: @SYS$MAIL:ENGINEER,SHEPPERD
CC:
Subj: Don't believe everything you read...
I lied. Two hundred fifty six (256) is the limit, not the aformentioned
1024 regardless of whether you use spaces. Sorry, the option file is the
only solution.
ds
___________________________________________________________________________
From: ERNIE::BROWN 19-JUN-1987 11:57:10.53
To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK,BROWN
CC:
Subj: PICNIC TICKETS
EMPLOYEES WHO WANT TO PURCHASE TICKETS FOR OUTSIDE GUEST MAY DO SO
TODAY THROUGH MONDAY MORNING. WE HAVE TO GIVE THE PARK A FINAL COUNT BY
MONDAY NOON. THE PRICES ARE $10 FOR ADULTS, AND $6 FOR CHILDREN.
TICKETS MAY BE PURCHASED FROM SANDI, HUMAN RESOURCES.
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::SHEPPERD 19-JUN-1987 20:04:01.67
To: @SYS$MAIL:ENGINEER,SHEPPERD
CC:
Subj: MAKE and LLF
Now that you may need to use an option file with LLF, it has been
mentioned that it can be a bit more of a pain to use a single
dependency list in your MAKEFILE. The following is an excerpt from LLF's
makefile. The commas in the VMS lists are required for VMS's LINK
utility and the spaces surrounding the commas are required so MAKE
doesn't screw up. LLF does not require commas between filenames so
they are not included in the Atari ST build lists. LLF now allows for
multiple option files, so you may leave your LOCATE commands and stuff
in your current option file and create another one in the method
section of your makefile. So, good luck figuring out what this does:
! ALLx are the dependency lists for a VMS version build
! (commas are required by LINK and spaces are optional, but...
! spaces are required by MAKE and commas are illegal, however,
! it works if there are spaces surrounding the comma)
ALL1 = timer.obj , symdef.obj , symbol.obj , reloc.obj , qksort.obj
ALL2 = pass2.obj , pass1.obj , outx.obj , object.obj , memmgt.obj
ALL3 = mapsym.obj , llf.obj , lc.obj , insert_id.obj
ALL4 = hashit.obj , grpmgr.obj , gc.obj , fnf.obj , dsubscale.obj
!
! ALLSTx are the dependency lists for an ATARI ST version build
ALLST1 = timer.ol symdef.ol symbol.ol reloc.ol qksort.ol pass2.ol pass1.ol
ALLST2 = outx.ol object.ol memmgt.ol mapsym.ol llf.ol lc.ol insert_id.ol
ALLST3 = hashit.ol grpmgr.ol gc.ol fnf.ol
llf.ln : #(ALLST1) #(ALLST2) #(ALLST3) makefile.
$ bla_bla ...
$ create llf.tmp !make a temp option file
FILE ( srtlib:tosstart
sys$disk:[]#(ALLST1)
#(ALLST2)
#(ALLST3)
)
LIBR ( srtlib:srtlib )
$ LLF/OUT=LLF/MAP/err/rel llf.tmp/opt
$ delete llf.tmp;*
llf.exe : #(ALL1) #(ALL2) #(ALL3) #(ALL4) makefile.
$ bla_bla ...
$ LINK/map/exe=LLF #(ALL1),#(ALL2),#(ALL3),#(ALL4)
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::DURFEY 23-JUN-1987 10:52:10.71
To: MARGOLIN
CC:
Subj: this is a copy of Chris' status repr
From: KIM::BJORKQUIST 17-JUN-1987 15:38
To: DURFEY
Subj: F
From: KIM::DOWNEND 17-JUN-1987 15:03
To: @ALPHAGANG.DIS
Subj: News Note 6/17/87
Here's a quick dump of recent events:
1) Managers and up enjoyed a dinner of sushi with Mr. Nakamura last week.
Nothing significant was announced - highlights included a speech by
Mike Hally extolling the wonderful success of APB at the Distributor
Meeting (he even thanked everybody for helping - your're slipping Mike),
AND Mr. Nakajima showed us all how to balance a plate i
AND Mr. Nakajima showed us all how to balance a plate on the edge of another.
2) Atari has entered into an agreement with Mindscape to have them publish
home computer versions of two of our games (Gauntlet and 720 I think).
We are also talking to them about publishing our two Nintendo cart products:
Temple of Doom and Gauntlet. This would be for the US market on the
Nintendo NES game machine. We cannot use the Atari name in the consumer
market for these products. This explains why we are looking for a new
name other than Atari.
3) Atari is actively looking to buy an arcade chain. We have hired a
consultant to assist in the search. In anticipation of getting
arcade operations going, we are also looking for a name - this
one SHOULD include the word Atari, such as Atari Adventure.
4) APB sales went very well at the Distibutor meeting that occurred
6/2-6/4 in South Carolina. It looks like Dave will actually have to
FINISH the program...although he's still asking for "just two more
weeks"...
5) ROBOX is coming up for Field Test in early July - just before Flanagan
goes off to tie the knot.
6) keely and Norm are working hard to have Tank ready for field test in
Kelly and Norm are working hard to have Tank ready for field test in
latew July or early August - timing looks perfect for AMOA introduction
if they can stick to the schedule.
7) Rasteriods has decided to NOT use interlace; resolution will drop form
from 6c40x480 to 640 x 240. Rotberg is talking to some model makers
(including ILM) to make models of his three ships which he and Alan will
digitize to use in the game video. Ed has alos moved his schedule UP one
month...
8) Cyberball hardware is finally coming up after a longer than expected
de-bug time.
9) ROBOX is using a very dense PCB layout that pushes manufacturing tolerances
to the limit. Manufacturing is worried, but we are goin to try it and see
how it goes. If major problems show up we will have back off.
___________________________________________________________________________
From: ERNIE::CAMERON 24-JUN-1987 08:18:28.64
To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK
CC:
Subj: 1988
ANOTHER NEWS FLASH.....REAGAN VOWS TO HELP END UNREST IN SOUTH KOREA
I DON'T THINK SO...CONSIDERING THAT L.A. AND MAYOR TOM HAS TOLD THE
OLYMPIC COMMITTEE THAT L.A. IS READY AND ABLE TO HOST THE 1988 OLYMPICS
AT A MOMENTS NOTICE.
MAYBE WE SHOULD SEND IN THE CIA TO MESS UP KOREA SOME MORE.
OR MAYBE WE ALREADY HAVE.
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::FRYE 24-JUN-1987 15:29:39.77
To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK
CC:
Subj: BIRTHDAY CHEERS
AS PART OF OUR BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION, EACH ATARI PERMENENT EMPLOYEE AND THEIR
FAMILY MEMBERS ARE TO RECEIVE A COMPANY
T-SHIRT AND A COUPLE OF ROADBLASTERS.
PLEASE DROP BY THE CAFETERIA TOMORROW,
THURSDAY BETWEEN 11AM AND 1PM TO PICK
UP YOURS. EMPLOYEES NOT ABLE TO PICK UP
THEIR SHIRTS AT THIS TIME MAY DO SO NEXTWEEK.
ALL TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES WILL RECEIVE
ROADBLASTERS THURSDAY AFTERNOON.
I'M PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THAT THE REC.
COMMITTEE REACHED THEIR GOAL OF 500
PARTY GO'ERS, COME EARLY AND HAVE FUN.
THANKS, BOBZZZZZ
___________________________________________________________________________
From: ERNIE::CAMERON 24-JUN-1987 15:34:32.17
To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK
CC:
Subj: PICNIC GOODIES
DO WE GET OUR CHOICE OF SIT-DOWN OR UPRIGHT ROADBLASTERS?
OR DO WE JUST HAVE TO TAKE WHATEVER COMBINATION OF GAMES THAT YOU
GIVE US.
THANKS BOB!
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::VANELDREN 24-JUN-1987 17:47:21.55
To: @SYS$MAIL:ENGINEER
CC:
Subj:
RUMORS: There's a pleasant rumor circulating that only those Engineering
employees that show up to root for the Survivors tomorrow nite
at 5:30 at Twin Creeks will be issued their regular paychecks
for the end of this month.
Of course, you can't believe everything you hear.
Then again.......
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::RELIEF 25-JUN-1987 13:20:57.71
To: @SYS$MAIL:ENGINEER
CC:
Subj: PETE LIPSON
I JUST WANTED EVERYONE TO KNOW THAT PETE IS TOO THE
SORT OF WEENIE TO LEAVE HIMSELF LOGGED IN AT THE IMI FOR HOURS
ON END
RELIEF
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::DOWNEND 26-JUN-1987 09:30:06.39
To: @SYS$MAIL:ENGINEER
CC:
Subj: Survivor News
There is no joy in Mudville today...
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::FRYE 29-JUN-1987 08:15:02.16
To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK
CC:
Subj: FACILITIES UPDATE
BUILDING 675.....STARTING WEDNESDAY,
JULY 1ST, FACILITES MAINTENANCE SERVICESWILL BE OUR NEW JANITORIAL SERVICE.
BEING NEW TO OUR BUILDING, IT WILL TAKE
THEM A FEW DAYS TO GET INTO HIGH GEAR.
YOUR COOPERATION DURING THIS TIME IS
APPRECIATED. THANKS, BOB
___________________________________________________________________________
From: ERNIE::BENZLER 29-JUN-1987 13:50:54.45
To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK,BENZLER
CC:
Subj: BON JOUR
Do you speak French? I don't.
We just received the French language translations of the screen messages
on our new game, APB, from our distributor in France. I am sure that most
of the translations are relatively correct, but I would like someone to
look them over to see if there are any obvious errors or misinterpretations.
Unfortunately, Monsieur Jacques Aknin is on vacation for two weeks and is
unavailable to help out.
Please contact me at ext. 3750 or reply at this address if you are able to
say, "All Points Bulletin" in French.
Thanks!
--Linda
___________________________________________________________________________
From: MIKE::MARGOLIN 2-JUL-1987 21:16:44.17
To: HALLY,MARGOLIN
CC:
Subj: $$$$$$$$$
MIKE,
If you are interested in the real 720 PC Board costs, Read On.
(The two boards, stuffed and tested, come to either $753.15 or $870.94,
depending on whether or not the cost is "frozen".)
Jed
ASSEMBLY PART NUMBER? A043921-01
AS OF DATE?
DATE: 07/02/87 COSTED BILL OF MATERIALS PAGE: 1
========================
SORTED BY ITEM NUMBER
STANDARD COSTS AS OF 07/02/87
PART: A043921-01
DESC: ASSY,CPU_PCB,720 UOM: EA SC: M REV: C
EXTENDED EXTENDED EXTENDED
BURDENED BURDENED BURDENED
ITEM QTY PER MATERIAL LABOR OUTSIDE
COMP PART NUMBER NO. ASSEMBLY COST COST PROCESSING
------------------ ---- ---------- -------------- -------------- --------------
A042571-21 1 1.00 177.961 73.890 0.000
043925-01 2 1.00 0.114 0.000 0.000
136047-1126 4 1.00 2.850 0.000 0.000
136047-1127 5 1.00 2.850 0.000 0.000
136047-1128 6 1.00 6.250 0.000 0.000
136047-1129 7 1.00 6.250 0.000 0.000
136047-1130 8 1.00 6.250 0.000 0.000
136047-1131 9 1.00 6.250 0.000 0.000
136047-1132 10 1.00 6.250 0.000 0.000
136047-1133 11 1.00 6.250 0.000 0.000
136047-1134 12 1.00 2.850 0.000 0.000
136047-1135 13 1.00 2.850 0.000 0.000
136047-1136 14 1.00 2.850 0.000 0.000
137412-107 17 1.00 0.990 0.000 0.000
-------------- -------------- --------------
230.815 73.890 0.000
MATERIAL COST: 230.815
COMPONENT MATERIAL OVERHEAD COST: 0.000
ASSEMBLY MATERIAL OVERHEAD COST: 0.000
COMPONENT DIRECT LABOR COST: 0.000
COMPONENT FIXED OVERHEAD COST: 0.000
COMPONENT VARIABLE OVERHEAD COST: 0.000
COMPONENT OUTSIDE PROCESSING COST: 0.000
COMPONENT OUTSIDE PROCESSING OVERHEAD COST: 0.000
ASSEMBLY DIRECT LABOR COST: 11.480
ASSEMBLY FIXED OVERHEAD COST: 56.280
ASSEMBLY VARIABLE OVERHEAD COST: 21.440
ASSEMBLY OUTSIDE PROCESSING COST: 0.000
ASSEMBLY OUTSIDE PROCESSING OVERHEAD COST: 0.000
--------------
FROZEN COST: 320.015
SUM OF INDIVIDUAL COMPONENTS' COSTS AND ASSEMBLY COSTS: 393.905
ASSEMBLY PART NUMBER? A043922-01
AS OF DATE?
DATE: 07/02/87 COSTED BILL OF MATERIALS PAGE: 1
========================
SORTED BY ITEM NUMBER
STANDARD COSTS AS OF 07/02/87
PART: A043922-01
DESC: ASSY,VIDEO_PCB,720 UOM: EA SC: M REV: B
EXTENDED EXTENDED EXTENDED
BURDENED BURDENED BURDENED
ITEM QTY PER MATERIAL LABOR OUTSIDE
COMP PART NUMBER NO. ASSEMBLY COST COST PROCESSING
------------------ ---- ---------- -------------- -------------- --------------
A043879-21 1 1.00 182.282 43.940 0.000
043926-01 2 1.00 0.130 0.000 0.000
136047-1101 4 1.00 6.250 0.000 0.000
136047-1102 5 1.00 6.250 0.000 0.000
136047-1103 6 1.00 6.250 0.000 0.000
136047-1104 7 1.00 6.250 0.000 0.000
136047-1105 8 1.00 6.250 0.000 0.000
136047-1106 9 1.00 6.250 0.000 0.000
136047-1107 10 1.00 6.250 0.000 0.000
136047-1108 11 1.00 6.250 0.000 0.000
136047-1109 12 1.00 6.250 0.000 0.000
136047-1110 13 1.00 6.250 0.000 0.000
136047-1111 14 1.00 6.250 0.000 0.000
136047-1112 15 1.00 6.250 0.000 0.000
136047-1113 16 1.00 6.250 0.000 0.000
136047-1114 17 1.00 6.250 0.000 0.000
136047-1115 18 1.00 6.250 0.000 0.000
136047-1116 19 1.00 6.250 0.000 0.000
136047-1117 20 1.00 3.400 0.000 0.000
136047-1118 21 1.00 3.400 0.000 0.000
136047-1119 22 1.00 3.400 0.000 0.000
136047-1120 23 1.00 3.400 0.000 0.000
136047-1121 24 1.00 3.400 0.000 0.000
136047-1122 25 1.00 3.400 0.000 0.000
136047-1123 26 1.00 3.400 0.000 0.000
136047-1124 27 1.00 3.400 0.000 0.000
136047-1125 28 1.00 3.000 0.000 0.000
-------------- -------------- --------------
312.612 43.940 0.000
MATERIAL COST: 312.612
COMPONENT MATERIAL OVERHEAD COST: 0.000
ASSEMBLY MATERIAL OVERHEAD COST: 0.000
COMPONENT DIRECT LABOR COST: 0.000
COMPONENT FIXED OVERHEAD COST: 0.000
COMPONENT VARIABLE OVERHEAD COST: 0.000
COMPONENT OUTSIDE PROCESSING COST: 0.000
COMPONENT OUTSIDE PROCESSING OVERHEAD COST: 0.000
ASSEMBLY DIRECT LABOR COST: 15.510
ASSEMBLY FIXED OVERHEAD COST: 76.020
ASSEMBLY VARIABLE OVERHEAD COST: 28.960
ASSEMBLY OUTSIDE PROCESSING COST: 0.000
ASSEMBLY OUTSIDE PROCESSING OVERHEAD COST: 0.000
--------------
FROZEN COST: 433.102
SUM OF INDIVIDUAL COMPONENTS' COSTS AND ASSEMBLY COSTS: 477.042
___________________________________________________________________________
From: ERNIE::BROWN 7-JUL-1987 10:09:50.08
To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK,BROWN
CC:
Subj: PICNIC PICTURES
*********************** W A N T E D *********************
WE WOULD APPRECIATE PICTURES, OR THE NEGATIVES OF PICTURES TAKEN AT THE
ATARI BIRTHDAY PICNIC. WE HAVE SOME BUT WOULD LIKE TO DISPLAY AS MANY AS
WE CAN. THIS CAN BE ON A "ON LOAN" BASES (THEY WILL BE RETURNED0, OR WE
COULD PRODUCE OUR OWN FROM NEGATIVES YOU SUPPLY.
PLEASE REPLY TO ME BY VAX MAIL, PHONE, OR A VISIT.
SANDI (FOR THE RECREATION COMMITTEE)
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::WOOD 9-JUL-1987 10:26:08.93
To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK
CC:
Subj: NEW NAME FOR HOME COMPUTER SOFTWARE AND ARCADES
The company has been searching for a new name that it could use in marketing
its home computer software. Mindscape, Inc. has been selected by us as the
company to distribute our home computer software. Presently, we are
planning to have Commodore 64 and Atari ST versions of Gauntlet and a
Commodore 64 version of Paperboy available in the stores this Christmas.
Other titles and other formats will follow as they become available.
