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Atari 'Lynx'
technical specifications
The
Lynx contains two processors:
1.
Mikey (16-bit custom CMOS chip running at 16MHz)
2. Suzy (16-bit custom CMOS chip running at 16MHz)
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MOS 65C02 |
CPU, runs up to
4MHz |
Mikey |
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Sound engine |
4 channel sound,
8bit DAC for each channel, range from 32Hz up to above range of
human hearing, Stereo with panning (mono for Lynx I) |
Mikey |
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Video DMA driver
for LC display |
4096 colors, 16
colors simultaneously per scanline |
Mikey |
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System timer |
|
Mikey |
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Interrupt
controller |
|
Mikey |
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UART |
For ComLynx
functionality |
Mikey |
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512 bytes ROM |
Bootstrapping &
game-card loading |
Mikey |
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Blitter |
Bitmap block
transfer unit |
Suzy |
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Graphics engine |
Hardware drawing
support
Unlimited number of sprites with collision-detection
Hardware sprite-scaling, distortion & tilting-effects
Hardware decoding of compressed sprite-data
Hardware clipping and multi-directional scrolling
Variable frame rate (up to 75 frames/second)
160 x 102 'triad' standard resolution (16,320 addressable pixels)
(A triad is three LCD elements: red, green, and blue)
Capability of 480 x 102 artificially high resolution |
Suzy |
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Math co-processor |
Hardware 16-bit
multiply and divide (32-bit answer)
Parallel processing of single multiply or divide instruction |
Suzy |
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Memory |
64KBytes DRAM
(120ns) |
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Game-cards |
128 Kbytes / 256
KBytes of ROM are mostly used
Maximum capacity is 2 MBytes
Theoretically, this sizes can be exceeded by adding extra
bank-switching hardware into the game-card
The first few hundred bytes of any card are encrypted to prevent
unauthorized game-programming |
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Power supply |
9VDC/1A |
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Batteries |
6 x AA / Mignon /
LR6
Battery life is about 4 hours (Lynx I) and about 5 hours (Lynx II)
With Ni-Cad batteries, life-span drops to 1.5 hours |
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Physical
dimensions |
Case:
10.75" x 4.25" x 1.5" (Lynx I)
9.25" x 4.25" x 2" (Lynx II)
Display:
3.5" diag. (3.25" x 1.88" approx.)
Speaker:
2" diameter |
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Ports |
Headphones:
3.5 mm stereo, wired for mono on the Lynx I
ComLynx:
For connecting multiple Lynx |
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How does the Lynx compare to other portable systems at that time...
| |
Lynx
ATARI |
Game Boy
NINTENDO |
Game Gear
SEGA |
|
CPU |
65C02 |
Z80 |
Z80 |
|
Speed |
3.6 MHz |
2.2 MHz |
3.6 MHz |
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Gx Bits |
16 |
8 |
8 |
|
Gx |
16.0 MHz |
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Screen
size |
3.5" |
2.6" |
3.2" |
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Video |
160 x 102 |
160 x 144 |
160 x 144 |
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Palette |
4096 |
4 (mono) |
4096 |
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Colors |
16 |
4 grey |
32 |
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Sound |
4 channels,
stereo on Lynx II |
4 channels,
stereo:
2 left, 2 right |
4 channels,
stereo? |
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Sprites |
Unlimited |
8 |
64 |
Size of
sprites |
Unlimited |
8 x 8 pixels |
8 x 8 pixels |
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Comm. |
Serial port, 8
connections
300 Baud - 62K Baud |
Serial port, 4
connections
? Baud |
? |
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Memory |
64 K address
space, 64 K RAM |
64 K address
space,
16 K RAM |
24 K |
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Cart size |
1 MBit, 2 MBit, 8
MBit max |
512 KBit - 4 MBit
are known |
? |
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Batt. life |
4-5 Hours, 1.5
rechargable |
35 Hours, 12
rechargable |
? |
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