Atari 400 User manual

iillllill •••
THE ATARI@410
M
PROGRAM
RECORDER
OWNER'S GUIDE
)I~
ATARI@
A Warner Communications Company ~

I
~ if.~
~
l ATARI ~1l©
PROGRAM R.ECORDER
THE ATARI410™
PROGRAM RECORDER OWNER'S GUIDE
Now that you have an ATARI410Program Recorder, you have an
economical data storage and retrieval system for your ATARIHome
Computer.
In this booklet you'll discover how easy it is to connect the Program
Recorder to your Home Computer. Youwill also learn how to load pre-
recorded ATARIComputer cassette programs, and how to save and
load your own programs.
Please refer to your ATARI400™or ATARI800™Home Computer
Owner's Guide for proper connection of your TV and setup of your
ATARIHome Computer.

INSTALLATION
1
Plug the ATARI410Pro-
gram Recorder data cord into
the jack labeled PERIPHERAL
on the right side of your
ATARIHome Computer.
Or, ifyou have an ATARI81O™Disk
Drive, an ATARI820™Printer, or an
ATARI822™Printer, plug the Pro-
gram Recorder data cord into one
of the I/O connectors on the back of
the disk drive or printer. Plug the
disk drive or printer data cord into
the peripheral jack on the computer
console.
2
Plug the power cord that
comes out ofthe back ofthe
ATARI410Program Re-
corder into the wall outlet.
3
Insert the ATARIBASIC
cartridge, ifrequired.
4
Turn on the television and
the computer. The tele-
vision screen will display a
READYprompt.

BUTTON FUNCTIONS
REC (RECORD) enables
the computer to save
(record) programs or data
onto the cassette. Tostart
recording, press down
both the REC and PLAY
buttons simultaneously.
PLAYpositions the tape
so the computer can read
information from the cas-
sette. However, you must
press a key on the com-
puter console (usually the
1;1:"";11' key) for the tape
to start turning.
REWIND quickly winds
the cassette tape
backward.
ADVANCEquickly winds
the cassette tape forward.
Tostop the cassette tape,
press the STOP/E].button
halfway down. To insert
or eject the cassette tape,
press the button all the
way down.
PAUSEtemporarily sus-
pends the operation of the
Program Recorder during
record or play. Press the
PAUSEbutton once to
suspend operation,
then press it again
to restart.
COUNTER RESET BUTTON
resets the tape counter
to 000. The tape
counter helps you
locate a program on
the cassette once
you make note of
the number show-
ing through the
tape counter
window when
recording.

LOADING
CASSETTE PROGRAMS
The following are general loading
instructions, as each prerecorded
cassette has its own specific direc-
tions for loading a program into
the computer.
Make sure the ATARIBASIC
cartridge is inserted into your
Home Computer.
2
Insert the program cassette
into the Program Recorder.
3
Turn on the television, and
then the computer. The
television screen will dis-
playa READYprompt.
4
Ifyou are using a pre-
recorded cassette, rewind
the tape to its beginning
and continue with step 6.
5
Ifyou are usmg your own
cassette program, locate the
program you want on the
tape by pressing either
REWIND or ADVANCE.Refer to
the tape counter for the program's
location (ifyou previously made
note of it).
6
Type ElDSam and
press IUill;U' . Youwill
then hear a beep from the
computer to remind you
to press PLAYon the Program
Recorder.