Additionally, we are actively engaged in trying to open new arcades.
We have received quite a few suggestions from our contest for a name
and logo for our home computer software line. We have also asked
informally for suggestions of names we could use for our arcades.
Again, we have received quite a few suggestions. Upon consideration
of all the names we received, the Executive Committee felt that it
would be advantageous to have one name that could be used for both
our consumer products and for our arcades.
The Committee has selected four names that it would like to receive
your comments/inputs. The four names are as follows:
Alpha Zone
Quarter Deck
XYZYX (this is not a misspelling)
Ganesis
If you could send your comments to me by vax mail or by intercompany
mail along with your rating of each name on a scale of 1 to 10 (10
mail along with your rating of each name on a scale of 1 to 10 (10
being the highest), I would appreciate it. Please note that when it
comes to the arcades, we plan on still using "Atari" with the name
that is finally selected. For example, the arcade sign might read
"Atari Alpha Zone" or "Atari XYZYX."
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::RAINS 9-JUL-1987 12:41:23.56
To: @SYS$MAIL:ENGINEER
CC:
Subj: 'nuf said
As the young engineer reached the cafeteria, many people were already
there. Most of the seats were taken, and employees continued to drift in. He
found a place along the back wall and leaned lightly against it. He looked
around at groups of his co-workers engaged in quiet conversation as they waited
for the meeting to start. His eyes drifted down towards the floor to his feet,
and then up to the shiny, new employee badge clipped to his shirt pocket. He
removed it and read his name, "Ernest D. Seiner." He looked at his picture and
thought how pale the face was, and how the eyes were half closed...
He was startled by a sudden greeting, "Hi, Ernie." He quickly replaced the
badge, trying to hide a slight embarrassment. He looked up to return the
greeting. "Hi, Wanda. How are you?" He looked at the programmer who had
started at Atari the same day he had. They had become friends during the past
month. It had seemed that everyone else in engineering had been here FOREVER,
and it had not been easy to break into the small social circles in the
department. So they had kept each other company during lunches, and had shared
new "tricks of the trade" and other discoveries.
The room had grown crowded while he traded small talk with Wanda. The
volume of conversation was rising as people waited impatiently for the meeting
to begin. Ernie saw people across the room move aside to allow a man through
the crowd. He recognized the man as Lyle Rains, one of the Vice Presidents of
Engineering, though Ernie had met him only briefly during his introductory tour
of Atari facilities. He could see the VP was talking, but couldn't hear what
was being said. A hush started like a wave at the front of the room, and rolled
quickly towards Ernie's position along the side wall. He heard a fragment, "...
called you here." A few people in front chuckled as the rest of the crowd
settled into their seats and strained to hear what the VP was saying. His voice
seems so quiet, Ernie thought.
The VP looked alternately at the ceiling and the floor, and then furtively
across the crowded room as he addressed the assembly, "I need to talk to you
today about drug usage." Ernie saw several people roll their eyes look at each
other in apparent disgust. He felt Wanda looking at him, but he didn't look
back. In the back of the room, a guy named Mike Hally quietly quipped, "What's
wrong, aren't we using enough?" A few people laughed uneasily.
The VP waited for silence and continued. "There have recently been several
reports and allegations brought to our attention about drug use within Atari.
These reports have come from inside and outside of the company. They are not
about specific individuals, but about usage throughout the company. I am here
to tell you that the management of the Atari will not tolerate drug usage by our
employees.
"If you are using drugs, you cannot do your best work for yourself or the
company. You may also hinder others from doing their work well. You give Atari
a bad reputation in the business community. Use of drugs is both illegal and
bad for you." The VP's face was gravely neutral, but his voice was tense.
"I hate to be here telling adults what they already know, at least as much
as you hate to be listening to it, but I don't want any misunderstanding." His
voice got louder now, as he spoke the words with slow precision, "If you are
caught using drugs on company property or are found to be under the influence of
drugs while at work, you will be fired. The same day. No exceptions, no
questions."
Ernie thought to himself, so this is what it's like working in the real
world. He smiled inwardly. It's just like high school, he thought. Other
things flashed through his mind as well. Things like a cluster of figures near
the back entrance of the warehouse he had seen during his facilities tour. Like
the familiar heavy sweet-smokey odor he had smelled wafting through the
ventilation system one late evening as he read some technical manuals in his
cubicle. He had assumed it was the night gaurd or janitors, since he thought
everyone else had gone home for the night.
Well, I only smoke a little marijuana at parties occasionally, Ernie
thought, He's not talking to me. Ernie started suddenly as he realized that the
VP was staring straight at him. Or through him. Ernie wondered if his inward
smile had leaked onto his face. The VP's gaze quickly shifted away to other
faces in the room and Ernie relaxed heavily back against the wall.
"Don't do it here. Don't do it at all. End of statement." The VP waited a
few long seconds and then left the room as quietly as he had entered. People
rose from their chairs and engaged in hushed conversations as they slowly
filtered out of the room.
Ernie and Wanda walked in silence back towards their cubicles. Halfway
down the hall, Wanda asked in a whisper, "What was that all about?" "Dunno," he
said, though he felt he really did. "See you at lunch."
___________________________________________________________________________
==============================================================================
Regarding Lyle's Parable:
The biggest supplier of drugs to company employees is:
The Company.
Drugs are openly sold to employees in the cafeteria in the form of beverages
containing caffeine.
Not only that, the company supplies drugs free of charge to its employees at
the numerous coffee stations, conveniently located throughout the building.
If you think that caffein is not a drug and if you are a regular drinker of
coffee (not decaffeinated) or of tea (not decaffeinated), try going without
it for 72 hours. No cheating when you want to wake up in the morning;
assuming, of course, that you were able to sleep the night before.
Lyle's parable suggested that employees who come to work under the influence
of drugs should be fired.
Is he suggesting that an employee taking prescribed drugs to control his
high blood pressure discontinue such use?
Possession and use of alcoholic beverages is legal in California for those
persons 21 and older and yet their use on company premises (including the
parking lot) is considered grounds for terminating said employee unless the
alcohol is provided by the company at an official function.
In his story he did not distinguish between legal and illegal drugs. By its
policy on alcohol the company has made it clear that it has decided that it
has the right to regulate an employee's use of legal drugs.
Perhaps the message of Lyle's parable is that employees should only take drugs
provided to him or her by the company.
Jed
_____________________________________________________________________________
From: ERNIE::BROWN 9-JUL-1987 16:35:27.29
To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK,BROWN
CC:
Subj: PICNIC T-SHIRTS
WE HAVE FOUND THAT ON SOME OF THE T-SHIRTS THE GOLD COLOR COMES OFF AFTER
ONE OR TWO WASHINGS. THE PRINTER TELLS US THAT THEIR MAY HAVE BEEN A
A POWER SURGE DURING THE PRINTING OF SOME OF THE LOTS, THUS THE COLOR
MAY NOT HAVE BEEN BAKED ON AS WELL, BUT HE DOESN'T THINK ALL THE RUNS
WERE AFFECTED. THEY WILL, HOWEVER, REPLACE ANY SHIRTS THAT ARE DEFECTED.
SO, IF YOU FIND THAT THE GOLD ON YOUR LOGO IS NO LONGER, OR IS SLOWLY
DISAPPEARING, PLEASE RETURN IT TO ME. I WILL THEN TAKE A INVENTORY OF
SIZES NEEDED AND REORDER.
FOR THOSE OF YOU WAITING FOR LARGE AND X-LARGE SHIRTS. WE WILL ORDER
THEM AT THE SAME TIME WE REORDER THE REPLACEMENTS FOR THE DEFECTED
SHIRTS.
WE DON'T WANT TO DRAG OUT THIS PROCESS, SO I WILL SET A DEADLINE.
PLEASE HAVE YOUR DEFECTED SHIRTS (CLEAN, PLEASE) TO ME BY 7/17.
SANDI
___________________________________________________________________________
From: ERNIE::MILTY 9-JUL-1987 16:37:15.40
To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK
CC:
Subj: MEMO
JUST REMEMBER,..WHEN IT COMES TO THE BIG "D".....
.........JUST SAY NO!
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::ROLM "SUTTLES, SHEPPERD, or ALBAUGH" 13-JUL-1987 13:52:46.77
To: @SYS$MAIL:EVERYBODY,ROLM
CC:
Subj: Featured Feature -- BAD LINE (flash-*563)
This announcement is about the BAD LINE feature.
This might not sound like much to you, but it is. When you
are making or receiving an outside call, several parts of the switch
come into play. Of course, your telephone is involved, and the wires
going to the telephone switch, but once it gets into the guts of the
switch, your call can use as many as 80 different parts to get out
of the company and into the public network.
When you get a "bad line", it might be because of your end,
but most likely, it is one of the trunk lines that hook us up to the
public network. I can fix your line easily enough, but if I can't
find the problem, I can't do anything about it. That's where BAD LINE
comes in.
When you get a bad line, if you'll do the following, it will help.
WHILE YOU ARE STILL CONNECTED (even if nobody is there), FLASH, and dial
*563. Remember the star. That will make a note in the computer, and it will
tell me WHICH of the outside lines you were using. The problem may be on
our end, or it may be on the public end (which we can't help). But, if
several people (more than one) complain about a given trunk line being bad,
I have somewhere to look. If we get complaints about bad lines, but they don't
stick to one trunk or another, I can call the phone company with times and
trunk numbers so they can ask their computer which lines were involved.
If you DON't do this, I can do almost nothing about the problem.
It doesn't harm anything to log a bad line when all that is involved
is internal extensions. But it doesn't log it either (I don't know why, it's
not my program). If you get a bad line on an INSIDE call (anything you didn't
dial a 9 for first), you'll have to make the note for me. I'll need to know
what extensions were involved (yours, and what other NUMBER (not name)).
Presumably, if we have a bad line on the telephone side of our switch, it
will always give poor connections. So it should be easy to find and fix.
If you tell me. If you don't, I won't fix it. So there.
The reason for sending this out, now, after being here over a year,
is that apparently it is a well-kept secret. We have had a line that didn't
work right (sometimes real staticy, sometimes nobody there) for the last
two or three weeks. Evelyn logged it at the operator console 3 times last
week, so I was able to find it. It was taken out of service at 10:00 last
Friday. Since then, I have found out that literally DOZENS of people knew
about it, because there have been several verbal complaints about noisy
lines or completely silent ones. I am under the impression that the problem
was eliminated at about 10:00 last Friday morning. If you have had problems
SINCE then, please let me know. If you have problems in the future, PLEASE
LOG THE BAD LINE (flash-*563). We don't have to wait for the line to drop
dead before we fix it, and we won't, if I can find out sooner.
Sorry for the length of the message. I am hoping that by knowing
why I want you to do that, and what it will do for you, that more people
will log the bad lines and we won't have another period of people thinking
they were hung up on (because they couldn't be heard) or having to shout
to be understood. It leaves Atari Games, and everybody here, with a poor
image that isn't necessary.
Thanx for reading this far, and thanks a lot for logging those
bad lines with flash-*563.
sas
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::MARGOLIN 13-JUL-1987 14:03:19.25
To: FRYE,MARGOLIN
CC:
Subj: Ants
There are ants in the Cafeteria.
Please take care of them before they infest the rest of the
building (like they did in 1272).
I doubt that a can of Raid will fix the problem. How about
having an exterminator come in and really take care of it?
Jed
___________________________________________________________________________
From: MIKE::HAYES 14-JUL-1987 09:43:54.23
To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK
CC:
Subj: Stolen car stereo
Some nice person stole my car stereo (parked at the side of 735)sometime between
6a.m. and 3p.m.yesterday.It could happen to you !!!!!
The only minor consolation is that there were so many bits of it left behind on
my car floor my car floor that the obviously amateur thief probably has an unsaleable
item on his/her hands.
___________________________________________________________________________
From: ERNIE::MEYETTE 14-JUL-1987 10:35:58.25
To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK
CC:
Subj: STOLEN CAR STEREO's
THERE HAS BEEN A RASH OF SIMILAR THEFTS AROUND THE NEW BUILDINGS OFF OF
NORTH FIRST STREET, ON THE NORTH SIDE OF 237. THE THEIFS ARE PROBABLY DRUG
ADDICTS THAT NEED TO SUPPORT THEIR HABIT. THESE GUYS THINK NOTHING OF USING
A CROW BAR TO GAIN ENTRY INTO YOUR CAR, AND WILL WORK IN BROAD DAYLIGHT IN
FRONT OF A ROW OF WINDOWS.
IT WOULD BE WISE IF YOU HAVE A "MARKETABLE" STEREO IN YOUR CAR, TO PARK IN
AN AREA WHERE YOU CAN KEEP AN EYE ON IT MOST OF THE DAY.
RAM
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::PPS 14-JUL-1987 11:25:33.40
To: @SYS$MAIL:ENGINEER
CC:
Subj: Logical Name for PPS Utilities Directory
In an earlier mail message, you were informed that pps utilities
would be located on only one node. To assist with this process, there
now exists a system logical which you should now use in your login.com
and any other alias com files which assign to pps utilities. The new
logical is:
UTL$PPS
This would generally be used to replace: kim$userdisk:[pps.utilities] .
Any questions, feel free to ask.
Mr. PPS (soon to be Mr. RAD)
___________________________________________________________________________
From: CHARM::LIPSON 14-JUL-1987 14:13:41.23
To: @SYS$MAIL:ENGINEER
CC:
Subj: nuf' said!
all right, any Atari drug addicts stay away from my stereo!
___________________________________________________________________________
From: ERNIE::OHARA 15-JUL-1987 08:10:40.01
To: @SYS$MAIL:EVERYBODY
CC:
Subj: New Schedule, Office Supply Dispencing
Yesterday I posted a new schedule outlining my weeks at Atari, I have
incorporated several changes. The first change is that I no longer will
dispence Verbal Orders! so jot your needs down, with your Name, Dept#, and
Extension and send them to me via Interoffice Mail or VAXmail and I will
endeavor to give it to you Monday, Wednesday, or Friday mornings. Also
I now have Office Hours so that you can find me, and discuss Special Projects
(such as Will Calls, Deliveries, etc.), get Office Supplies (Bring Your Note
With You) or any other problems that I may be able to help you with.
Please Note: Office Supplies includes an incredibly large number of
Items with a great deal of overlap into the realms of Art, Drafting, Computer
Supplies (even furniture and equipment), so it may be worthwhile to check with
me to see what I can do for you (since I am also the mailroom I have a
collection of catalogs for your perusal).
I am sorry to be so long winded, so thanks for your patience and
cooperation.
jbo
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::FRYE 15-JUL-1987 16:11:38.88
To: MARGOLIN
CC:
Subj: ANTS
THERE ALL GONE.......BOB
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::SHEPPERD 15-JUL-1987 20:20:50.68
To: @SYS$MAIL:ENGINEER,SHEPPERD
CC:
Subj: New IMI routines
Warning, I released a new version of the IMI stuff (MIXIT, DOWND and DIO
to follow shortly). This release fixed a bug in file handling when word
sizes were greater than 8 bits and the file was greater than 128k bytes
(MIXIT, DIO and DOWND have the same bug). Also, UPLOAD will now work on
the IMI although it won't re-mix the data back into non-8 bit words.
That is, if you programmed 2 Eproms with 16 bit data and upload those
two Eproms into a file, you'll get a file with 2 sets of 8 bit data
not what you started with.
New feature: You can get Eprom checksums without programming them or
even downloading any data to the IMI. The checksum displayed is the
number that the IMI would compute, not necessarily what your self
test would compute (Lipson is working on a more robust version).
To get them, type IMI at any terminal (it'll say something about not
being able to run the IMI if you're not at the IMI's terminal, ignore
that), do a DEVICE and FILE selection as usual and type
IMI_COMMAND: CHECK start-end
Example:
$ IMI
IMI_COMMAND: FILE TEST 16
IMI_COMMAND: DEV 27512
IMI_COMMAND: CHECK 0-1FFFF
IMI_COMMAND: EX
$
If you have trouble with this release, you can use the old one by:
$ ASS KIM$SYSDEVICE:[OLDIMI] IMI$SYSTEM
before typing IMI.
ds
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::HORN "Erich Von Horn" 16-JUL-1987 11:17:15.75
To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK
CC:
Subj: break ins
I also had a breakin on my car. They didn't get much, just three dollars,
an empty check book, my drivers licence, social security card, and birth
certificate. But they smashed my right window to smitherines to get the
stuff. I had desided to install a cianide car alarm, so that these bad
people won't get away. (thats "have" not "had" on line 4, word 3 -- oops)
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::SUTTLES "Yo speako TECO" 16-JUL-1987 12:00:23.01
To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK,SUTTLES
CC:
Subj: Hit (aka smash and grab) and run
Perhaps Atari Games should consider a new line of business.
Do you think that there would be a market for silent car alarms?
sas
___________________________________________________________________________
From: ERNIE::CAMERON 16-JUL-1987 12:02:08.42
To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK
CC:
Subj: high tech toss
Maybe the perfect car alarm system could be designed to toss
out a cheapo fakeo stereo. The stupid thief would be satisfied and
leave your car alone.
Why would anyone leave their wallet in their car?
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::PIERCE 16-JUL-1987 14:38:47.24
To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK
CC:
Subj: Car Alarm
I suggest you do what I did.
