Atari — arcade (System 1/2, Hard Drivin')¶
Beyond the vector cabinets, Atari Games made notable raster bases: System 1 (Marble Madness, Gauntlet), System 2 (Paperboy, 720°), and above all Hard Drivin' (1988) — the first polygonal-3D driving cabinet with force feedback.
Identification¶
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Atari Games (former Atari coin-op) |
| Years | 1984 → early 90s |
| CPU | Motorola 68010 / 68000 (+ 6502 sound) |
| Settings | DIP / EEPROM |
The main boards¶
| Hardware | Year | Games | MAME driver |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atari System 1 | 1984 | Gauntlet, Marble Madness, Peter Pack Rat, RoadRunner, Indiana Jones | atari/atarisy1.cpp |
| Atari System 2 | 1985 | Paperboy, 720°, APB, Super Sprint, Championship Sprint | atari/atarisy2.cpp |
| Hard Drivin' / GX2 | 1988 | Hard Drivin', Race Drivin', S.T.U.N. Runner, Steel Talons | atari/harddriv.cpp |
| Atari GT / G42 | 1991 | Rampart, Guardians of the 'Hood, Road Riot, Moto Frenzy | atari/atarigt.cpp, atarig42.cpp |
- System 1/2: zoomable sprites, rich sound (Atari POKEY + YM2151 + TMS5220 speech) — Gauntlet (up to 4 players) is the landmark.
- Hard Drivin' (1988): real-time polygonal 3D + a force-feedback wheel — a technical revolution (multi-CPU 68010 + DSP + TMS34010/34012).
Notable games¶
Gauntlet (1985), Marble Madness (1984), Paperboy (1985), 720°, Hard Drivin' (1988), S.T.U.N. Runner (1989), Race Drivin', Rampart (1990), Steel Talons…
Common faults¶
| Symptom | Likely cause | Lead |
|---|---|---|
| Corrupt sprites/planes | Atari customs / RAM | RAM test, contacts |
| Force feedback dead (Hard Drivin') | force-feedback board / motor | Mechanical + board diagnosis |
| Mute voice | TMS5220 (speech) | Sound-stage diagnosis |
| Lost config | EEPROM / battery | Reinit / replace |
| No image | Power, 68010, harness | Base diagnosis |
Modernisation & mods¶
The common ground for every JAMMA board
Video, power, control panel and upscalers depend on the cabinet rather than the board: everything is centralised in Modernising a cabinet. To run the board outside a cabinet (at home, on a display): supergun.
- Battery 🟢: a save battery is fitted (settings/counters/RTC). A leaking battery corrodes traces — check and replace it before it leaks → save batteries.
- Storage 🟡: the game lives in EPROM/mask ROM on the board. Changing or restoring a game means reprogramming the EPROMs (and, for a mask ROM, using a pinout adapter) → EPROM method.
- Media preservation: replacing the original storage, multicarts, ODEs and modern options by family → PCB preservation hub.
- Scan rate 📺: System 1: ~15.7 kHz / 59.9 Hz (standard) · System 2: ~25.0 kHz / 60.1 Hz (medium res) — varies by board, check the variant before choosing a monitor → tri-sync and upscalers.
(Computed from the MAME sources —
atari/atarisy1.cpp + atarisy2.cpp— pixel clock ÷ htotal.) - FPGA / emulation: see the Emulation & FPGA section below.
Repair (technician)¶
- Slapstic (Atari protection) + customs: a "dead" board can be a dead slapstic or custom (donor / MAME).
- Multi-CPU (68010 + DSP + TMS34010 on Hard Drivin'): diagnose block by block; a freeze = one CPU / its RAM.
- Sound: POKEY + YM2151 + TMS5220 (speech) — silent voice = TMS5220 + dedicated stage.
- Capacitors: recap. Oxidised EPROM sockets: turned-pin socket.
