Continuing to add to my collection of Atari 2600 consoles, I couldn’t resist this one when I saw it on eBay. Interestingly this 4-switch ‘Darth Vader’ model released in 1982 was the first to be called ‘2600’; the previous models were referred to as Video Computer System (VCS).
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It arrived in good condition but didn’t work on the first try. After some investigation, I decided that one of the main chips was faulty; hopefully, the CPU or RIOT as these are the ones that I had spares of. The three main chips were socketed, so I was quickly able to determine that it was the RIOT chip at fault. The RIOT (Ram Input/Output Timer) performs several functions for the Atari, including containing the 128bytes of RAM. It is a standard 6532 chip, which luckily, I had ordered five from Ali Express a few months earlier.
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With Darth Vader working again, time for the standard composite mod from The Future was 8-bit. This involves removing the UAF tin can and replacing it with a small daughter board. The resulting composite video and audio signals are routed to standard RCA connections at the back of the case.
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I’m on old hand at these now, so it didn’t take long, and the picture quality is great. The only thing left to do is a good clean.
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Turned out great 🙂