1. Get your car stolen.
2. Have it returned with no radio.
3. Dont replace radio.
4. While leaving car unattended leave nothing of value in car and
leave the windows open.
If you follow these simple steps I assume your car will have a better chance
of being looked over.
MSP
PS Perhaps the reinstitution of the death penalty would send a message to up
and coming thieves.
___________________________________________________________________________
From: CHARM::LIPSON 16-JUL-1987 14:15:52.89
To: @SYS$MAIL:ENGINEER
CC:
Subj: auto-checksum utility
ANNOUNCING! The end to last-minute, late-night checksumming of roms...
No longer do you need to make two or three passes to get valid checksums
for your files. CKSUM.EXE will accept any EXTEKHEX or VLDA file format
and append records to it that will patch in the correct checksums (using
the algorithms from GAUNTLET and SYSTEM I). Then you can download this
file into a devsys or IMI and violin! it works!
To use it, create a file <name>.CKS with one line for each rom bank:
:::::::::::: example ::::::::::
CKSUM0 10000 27128
CKSUM1 18000 27128
CKSUM2 20000 27256
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
then respond: CKSUM >filename ( for .HEX files )
or CKSUM >filename.VLDA ( for .VLDA files)
or CKSUM >HELP! ( for help on options )
the file to run is: KIM$USERDISK:[LIPSON.CKSUM]CKSUM
This assumes that your system uses a seperate low address/high address rom
for each rom bank, so 6502 systems are out of luck. Please let me know if you
have any other memory organization you need supported.
___________________________________________________________________________
From: CHARM::SHEPPERD 16-JUL-1987 16:29:38.51
To: @sys$mail:engineer,SHEPPERD
CC:
Subj: Look out below...it's a new MIXIT
Due to popular demand, MIXIT can now output a file suitable for assembly by the
68000 assembler. The file type is .ASM. The code is not inserted in any
particular section nor is the PC set to anything (it could be "included" by a
different module. The code is placed in DC.B statements, 16 bytes per line
unless otherwise specified (with the /REC=n qualifier). Blank spaces are skipped
with the DS.B directive. To date there are now 8 different output formats that
can be created by MIXIT (and DIO/IMI uploader) and 6 input formats that can be
read by MIXIT (and DOWNC/DOWND and DIO/IMI programs).
The first two formats must be output only (MIXIT won't read them properly):
$ MIXIT
>OUT filename.ASM !or filename.bla_bla/ASM 68k assem format
>OUT filename.MAC !or filename.bla_bla/MAC MAC65 assem format
The remaining formats can be either input or output:
>OUT filename.DLD !or filename.bla_bla/DLD MOStech load format
>OUT filename.HEX !or filename.bla_bla/TEK Extended TEKHEX format
>OUT filename.ROM !or filename.bla_bla/ROM Atari .ROM format
>OUT filename.LDA !or filename.bla_bla/LDA DEC LDA format
>OUT filename.VLDA !or filename.bla_bla/VLDA Atari VLDA format
VLDA is the default input and output type.
>OUT filename.anything_else !or filename/IMAGE binary image format
___________________________________________________________________________
From: CHARM::SHEPPERD 16-JUL-1987 16:36:25.09
To: @sys$mail:engineer,SHEPPERD
CC:
Subj: Ooops...This is one I meant to send
WARNING WARNING, DANGER DANGER!!!
A new version of MIXIT has been released. This release fixes the bug
mentioned in the IMI message because it uses the same file I/O routines
as the IMI, DIO and downloaders.
New features:
You can put a /NOSYMBOL option on an INPUT or OUTPUT command to exclude the
symbols that may be present in a file. If you put it on the OUTPUT command, then
the output will contain no symbols from ANY input file. If you put it on an
INPUT command, then the symbols contained in that input file will not appear in
the output.
End of file records (required for .HEX, .DLD and .LDA files only) will appear as
the last record of the output file regardless of how many input files contribute
to the output provided that MIXIT is exited with an EXIT command or control Z.
No EOF record will be written if MIXIT exits via a control Y or control C.
If this version breaks your program(s), you can get the old one back by defining
the following before running MIXIT.
$ MIX*IT :== $UTL$ARCHIVE:MIXIT
Again, I suggest that you use .VLDA file type at all times for all your MIXed
files since it is substantially faster for all the utilities to deal with than
any of the other types (except for image, which is even faster still but much
less flexible).
ds
___________________________________________________________________________
From: CHARM::SHEPPERD 17-JUL-1987 12:01:29.19
To: @sys$mail:engineer,SHEPPERD
CC:
Subj: New DOWND
There's a new version of DOWND installed today. The /SYMBOL and /NOSYMBOL
options will work now (they worked before, but only if they were in the
DLC file...oops).
ds
___________________________________________________________________________
From: ERNIE::WOOD 17-JUL-1987 14:26:34.41
To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK
CC:
Subj: ONE LAST TIME FOR SOFTWARE AND ARCADE NAME
I received quite a few responses regarding the previous four names that
had been selected as possible names that we could use in conjunction
with marketing our software and using as the name for our arcades.
Before making any final decisions, the Executive Committee wanted to
make a request once again for any suggestions for a name that we could
use for both our home computer software and our arcades.
You may submit as many names as you like. $250 goes to the submitter
whose name is selected. I would appreciate receiving your entries
no later than next Friday, July 24. Thanks.
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::ALBAUGH "Dr. Bizarro" 20-JUL-1987 08:48:19.77
To: @SYS$MAIL:ENGINEER
CC:
Subj: "Always fan, flex, and joggle", and other lost wisdom
Back in the days when I/O meant punched cards, there
was usually a sign near the card reader with the above inscription.
The purpose of this exercise was to break the partial vacuum that
existed between the cards of a deck that had not been used for a while,
to discharge the static electricity it may have accumulated, and to align
the bottom edges. Those who failed to heed this advice often got away with
it. They also sometimes had their decks jam, which angered the operators and
lost hours (perhaps days) of work. Nowadays few of us remember this admonition,
which is no big deal, but we also forget things like the following:
"Always clear the decimal flag on entry to an interrupt routine, and
at power-up." A 6502 will come up in binary mode almost all the time, but
we are not dealing with hand grenades or horseshoes, and once in a while one
came get some very bizarre behavior. This bug bit one of our first 6502 games
10 years ago, and a later game about five years ago. It just bit again, a victim
who shall remain nameless. Old bugs don't die.
"DTACK and VPA must never be asserted at the same time." An amazing
percentage of 680x0 systems will let you get away with this most of the time.
When they do decide to get picky, the result is often a failure to stack all
the information needed to return from an interrupt. This is particularly
pernicious, since the symptoms generally occur when the interrupt routine
returns, often many thousand (i.e. more than in the trace buffer of the AMS)
cycles later. Another endearing feature of the AMS, is that such a botched
interrupt is not recognized as anything out of the ordinary. The trace just
shows instructions being executed with the interrupt routine "spliced" in,
no JMP, no interrupt, just a quiet change of the addresses in the left column.
Anyway, this hardware bug is getting more likely with the new "short-address"
architectures, wherein the FFFFxx put out during an interrupt acknowledge is
a valid address for some piece of game memory.
The old fool,
Mike
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::ALBAUGH "Dr. Bizarro" 20-JUL-1987 08:48:19.77
To: @SYS$MAIL:ENGINEER
CC:
Subj: "Always fan, flex, and joggle", and other lost wisdom
Back in the days when I/O meant punched cards, there
was usually a sign near the card reader with the above inscription.
The purpose of this exercise was to break the partial vacuum that
existed between the cards of a deck that had not been used for a while,
to discharge the static electricity it may have accumulated, and to align
the bottom edges. Those who failed to heed this advice often got away with
it. They also sometimes had their decks jam, which angered the operators and
lost hours (perhaps days) of work. Nowadays few of us remember this admonition,
which is no big deal, but we also forget things like the following:
"Always clear the decimal flag on entry to an interrupt routine, and
at power-up." A 6502 will come up in binary mode almost all the time, but
we are not dealing with hand grenades or horseshoes, and once in a while one
came get some very bizarre behavior. This bug bit one of our first 6502 games
10 years ago, and a later game about five years ago. It just bit again, a victim
who shall remain nameless. Old bugs don't die.
"DTACK and VPA must never be asserted at the same time." An amazing
percentage of 680x0 systems will let you get away with this most of the time.
When they do decide to get picky, the result is often a failure to stack all
the information needed to return from an interrupt. This is particularly
pernicious, since the symptoms generally occur when the interrupt routine
returns, often many thousand (i.e. more than in the trace buffer of the AMS)
cycles later. Another endearing feature of the AMS, is that such a botched
interrupt is not recognized as anything out of the ordinary. The trace just
shows instructions being executed with the interrupt routine "spliced" in,
no JMP, no interrupt, just a quiet change of the addresses in the left column.
Anyway, this hardware bug is getting more likely with the new "short-address"
architectures, wherein the FFFFxx put out during an interrupt acknowledge is
a valid address for some piece of game memory.
The old fool,
Mike
___________________________________________________________________________
From: SANDY::PAAUW 21-JUL-1987 11:22:11.25
To: @SYS$MAIL:ENGINEER
CC:
Subj: New SLAPSTIC pinout
The new SLAPSTIC II IC's are currently being built by NCR. NCR has informed
us that, due to the small size of the die (and therefore long wire leads) and
the pinout arrangement, wire shorting during packaging will probably cost us
a minimum of 5-10% in bad parts.
We can't do anything about the wire length but a new pinout would help some-
what.
The implications of a new pinout are:
1) The new SLAPSTIC's would be incompatible with all existing cart boards so
any kits to the field would need new cart boards. I believe this is usually
the case anyway.
2) All current projects using a new SLAPSTIC would have to adjust to the new
pinout. The change would consist of rotating the pins on the SLAPSTIC,
which would be fairly simple.
3) ??
Please send me your opinions on this.
In fact, the last time I sent mail to sys$mail:engineer I couldn't find
anyone who received it, so if you don't have anything to say, just reply with
a blank.
Thanks,
Don
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::MARGOLIN 21-JUL-1987 13:15:23.57
To: GROSSMAN,MARGOLIN
CC:
Subj: Parking The Department Truck
Please ask the people who use the department truck to show some
consideration for others when they bring it back. For a while
now it has been parked outside my lab area in, what is for Moncrief's
group, a prime parking area.
Jed
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::SHEPPERD 22-JUL-1987 15:50:03.21
To: @sys$mail:engineer,SHEPPERD
CC:
Subj: A new TPU section
A new feature exists in the TPU section file in UTL$EXE. This feature is a
balance checker. To use it you position the cursor on an opening double quote,
curly bracket, square bracket, angle bracket or double quote and type Gold
control B. TPU will search (only forward at the moment) for a matching closing
character and select all the text enclosed including the opening and closing
characters leaving the cursor pointing to the character after the closing one.
Nesting is allowed to any level except for double quotes which cannot be nested
at all (it'll stop at the first occurance of a double quote after the opening
one).
It will display a message if the cursor is not on one of the opening
characters '"{[(' or if there is no matching closing character. In either case,
the cursor is not moved.
If you want to know how it works or if you want to make your own version,
you can look in KIM$USERDISK:[SHEPPERD.VAXTPU]GOLDB.TPU for the program.
ds
___________________________________________________________________________
From: MIKE::AVL 22-JUL-1987 16:22:11.79
To: @SYS$MAIL:EVERYBODY,AVL
CC:
Subj: Phone Lists
Do you hate searching that old tattered Xerox'd phone list?
Add: $FONE :==SEARCH ATARI$PHONE:PHONE1.LIS
to your LOGIN.COM file and you can access the REAL ATARI PHONE LIST!
If you don't know how to edit your LOGIN.COM file you can just type:
@ATARI$PHONE:FONE
and FONE will be installed for you.
You can search for a name (or number) REAL fast. It's current as of
6:30AM every morning. All you have to do is type:
FONE name1[,name2,...]
where name1 is the name or number your looking for. First names, last
names, phone extensions, anything will do. You can search for as many names
as you like at once by separating each name (or number) with a comma. You
can display ALL the local extensions by searching for our phone number
prefix, 434.
examples: $ FONE JOHN
$ FONE 434
$ FONE SMITH,3700
$ FONE JAMES,JOHN,LYDIA
Upper case/Lower case doesn't matter, and you can use any standard DCL
SEARCH qualifiers including:
/LOG will tell you how many matches it found
/OUTPUT=file-spec will put the results into a file
/REMAINING will list all the names starting at NAME1
/MATCH=AND will only find a record that matches all
the names/numbers that you specify
(ex: FONE/MATCH=AND JANE,DOE)
If you do like old Xerox'd phone lists, you can get those too, in several
formats. The following files are updated daily and may be copied to a
suitable printer.
ATARI$PHONE:PHONE.LIS (names & numbers in 3 columns, 132 columns wide)
ATARI$PHONE:PHONE1.LIS (names,numbers,mail stop & Email address
in one column, 80 columns wide)
ATARI$PHONE:PHONE4.LIS (names & numbers in 4 columns, 158 columns wide)
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::MARGOLIN 22-JUL-1987 17:18:18.92
To: ERNIE::WOOD,MARGOLIN
CC:
Subj: RE: ONE LAST TIME FOR SOFTWARE AND ARCADE NAME
Atari Game Room (Arcade)
Game Room Video (Home Games)
Jed
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::SHEPPERD 22-JUL-1987 19:29:17.96
To: @SYS$MAIL:ENGINEER,SHEPPERD
CC:
Subj: TPU revised
While twiddling my thumbs waiting for vacation to start, I "fixed" the
Gold control_b function I just added to work in the current_direction.
If the current direction (as selected with KP5) is reverse, then you'll
need to have the cursor placed over one of '"]})>' before typing gold
control B. The messages should be clear if you don't do it right.
This balancing act is to be credited to Ed Rotberg. It was his idea; I just
coded it up in TPU.
ds
___________________________________________________________________________
From: CHARM::LOGG 24-JUL-1987 18:21:21.53
To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK
CC:
Subj: New name for ROBOX
Now is the time for me to finalize a name for ROBOX. I would
like to have legal do a title search of at least four good choices for
the game name, but I currently have just two, ROBOX and CATACOMBS.
For those of you who have seen and played the game, what do you
think of the name ROBOX? Please use REPLY so that I may get a sampling
of your responses.
For those of you who have not seen the game, it is now back in the
engineering common area for you to play. It is currently very difficult
and requires some play to become accustomed to the visual presentation,
but it is on free play.
The story line currently goes: You (General Diaster and
Major Havoc for lack anything better) have been sent to the far distant
planet of ???? to recapture this planet from the evil ROBOX empire. The
ROBOX are a race of robots which have systematically invaded planets,
destroying all human life forms and building huge underground structures.
These structures are many stories tall and each level resembles a maze.
There are exits to the next lower level and transporters which will move
you to another portion of the same level. Your task is to destroy all
robots on each level and exit before your energy pack runs out of energy.
There are energy pods scatered throughout the maze to reenergize your pack
but you must remember that your pack will not hold more than 100%, so it
important not to waste the energy.
An interesting feature of this game is that the players may collect
coins which will allow him to build his character and restore those powers
that are lost at the end of each level, such as vitality, mapping of the
monsters, mapping of all the walls, etc. The players may buy these items
at the completion of each level.
Please send your suggestions to me before August 1. I will award
the person who suggests the "winning" choice with two six packs of their
favorite beverage or some mutually agreed upon prize. In addition, we
can use the initials of all contributors in the high score table.
Ed Logg
___________________________________________________________________________
From: ERNIE::JACKIE 27-JUL-1987 11:15:26.90
To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK
CC:
Subj: IT'S A GIRL
JESSICA LEE BENZLER ARRIVED THIS MORNING AT 4:15AM, WEIGHING IN AT 6LBS
3OZS AND MEASURING 19 INCHES. MOM AND BABY DOING FINE!
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::DROBNY "Buddy Flyback" 29-JUL-1987 09:38:44.08
To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK
CC:
Subj: Secret?
Charlie Weaver!!!!!!!!!
Wally Cox!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Paul Lynde!!!!!!!!!!!!!
all DEAD! DEAD! DEAD!
There was more to Secret Squares than they lead us to believe!
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::MARGOLIN 29-JUL-1987 15:13:50.59
To: KIM::DROBNY,MARGOLIN
CC:
Subj: RE: Secret?
I think Totie Fields was a regular until she, too, passed on.
Jed
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::MARGOLIN 31-JUL-1987 16:30:02.82
To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK,MARGOLIN
CC:
Subj: Robox
I have an idea for ROBOX.
1. Introduce a character who can see into the future, a See-er.
(Maybe several of them.)
2. Rename the game "See-ers and Robox" .
Jed
___________________________________________________________________________
From: CHARM::ESCAPE "Escape from the Planet of the Robot Monsters" 31-JUL-1987 16:30:20.33
To: KIM::MARGOLIN
CC:
Subj: RE: Robox
Ouch!
Bonnie
___________________________________________________________________________
From: CHARM::LOGG 31-JUL-1987 16:35:10.16
To: KIM::MARGOLIN
CC:
Subj: RE: Robox
HAR HAR HAR!