→ Methods: PCB fault-finding · Recap · EPROM · Traces & vias
Expected clocks — measurement table ✅¶
Values extracted from the MAME sources for this platform. On a scope or frequency counter, a clock that is missing or off-value points straight at the crystal, the divider or the chip at fault — the fastest starting point on a dead board.
| Component | Expected clock | Role |
|---|---|---|
| M6502 | 1.789773 MHz | CPU |
| M68010 | 7.15909 MHz | main CPU |
| YM2151 | 3.579545 MHz | FM (sound) |
How to read this table
Several values for one component = several board variants in this family (or several instances of the chip clocked differently). These frequencies are those of the clock signal at the component's input, not of its original crystal — on many boards the clock is divided down from a single master crystal.
Archived original schematics ✅¶
Manufacturer schematics for games in this family, archived locally. They give the clock tree, the address decoding and the breakdown of the video/sound/power stages — enough to trace a missing signal back to its source.
- Cyberball — full schematic (PDF)
- Hard Drivin' — full schematic (PDF)
Scope
A schematic applies to the game and revision named: within a family the general breakdown carries over, but component references and custom chip pinouts do not transpose. Source: the Arcade Game Manuals collection (Internet Archive), manufacturer documents kept for preservation.
Original manuals for games on this platform ✅¶
Manufacturer manuals for games running on this board. Beyond the instructions, they very often carry the full DIP settings, the connector pinout, the test procedure, the parts list and the expected voltages.
Gauntlet — nine documents, and the code on the cover tells you which to open
All nine carried the same label here, "original manual". You could not choose without opening every one. They were opened on 13 August 2026, and the Atari codes are read off the covers, not inferred:
| Doc | What the cover carries | Pages |
|---|---|---|
| TM-284 | Gauntlet — Operators Manual, Complete with Illustrated Parts Lists | 76 |
| SP-284 | Schematic Package Supplement to the Gauntlet Operators Manual | 26 |
| ST-284 | Self-Test sheet: switch test, coin options, game option settings with the manufacturer's values marked ◄, statistics, histograms | 1 |
| CO-284-01 | Spare Parts for DC Pack Co. Ltd. 5-Volt Power Supply — the supply's capacitors, resistors, diodes, transistors and ICs with their Atari part numbers** | 2 |
| CO-285-05 | New EPROMs bulletin | 1 |
| CO-284-07 | Gauntlet II — four-player conversion | 9 |
| CO-284-07 | Gauntlet II — two-player conversion | 7 |
| CO-284-09 | Gauntlet II — player tips (arcade poster) | 2 |
| Player tips | Gauntlet — player tips | 2 |
⚠️ The schematics are NOT in the manual. The TM points to SP-284, whose contents are: PCB schematic diagram (sheets 1–16), US audio PCB (17), Regulator/Audio III Ireland (18), switching/linear power supply wiring US (19), linear power supply Ireland (20), game wiring diagram (21), coin door wiring diagram (22), 68010 and 6502 memory maps (23), signal name glossary (24–25).
⚠️ The file …-backdoor-sheet.pdf carries that word in its filename only: the document
is titled Self-Test.
Hard Drivin' — four documents, two cabinets
All of them carried the same label here. Opened and identified from their title page on 13 August 2026.
| Doc | What the cover carries | Pages |
|---|---|---|
| TM-327, 1re impression | Hard Drivin' — Operator's Manual | 120 |
| TM-327, 3e impression | The same manual, later printing | 114 |
| TM-329, 2e impression | Compact Hard Drivin' — the other cabinet, its own manual | 104 |
| SP-329 | Hard Drivin' Compact — Schematic Package: main wiring (sheet 1), Multisync PCB (2-11), APU (12), motor amplifier (13), encoder and centering PCBs + faulty program ROM locations (14), power supply and coin door wiring + Hitron power supply schematic (15), memory map (16) | 17 |
⚠️ SP-329 covers the Compact only. No schematic package for the cockpit version is archived here.
