Atari 800 XL ROSE User manual

Whether you want to set
up a domestic office or
host your own video
game tournament, the
versatile ATARI 800XL
Home Computer fits the
bill. The hefty 64K RAM
memory gives you the
power to perform a
myriad assortment of
useful tasks. Using just
the console and your
television, you can write
and edit on the screen,
create art and attractive
graphics, and program
with ATARI BASIC, a
built-in, all-purpose com-
puter language. The full-
stroke, low-profile key-
board is set up like a
typewriter, but with add-
ed practical features
such as special function
keys and a HELP key
when you need extra
information in a program.
Your computer gives
you access to the large
family of ATARI products,
including over 2,000 soft-
ware programs. A copy
of the latest ATARI
catalog is packed with
the console. With the
right peripherals and
programs, you can com-
pose music, communicate
with other ATARI owners,
balance your budget,
learn a foreign language,
or follow the stock'
market.
In the following pages
you'll learn how easy it is
to connect 'the computer
to your television, and
how simple it is to oper-
ate once it's turned on.

MEET THE ATARI 800XL HOME COMPUTER 3
HOOKING IT UP , , .. , , , , , " 5
CHECKING IT OUT. , ".. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 7 "
ADAPTING YOUR COMPUTER TO A JOB , , , " 9
HOW TO TELL YOUR COMPUTER WHAT TO DO , , .. , .. 10
AT YOUR COMMAND , , 11
ATARI ART AND GRAPHICS, , . , , , , , , , , , . ' , 13
A HOST OF CHARACTERS FROM OTHER COUNTRIES , .. , , 14
EXPLORING ATARI BASIC , 15
BUILDING A SYSTEM , , , , , . , , , 17
A CLEAN, SAFE COMPUTER ENVIRONMENT , , 19
YOU ARE NOT ALONE 19
IN CASE OF DIFFICULTY, , , .. , , , , , , ,20
2

Plug-in cartridges pro-
vide quick and easy pro-
gram loading
3
Expansion Connection
For plugging future
accessories or peri-
pherals into your com-
puter system
,
,.
rial In12ut/Qut12utPo
Connects peripheral
equipment such as disk
drives, program record-
ers and printers to your
computer
-' .....•.. -

To plug in connecting
cable from Switch Box
ontroUe Ports "'i f-
For connecting touch
tablets, key pads,
joysticks, and paddle
controllers
Monitor ack 4f-
Provides access to
a monitor's superior
resolution.

HOOKING
ITUP
."
5
All you need to set up
your ATARI 800XL Home
Computer is a television
and a screwdriver; Atan
provides the rest. Set-up
takes only a few-minutes.
Remove plastic covers
from around the key-
board when you unpack
the computer.
ristalUng the TV~c
Switen Box
1. Disconnect the VHF
antenna or cable TV line.
If the antenna has a flat,
twin-lead cable, connect
it to the 300-0HM screw
terminals on the side of
the TV Switch Box labeled
ANTENNA. If it has a
round cable, attach it to
the 75-0HM threaded
connector.
2. If the TV's VHF con-
nection has two screw
terminals, connect the
short, twin-lead cable on
the Switch Box to them.
If the VHF connection
is threaded, attach the
Switch Box cable to the
screw terminals on the
VHF adapter supplied
with your TV. Then screw
the adapter onto the set's
threaded terminal. if you
don't have an adapter,
you can buy one at a
video store.
3. Peel the cover from
the adhesive square on
the Switch Box and stick
the box securely on the
back of your TV.
If the antenna con-
nected to the Switch box
uses a flat, twin-lead
cable, go to step 5.
4. If your antenna uses
a round (75-0HM) cable
and you did not use a
VHF adapter, you may
adjust your TV set as
shown below.
If the back of your set
looks like this, push the
switch to the 300-0HM
(300 n) position.
~""