___________________________________________________________________________
From: CHARM::FLANAGAN 31-JUL-1987 16:36:10.66
To: KIM::MARGOLIN
CC:
Subj: RE: Robox
And if it makes a lot of money, we can call it ROBUCKS!
___________________________________________________________________________
From: CHARM::FLANAGAN 31-JUL-1987 16:58:46.43
To: KIM::MARGOLIN
CC:
Subj: RE: Robox
Do you remember Bezerk? Well, several people have complained that
this game is similar to Bezerk but uses a different perspective. Well, I
will get back at them and their Evil Otto by calling this game Otto Botz!
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::MARGOLIN 31-JUL-1987 16:59:51.46
To: CHARM::FLANAGAN,MARGOLIN
CC:
Subj: RE: Robox
I like it.
Jed
___________________________________________________________________________
From: CHARM::SALWITZ 3-AUG-1987 09:26:13.26
To: KIM::MARGOLIN
CC:
Subj: RE: Robox
funny.
___________________________________________________________________________
From: ERNIE::CAMERON 3-AUG-1987 09:42:36.84
To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK
CC:
Subj: ROBOX
I HAVE AN IDEA FOR ROBOX
1. INTRODUCE A CHARACTER WHO IS A MENTOR LIKE FIGURE FOR ROBOX.
NAME HIM "MONTGOMERY".
2. RENAME THE GAME TO "MONTGOMERY'S WARD"
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::VICKERS 3-AUG-1987 10:42:05.04
To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK
CC:
Subj: ROBOX
I HAVE AN IDEA FOR ROBOX
1. INTRODUCE A CHARACTER WHO IS A CHRIST-LIKE FIGURE.
NAME HIM "JESUS".
2. MAKE THE SPINNING COINS SMALLER AND CHANGE THEM TO A
BROWNISH COPPER COLOR.
3. RENAME THE GAME TO "J.C.'S PENNIES"
___________________________________________________________________________
From: ERNIE::MILTY 3-AUG-1987 10:50:14.08
To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK
CC:
Subj: ROBOX
YEAAAHH.....THAT'S IT,..SO HAVE A BUNCH OF COINS ,OF SMALL DENOMINATION,
THAT WERE.......LOST,..THAT'S IT,..LOST BY A CARPENTER IN IN THE MIDDLE
EAST SOMEWHERE ,...AND YOU GOTTA GO FIND 'EM......
.......CALL IT...J. C.'S PENNIES..........
___________________________________________________________________________
From: ERNIE::CAMERON 5-AUG-1987 15:57:41.85
To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK
CC:
Subj: GREAT FUN
SITUATION: You are about to give a little party for some of your close
intimate friends. You would like to show a video befitting the occasion.
SOLUTION: Find a video rental store that has "PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE".
This is probably THE worst movie ever made. It is so bad that it is
totally hilarious. The plot is simple enough, Aliens from outer space arrive
to rob graves. It's Sci-Fi and horror all in one. The special effects
feature aluminum foil ashtray-like flying saucers lit with free-from-Radio
Shack flashlights. The acting is incredibly bad (even though Bela Lugosi
stars). All the while the story unfolds, it is narrated with a serious voice
left over from Movietone News.
If you like flying saucers and creepy cemetaries, you won't want to
miss this one. It's the best! (or the worst)
Make sure you have a lot of popcorn on hand.
___________________________________________________________________________
From: ERNIE::WOOD 5-AUG-1987 16:01:32.01
To: @SYS$MAIL:EVERYBODY
CC:
Subj: ATARI GAMES ACQUIRES BARREL OF FUN ARCADE CHAIN
Effective July 30, 1987 Atari Games Corporation and Barrel of Fun, Inc.
of Savannah, Georgia have finalized an agreement for the sale of Barrel
of Fun's entire chain of arcades. As of September 1, 1987 all of Barrel
of Fun assets will be transferred to a new subsidiary of Atari Games.
All arcades, which are primarily located in six southeastern states,
currently operate under the name of "Barrel of Fun" or "2001 Entertainment
Center." The arcade chain was founded in 1977 by Herbert C. Skinner,
former chairman, and Richard W. Adams, former President and CEO. Adams
will remain with the company and report directly to Atari President,
Hide Nakajima.
Commenting on the company's strategic move, Nakajima says, "This
transaction was clearly a part of our long-term objective to expand
our business through arcade operations. This acquisition complements
our existing efforts in opening new locations, and much of our future
growth will be concentrated in this end of the business."
Herbert Skinner added, "The association between the two companies has
been a very compatible one from the start, and I am pleased that Atari
Games will be stepping in to continue developing the business with the
same enthusiasm in which it was started."
___________________________________________________________________________
From: ERNIE::BROWN 6-AUG-1987 10:08:11.57
To: @SYS$MAIL:EVERYBODY,BROWN
CC:
Subj: VISITORS UP DATE
DUE TO SECURITY AND SAFETY REASONS, THE FRONT LOBBY (SYCAMORE DRIVE SIDE
OF BUILDING) IS OFF LIMITS TO UNESCORTED AND/OR UNSUPERVISED VISITORS.
PLEASE DIRECT ALL GUEST AND VISITORS TO THE LOBBY GAME ROOM. YOUR
COOPERATION IS APPRECIATED.
HUMAN RESOURCES
___________________________________________________________________________
From: ERNIE::ARVIDSON 6-AUG-1987 12:05:43.50
To: MARGOLIN,ARVIDSON
CC:
Subj: Your tantalum capacitor requirement.
I just wondered what the latest status is on the 100uF tantalum.
Please let me know when the decision is made to use this or not.
A part number, 127000-107, has been reserved for 100uF, 10V, 20%, Axial
(mainly so I have a folder to file the researched data).
erwin
___________________________________________________________________________
From: CHARM::MORRIS 6-AUG-1987 15:32:30.96
To: @sys$mail:engineer
CC:
Subj: STEDT & ED, regular expressions now available
Announcing the latest version of STEDT V6.01.
This is an EDT/TPU like editor for the ST. Also available on the VAX.
I have added Regular expression searching and subtitution to STEDT. (ED on VAX)
This is a really powerful way to do search and replace.
^X PF3 (instead of Gold PF3) lets you enter a regular expression. Then
PF3 will search for a match to that regular expression just like the normal
search. As RE's can have unexpected match results the string actually matched
will be printed out on the bottom line enclosed in "< >".
Currently RE searches are only forward.
Another feature is being able to select a range and hit ^X PF3 and the selected
range will be copied to the regular expression. This allows you to have a file
of commonly used RE's and include it to the top window, select the RE you want
and then do ^X PF3. This will not search for the first match until you do PF3.
It will also allow you to edit the RE until it works properly, very handy.
NOTE that the RE's must only be one line.
Lastly the substitute command (Gold Enter) works slightly differently when
used with RE's. The matched string can be substituted into the text with '&'
and sub-matches can be substituted with \1 \2 etc.
This is explained on the next page.
An example is if you wanted to append every label in an assembly file with ':'
The RE is
^([A-Za-z][A-Za-z0-9_\.]*) ! matches a string whose first character
! is alpha, and has 0 of more alphanum's
! _ or . (ie a valid label)
the substitute string would be
\1: ! this will print out the label followed
! by a colon.
Or if you wanted to do the same to labels not already terminated with a ':'
RE is
^([A-Za-z][A-Za-z0-9_]*)([ ]) ! anything terminated with space or tab
and substitute string
\1:\2 ! substitute label part : then separator
The Documentation on RE's following can also be found in:
CHARM$USERDISK:[MORRIS.CPM68K.EMACS]STEDTDOC.TXT
The ST program is in:
CHARM$USERDISK:[MORRIS.CPM68K.EMACS]STEDT.PRG
and the VAX version:
ED:== $CHARM$USERDISK:[MORRIS.CPM68K.EMACS]ED.EXE
REGULAR EXPRESSION SYNTAX
A regular expression is zero or more branches, separated by |.
It matches anything that matches one of the branches.
A branch is zero or more pieces, concatenated. It matches a
match for the first, followed by a match for the second, etc.
A piece is an atom possibly followed by *, +, or ?.
An atom followed by * matches a sequence of 0 or more matches of the atom.
An atom followed by + matches a sequence of 1 or more matches of the atom.
An atom followed by ? matches a match of the atom, or the null string.
An atom is a regular expression in parentheses (matching a match
for the regular expression), a range (see below), . (matching
any single character), ^ (matching the null string at the
beginning of the input string), (matching the null string at
the end of the input string), a \ followed by a single character
(matching that character), or a single character with no other
significance (matching that character).
A range is a sequence of characters enclosed in []. It normally
matches any single character from the sequence. If the sequence
begins with ^, it matches any single character not from the rest
of the sequence. If two characters in the sequence are
separated by -, this is shorthand for the full list of ASCII
characters between them (e.g. [0-9] matches any decimal digit).
To include a literal ] in the sequence, make it the first
character (following a possible ^). To include a literal -,
make it the first or last character.
AMBIGUITY
If a regular expression could match two different parts of the
input string, it will match the one which begins earliest. If
both begin in the same place but match different lengths, or
match the same length in different ways, life gets messier, as
follows.
In general, the possibilities in a list of branches are
considered in left-to-right order, the possibilities for *, +,
and ? are considered longest-first, nested constructs are
considered from the outermost in, and concatenated constructs
are considered leftmost-first. The match that will be chosen is
the one that uses the earliest possibility in the first choice
that has to be made. If there is more than one choice, the next
will be made in the same manner (earliest possibility) subject
to the decision on the first choice. And so forth.
For example, '(ab|a)b*c' could match 'abc' in one of two ways.
The first choice is between 'ab' and 'a'; since 'ab' is earlier,
and does lead to a successful overall match, it is chosen.
Since the 'b' is already spoken for, the 'b*' must match its
last possibility, the empty string, since it must respect the
earlier choice.
In the particular case where no |'s are present and there is
only one *, +, or ?, the net effect is that the longest
possible match will be chosen. So 'ab*', presented with
'xabbbby', will match 'abbbb'. Note that if 'ab*' is tried
against 'xabyabbbz', it will match 'ab' just after 'x', due to
the begins-earliest rule. (In effect, the decision on where
to start the match is the first choice to be made, hence
subsequent choices must respect it even if this
leads them to less-preferred alternatives.)
REGULAR EXPRESSION SUBSTITUTION
===============================
Substitutions are made according to the most recent RE search.
Each instance of '&' in the paste buffer is replaced by the
string that matched the whole regular expression. Each instance
of '\n', where n is a digit, is replaced by the substrings
that matched parenthesized expressions within the regular
expression, with parenthesized expressions numbered in
left-to-right order of their opening parentheses.
To get a literal '&' or '\n' into dest, prefix it with '\'; to get
a literal '\' preceding '&' or '\n', prefix it with another '\'.
___________________________________________________________________________
From: ERNIE::ARVIDSON 6-AUG-1987 16:02:33.61
To: MARGOLIN,ARVIDSON
CC:
Subj:
I thought you'd be interested in the ongoing saga of ultrasonic
sensors in my life. A week ago I woke up with a bad 'hangover' in my head.
The puzzling thing was that I had only one beer the night before. After
mentally retracing my actions the previous day, the only thing suspicious was
my visit to Crown Books in Cupertino. The store has suspicious little 3"
domes mounted to the ceiling in two or three places. The head symptoms
gradually wore off after 36 hours and I forgot about it. Two days ago (Tuesday)
I was again in Cupertino and decided to buy a specific book from Crown Books.
The previous incident didn't even occur to me at the time and after a longer
visit (20 minutes) than anticipated, I left with my book. The morning after
found me with another severe 'hangover'; worse than the week before. It's still
with me now, nearly 48 hours later. It took nearly eight months to recuperate
99% from the Atari light sensors. The book store incidents show that it now
only takes a few minutes of exposure to dramatically display the sensitivity
that has been produced by that first heavy dose of Atari's ultrasonics.
Together with the 'hangover' symptoms is the excessive ringing in the ears;
something I've had for many years but not quite this bad.
Anyway, that's another tidbit for your file.
Erwin
___________________________________________________________________________
From: ERNIE::BROWN 6-AUG-1987 17:38:09.50
To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK,BROWN
CC:
Subj: NAME FOR NEWSLETTER
O.K., HERE'S YOUR LAST CHANCE. WE ARE ABOUT TO PUBLISH OUR NEXT ISSUE
OF THE ATARI NEWSLETTER AND WE STILL DON'T HAVE A NAME FOR IT.
FROM THE LIST BELOW, CHOOSE YOUR FAVORITE(S) AND LET ME KNOW WHICH ONE(S)
THEY ARE. IF YOU HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS, DON'T BE BASHFUL, SHARE THEM WITH
ME.
1. GREAT MOMENTS OF ATARI
2. THE ATARI WIRE
3. ATARI HEADLINES
4. LIFE AT ATARI
5. THE ATARI STORY
LET ME HEAR FROM YOU.
SANDI
___________________________________________________________________________
From: ERNIE::JACKIE 7-AUG-1987 09:42:14.90
To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK
CC:
Subj: IT'S A BOY!!!!!
ADAM FUJIHARA WAS BORN THIS MORNING AT 3:00 A.M. HE WEIGHED IN AT
7 POUNDS 6 OUNCES AND MEASURED 19 1/2 INCHES LONG. MOM IS WIPED OUT
BUT DOING FINE AND BABY IS HAPPY AND HEALTHY!!
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::HORN "Erich Von Horn" 10-AUG-1987 14:06:06.73
To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK
CC:
Subj: Duna, duna, duna, duna, Batman!
I am looking for Batman comics and anything else having to do with the
comic/TV characters Batman, Robin, and Batwoman. If you have anything I
would be very greatful if you could let me use it
/borrow it. I am doing some research on the stuff. You can drop the material
off at my(Erich horn's) office or the office of Mark West. Please leave a note
as to who it belongs to and weather you want it back!
Erich, ext 1742
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::SHEPPERD 13-AUG-1987 11:29:09.60
To: @sys$mail:engineer,SHEPPERD
CC:
Subj: Getting a directory
Have you ever wanted to get a directory from within your VAX program? Well, I
had written an fdirectory function for PPSNET some time ago, so I extracted it
and made a C callable subroutine which you can use. From C, you call it
via:
int fdirectory(string,length,array);
char *string; /* pointer to directory/filename to search */
int length; /* size of buffer in bytes */
char *array; /* pointer to buffer where directory goes */
It returns odd values if it worked ok otherwise it returns even values. If it
returns a 3, then that means your buffer wasn't big enough to hold the whole
directory, although it returns as much directory as would fit in your buffer.
The buffer contains stream data according to the following:
byte 0 - length of longest filename returned (useful if you're
trying to format the screen to hold a given number
of columns).
byte 1 - code byte: 0 = filename follows, 1 = directory name
follows
byte 2 - length of name that follows (0 = end of list)
byte 3-n - name
byte n+1 - code byte
byte n+2 - length
...
A directory name will preceed all the filenames that appear in that directory.
There's an example program (UTL$MAC:FDIR.C) that you can look at or run by:
$ MCR UTL$EXE:FDIR what_ever
To use it with your program, you'll need to link in UTL$OBJ:FDIRECTORY.
For example:
$ LINK FDIR,UTL$OBJ:FDIRECTORY
Happy directorying...
ds
___________________________________________________________________________
From: MIKE::BELL "Component Engineering - Ext 1750" 11-AUG-1987 17:27:10.63
To: MARGOLIN,OWENS
CC:
Subj: 136052 MEMORY MASTERS
136052 MEMORY MASTERS 11-Aug-1987
Page 1
PART
NUMBER DESCRIPTION
136052-0101 IC,Pr_EPROM,421,137444-200,10H
136052-0102 IC,Pr_EPROM,421,137444-200,10J
136052-0103 IC,Pr_EPROM,421,137444-200,10K
136052-0104 IC,Pr_EPROM,421,137444-200,10L
136052-0105 IC,Pr_EPROM,421,137444-200,200R
136052-0106 IC,Pr_EPROM,421,137444-200,200S
136052-0107 IC,Pr_EPROM,421,137444-200,200T
136052-0108 IC,Pr_EPROM,421,137444-200,200U
136052-0109 IC,Pr_EPROM,421,137444-200,200V
136052-0110 IC,Pr_EPROM,421,137444-200,200W
136052-0111 IC,Pr_EPROM,421,137444-200,200X
136052-0112 IC,Pr_EPROM,421,137444-200,200Y
136052-0113 IC,Pr_EPROM,421,137444-200,210R
136052-0114 IC,Pr_EPROM,421,137444-200,210S
136052-0115 IC,Pr_EPROM,421,137444-200,210T
136052-0116 IC,Pr_EPROM,421,137444-200,210U
136052-0117 IC,Pr_EPROM,421,137444-200,210V
136052-0118 IC,Pr_EPROM,421,137444-200,210W
136052-0119 IC,Pr_EPROM,421,137444-200,210X
136052-0120 IC,Pr_EPROM,421,137444-200,210Y
136052-XXXX IC,Programmed_Devices,Driving_Simulator(421)
___________________________________________________________________________
From: ERNIE::FRANZELLA "Yvette" 14-AUG-1987 13:41:18.09
To: MARGOLIN
CC:
Subj: message
Jack Leddy of Shelly Liquid Displays called regaurding your inquiry.