Atari codes read off the covers: TM = Operators Manual, SP = Schematic Package, a supplement to the manual.
Marble Madness — and two schematic packages that do not target the same board
All of them carried the same label here. Opened and identified from their title page on 13 August 2026.
| Doc | What the cover carries | Pages |
|---|---|---|
| TM-276 | Operators Manual With Illustrated Parts Lists** | 55 |
| SP-276 | Schematic Package Supplement — the original board | 10 |
| SP-276-A | The same supplement, but its contents page reads For LSI Printed-Circuit Boards, with a note: this section applies to the LSI version of the PCB only | 11 |
⚠️ Look at the board before opening the PDF. SP-276-A adds the Marble Madness LSI Cartridge PCB (043490-01) sheets that SP-276 does not have. Following the wrong schematic set on the wrong board revision means hunting a fault that is not there.
Atari codes read off the covers: TM = Operators Manual, SP = Schematic Package, a supplement to the manual.
Paperboy — the manual, and the schematics that are not in it
All of them carried the same label here. Opened and identified from their title page on 13 August 2026.
| Doc | What the cover carries | Pages |
|---|---|---|
| TM-275 | SYSTEM II — Paperboy — Operators manual with illustrated parts lists. The System II marking is on the cover | 100 |
| SP-275 | Schematic Package Supplement — CPU and video PCB schematics, wiring, addressing, memory maps | 33 |
Atari codes read off the covers: TM = Operators Manual, SP = Schematic Package, a supplement to the manual.
Race Drivin' — two cabinets and a conversion kit
All of them carried the same label here. Opened and identified from their title page on 13 August 2026.
| Doc | What the cover carries | Pages |
|---|---|---|
| TM-351, 2e impression | Race Drivin' — Operator's Manual — cockpit cabinet | 120 |
| TM-360 | Race Drivin' Compact — Operator's Manual | 88 |
| SP-360 | Compact Race Drivin' — Schematic Package: main wiring (1), Multisync PCB (2-11), APU (12), brake PCB (13), walker/steering PCB (14), power supply and coin door wiring + Hitron TC-15A power supply schematic (15) | 17 |
| TM-356 | Race Drivin' — Kit Installation Instructions: converting a Hard Drivin' deluxe cockpit** into a Race Drivin' | 56 |
Atari codes read off the covers: TM = Operators Manual, SP = Schematic Package, a supplement to the manual.
Rampart — a universal kit and a dedicated cabinet
All of them carried the same label here. Opened and identified from their title page on 13 August 2026.
| Doc | What the cover carries | Pages |
|---|---|---|
| TM-366 | Rampart — 3-Player Game Operator's Manual with Schematics. The schematics are inside** this one | 52 |
| TM-359 | Rampart — Universal Kit Installation Instructions — fitting the game into an existing cabinet | 48 |
Atari codes read off the covers: TM = Operators Manual, SP = Schematic Package, a supplement to the manual.
S.T.U.N. Runner — the manual and its schematic package
All of them carried the same label here. Opened and identified from their title page on 13 August 2026.
| Doc | What the cover carries | Pages |
|---|---|---|
| TM-338 | Operator's Manual with Illustrated Parts Lists** | 56 |
| SP-338 | Schematic Package, Supplement to Operator's Manual: main wiring (p. 1), Multisync game PCB (2-11), SA Audio II PCB (12-13), power supply and coin door wiring + Hitron power supply schematic (14), memory map (15) | 16 |
Atari codes read off the covers: TM = Operators Manual, SP = Schematic Package, a supplement to the manual.
- Steel Talons — original manual (PDF)
→ Full catalogue: service manuals, wiring & game manuals
DIP settings ✅¶
5 games on this platform, settings extracted from the MAME sources (INPUT_PORTS_START blocks). The Position column gives the switch's physical reference on the board (SW2:!3,!4 = bank SW2, levers 3 and 4) — which is what lets you set it up without the paper manual. Games are sorted by MAME set name.
