Atari 8-bit Computer Quiz Answers
Here are the answers to the Atari 8-bit Computer Quiz:
In what year were the Atari 8-bit computers released?
The Atari 8-bit computers were announced in 1978 and released in late 1979.
What is the maximum RAM that a 6502 CPU can directly address?
The 6502 is an 8-bit CPU with a 16-bit address line, so it can address 64K of memory at one time. The Atari 8-bit can also use bank-switching to swap in different RAM in 16K chunks to effectively be able to access much more memory, with some upgrades supporting 1MB.
What is the largest 8-bit number?
The largest 8-bit number in binary is 11111111. That is 128+64+32+16+8+4+2+1 = 255
What does this Atari BASIC code mean: IF STICK(0)=15
It means the joystick plugged into port 0 is in the center position.
What memory location do you PEEK to determine if the Start key is pressed?
PEEK(53279)=6 when the Start key is pressed.
What character has the ASCII code of 65?
“A”.
What custom chip is reponsible for sounds?
The POKEY chip is responsible for sounds.
How many text lines fit on a GRAPHICS 0 screen?
24 lines can fit.
What is the Atari ASCII code for a carriage return?
Atari ASCII (ATASCII) uses 155 for carriage return, unlike most other systems which use 13, the industry standard.
DIM NAMES(7) has how many elements?
There are 8 elements because they are numbered starting with 0: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.
What is the maximum BASIC line number?
The maximum line number is 32767.
How many colors are available?
There are 16 colors with 16 luminances each for a total of 256 colors. Some original 400/800 models with the older CTIA chip could only reach 128.
How many sectors are on a single-sided, single-density Atari 5.25” floppy?
There are 720. Each sector contains 128 bytes in the single-density format. Double-density disks use 256 bytes per sector
. The strange “dual-density” format of the Atari 1050 floppy drive had 1040 sectors, each with 128 bytes (using DOS 2.5).What are all the 8-bit models made by Atari?
The models: 400, 800, 1200XL, 600XL, 800XL, 65XE, 130XE, XE Game System, 800XE (in some European countries).
How do you pause scrolling when LISTing a BASIC program?
Press Control-1 to pause a listing.
Besides Atari BASIC, how many BASICs for the Atari can you name?
The Atari Wiki BASIC page lists these: Microsoft BASIC I, Microsoft BASIC II, OSS BASIC A+, OSS BASIC XL, OSS BASIC XE, OSS Integer BASIC, Turbo BASIC XL, Advan Basic, Hypra-Soft BASIC, BASICODE, Altirra Basic, U-BASIC, CTH-FastBasic, Basic++, FastBasic.
What does this command do:
That command clears the screen.
How do you type the above command?
To get that curved arrow character, type ESC, then Control-Clear. You can also do ? CHR$(125).
What PEEK do you use to determine which revision of Atari BASIC you have.
Do a PEEK on location 43234. A returned value of 162 = Rev A, 96 = Rev B, 234 = Rev C.
In what year were the Atari 8-bit computers officially discontinued?
The Atari 8-bit computers were discontinued in January 1992.
The first 3 sectors of a double-density disk are actually treated as 128 bytes for compatibility. More information in this Atari Age thread.