415-969-6313 8/14
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::SHEPPERD 14-AUG-1987 18:26:16.65
To: @sys$mail:engineer,SHEPPERD
CC:
Subj: TPU??? Not again!
Before I go on a rampage and change TPU too much, I thought I'd solicit
input from you guys first. Unless there are no objections, I'll install
the following new single key commands (sometime next week):
Gold/E - Edit another file. Reads a file into a buffer named the same
as the file and marks the buffer for write on exit.
Gold/F - Read a new file into the main buffer. Writes the old
contents of the main buffer if it has been modified.
Gold/N - Next buffer. Cycles the current window to the next buffer
to which there is a file assigned (i.e. MAIN -> AUX ->
xxx -> MAIN).
Gold/B - map specified buffer to the main_window.
In addition, I'll add a new line mode command: DIRECTORY which will put
a directory listing into a buffer and map the aux_window to it. You will
be able to cursor to the filename you want to read and Gold/I, Gold/U,
Gold/E, Gold/F or INCLUDE it by specifying a special character (as yet
unnamed) as the filename argument to those commands.
With the exception of Gold/E, none of those keys are currently defined in our
section file (Gold/E does the same as control E, increment tab stop). If you
have defined any of those keys to mean something special for you, then your
definition will win. If enough of you don't want me to use those particular
keys, then I can be persuaded to use different ones.
I'll also consider additional features for TPU now that I'm back hip deep
into the section file and while I still remember how to program in TPU.
From: KIM::SHEPPERD 18-AUG-1987 20:01:50.30
To: @sys$mail:engineer,SHEPPERD
CC:
Subj: More TPU features...
Hold on to your hats; here's a bunch of new things you'll find active
in the new TPU section file starting with the next time you call up
TPU.
CHANGED features included in the standard section file:
PF2 - (help key) is undefined. Use GOLD/KP7 HELP for help.
Gold/A - (adjust tab) is undefined. Use control A instead.
Gold/control_b - (balance check) resets any existing select range.
I also fixed it so it correctly works in reverse.
Gold/D - (decrement tab) is undefined. Use control D instead.
Gold/E - (increment tab) has been re-defined to something else.
Use control E for increment tab.
Gold/I - has been changed so it won't ask anymore whether it's
ok to blow away the AUX buffer. It just does it.
Gold/number - processing has been changed to allow for DELETE and
control U to work. The number you enter after the gold key
will appear in the message window instead of the prompt line.
You can quit the GOLD/number function by typing control U
RETURN.
TPU now reads your init file (pointed to by TPU$INIT) into a
buffer called TPUINIT, executes the buffer then deletes
it whether there were execution errors or not. It didn't
used to delete the buffer.
The TPU function DMS$INSPECT has had an additional argument added
to its parameter list. If any of your custom TPU commands
call this procedure, you'll need to add the 3rd argument
(buffer name).
TPU won't announce "attempts to move beyond end of buffer" when
using KP0 and the arrow keys. The cursor just remains glued
to the limit.
NEW features included in the standard section file:
Gold/E - Edit another file. Will prompt for a filename and will
create a buffer whose name is taken from the name of the file
and read the file into that buffer. If there is a buffer
already present with the same name, then it will first write
the modified contents of that buffer to its corresponding file.
Files named HELP, SHOW, PASTE, DCL, MAIN and AUX are loaded
into buffers named slightly differently. A message will be
displayed indicating the buffer name. The file does not have
to exist; that is, you can create a new emtpy file with this
function.
Gold/F - Read a new file. Will prompt for a new filename which will
be loaded into the MAIN buffer first witing the modified
contents of the main buffer to its corresponding file. The
file does not have to exist; that is, you can create a new
empty file with this function. This is useful if you have
finished with the file you started to edit and want to edit
another one without exiting the editor or, as happens to me
often, mistyping the filename when you start the editor then
having to QUIT and start again with the correct name. Now you
only need to do a Gold/F to fix it.
Note that Gold/E, Gold/F, Gold/I and Gold/U all call the same
procedure but behave according to the following table:
file rqd
Cmd Buffer Window on exit to exist
------- ------- ------- --------- --------
Gold/E xxx AUX write no
Gold/F MAIN MAIN write no
Gold/I AUX AUX discard yes
Gold/U AUX AUX write no
Gold/N - Map the current window to the next buffer to which a file
has been assigned or the DCL buffer. Note that the status line
on the AUX window is updated each time Gold/N is selected,
however, if the AUX window is not visible, then you may have
to guess from the data displayed to which buffer your current
window is mapped (or do a line mode SHOW BUFF command).
Gold/B - Map the current window the the specified buffer. Prompts
for a buffer name.
Gold/Q - Quit current edit. (Same as line mode QUIT).
Gold/control_w - Toggle window sizes between 80 and 132 column mode
Gold/control_z - Exit current edit. (Same as line mode EXIT).
Gold/back_space - swaps the two chars preceeding the cursor.
Gold/number/Gold/W - sets the size of the aux window to 'number'.
The aux window size defaults to 1/3 the visible length of
the screen (8 lines on a VT100; up to 20 lines on the GPX).
Gold/number/Gold/control_w - sets the size of the main window to
'number'. The main window size defaults to the page size of
the terminal minus 2.
ENTER - does a newline, tab (same as typing return, tab).
DCL - A new line mode command that creates a subprocess, hands off
the remaining text on the command line to the process and
places all the data returned by the process into a buffer
called TPU_DCL which is mapped to the AUX window. The subprocess
is left hanging around in case you want to do additional
DCL commands. Surprizing as it might seem, it IS faster to
create a subprocess to issue a DIRECTORY command than it
is for TPU to do the directory function that I wrote,
especially if you do more than 1 directory command during
a single edit session. The DCL command lets you get all your
favorite DCL info using most of your favorite DCL commands and
custom words. It is not possible to continue editing while the
subprocess is executing its command; you have to wait for it
to complete.
DIRECTORY - Another new line mode command which actually expands to
line mode "DCL DIR" + whatever else you typed on the command
line.
In addition there's a new procedure that isn't bound to a key. I used it
extensively during the debug of all these features, namely COMPILE_PROCEDURE.
This function (which I bind to GOLD/C in my startup file) will compile
the procedure that the cursor happens to be in. It looks for the surrounding
PROCEDURE and ENDPROCEDURE, creates a select_range and compiles the range.
It does require that the words PROCEDURE and ENDPROCEDURE be the first words
on the line.
If you should find function broken that used to work just fine and you need
it back, then you can get to the old section file by making the following
assignment before running TPU:
$ ass utl$archive:dmsedtsecini tpusecini
Coming soon to terminals near you, MAJOR rework to CERROR and
indirect filename pickup from the DCL buffer (cursor to a
filename then use that filename in a subsequent INCLUDE,
Gold/E, Gold/F, Gold/U or Gold/I function). I figure that
these features will take some time to get working and didn't
want to hold up the use of this other stuff until then.
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::FRYE 19-AUG-1987 15:52:58.50
To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK
CC:
Subj: FACILITIES
I WILL BE ON VACATION FROM 8/20 TO 8/26,DURING MY ABSENTS REFER ALL FACILITY
PROBLEMS TO SANDI BROWN. THANKS, BOB
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::ALBAUGH "Dr. Bizarro" 20-AUG-1987 10:21:47.00
To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK
CC:
Subj: Soap Box
After suggesting a name for the Atari newsletter, I was only
mildly disappointed to not have it chosen. I was only slightly more miffed
to not have it included in the list submitted for your votes. I was a bit
annoyed when the second time I sent it in I did not even get a reply. But
I was really annoyed when the newsletter came out with the name "Atari Life".
There are still a lot of us around from the Warner Days, and many of us
remember "Atari Life" as a Warner/Kassar artifact. To use that name now is
roughly akin to playing "Dixie" at the Apollo.
'nuff said?
Mike
___________________________________________________________________________
From: ERNIE::PATCOOK 21-AUG-1987 09:41:59.94
To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK
CC:
Subj:
Re the infamous "Atari Life" newsletter.
I'm all for giving it the ol guillotine, deep-sixing it, or removing
it from the resuscitator. Afterall, who r-e-a-l-l-y needs it?????????????
It's a waste of a lot of people's valuable time, Atari's money, etc.,
etc., etc. Here's to "Atari Death"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The S.B. Beach Bunny
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::SHEPPERD 21-AUG-1987 14:55:09.16
To: @sys$mail:engineer,SHEPPERD
CC:
Subj: More TPU
More changes to our section file:
Control_V - scrolls down (by section) the aux window leaving the
cursor in the main window. (Control 6 does the same thing).
Control_^ - (control/shift 6) scrolls up the aux window (by section)
leaving the cursor in the main window.
Gold/control_b - has been changed (again). It now senses which
direction to search based on the character under the
cursor. If the char is one of ({[<, it'll search forward
for the matching close character. If the char is one of )}]>,
it'll search in reverse for the matching open character.
If the current character is a double quote ("), it'll
search in the current direction.
Gold/K - (Keep/Kill) Toggles update mode bit in current buffer.
If the buffer is marked for update (write on exit), then
this function will mark the buffer for no write. It will
prompt you for a Y or N to make sure you really want to
do this. If the buffer is marked for no write, then this
function will mark it for update and display the filename
that the buffer will be written to. If no file has been
attached to the buffer, then it will prompt you for one.
You would use this function to convert a Gold/I into a
Gold/U or visa-versa. You might also decide that you don't
want to keep changes you made to a buffer without quitting
the whole edit session.
CERROR - This function that you've grown to know and love, has been
re-written and behaves quite differently than it used to.
Now it reads in the error file as before but marks all the
lines in error in an psuedo-array which holds up to 40
errors. It also optionally does a Gold/E on all include files
found in the error file. In the case of an include file,
it prompts you for a Y, N (the default) or directory in which
the include file may be found since only the file name is
present in the error file. PF2 is mapped as the "next" error
key and will select the next error according to the current
direction. There may be multiple errors logged for a single
line of source code. The buffer which contains the line in
error will be mapped to the main window unless it is already
mapped to the aux window in which case, the cursor will be
moved to the aux window. Since the lines in error are marked
at the beginning, edits to lines before and after the line
will not screw up the mark UNLESS you delete the line that
has the error even if you put it right back in. Deleting a
line that has a mark causes the mark to move to the line
following. The line number reported in the message window
probably will be garbage if you've added or deleted any lines.
Confused? You won't be after the next section update.
I had a dream about TPU (nightmare?) the other night. I dreamt that I needed
magic potions, charms, coins, keys etc. in order to enable certain TPU
functions. Characters that were deleted disappeard in a cloud of smoke
accompanied with popping sounds. Whole sentences would vanish with a loud
bang. Theives would be crawling around in your buffers moving characters and
strings while you are not looking. Hmmmm....just wait until the NEXT version
of the section file is released....
ds
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::SHEPPERD 24-AUG-1987 17:46:21.48
To: @sys$mail:engineer,SHEPPERD
CC:
Subj: New improved TPU...
New feature:
Gold/control_a - Adjust balance. Select a range that starts with one
of "({[< or ends with one of ")}]> and type Gold/control_a.
TPU will adjust the range adding the appropriate number of
opening or closing characters to the beginning or the end
of the range respectively. Double quotes are balanced by
forcing there to be an even number of them in the range with
additional characters placed at the end unless the first
character in the range is NOT a double quote in which case
the extra character will be placed at the beginning.
The cursor will be left at the end of the range and select
will be reset. THE PASTE BUFFER IS USED AS TEMPORARY STORAGE,
ITS CONTENTS WILL BE LOST.
___________________________________________________________________________
From: MIKE::BORNN "SUZY-Q" 28-AUG-1987 08:39:16.31
To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK
CC:
Subj: HELP
THIS MAY SOUND CRAZY BUT I'M IN NEED OF A STRAITJACKET. YES THAT'S RIGHT
STRAITJACKET. IF ANYONE OUT THERE IN VAXLAND HAS ONE OR KNOWS WHERE I
COULD BORROW ONE PLEASE REPLY TO THIS ADDRESS OR CALL X3919.
BY THE WAY, THIS IS FOR A SKIT I'M DOING ON WED.
THANKS,
SUE
___________________________________________________________________________
From: ERNIE::ARVIDSON 28-AUG-1987 16:12:57.07
To: MARGOLIN,ARVIDSON
CC:
Subj: Resistor Network Quote.
I've been sending out our resistor network requirements to several
manufacturers. I received one response to your part, 118015-001,
and here are their figures:
QTY UNIT PRICE
5K $3.00
10K $2.85
25K $2.75
NRE Charge = $1000
The company is Ohmtek. Kindof expensive, huh?
erwin
___________________________________________________________________________
From: ERNIE::ARVIDSON 31-AUG-1987 08:07:34.86
To: MARGOLIN,ARVIDSON
CC:
Subj: My message on Ohmtek resistor networks.
I forgot to tell you that the delivery time is 10 weeks.
erwin
___________________________________________________________________________
From: ERNIE::ARVIDSON 1-SEP-1987 15:32:27.75
To: MARGOLIN,ARVIDSON
CC:
Subj: PLCC SOCKETS.
PART VENDOR
NUMBER DESCRIPTION MANUFACTURER PN
179237-068 Socket,IC,PLCC,68pin BURNDY QILE-68-P410T
179237-068 Socket,IC,PLCC,68pin ITT_CANNON LCS-68-02
179237-068 Socket,IC,PLCC,68pin JAE_ELECTRONICS_INC PLPS-68-T
179237-068 Socket,IC,PLCC,68pin MAXCONN MH-PLCC-68-T
179237-068 Socket,IC,PLCC,68pin METHODE 213-068-001
179250-068 Socket,IC,PLCC,68pin AMP_INC 821574-1
179251-068 Socket,IC,PLCC,68pin THOMAS_&_BETTS/ANSLEY PCC-068T-01
179252-068 Socket,IC,PLCC,68pin TEXTOOL/3M 268-6234-50-3577
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::ALBAUGH "Dr. Bizarro" 1-SEP-1987 16:26:50.82
To: @SYS$MAIL:ENGINEER
CC:
Subj: Change to S.A. Audio board Coin Counters
If you are never involved with coin handling or do not intend
to use the Stand-alone Audio Board, you can stop reading now.
I just changed SACOIN.MAC per a request from the XYBOTS/ROBOX/CATACOMBS
crew. The old version counted coins in the first two coin slots on the left
counter and coins in the last two slots on the right counter. It seems that
X/R/C only uses two mechs, and they are the first two, and Ireland wants two
independant counters (regardless of how silly this is for a "Gauntlet type"
game which dedicates each mech to a player position). Anyway, the new version
puts the EVEN mechs (0 and 2) on the Left and the ODD mechs (1 and 3) on the
Right. If you, like most, have just been shorting the counter-drivers together
and driving one physical counter, there is no change. If you care, and deeply
resent the change, please let me (and your audio person) know. Otherwise this
will become the latest in a series of "universal standards".
Mike
___________________________________________________________________________
From: SANDY::DAVE 2-SEP-1987 23:00:50.36
To: @SYS$MAIL:ENGINEER
CC:
Subj: THINGS I HAVE LEARNED
THINGS I LEARNED ON MY SUMMER VACATION BY DAVE SHERMAN
THIS SUMMER I WORKED AT ATARI. IT WAS FUN. HERE ARE SOME OF THE
KEEN THINGS I LEARNED. MOST OF THE ENGINEERS AT ATARI ALREADY KNOW THESE
THINGS BECAUSE THEY ARE REAL SMART.
1) ALWAYS PUT A B OR N AT THE END OF SIGNALS THAT ARE ACTIVE LOW!
YOU'LL BE SORRRRRY IF YOU DON'T!
2) ALWAYS DRAW A CIRCUIT THAT DOES SOMETHING THE SAME WAY EACH
PLACE YOU USE IT, EVEN IF IT COSTS AN EXTRA INVERTER.
AFTER ALL WHEN YOU ALREADY HAVE 40,000 OTHER INVERTERS IN YOUR
CIRCUIT WHATS A FEW MORE BETWEEN FRIENDS?
3) DON'T BE AFRAID TO >>>STANDARDIZE<<< IF AT ALL POSSIBLE.
VLSI CIRCUITRY ISN'T A CREATIVE EXERCIZE LIKE PAINTING AND
A SCHEMATIC SHOULDN'T LOOK LIKE IT WAS DRAWN BY PICASSO.
4) TRY TO GO HOME BY ELEVEN, OR YOU WON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU
DID THE NEXT DAY.
WELL THAT SHOULD BE ABOUT 1,000 WORDS, TIME FOR MY REMEDIAL MATH
CLASS NOW.
MY SUMMER VACATION BY DAVE SHERMAN.
___________________________________________________________________________
From: ERNIE::WOOD 4-SEP-1987 12:27:27.35
To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK
CC:
Subj: Barrel of Fun acquisition
Effective September 1, 1987 Atari Games completed its purchase of Barrel
of Fun. The arcade operations will now be run by a wholly-owned
subsidiary of Atari Games called Atari Operations, Inc. Atari
Operations will continue in its efforts to expand the arcade operations.
Dick Adams, formerly President of Barrel of Fun, will now be joining
Atari and will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of the
subsidiary as Vice President of Atari Operations.
- Dennis Wood
___________________________________________________________________________
From: CHARM::MORRIS 4-SEP-1987 15:27:40.79
To: @sys$mail:junk
CC:
Subj: BAWK, A GREP-based text pattern search and replace facility.