DIP settings — MAME set 720
| Setting | Position | Options (default in bold) |
|---|---|---|
| Bonus Life | 5/6A:!8,!7 | 3000 · 5000 · 8000 · 12000 |
| Difficulty | 5/6A:!6,!5 | Easy · Medium · Hard · Hardest |
| Maximum Add. A. Coins | 5/6A:!4,!3 | 0 · 1 · 2 · 3 |
| Coins Required | 5/6A:!2,!1 | 3 To Start, 2 To Continue · 3 To Start, 1 To Continue · 2 To Start, 1 To Continue · 1 To Start, 1 To Continue |
DIP settings — MAME set apb
| Setting | Position | Options (default in bold) |
|---|---|---|
| Bonus Coins | 6/7A:!3,!2,!1 | None · 1 Each 6 · 1 Each 5 · 1 Each 4 · 1 Each 3 · 1 Each 2 · 1 Each 1 · Free Play |
| Attract Lights | 5/6A:!8 | Off · On |
| Max Continues | 5/6A:!7,!6 | 3 · 10 · 25 · 199 |
| Difficulty | 5/6A:!5,!4,!3 | Easiest · Very Easy · Easy · Medium Easy · Medium Hard · Hard · Very Hard · Hardest |
| Coins Required | 5/6A:!2,!1 | 3 To Start, 2 To Continue · 3 To Start, 1 To Continue · 2 To Start, 1 To Continue · 1 To Start, 1 To Continue |
DIP settings — MAME set csprint
| Setting | Position | Options (default in bold) |
|---|---|---|
| Auto High Score Reset | 5/6A:!1 | Off · On |
DIP settings — MAME set paperboy
| Setting | Position | Options (default in bold) |
|---|---|---|
| Coinage | 6/7A:!8,!7 | 4C 1C · 3C 1C · 2C 1C · 1C 1C |
| Right Coin | 6/7A:!6,!5 | 1 · 4 · 5 · 6 |
| Left Coin | 6/7A:!4 | 1 · 2 |
| Bonus Coins | 6/7A:!3,!2,!1 | None · 1 Each 5 · 1 Each 4 · 1 Each 3 · 2 Each 4 · 1 Each 2 · 1 Each ? · Free Play |
| Difficulty | 5/6A:!8,!7 | Easy · Medium · Medium Hard · Hard |
| Bonus Life | 5/6A:!6,!5 | 10000 · 15000 · 20000 · None |
| Lives | 5/6A:!4,!3 | 3 · 4 · 5 · Infinite (Cheat) |
DIP settings — MAME set ssprint
| Setting | Position | Options (default in bold) |
|---|---|---|
| Coin Multiplier | 6/7A:!6,!5,!4 | 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · 7 · 8 |
| Difficulty | 5/6A:!8,!7 | Easy · Medium · Medium Hard · Hard |
| Obstacles | 5/6A:!6,!5 | Easy · Medium · Medium Hard · Hard |
| Wrenches | 5/6A:!4,!3 | 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 |
Check against your own board
These settings apply to the game and revision described by MAME. One title may have several DIP sets depending on region or revision, and some systems use soft-dips (settings in memory, via the test menu) rather than physical switches. In case of a discrepancy, the board's silkscreen and the test menu are authoritative.
See also: DIP reference · game manuals
Procedure — a dead board, step by step ✅¶
What this adds
The general method lives in PCB diagnosis. This is its application to this platform: the same order, but with the values actually expected here, so you do not have to go back and forth.
Tools: multimeter, oscilloscope (or frequency counter), current-limited bench supply, desoldering braid. → Tooling
If the board is still in a cabinet
A CRT holds its charge with the machine unplugged. → CRT safety
1. Inspection, power off. Corrosion, cut tracks, oxidised EPROM legs, leaking SMD capacitors, dubious earlier repairs.
2. The connector, before anything else. A large share of "dead boards" are a contact problem, not a fault. Clean the contacts with isopropyl alcohol and reseat — not with an abrasive eraser on a gold edge, which takes the plating off and brings the problem back worse. It costs two minutes and settles the question.
