Atari Breakout - Detailed Technical Description of Operation; Owner;Operator Options; Clock Generator; Sync Countdown Chains

3.3.4 OWNER/OPERATOR
OPTIONS:
The ".Break-
out"
game
has
three
options
which
the
owner/
operator
can
adjust
at
the
game
site
in
order
to
structure
the
play sequence,
that
is
to
change
some
of
the
game
rules
or
the
duration
of
play. A
fourth
option
allows
the
owner/operator
to
use a
single
type
of
game
printed
circuit
board
in
both
the
up-
right
and
cocktail
table
versions
of
the
game
cabinet.
Paragraph 4.3 in Section
IV
of
this
manual
gives
de-
tailed
instructions
for
adjusting
these
options.
The
game also
has a speaker
volume
adjustment
(refer
to
paragraph 5.3 in Section
V).
(a)
Game
Credits
Option.
This
option
consists
of
a
two-position
switch.
When
in
one
position,
the
game
is
structured
to
add
one
credit
into
the
credit
accumulator
each
time
a
coin
is
deposited
and
clears
the
coin
mechanism.
When
in
the
other
position,
two
credits
are
added.
(b)
Bonus
Credit
Option.
This
option
consis~s
of
a
miniature
switch
assembly
having
four
switches.
One
combination
of
switch
settings
prevents
the
award
of
any game
credits,
regardless
of
the
player
·score.
The
other
combinations
determine
the
score
achievement
level
that
a
player
must
attain
so
that
one
credit
will
automatically
be
added
into
the
credit
accumulator.
(c)
Number
of
Ball
Serves.
This
option
also
con-
sists
of
a
two-position
switch.
One
position
allows
a
maximum
of
3
balls
to
be
served
to
each
player
per
play
sequence;
the
other
position
allows
5
balls.
(d)
Picture
Rotation.
This
option
consists
of
another
two-position
switch;
its
position
will
be
de-
termined
by
the
cabinet
version
in
which
the
game
PCB
is
installed.
When
the
switch
is
in
the
position
for
the
upright
cabinet,
the
picture
on
the
TV
screen
will
never
rotate.
When
in
the
other
position,
for
the
cocktail
table
cabinet,
during
a
two-player
game
the
picture
rotates
180°
after
each
serve
is
completed
and
the
ball
disappears
off
the
screen.
(After
installa-
tion
of
the
board
in a
cabinet
this
switch
needs
to
be
set
only
once.)
3.4
DETAILED
TECHNICAL
DESCRIPTION
OF
OPERATION
3.4.1 GENERAL
INFORMATION:
This
subsection
gives
a
technical
description
of
the
game's
elec-
tronic
circuitry.
Drawing
number
004533
is
a
four-
sheet
schematic
diagram
of
the
circuitry
on
the
printed
circuit
board,
and
drawing
number
A004533
is
the
PCB
assembly
drawing
showing
the
locations
of
the
components
called
out
on
the
schematic. The
position
of
each
integrated
circuit
device
is
iden-
tified
by
a
column
letter
designation
(A
through
N),
and
by
a
row
number
designation
(1
through
9).
Drawing
number
004847
is a
schematic
of
the
har-
ness
wiring
inside
the
game
cabinet.
These
drawings
and
a
schematic
diagram
of
the
TV
monitor's
cir-
cuitry
are
included
in Section
VII
of
this
manual.
On
the
PCB
schematic
the
symbol
P
(appearing
• at various
inputs
to
logic
gates and
other
integrated
circuits) indicates a
connection
to+
5
volts
through
a
pull-up
resistor.
In
the
subparagraphs
that
follow,
the
portions
of
the
circuitry
being
described
can
be
located
on
the
PCB
schematic
by
finding
the
intersection
of
the
zone
letters
(A,
B,
C
or
D) and
the
zone
numbers
(1
through
8). For
example,
the
designation
Sheet
1,
Zone
A 8 refers
to
the
extreme
lower
left
corner
of
sheet 1
of
the
schematic.
3.4.2 CLOCK GENERATOR (SHEET 1, ZONES 7
&
8): The
output
of
a
14-MHz
crystal-controlled
oscil-
lator
drives
counter
F1,
which
produces
the
signal
CkSCO
at
its
A
output
and
CKBH
at
its
B
output.
After
gating
the
signal
CLOCK
is
produced
at
H1
pin
11.
These
three
timing
signals
provide
the
basic
clock
synchronization
for
the
game
circuitry.
3.4.3
SYNC
COUNTDOWN
CHAINS
(SHEET
1
1
ZONES
D
4
THROUGH
6):
Counters
L 1 and
K1
form
the
horizontal
countdown
chain,
and
M1
and
N1
form
the
vertical
countdown
chain.
They
count
down
the
CLOCK
signal's
frequency
to
produce
the
timing
for
the
H SYNC and
V
SYNC
signals.
This
tim-
ing
forms
the
basis
for
the
horizontal
and
vertical
synchronization
information
sent
to
the
TV
monitor
on
the
composite
video
signal.
3.4.4
PICTURE
ROTATION
LOGIC
(SHEET
4
1
ZONES
0
6
THROUGH
8):
When
structuring
switch
S2
is
in
the
"normal"
position
(meaning
that
the
board
is
installed
in
an
upright
cabinet),
the
PLAYER
2
CONDITIONAL
signal
is
always
low.
But
when
switch
S2
is
in
the
"CIC"
(cocktail
cabinet)
position
the
signal
will
go
high
only
during
a
two-player
game
when
player
2
is
up.
(The
PLAYER
2
CONDITIONAL
signal
is
produced
at
Gate
H1
pin
3,
as
shown
in
Zone
B3
on
Sheet 2.)
With
the
signal
low
(board
in
upright
cabinet)
the
Exclusive-OR
Gates
M3,
N3,
L2
and
K2
merely
act
as
non-inverting
logic
stages and
the
timing
of
the
1V'
through
128V' and 1
H'
through
128H'
signals
is
not
effected.
But
with
the
signal
high,
the
Exclusive-OR Gates
invert
the
timing
sig-
nals
coming
from
the
sync
countdown
chains,
and
this
inversion
produces
a
18Cf
rotation
of
the
picture
on
the
TV
screen.
3.4.5 POWER
SUPPLY
(SHEET 4
ZONE
C
7):
The
connections
from
a 16.5 VAC
tap
on
the
power
trans-
former
provide
the
AC
input
for
a
full-wave
rectifier
power
supply
drcuit
based
upon
a
type-LM323
amplifier.
The+
5
volts
produced
by
the
supply
is
used
as
the
Vee
for
the
logic
and
other
circuitry.
The
+ V
UN
REG
connects
to
the
type-LM380
amplifier
in
the
audio
output
drive
stage (see
Zone
C 1
on
sheet
2).
'
/