A new utility is on UTL$EXE:
It is BAWK.EXE.
BAWK scans text files for regular expression patterns and executes
a user-defined action (C code fragment) for each specified pattern found.
This can be a very useful utility for converting files, and doing complex
mass (batch) editing tasks.
The documentation file is in CHARM$USERDISK:[morris.st.cug.tools]BAWK.DOC.
Its is usually well worth the time to figure out how to use this program.
Jim.
___________________________________________________________________________
From: MIKE::VELLA 10-SEP-1987 10:48:59.72
To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK
CC:
Subj: REIMBURSEMENTS
ALL EXPENSES SUCH AS REIMBURSEMENTS FOR THE PURCHASE OF BOOKS,SOFTWARE,
OR MILEAGE SHOULD BE SUBMITTED TO ACCOUNTING ON A CHECK REQUEST OR
MILEAGE REPORT. BUSINESS EXPENSE REPORTS ARE TO BE USED FOR TRAVEL
AND BUSINESS ENTERTAINMENT ONLY.
THANKS, MICHELLE
___________________________________________________________________________
From: MIKE::VELLA 11-SEP-1987 09:40:54.73
To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK
CC:
Subj: NEW MILEAGE RATE
THE NEW MILEAGE RATE ALLOWED BY THE IRS FOR BUSINESS USE OF A CAR AS OF
SEPTEMBER 1, 1987 IS 22.5 CENT A MILE.
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::FRYE 9-SEP-1987 08:17:05.60
To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK
CC:
Subj: FACILITIES UP-DATE
NEW OFFICES NEXT WEEK CONSTRUCTION
WILL START FOR FOUR NEW OFFICES AND A
NEW MAIL ROOM. THE WORK AREA WILL BE THEFRONT LOBBY AND MARKETING COMMON AREA.
DUE TO THIS CONSTRUCTION, ALL THE GAMES
PRESENTLY IN THE FRONT LOBBY WILL BE
MOVED TO THE CAFETERIA. ADDITIONAL
POWER WILL BE INSTALLED TO GET THESE
GAMES ON LINE.
THE MAIL ROOM WILL TEMPORARILY BE LOCAT-ED IN THE VIEWING ROOM NEXT TO THE
CENTRAL CONFERENCE ROOM, MAIN HALLWAY.
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::CYBER 9-SEP-1987 09:30:49.14
To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK
CC:
Subj: cafeteria is for eating...
Please !.. No Games In The Cafeteria..
I gotta work with these beasts all day.. do I have to eat with
them too ???
jfs
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::SUTTLES "Yo speako TECO" 9-SEP-1987 10:37:32.19
To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK,SUTTLES
CC:
Subj: "My best friend is a video game"
We have no choice. We cannot keep the games out of the cafeteria,
else we would be in violation of the ERA (Electronic Right Appendix).
After all, Atari is an "Equal Opportunity Employer".
On the other hand, maybe we could counter with a discrimination
suit of our own! The games already have more "voice" than we do! Who is
this CYBER guy, anyways? He's not even completed yet, and he's leading
a rally for the popular vote!
All seriousness aside, every time in the past 5 years that we had
games in the cafeteria has made the site too noisy, hot, and crowded. This
is the nicest cafeteria we have had while I've been here, and it seems a
shame to regress to the crowded, noisy conditions of the past. As it is
now, the cafeteria also makes a nice lounge during off hours.
I think another area could be found; the engineering common area
seems a natural choice, or maybe we could put them in some of the wider
hallways (the central corridor could use some relief from the monotony).
But I would rather see the games temporarily retired than put in the cafeteria.
It also seems apparent that we need a bigger, or another, game room...
Send hate mail to this address.
sas
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::MARGOLIN 14-SEP-1987 15:44:03.97
To: CAMERON,MARGOLIN
CC:
Subj: Thingies
In the Sixties there was the question:
Suppose they gave a War and nobody came?
In the Seventies there was the question:
Suppose they gave a Revolution and nobody came?
In the Eighties the question is:
Suppose they give an Orgy and nobody comes?
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::ALBAUGH "Dr. Bizarro" 17-SEP-1987 09:44:29.77
To: @SYS$MAIL:ENGINEER
CC:
Subj: New Utility
I have added an "English to C" translator to utl$exe. To be more
precise, I have added the program DECLARE, which takes a (more or less)
plain English declaration and translates it to a C declaration. As usual,
you need to make a foreign command, like:
$ DEC*lare :== $ UTL$EXE:DECLARE
then you can type:
$ DEC array of pointers to functions returning pointers to float
and have it type:
float *(*X[])();
which in fact I just cut from my TPU_DCL buffer, having used Dave's spiffy
DCL command. It can also be used by just running the program and typing
a declaration to be translated in response to its "> ". For (a few) more
details, see DOK:DECLARE.DOC.
Mike
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::SUTTLES "Yo speako TECO" 18-SEP-1987 10:40:30.71
To: @SYS$MAIL:ENGINEER,@SYS$MAIL:MIKE_USERS,SUTTLES
CC:
Subj: Editing files in shared directories
Have you ever "lost" an edit? Changes you made once mysteriously
evaporated from later versions of the same file? The cause was probably
"too many cooks". Yasee, both EDT and TPU create the output file (the
edited version) when they exit. It is some manipulation of the file
at the time it started. If you begin an edit session while somebody
else is editing the same file, you'll both start with the same data.
You each make your own changes, and when each of you finish, each of you
writes a new version with your changes incorporated. The one who exits
LAST will create the highest-numbered version, in other words, the current
file. The poor guy who exits first has his changes evaporate.
"Big deal" you say! Well it is, if it is your data that is lost.
And the real pain of it is that this almost never happens except when deadlines
are close and you can't afford the time to find it or fix it.
Well, there's a cure. You can ensure that you don't step on anyone
else; but you can't stop them from stepping on you. On the other hand, nobody
wants to waste their effort; if all concerned are careful not to start an
edit while another is in progress, it will never happen.
There exists a command file that does all kinds of nice things for
you, including checking for existing journal files (made automatically when
you edit a file). It also finds an editor initializer file, if you have one,
so you don't have to specify it every time, or copy it to each directory in
which you intend to edit.
To use it, define (in your login.com) EDT or TPU to mean @UTL$COM:EDT
or @UTL$COM:TPU (your choice). You may use both, if you are bilingual. The
command files are in fact identical, and find out which editor to run by the
name of the command file you use. They check for existing journal files, for
both editors (they know about each other), they do the initializer search,
they know about the /READ_ONLY and /RECOVER qualifiers, and so on. They will
NOT enter the editor if there is a journal file open. They will not enter
the editor if an old journal file exists. If you're just looking, you can
specify /READ_ONLY and it will remind you of the danger (of overwriting some-
body else's changes) and let you in.
In general: If you already define symbols that call out the editor
you want, replace the EDIT/EDT or EDT verb part with @UTL$COM:EDT (and similarly
for TPU). If the first thing after the name of the editor is a slash, you'll
need to put double quotes in it, as follows:
for use
$ EDT :== EDIT/EDT $ EDT == "@UTL$COM:EDT """ ! note quotes
$ HEY :== 'EDT' SYS$NAG:NAG.DAT $ HAY :== @UTL$COM:EDT SYS$NAG:NAG.DAT
$ AGAIN :== EDIT/EDT/RECOVER $ AGAIN == "@UTL$COM:EDT ""/RECOVER"
For those of you in engineering who use (or used) "E", that is the
initializer locating logic installed here. If you have an EDT inializer
file you always want to use, do:
$ define edtini sys$login:edtini.ini ! or wherever it is
$ define tpuini sys$login:tpuini.ini ! tpu version of the same
As usual, if you find problems that I've missed, let me know.
sas
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::BRAD 24-SEP-1987 16:27:36.37
To: MARGOLIN,BRAD
CC:
Subj: TOMCAT
I still have TOMCAT's audio stuff that we did. Do you need it or can I
delete it?
- brad -
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::SUTTLES "Yo speako TECO" 25-SEP-1987 16:04:43.23
To: @SYS$MAIL:EVERYBODY,SUTTLES
CC:
Subj: oldies but goodies
There are some ancient time management tools I created in
UTL$COM (sched and nag). I've been asked about details on them and
discovered there wasn't any documentation. For those of you who have
been using them, here's your chance to find out if you've been doing it
"right"; for those of you who haven't been on the computer that long,
these might be good news. Check out the files DOK:NAG.DOC and DOK:SCHED.DOC
for more details. There are no changes to the procedures; they just have
documentation now.
MAIL me bug reports, and I'll ignore them at my earliest opportunity.
sas
___________________________________________________________________________
From: CHARM::SHEPPERD 2-OCT-1987 16:13:57.81
To: @SYS$MAIL:ENGINEER,SHEPPERD
CC:
Subj: IMI
Tired of waiting while you try to simply login at the IMI terminal? I've created
an account, IMI (no password), that you can use to login at the IMI terminal.
Virtually NO environment is established ( i.e. no local logical names and few
global symbols) so you won't be able to use any of your favorite short
cut commands and logical names, but neither will you have to wait forever just
to get a lousy DCL prompt.
At present, only 4 symbols will be known IMI, DIO, SD and GOS. You'll have to
set default to your disk and directory and/or @ one of your favorite com files.
This account has no home directory so you won't be able to upload any files.
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::DOWNEND 5-OCT-1987 10:49:43.14
To: @SYS$MAIL:ENGINEER
CC:
Subj: Current Info on 27512 EPROMs
Rod Petersen passed along the following information today:
1) Atari currently keeps about 100,000 27512's on order with AMD, our primary
supplier.
2) Leadtimes are at 18 weeks so this is necessary.
3) Despite the requirement for 200 nS parts, all they can get is 250 nS access
time parts. ENGINEERS BEWARE.
4) AMD says that the 250 nS parts are screened to run at 170 nS at ROOM Temp.
As a Result:
1) Based on this, both Stempler (system II) and Snyder (XYBOTS) have issued
deviations to use 250 nS parts in place of the specified 200 nS parts.
Typically, they have found a worst case access time requirement of about
220 nS which allows slower parts to run OK at temperatures less than 70
degrees centigrade.
2) If you can squeeze out a few nanoseconds either with chipselects always "on"
(with consequent increased power consumption, oh well) or with faster
parts in the glue logic, it may be worth the trouble if it allows you to
specify 250 nS 27512 EPROMS. That way you avoid the judgement call later
in production when 200 nS parts are not available.
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::ROLM "SUTTLES, SHEPPERD, or ALBAUGH" 5-OCT-1987 14:28:44.74
To: @SYS$MAIL:EVERYBODY,ROLM
CC:
Subj: paging access codes
Recently, there has been a significant increase in the number of
"mistakes" in dialing toll free numbers. Generally, when making an outgoing
call, if the 9 (for an outside line) is omitted, no problems arise, other
than the caller not getting what he wants. However, since 80 is the current
paging number for Engineering, the rest of the dialing tones go over the
paging system. Despite a reminder sent out by junk mail, the problem
continues to worsen. So,...
Effective Monday, October 12, the paging access for Engineering will
be 85, not 80. Dialing an 80 will immediately result in an error tone, so
those who forget the leading 9 will have a more immediate indication.
Also, there have been inquiries as to dialing credit card calls.
With our system, the "normal" sequence is not possible. It is possible to
speak to the long distance operator for Pacific Bell. From a Pacific Bell
telephone, you are instructed to dial 00; however, Pacific Bell is not our
normal long distance carrier, and this will not work! Because of several
irregularities, it has been found to work on rare occasions to dial 9,0;
and then wait until the call is placed, but before the operator rings;
and continue with the number you want to call. This also is not reccomended;
there is an excellent chance you will be routed to the wrong number (missing
part of what you dialed) at your expense (the billing portion seems to work
just fine). Instead, the reccommended procedure is: Dial #600 (pound, six,
zero, zero) WITHOUT a leading nine. You will be connected to the Pacific
Bell long distance operator. You may then explain that you wish to make
a credit card call, and give the information vocally. Most times, the
operator will suggest that you can dial the call yourself, saving some money.
It is not possible on our phone system. It was built before telephone
deregulation, and doesn't have the capacity for dialing embedded access codes.
To recap: Next Monday, the Engineering page will be 85, not 80;
Paging codes for Administration (86) and building 735/warehouse (87) are
unchanged. Credit card or collect calls can be made by dialing #600, WITHOUT
the leading nine; this is already in effect.
sas
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::RAINS 7-OCT-1987 17:48:42.99
To: @SYS$MAIL:ENGINEER
CC:
Subj: Report from JAA show, Tokyo
FLASH FLASH FLASH FLASH FLASH FLASH FLASH FLASH
Late report from our man, Dan Van, in the heart of enemy territory, Tokyo,
Japan. He reports that the JAA show is pretty busy, and there are plenty of
new products being shown. A quick rundown:
SEGA: showing AFTERBURNER in 4 or 5 different cabinet configurations,
including a new intermediate cost sit-down. The program has been updated
slightly, but remains basically the same. They were also showing a Baseball
game in the same cabinet and on the same hardware as DUNK SHOT. Excitement
on afterburner is still high in Japan, and among the international visitors
at the show.
NAMCO: is getting a lot of interest by American and European visitors in
their PACMANIA game. Dan feels confident that we will have to show this
product at the AMOA and make it available before Christmas. Namco is also
showing their new linkable cabinet multiplayer driving game, FINAL LAP.
They have four 2-player cabinets linked into an 8-player Pole Position type
game. Dan isn't sure how significant the product will be, though the game
gets a lot of play at the show.
DATA EAST: is showing their 3-player Gauntlet-style REAL GHOST BUSTERS game,
but Dan claims it's a bust. Not to worry....
TATSUMI: is showing a new first person, 3-D flying game which Dan claims is
graphically superior to Lock-on or Afterburner. He's not sure if the game is
better than afterburner, but it looks like someone else is starting to do
some real 3-D stuff.
TAITO: showed a video machine gun game, OPERATION WOLF, which was apparently
receiving some attention. Dan says the compact cabinet design was highly
favored as a good concept.
KONAMI: is showing their 2-player Gauntlet-style game, DARK WARRIOR. Dan
says the graphics are good, and the view is zoomed in much closer, so the
characters and monsters are more than twice as big as Gauntlet.
KASCO: has a genuine shooting game. The player gets 5 shots from a rifle
with pneumatically fired plastic pellets. He shoots at a moving paper
target, and the machine vends the target at the end of play. The rifle is
secured to the cabinet by a cable and retaining bar arrangement, but is
probably not safe enough. The cabinet is about 4' x 8'.
There were a few other odds 'n ends, but that's the bulk of his report.
I'll let him fill in the details when he get's back.
-Lyle
___________________________________________________________________________
From: MIKE::JAMERO 8-OCT-1987 08:43:51.08
To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK
CC:
Subj: ATARI IRELAND'S TELEX NO. CHANGE
FYI ATARI IRELAND TELEX NO. HAS BEEN CHANGED TO 70665.
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::SHEPPERD 12-OCT-1987 11:07:39.99
To: @sys$mail:engineer,SHEPPERD
CC:
Subj: IMI stuff
I think I finally got all the bugs out of the IMI program. It appears to
correctly handle 65kb Eproms with any word size. I'm sure I don't have
to tell you to report failures to this address.
ds
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::SHEPPERD 12-OCT-1987 13:59:34.06
To: @SYS$MAIL:ENGINEER,SHEPPERD
CC:
Subj: More IMI stuff
I forgot to mention the problems with UPLOADs. If you try to upload data when
KIM is real busy (like anytime during the day), you MAY get "data overrun"
errors. Sorry, but there appears to be nothing I can do about that at the
moment. Second, the IMI has a bug in it where it forgets to stop transmitting
upload data after it overflows any 65k boundary and there is no way that the VAX
can stop it. The VAX will, however, write the uploaded data to your file (if it
didn't get data overruns) even if the IMI doesn't stop when it's supposed to.
You will have to press the "exit" button on the IMI programmer to get it to stop
sending.
ds
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::SHEPPERD 13-OCT-1987 12:13:52.05
To: @sys$mail:engineer,SHEPPERD
CC:
Subj: A new and improved LLF
Release 2.4 of LLF has been installed. This version fixes a problem with
forward referenced local symbols colliding with undefined global symbols.
This problem made some undefined globals seem to "disappear" by not being
reported as undefined or even being listed on the link map.
It also fixes a problem where the names of files that were multiply defining
globals were not correctly identified.
There are also a couple of new features in the option file:
LOCATE ( seg seg ... : NOOUTPUT);
The NOOUTPUT option instructs LLF to exclude any code or data in the listed
segments from the output file. It may appear anywhere in the list of other
LOCATE address options. I.e.:
LOCATE ($$seg14 : 0x10000 TO 0x10FFF NOOUTPUT) -- exclude ram area
You may DECLARE a symbol to have a value of TIME which is the 32 bit value
returned from the RTL (VAX-C, GEMDOS or whatever OS LLF is using) function
time(). It will match the value that is decoded and displayed on the map.
I.e.:
DECLARE (your_variable : TIME) -- put a time stamp in output file
ds
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::FRYE 14-OCT-1987 13:08:16.50
To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK
CC:
Subj: CONSTRUCTION IN PROGRESS
TO ALL CONCERNED AT 675.....