3. Power, measured on the board. Aim for +5.0 V measured as close as possible to where power reaches the board — not at the PSU output: the drop is in the loom, and that is exactly what makes a board boot on the bench and not in the cabinet. Where you probe depends on this board's connector — JAMMA edge, JVS loom or a proprietary harness — plenty of makers kept one long after JAMMA arrived — see Identification above. → Wiring Check −5 V and +12 V too if the sound stage uses them. Suspected short: bring it up current-limited and find the hot spot.
4. /RESET. It must release after power-up. Held low = the CPU never starts. A 1–2 Hz loop is not the reset circuit, it is the watchdog: the CPU is crashing at boot, so look at the bus, not at the reset.
5. Clocks — the values expected on this platform.
- M6502 → 1.789773 MHz (CPU)
- M68010 → 7.15909 MHz (Main CPU)
- YM2151 → 3.579545 MHz (FM (sound))
No clock on the M6502 (1.789773 MHz) and there is no point measuring anything else: the fault is the crystal, the divider, or the chip itself. That single measurement splits a dead board in two.
6. Bus. Activity on the main CPU's address lines tells you whether it is running or frozen. Frozen with good clocks and good reset → work RAM, bus buffers, ROMs.
7. It boots but the picture or the sound is wrong — that is another job: see Common faults on this page, then signal tracing.
Emulation & FPGA¶
- Emulation: MAME (
atarisy1.cpp,atarisy2.cpp,harddriv.cpp,atarigt.cpp). - FPGA / MiSTer: cores available for several classics (Gauntlet, Marble Madness, Paperboy…); not Hard Drivin' (multi-CPU 3D).
EPROM repair¶
68010 (System 1) / 68000 (System 2) program. Ex. (MAME atari/atarisy1.cpp, atarisy2.cpp): Marble Madness = 10× 27128 · Road Runner = 27C256/27128 · Paperboy = 10× 27128 · 720° / APB = 27C512. ⚠ Slapstic protection chip on many → game-specific.
Lineage¶
Complements the Atari vector side (Asteroids/Tempest). Hard Drivin' foreshadows mainstream polygonal 3D (before Model 1/System 21).
Photos / assets¶
(To add: System 1 (Gauntlet) board, Hard Drivin' set, FFB wheel.)
The four-digit signatures on the schematics, and the CAT Box ✅
ⓘ Those four-digit numbers scattered across some Atari schematics are neither references nor values: they are signatures, read with Atari's CAT Box (1981). ⚠️ None of this wiki's Atari holdings carries any — the method and what it presupposes are set out on PCB fault-finding.
Before System 1 — the decade this wiki ignored ✅
ⓘ 44 Atari and Kee Games TM manuals, from TM-004 to TM-149, are now archived and indexed → Atari before the microprocessor.
Sources & attribution¶
- MAME —
atari/atarisy1.cpp,atarisy2.cpp,harddriv.cpp,atarigt.cpp(68010, POKEY/YM2151/TMS5220, Hard Drivin' 3D, games) — https://github.com/mamedev/mame - Wikipedia — Gauntlet / Hard Drivin' / Atari Games — CC-BY-SA — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hard_Drivin%27
Review & corrections
How this space is used
Spotted a wrong value, an outdated procedure, a chip reference that does not match your board? Say so here, with what you observed (model, board revision, serial number, measurement). Every report is cross-checked against a source before anything changes — an unverifiable correction is published as “reported by …, not cross-checked” rather than silently applied.
Reading is open to everyone; posting requires signing in with Discord. Reports from the wiki's declared reviewers are handled first; anyone else's are read too, but go through a human before anything is changed.