7
After pressing the PLAY
button on the Program
Recorder, press the limD
key again on the computer
console. The cassette tape will start
turning and the computer will load
the program into its memory
8
When the tape stops, your
program has been loaded
from the cassette to the
computer. The television
screen displays a READYprompt.
9
Torun the program you
have loaded into the com-
puter, type and
press .
Ifyou are running your own cassette
program and want to list your pro-
gram on the screen, type BlflIEIB
and press 1D1lmJ I

SAVING PROGRAMS
TO CASSETTE
Although the recommended proce-
dure for saving a program is to store
only one program per tape side, it
is possible to save several programs
on each side of a blank cassette.
Make sure the ATARIBASIC
cartridge is inserted into your
Home Computer.
2
Insert a blank cassette into
the Program Recorder.
3
Turn on the television, and
then the computer.
4
Rewind the tape to the
beginning.
5
Set the counter to 000. If
you are only saving one pro-
gram on that side of the
cassette, you are now ready
to record. Ifyou have other pro-
grams on that side, continue with
step 6.
6
Press ADVANCEon the
Program Recorder to wind
the tape forward to the
end of the last program re-
corded. Then wind the tape forward
approximately 10more counts (to
make sure you do not record over
another program). Now you are
ready to record the next program.
Make note of the tape count, then
type BBllaD and press i;l;ii@1
on the computer. Youwill hear two
beeps (to remind you to press both
PLAYand RECORD), then press
i; ji 1iUI again on the computer. The
cassette will begin recording.
Always write down the program's
first and last counter numbers so
you can easily find them.

Ifyou get an Error 143or Error 138
message on your television screen
during a loading procedure, your
tape leader (the non-magnetized
strip wound ahead of the actual
recording tape) might be too long.
As a result, the computer may be
trying to read data where no data
exists. Should this occur, rewind the
tape to the beginning, then advance
it approximately 10counts. Now
begin the loading procedure again.
Ifyou are recording your own pro-
gram on a new cassette you will see
two tabs on the back end of the
cassette. The tabs make it possible
for you to write (or save) programs
to the cassette. If you do not want
your programs or data erased acci-
dentally after you have finished
recording on both sides of the tape,
break offthese tabs (all pre-
recorded tapes are sold with the
tabs broken off).Ifyou want to re-
cord over data or programs already
stored on a cassette, place cello-
phane tape over the areas where
the tabs were. This will deactivate
the write-protect features ofthe
cassette.
MAINTAINING
YOUR CASSETTES
The following suggestions will
help keep your cassettes and the
programs they contain in good
condition.
Keep the cassettes dry
Avoid touching the tape or pulling it
out of the cassette casing.
Keep cassettes in their protective
boxes when not in use.
o CI CI 0
Do not expose them to extreme
heat or cold.
Keep them away from magnets and
electrical or electronic equipment
(do not store them on top of or near
your TV).
PROGRAM RECORDER
Clean the tape path on the Program
Recorder periodically

CLEANING YOUR
ATARI 410 PROGRAM RECORDER
Clean the tape path with a good
tape-head cleaner (available at most
record or stereo shops) or 95%
denatured alcohol.
Wet a cotton swab with the cleaner
and wipe the tape heads, capstan
and pinch roller. Be careful not
to leave bits of cotton behind. The
capstan and pinch roller are best
cleaned while they are turning.
Todo this, turn on your computer
with the ATARIBASICcartridge in-
serted, press STOP/E].to open the
cassette door, then press PLAYon
the recorder. Type BIlSIIa and
press id¥iI@i on the computer con-
sole. When the computer beeps,
press idii@i again. The capstan
will turn for about 20 seconds.
To clean the exterior of your Pro-
gram Recorder, disconnect it from
the computer and the wall socket.
Wipe the exterior casing with a
damp cloth. Mild detergent may be
used, but avoid using strong solvents
or cleaners on the plastic case.
I
~ \.
\ .\
'1
1
.I
II
II
II
I
\1 ,
I
I
II
I
I
I
.~
I
I
I I
I I
II IIII
I
{r----:::::-;~=
I
BATARI~ll©
1
ERASE HEAD RECORD-PLAYBACK
HEAD CAPSTAN PINCH ROLLER

iANliJAL CONTENTS © 1981 A'JlARI, IN<§:.
)1\.
ATARI®
A Warner C;;ommBnications Company ~
PRINTED IN U.s.A. 0060055 RE