OUR CONTRACTOR HAS INFORMED ME THAT
CONSTRUCTION FOR THE ADMIN-MARKETING
PROJECT IS TO START TOMORROW, WITH
COMPLETION IN TWO WEEKS.
AS THE FRONT LOBBY IS ALSO INVOLVED,
PLEASE USE ALTERNATE ROUTES WHEN EVER
POSSIBLE.
THANKS, BOB
___________________________________________________________________________
From: CHARM::LOGG 16-OCT-1987 09:51:56.93
To: @SYS$MAIL:ENGINEER
CC:
Subj: IMI
A word of warning to all of you who use the IMI. Even though the
EPROMs you burned are verified by the IMI, that does not mean they will
work in the PCB. It apparently has nothing to do with the speed of the
EPROMs. I have had 27512s and 27256s fail in my PCB, yet they verify fine
in the IMI. The DIO on the other hand, failed on a low voltage verify.
Dave Shepperd believes the problem lies in the fact that the EPROMs
have not been completely erased. He recommends that the windows be cleaned
and the EPROMs be erased for an hour. I will ask Chris Downend to see if
we can get another timing box that will go beyond 30 minutes for the second
eraser in the DIO/PRINTER room. I will also try to get some cleaner
available.
Now that I have your attention, I would like to ask a favor of any
user of the IMI/DIO. When you are waiting for your EPROMs could you PLEASE
put any erased EPROMs from uder the UV lamps away in the correct drawers.
Stacking them neatly off to the side so that you can erase your EPROMs will
not help because they will erased again and again.... Now if you still
have nothing to do, how about erasing a few EPROMs that are laying around
on the table. If you can't do that please take them into the assembly area
to be erased.
One more word of warning. The eraser in the assembly area will NOT
erase EPROMs if they are placed in the center of the tray. The UV lights
must be directly above the EPROMs.
Ed Logg
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::FRYE 20-OCT-1987 14:36:00.50
To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK
CC:
Subj: NEED A KEY......
I NEED TO BORROW A KEY # AA305 TO OPEN
A FILE, SHOULD YOU HAVE ONE PLEASE FAX
ME. ALSO, IF YOU NEED A KEY TO LOCK
YOUR DESK OR FILE FAX THE NUMBER TO ME
AND I'LL TRY AND FILL YOUR ORDER.
THANKS, BOB
___________________________________________________________________________
From: CHARM::MORRIS 20-OCT-1987 14:40:11.61
To: @sys$mail:engineer
CC:
Subj: New ASM68 works
A new improved version of asm68 is now available.
It fixes some of the old annoying bugs like:
btst.b #1,t
btst.l #2,d0
These no longer give errors, I haven't checked all the old problems, because
I can't remember what they all were. So any prompts are welcome.
It also has expanded macro capability, If you want to use the new features
I have 1 manual you can look at.
Otherwise it seems compatible with the older version of asm68.
Do:
$ @charm$sysdevice:[c68r5v0]cdefs.com ! setup new interc stuff
in your LOGIN.COM file if you want to use the new assembler.
DELETE the old one which looked like this:
$ @sys$sysdevice:[c68r3v1.com]cdefs.com
This will also define 2 new commands ASM68010 and ASM68020, which are
assemblers for those chips (actually the same assembler, but enabling more
opcodes).
It also sets up the latest librarian if you have been using clbr.
Typing: $ HELP/LIBR=c68help
will give help on the switches for the new commands.
Any problems, see me.
Jim.
___________________________________________________________________________
From: CHARM::MORRIS 20-OCT-1987 14:40:11.61
To: @sys$mail:engineer
CC:
Subj: New ASM68 works
A new improved version of asm68 is now available.
It fixes some of the old annoying bugs like:
btst.b #1,t
btst.l #2,d0
These no longer give errors, I haven't checked all the old problems, because
I can't remember what they all were. So any prompts are welcome.
It also has expanded macro capability, If you want to use the new features
I have 1 manual you can look at.
Otherwise it seems compatible with the older version of asm68.
Do:
$ @charm$sysdevice:[c68r5v0]cdefs.com ! setup new interc stuff
in your LOGIN.COM file if you want to use the new assembler.
DELETE the old one which looked like this:
$ @sys$sysdevice:[c68r3v1.com]cdefs.com
This will also define 2 new commands ASM68010 and ASM68020, which are
assemblers for those chips (actually the same assembler, but enabling more
opcodes).
It also sets up the latest librarian if you have been using clbr.
Typing: $ HELP/LIBR=c68help
will give help on the switches for the new commands.
Any problems, see me.
Jim.
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::DOWNEND 20-OCT-1987 16:13:08.26
To: MARGOLIN, STEMPLER,MCCARTHY,HALLY,LIPSON
CC:
Subj: New Game Hardware
While I think of it, let me pass along the right people to contact...
Hally/Lipson are considering a game based on the Hardware Jed designed for the
Driver project. In a traditional game set-up, I would expect that Hally/Lipson
would want the usual Audio - a 6502 running RPM to drive Yamaha/POKEY/T.I. 5220
speech. For Jed's reference, Pat has designed the Stand-alone (S.A.) Audio PCB
which will be used first in XYBOTS. It is envisoned as the standard audio base
for our games and Pat will continue to support it. It includes everything from
the 6502 to the TDA 2030 amps as well as a few other goodies. It talks to the
main game processor through a serial chip (SCOM) that Gary Stempler designed (
500-gate gate-array). This is probably old news to most of you, but I don't
want to assume too much.
Incidently, Brad Fuller has a mandate from Rains to find an alternative to the
expensive (~$30.00) and sole-sourced Yamaha chip set. The audio group and Pat
are looking into sampled sound generated via a dedicated 68000 and a DAC.
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::DOWNEND 22-OCT-1987 10:49:04.48
To: MARGOLIN,HALLY,LIPSON
CC:
Subj: PT-MAn audio
One aspect of my mail message on the audio for PT-man was not clear.
Hally/Lipson are free to choose any audio system they feel is best for
the product including the TMS-320 based design used in Driver. The only
point I was trying to make is that IF Yamaha-based sounds are desired, then
the SA Audio PCB is the preferred implementation.
___________________________________________________________________________
From: CHARM::MORRIS 26-OCT-1987 18:32:13.72
To: @sys$mail:engineer
CC:
Subj: New ASM68 does NOT work
The latest version of th eassembler seems to have problems of its own,
Unless you need to use its macros or 68020/68881 capability I suggest
you go back to using the old one:-
Do:
$ @sys$sysdevice:[c68r3v1.com]cdefs.com
Sorry for the wasted productivity to those who
tried to use it.
Jim.
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::SHEPPERD 26-OCT-1987 19:45:37.91
To: @sys$mail:engineer,SHEPPERD
CC:
Subj: A new TPU function
Occasionally I've been asked how to make TPU search for \n's in a file. TPU
can do it, but it is a bit messy. I've needed to do it from time to time too,
so I figured out a way to make it less messy and built it into the section
file. This new procedure allows you to use all the features of TPU's pattern
matching expressions, so I'll briefly point out the functions:
ANY(string) !matches any character in the string
ARB(int) !matches an arbitray string of int characters
LINE_BEGIN !matches beginning of line
LINE_END !matches end of line
MATCH(string) !matches all chars up to and including string
NOTANY(string) !matches any character NOT in the string
REMAIN !matches all characters to end of line
SCAN(string) !Matches the longest string of chars that does
not contain any of the chars in string
SCANL(string) !same as SCAN but will cross record boundaries
SPAN(string) !matches the longest string of chars that only
contains the chars in string
ANCHOR !search without moving off current position
(advanced uses)
The pattern operators (which have equal precedence) are:
| !alternation (logical or)
& !concatenation (logical and)
Strings must be enclosed in either single quotes ('string') or double
quotes ("string"). Parentheses may be used around subexpressions.
No other operators are allowed. Some examples:
"abc" !find string 'abc'
'a' & 'b' & 'c' !find string where a before b before c ("abc")
LINE_BEGIN & 'fred' !find string where "FRED" is first thing on line
LINE_BEGIN & " " !find line beginning with a tab
^ there's a tab character here
')};' & LINE_END !find line where ")};" is the last thing on it
LINE_BEGIN & ANY("0123456789") !find line beginning with any number
SPAN('0123456789') & '$' !find a local symbol
"Oh goody, how do I use this spiffy thing", you ask? You have two choices. You
may type GOLD/PF3, enter the search pattern and terminate it with another PF3 or
you may open a buffer (GOLD/B to some empty buffer), enter your search pattern
in that buffer, go back to the buffer you want to search through, type GOLD/PF3
=buffer_name terminating with another PF3. If TPU liked your expression, it'll
search the buffer as always with PF3 finding the next occurance just as before.
If TPU didn't like your expression, you'll get various nasty messages. If you
use the buffer method then, of course, you can edit the buffer to fix your
problem (or change what you want to seach on). Typing GOLD/PF3/PF3 will prompt
for a "Search string (RE): " to which you can type a search expression or
the =buffer_name and terminate it with a carriage return, KP4 or KP5. You may
also notice that some extra stuff was inserted in your search string buffer
the first time you use it, please don't change the extra stuff or you'll find
your search string will always fail.
If you're really intrested, here's a big example of a complex search sequence
(stolen from a TPU procedure to find the next word, the variable edt$x_word has
been defined as a string of the characters that may delimt a word):
! Redefine the forward word skipper:
!
! don't move off current character position
(
anchor
&
! if on eol,then match that
(
(line_end)
|
!leading spaces,on a word delimiter
(span(' ') & (any(edt$x_word) | edt$x_empty) ) )
|
!no leading spaces, if on a word delimiter, move to second grp non-delimiter char
( span(edt$x_word) !skip all the leading delimiters
& scan(edt$x_word) !skip all the non-delimiters
& span(edt$x_word) ) !and skip all the next delimiters
|
!no leading spaces, on a real word, go to next word
(scan(edt$x_word) & span(edt$x_word))
|
!no leading spaces,on a last real word of line, match rest of line
REMAIN
)
&
! after matching, skip over trailing spaces if any
! except if match occurred at the eol. In this case,don't skip over blanks
(line_begin|span(' ') | edt$x_empty)
;
! End of forward word skipper
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::SUTTLES "Yo speako TECO" 27-OCT-1987 15:51:00.72
To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK,SUTTLES
CC:
Subj: for sale (sigh)
Ole reliable:
'72 Volkswagen Super Beetle. Very good shape. 72,000 miles on body,
at least 10,000 left on tires, 300 miles since engine rebuilt. No accidents.
$1,300 or best offer.
Old, faithful, and heartbroken:
1961 Morgan Plus/4. I don't know what else to say. This is a genuine
antique, still with all Morgan parts. Each (of 200 per year) Morgan is hand
made. In 1961, they boasted a TR-3 engine, a Jaguar gearbox, Lucas electrics,
and an all-wooden frame and suspension. They are no longer imported because
Morgan won't degrade performance to meet U. S. federal emissions requirements.
This specimen is in excellent condition. It was special ordered (as I presume
all are) by a friend of my family (in 1960), and after about two months, traded
to my father. He gave it to me. It has 36,000 miles on it, and has never been
used for "transportation". It hasn't been driven in the last 5 years, and has
been garaged for its entire life. If purchased for restoration, none will be
necessary on the engine or electronics; only one body panel has rust and most
of the upholstery is unworn; all is quite serviceable. I'm asking $13,000.
There is a discount if you give me visitation rights. Also included is the
definitive book on Morgans (1938-1969, if I remember right), itself a classic
in automotive terms (it was purchased in 1972). It is fascinating to read
just by itself! (although not worth 13 grand by itself.)
Contact Steve Suttles, x1710, or RSVP by Vaxmail.
sas
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::SHEPPERD 27-OCT-1987 17:39:48.43
To: @sys$mail:engineer,SHEPPERD
CC:
Subj: Yet another TPU fix...
I apologize to those that had been accustomed to terminating their search
strings with PF3. I always thought that EDT would disallow that so assumed
everyone would have been using KP4, KP5 or ENTER. When TPU came along, it
allowed any KP key or RETURN to terminate the search string and I figured
(incorrectly) that everyone would have switched to using RETURN or KP4 or KP5,
since it seems a bit easier on the fingers.
So, for those that do things the hard way and in order that you don't have to
retrain your hands, I moved the regular expression key to PF2. That is,
GOLD/PF3/PF2/string or GOLD/PF3/string/PF2 will use the string as a regular
expression with which to search.
Now who among you always terminates the search string with PF2?
ds
___________________________________________________________________________
From: MIKE::BORNN "SUZY-Q" 29-OCT-1987 08:50:37.42
To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK
CC:
Subj: UNADDRESSED MAIL
2 x HOME COMPUTER GAME "STAR WARS" ON ATARI DISK..
FROM 'DOMARK' IN LONDON.
WILL THE PERSON WHO THIS BELONGS TO PLEASE CALL REC. X3934.
___________________________________________________________________________
From: CHARM::THEURER 2-NOV-1987 13:24:18.11
To: THEURER,ROWE,@SYS$MAIL:ANIMATORS,@SYS$MAIL:ENGINEER
CC:
Subj: IP graphics utility to convert AMIGA graphics to PPS .pif format
Subject: IP utility for conversion of IFF (Amiga) files to PPS .pif files
From: Dave Theurer
File: charm$userdisk:[theurer.amiga]ip.doc
What it does:
IFF (Interchange Format Files) are created by most AMIGA graphics programs.
These graphics files may be uploaded to the VAX and converted to PPS .pif
files using the new IP (Iff->Pps) utility.
This program converts a single IFF picture file to pb 0 in a PPS .pif file.
These files may be up to 5 bits deep.
Why bother:
The Amiga has some excellent paint tools.
The Amiga color digitizer works better than the Atari digitizer and it has
an extra bit of picture depth (32 colors instead of 16).
What it won't do:
> This program can not change bit depth. That should be done on the
Amiga using Deluxe Paint or whatever before uploading the file to the VAX.
> No merging or cropping of pictures is supported. This may be done after the
conversion using the PPS.
Operation:
The Amiga file we've uploaded and now wish to convert is called dragon.
Type in: @charm$userdisk:[theurer.amiga]ip dragon
Wait while it converts the file.
When it says >>Enter output filename (CR for dragon.pif):
Type in the output PPS .pif filename or hit CR if the suggested name is ok.
When it prints "PPS .pif file: dragon.pif" you're all set:
pb 0 in dragon.pif will contain the converted picture.
Please reply if
> you have any problems with this utility.
> you have a utility on the VAX to change a picture's bit depth.
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::MARGOLIN 3-NOV-1987 12:59:34.37
To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK,MARGOLIN
CC:
Subj: Generator For Sale
For Sale:
Coleman/Powermate OHV1600 Portable Generator.
1400 Watts Continuous. Used 1.5 hours.
At Home Depot (where I bought it) it sells for $449.95 + Tax.
Orchard Supply sells it for $549.95 + Tax. (Their model comes
with an Ammeter.)
My price: $400.00 .
(I am selling it because, although this model is considered quiet
for a generator, it is still too noisy for me.)
Jed X1730
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::DOWNEND 3-NOV-1987 15:17:34.33
To: @SYS$MAIL:ENGINEER
CC:
Subj: kudos
Xybots is in production. 81 were built last week starting 10/26/87 and 65 were
built yesterday. (11/2/87). Production is working 12 hour days to make up for a
slow start. Recognition is in order for several contributors to this
significant product. It was developed in near record time and uses new
electronics throughout. Even the cabinet is a brand-new design with an internal
plywood structural sheet running the length of the cabinet.. Only the
power-supply assembly is "old" in terms of being used in a previous game.
1) Bob Flanagan and Ed Logg: This programming team took the product from
project intiation to production in less than one
year! It was initiated 10/28/86; production
started 10/26/87. This includes a significant
re-design switching from "Gauntlet characters" to
robots. Overall, the design manages to squeeze a
great visual sensation from limited hardware.
2) Doug Snyder: Doug designed one of the cheapest video hardware
set-ups we've seen in a long time. The board,
without EPROMS or the associated SA audio PCB,
costs about $105 (total cost is under $260 for
materials including amps). In addition Doug
worked very closely with Fujitsu engineers to
design a standard cell custom IC that contributed
significantly to the cost-effectiveness of the
product. It worked first time with apparently
good yields and even at elevated temperature
for over 100 hours.
3) Leon Fritz: Leon laid the densest 4-layer PC board in Atari
history. It pushes all the guidelines to the
limit. Manufacuturing was afraid they would not
be able to build it efficiently, but after
tweaking their equipment, all appears to be O.K.
4) Pat McCarthy: Pat designed and re-designed a new SA audio PCB
that combines all audio functions from the 6502
to the audio amps. Hopefully, this PCB will
become a standard audio platform for subsequent
games. Pat took great care to minimize noise
in the analog section and did much of the PCB
layout himself.
5) Gary Stempler: Designed the gatearray serial communication
chip SCOM which also worked first time. This chip
simplified the video-audio interface and
did so at a modest cost.
Did I leave "your" name out? I know there are other important contributors.
Cris, Sam, Earl, Milt, Mike J., Marty V. Mike A. come immediately to my mind.