If it looks like this,
loosen the screws hold-
ing the U-shaped slider
and move the slider to
the position marked 300
OHM (or 30011).
If it looks like this, in-
sert the tiny wire into the
hole in the center of the
antenna terminal.
5. Plug the connecting
cable into the COM-
PUTER connection on the
TV Switch Box and into
the jack labeled SWITCH
BOX on your computer.
6. Move the switch on
the TV Switch Box to the
COMPUTER position.
7. Connect the two-
pronged plug on the
AC Power Adapter to
an electrical outlet. The
round plug goes in the
computer's POWER IN
jack.
8. Turn on your TV set
and tune it to Channel 2
or 3-whichever channel
is weaker in your area.
9. Set the Channel Select
Switch on the computer
to the same channel.
After you turn on your
computer, you may need
to adjust the TV's fine-
tuning knob to improve
reception.
10. A few seconds after
you turn on the main
power switch on the com-
puter, the screen shows
the word READY from
the ATARI BASIC Pro-
gramming Language.
If you leave the com-
puter on one display long
enough, the colors on the
screen begin changing to
protect your TV set.
When you turn off the
computer, wait 3 to 5
seconds before turning it
back on.
6

When you turn on
your ATARI 800XL, it
automatically tests itself.
You also have the option
of double checking the
computer's memory,
sound and colors, and
keyboard.
Thereafter, run the
test only occasionally,
because the computer
tests its memory each
time it's turned on. If the
circuits fail the test, the
words MEMORY TEST
and red and green
squares and rectangles
appear on the screen.
The built-in ATARI BASIC
and any software that you
try to use will be ignored
by the computer.
This means that your
computer needs service.
Contact your ATARI
Home Computer retailer
or factory-authorized
ATARI SERVICEsM center.
II he Self Tests
Start the tests by holding
down OPTION while turn-
ing on the computer or
by typing BYE when
BASIC says READY. A
SELF-TEST menu will ap-
pear on the screen. Like
a restaurant menu, this
.. .. .. ..
offers a choice of selec-
tions: ALL TESTS, MEM-
ORY TEST, AUDIO-VISUAL
TEST, AND KEYBOARD
TEST. Press SELECT
to choose a test, then
press START. Press HELP
to return to the SELF-
TEST menu.
When you select ALL
TESTS, the computer
runs the tests for you.
They repeat until you
press HELP. Press RESET
to stop the tests and
return to ATARI BASIC .

~-
.~ .
This test checks Read-
Only Memory (ROM) and
Random-Access Memory
(RAM). ROM is nonerase-
able memory containing
the computer's operating
system. RAM is for the
programs you use or
write yourself.
The memory test works
a little like a stoplight.
Two bars appear on the
screen when the ROM is
tested. If the bars turn
green, the ROM is okay
and you may proceed.
Red means STOP: The
ROM is out of order, and
you must contact your
ATARI retailer or Factory
Authorized Service Center.
t
During the RAM test,
48 squares-each repre-
senting a RAM section-
are tested. The remain-
ing 16KRAM is available
only with certain software
programs. If a square
turns white, then green,
the corresponding sec-
tion is good. If no square
turns red, the RAM is
okay.
The audio-visual test
checks the four program-
mable sound voices and
color and graphics capa-
bility. A musical staff and
treble clef appear on the
screen above the number
of the voice tested. Six
notes are played and dis-
played on your TV screen.
The six notes repeat once
for each of the four voices.
If a voice number ap-
pears but you don't hear
music, that voice is not
working properly. Make
sure the TV's sound is
turned up.
The colors displayed
should be consistent dur-
ing each test.
You work with two
keyboards when you
select this test, the one
under your fingertips and
a facsimile on the screen.
When you press a key,
a corresponding key on
the TV screen flashes in
reverse video (a blue
character on a white
background) and a note
sounds. The space bar
and special-function keys
are already in reverse
video, so pressing one of
them changes the match-
ing key on the screen to
normal video. If nothing
happens on the screen
when you press a key,
that key is not working.
The keys in the top row
of the screen keyboard
are located on the far
right side of your com-
puter keyboard. Disre-
gard keys numbered 1-4.
Reading from left to right,
the keys in the screen's
top row include: RESET,
START, SELECT, OPTION,
four numbered keys,
HELP, REVERSE VIDEO
( ~ ), and BREAK. Other-
wise, the two keyboards
have the same arrange-
ment of keys.
SHIFT and CONTROL
flash only when pressed
simultaneously with
another key.
There are three keys
that do not flash or sound
and that terminate the
test when pressed. HELP
returns you to the SELF-
TEST menu. RESET
returns you to BASIC,'
and BREAK evokes no
response.
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