Please let me say "thanks" to all of you, and to the six listed above
in particular. It took a lot of cooperation and coordination to pull off such
a significant new-design in near record-time.
Ed Logg is always cautious until he sees how the prodcuct sells. Let's hope the
players find the game as appealing as we do. But regardless of the product's
success in the marketplace, the technical achievement still stands.
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::SUTTLES "Yo speako TECO" 9-NOV-1987 09:45:24.70
To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK,SUTTLES
CC:
Subj: lodging
I'm looking for an apartment, with or without a roommate. The
main idea is low cash flow; so all you guys looking for a live-in cook
and/or bottlewasher, now's your chance. Also, if anybody knows of a
good deal on a place, I'd surely appreciate hearing about it. Thanks
in advance for the multitude of responses.
sas
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::SNYDER 9-NOV-1987 17:10:19.74
To: STEMPLER,MCCARTHY,PAAUW,LY,DAVE,HOFF,MARGOLIN,SNYDER
CC:
Subj: BONUS SPLITS
The Zybots bonus split meeting is coming up and I have been assigned
the catagory of engineering. The allocation of bonus in the past has
been unstructured and sometimes rather arbitrary. I would like to set up
a meeting to discuss this betwwen all of the engineers. Topics include:
1. Semi-standard Audio Boards
2. Custom chips
3. Circuit innovations
4. System innovations
5. Anything else
If we (the engineers) put our minds to it, a more equitable system of
bonus allocation could be formulated. If you are interested in attending
this meeting, it will be in the Engineering Conference Room at 2:00 PM
tomorrow (Nov. 10).
Thank You
Doug
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::SNYDER 11-NOV-1987 10:51:28.83
To: @SYS$MAIL:HARDWARE
CC:
Subj: XYBOTS hardware
Friday at 2:00 PM there will be a meeting to discuss the allocation of
bonus for the electronic hardware. The allocation of other bonus (software,
audio, animation, etc.) will not be discussed. If you have any input or
comments reguarding this issue please attend. A copy of the XYBOTS
schematics are available in my office. Topics include:
1. SA Audio PCB
2. Custom chips
3. Subcircuits
4. Anything else
Thank you
Doug
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::SNYDER 12-NOV-1987 11:51:14.86
To: @SYS$MAIL:HARDWARE
CC:
Subj: XYBOTS HARDWARE MEETING
The Xybots hardware meeting has been changed from Friday (tomorrow) at
2:00 PM to 3:00 PM.
Thank you
Doug
___________________________________________________________________________
From: ERNIE::GROSSMAN 17-NOV-1987 17:01:17.00
To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK
CC:
Subj: WELCOME TO A NEW ANOTHER NEW ATARIAN
Dan and Judi Van Elderen
are the proud parents
of a baby boy!
Mark Daniel Van Elderen was born at 3:49 p.m. today
7 lbs. 3 oz. & 19 3/4 inches
Mom and baby are doing just fine!
___________________________________________________________________________
From: MIKE::LIEBSTER 19-NOV-1987 11:25:19.66
To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK
CC:
Subj: HOLIDAY CHECK RUN
DUE TO THE PLANT SHUT DOWN BETWEEN CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEARS, THE LAST
CHECK RUN FOR DECEMBER WILL BE ON DECEMBER 17TH. PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT
ALL INVOICES, CHECK REQUESTS, BUSINESS REPORTS, ETC. ARE INTO ACCOUNTING
NO LATER THAN NOON ON DECEMBER 16TH (EARLIER WOULD BE APPRECIATED).
THE NEXT CHECK RUN WILL BE BACK ON SCHEDULE STARTING WITH WED. JANUARY 6TH.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE GIVE ME A CALL @ 3761..... SHERRY
___________________________________________________________________________
From: ERNIE::CAMERON 19-NOV-1987 12:03:25.52
To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK,LIEBSTER
CC:
Subj: HOLIDAY
WHAT HOLIDAY SHUTDOWN!?!
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::SUTTLES "Yo speako TECO" 23-NOV-1987 12:31:11.49
To: @SYS$MAIL:ENGINEER,SUTTLES
CC:
Subj: %CC-F-SORRY, no help for you!
Once again, the Doc has struck!
VAX C has undergone hellacious changes since it first came out
(which is when we bought the "little orange books"). The orange book describes
version 1.0, and we're currently using V2.4. As most of you know, the help
file on the system is concurrent with the software, but HELP is slow and it's
tedious to find the piece of information you want. So, as a service to our
readers, we've again transformed the help file into a (somewhat) structured
document with a table of contents and an index.
THERE IS A LIMITED QUANTITY available in the printer room. The
duplication costs were prohibitive, and office services will not absorb
any more printings. So please don't take one if you'll just lay it in a
corner. If you have felt the pressure of inadequate documentation, by
all means, take one. If we run out, and REALLY need more, your department's
budget will have to pick up the tab.
sas
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::SUTTLES "Yo speako TECO" 23-NOV-1987 12:49:04.28
To: @SYS$MAIL:MIKE_USERS, @SYS$MAIL:ENGINEER,SUTTLES
CC:
Subj: Spreadsheet help
Graphic Outlook is very powerful when you know how to use it.
Unfortunately, that's a problem. We only have two copies of the manual.
It has a respectable quantity of information in it's HELP facility; however,
that's not always the most desirable mechanism to access it. So we've trans-
formed the help file into a (somewhat) structured document with a table of
contents and an index.
THERE IS A LIMITED QUANTITY available in the printer room. The
duplication costs were prohibitive, and office services will not absorb
any more printings. So please don't take one if you'll just lay it in a
corner. If you can (and will) really make use of it, by all means, take one.
If we run out, and REALLY need more, your department's budget will have to
pick up the tab. For those who don't know where the "printer room" is
or can't get there, let me know you want one, & I'll send it through
interoffice mail.
sas
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::MARGOLIN 23-NOV-1987 19:42:23.56
To: MONCRIEF,BEHENSKY,MARGOLIN
CC:
Subj: Multi-Sync Turbo
The Multi-Sync Turbo is now working.
Because we have half the memory of the full Turbo a Memory-to-Shift
Register Load on every line only requires an address update of 512
words, not 1024.
It works.
To try it, download [Margolin.Sgsptst]Gsptst.hex
Jed
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::SUTTLES "Yo speako TECO" 24-NOV-1987 11:42:35.65
To: @SYS$MAIL:ENGINEER,SUTTLES
CC:
Subj: a new tool
Did you ever have a new tool and wonder what you could do with it?
In KIM$SYSDEVICE:[UTILITIES.LANG] you'll find a C program and com file
(and several supporting files, which is why it has a directory of it's own)
for doing language translation comparisons. Read no further till you need to.
LANG searches the specified C program for directives (specified as
constants--unless you are Ed or Bob, you'll have to change them) that delineate
areas of text constants. Within those bounds, it spits out (to temp files)
any strings it encounters.
LANG.COM runs the program, giving it wildcard capability, and follows
it with a DIFF run of the temp files, providing the cryptanalysts with a side-
by-side comparison of phrases in (currently) English-French, and English German.
The basic program is easily modified. It doesn't know much about C
programs, including (excluding?) comments. It can be easily fooled. It is
presumed that you're trying to work within its boundaries, not find exotic
stuff that won't work. If you need help with using or modifying it, let me
know.
sas
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::FRYE 1-DEC-1987 13:51:54.05
To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK
CC:
Subj: VISITORS AT 675
TOMORROW MORNING I WILL BE ESCORTING AN
AAPPRAISER (FOR THE PROPERTY OWNER) THRUOUR BUILDING FOR A LOOK SEE. BOB
___________________________________________________________________________
From: ERNIE::MELCHOR 1-DEC-1987 16:11:03.51
To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK
CC:
Subj: Bob Frye's Tour
Bob, are there going to be enough boxes to go around
this time..I mean for the move back to 1272 in March of 88 ?
Also Bob, has the jacuzzi been fixed?
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::SUTTLES "Yo speako TECO" 4-DEC-1987 15:16:13.28
To: @SYS$MAIL:ENGINEER, @SYS$MAIL:RAINSGANG, @SYS$MAIL:VANGANG,SUTTLES
CC:
Subj: equipment change
The letter quality printer (diablo) that was in the Engineering
Common Area, right outside the animators' cubicles, has been relocated
(permanently) to the PPS equipment room. This is the room with the
perpetually closed door and the note to call Will Noble. The printer,
for your info, is known as TTQ3:, or LQ1:, (less colons for queue names)
and was at one time known as RAINS$PRINT. Please keep it neat in there,
and watch your step. Lots of stuff to break, and if we do, Lyle, Rich, and
the animators will jointly and singly revoke our privilege to use the printer
at all.
No complaints are being accepted.
sas
___________________________________________________________________________
From: ERNIE::ARVIDSON 8-DEC-1987 08:38:08.40
To: MARGOLIN,ARVIDSON
CC:
Subj: Your IC socket part number.
Jed,
here is the part number for the socket described below: 179258-024.
As yet there are no approved sources.
The AVL description is: SOCKET, IC, 24/.400, STAMPED, OPEN FRAME.
Characteristics: Open frame, inside frame dimensions to be determined.
Spacing of pin rows = 0.400".
Stamped contacts, may be single or dual beam.
Phospher bronze or Beryllium copper contacts, tin plated.
PC board mounting, tin plated leads.
___________________________________________________________________________
From: CHARM::MORRIS 10-DEC-1987 10:16:23.07
To: @sys$mail:junk
CC:
Subj: Condo FOR RENT
FOR RENT.
1 bedroom, 720sq ft, condo.
Situated in Santa Clara, a nice complex with pool, spa, cabana,
gymnasium and laundry rooms.
This unit overlooks the garden and pool.
Available after January 8, 1988. Rent $675/Mo.
(With option to assume 10.5% Adjustable loan).
Anyone interest please contact Jim by VaxMail,
or (xxx) xxx-xxxx (Day)
or (xxx) xxx-xxxx (Eve.)
Thank You.
___________________________________________________________________________
From: ERNIE::BROWN 10-DEC-1987 15:36:34.57
To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK,BROWN
CC:
Subj: 401(K) PLAN
DURING THE MONTH OF DECEMBER EMPLOYEES MAY CHANGE THEIR INVESTMENT
OPTIONS FOR THE 401(K) PLAN. THE CHANGE WILL BECOME EFFECTIVE
JANUARY 1, 1988. THE THREE OPTIONS ARE THE SAME AS THEY WERE FOR 1987:
1. ASSET ALLOCATION FUND
2. MONEY MARKET FUND
3. GUARANTEED ASSET FUND
"PARTICIPANT INVESTMENT DIRECTIVE" FORMS ARE AVAILABLE IN MY OFFICE.
PLEASE FILL THEM OUT AND LEAVE THEM WITH ME OR JUDY NO LATER THAN
DECEMBER 23, 1987, OUR LAST WORK DAY IN 1987.
___________________________________________________________________________
From: MIKE::AVL 11-DEC-1987 16:20:13.49
To: @SYS$MAIL:EVERYBODY,AVL
CC:
Subj: On-Line CER submissions
Users on MIKE may now submit Component Evaluation Requests on-line by typing
'CER' at the VAX system prompt ($). The program will prompt for information
about the component, and forward the request to Component Engineering for
processing. The user should be prepared to answer specific questions such
as Atari part number, vendor part number, vendor contact and phone numbers.
The program allows for several comment lines, in which the user may include
whatever information may be appropriate. If additional information and/or
samples are required, the Component Engineer assigned to each request
will contact the requester if needed. The user will be notified when the
CER has been completed, and the results of the evaluation.
The command, 'CER' will become effective upon your next login or RESTART on
MIKE.
___________________________________________________________________________
From: CHARM::DECK 18-DEC-1987 14:03:54.81
To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK
CC:
Subj: Hearty Congratulations!!!
Congratulations to Ed and Connie Logg for the birth of their
baby girl at 4 lbs. 5 ozs. The baby was delivered 6 weeks earlier, but
baby girl at 4 lbs. 5 ozs. The baby was delivered 6 weeks early, but
both mother and baby are ok at the present time. The parents have not
decided on a name as yet. The baby was born at 12:20 AM Friday, December 18.
___________________________________________________________________________
From: CHARM::OIDS 21-DEC-1987 16:39:43.42
To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK
CC:
Subj: New Years Eve party at Owen Rubin's Palacial Mansion
It's the FIFTH in the continuing series! Owen Rubin's SEMI-BIANNUAL (tm)
New Year's Eve Party...
When : December 31st 8:30 PM 'til ???
What : Beer, Wine & Munchies provided -- bring something creative
Where: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxx-xxx-xxxx (car phone xxx-xxx-xxxx) (work phone xxx-xxx-xxxx)
Please RSVP ASAP.
Maps available upon request -- just call Owen or see Ed Rotberg when he's in
a good mood.
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::MCCARTHY 22-DEC-1987 14:26:49.07
To: @sys$mail:hardware,MCCARTHY
CC:
Subj: Meeting minutes
Report on Meeting of Hardware Engineers on 12/21/85
Downend-gang, Moore-gang, Moncrief-gang and System-3D-gang were represented.
Here is a synopsis of the discussions.
Digital RGB standard : Requested by Rich Moore that we come up with a
standard binary format for R-2R video output.
Cyberball uses 5 bits Red, 6 bits Green & 5 bits Blue. The extra Green bit
helps with the grass playfield shading. Blasteroids used 5-5-5, using the
extra bit for a special function. Jeds circuit uses 8-8-8 (24 bit data
path).
Conclusion. We can't propose a standard that would be acceptable to all
project leaders and animators. If they want to propose a standard as a
group we will implement it.
Classes in the different hardwares in development. : Requested by Moore,
VanElderen and Downend.
In general the hardware engineers did not percieve any productive use in
classes for each other. The purpose of classes would be to inform
programmers and game designers of what is currently available. The best
format would be - one class presented by Doug, Gary and Pat explaining the
main differences between the hardwares developed by each (to be presented
sometime early February), and one class presented by Max/Jed explaining
their system capabilities (time To Be Determined). System 3D wants to wait
until they have silicon before they do anything.
STATIC RAMs 8Kx8. Some static RAMs are described as "internally syncronous,
externally asyncronous". Jed is concerned that these ICs may not work on
all applications where other static RAMs will work. Specifically, when the
IC is permanently enabled and the address lines are driven from a ripple
counter, the address lines will not change state at the same time. Will the
"internally syncronous device work".
Conclusion : Erwin is to be asked to contact Toshiba and Fujitsu to find
out the difference between these devices and other devices by the same
manufacturers with similar specifications but no mention of the "internally
syncronous" operation. If there is no difference then the parts can have
the same Atari p/n as the other static RAMs. If there is a usage
difference then they should have a seperate p/n.
AVL: It continues to be very difficult (impossible) to obtain "current"
information from the AVL as to what electronic devices to call out for a
parts list for production. Part of the problem is - not being able to
determine recent and commonly used production parts from parts that were
approved years ago and probably never used in production. The
specifications of those older parts should be examined by the engineer for
suitability and cost-effectiveness before being used for production release
product. However one cannot examine every part on a parts list.
A suggestion was made that "out of date parts" (the criteria for
out-of-date to be determined) be moved from the current avl database to an
"old parts" database on an ongoing (bi-annual or annual) basis. Those parts
could be reactivated at any time if they became "current". The "old-parts"
database could still be used by anyone who wanted, but the "current"
database would be the first choice location. The components group are
encouraged to comment on this.
PALS : Even though recent costing indicated that Fairchild PALs were the
most cost-effective for production ($1.00), there is a problem using
Fairchild PALs for prototype development. They cannot be programmed by our
engineering DATA I/O logic programmer (unless we buy the adaptor for a few
hundred dollars). This does not affect their suitability for production
since we buy preprogrammed PALs for production. If you need to program a
Fairchild part you can take the code to WYLE and do it there. It is not
known if the National Semiconductor buyout of Fairchild will have any
effect on this situation.
If you have any comments on these items, or wish to suggest future items
of discussion, reply to this address. We hope to continue these meetings
approximately once a month.
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::FRYE 22-DEC-1987 15:55:37.50
To: @SYS$MAIL:EVERYBODY
CC:
Subj: FACILITIES
Tomorrow, Wednesday, Dec 23, at 11PM the
main lobby doors will be padlocked until
7AM Monday, Dec 28th. This will also be
the case next Wednesday through Monday,
Dec 30th - Jan 4th. All other doors
will be operating as usual.
Our main lobby will be open and operat-
ing with guard service during the Xams
shutdown, Dec 28-30, 7AM to 11PM.
(No facility functions will be curtailed
during this time).
The janitorial crews will be in to do
major cleaning of our building during
this shutdown.
Best wishes for the holidays. Bob
___________________________________________________________________________
From: KIM::BRAD 23-DEC-1987 11:47:56.46
To: @SYS$MAIL:JUNK,BRAD
CC:
Subj: Christmas Eve Service
For those of you searching for a beautiful Christmas Eve service,
Calvary Church at 16330 Los Gatos Boulevard in Los Gatos will have services
at 4:00, 7:00 and 8:30. Care for children will be provided at the 7pm service.
Each service will last a maximum of 50 minutes so that you will be able to
prepare yourself for Christmas and then spend time at home with your family.
A map to the church is on the board outside my office.
brad
___________________________________________________________________________
}
