Atari XC11
| Atari XC11 Program Recorder | |
|---|---|
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|
| Atari XC11 Program Recorder with the cassette door open | |
| Manufacturer | Atari Corp.; made in Japan[1][2] |
| Type | Cassette data recorder |
| Release date | Winter 1986 (United Kingdom)[1] |
| Discontinued | About 1987[3] |
| Interface | Atari SIO: built-in cable and one SIO socket[1][2] |
| Compatible | Atari 400, Atari 800, XL and XE computers except an unmodified Atari 1200XL[1] |
| Dimensions | 142 × 65 × 293 mm[3] |
| Weight | 800 g[3] |
| Predecessor | Atari 1010[1] |
| Successor | Atari XC12[1] |
| Power | +5 V from SIO pin 10[1] |
| Media | Compact cassette, Type I (ferric) tape[1] |
The Atari XC11 Program Recorder is the cassette data recorder Atari Corp. introduced in 1986 to replace the Atari 1010, styled in the silver-grey of the XE computers.[4] It was sold in the United Kingdom from early 1986 until the summer, when the Atari XC12 replaced it, and had a very limited release in the United States in 1986 and 1987.[1] The XC11 takes its power from the computer through SIO pin 10, so it needs no adaptor, and unlike the XC12 it has a second SIO socket, so other devices can be connected after it.[1][2]
History
[edit | edit source]Atari announced the XC11 at the Winter Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas on 9 January 1986 without showing it, shipped it in the United Kingdom that winter, and introduced it at the first Atari Computer Show in London on 7 to 9 March 1986. It was shown again at the Winter CES in January 1987.[1] The Atari Computermuseum gives the end of production as about 1987.[3]
Sources disagree on who built it. The FAQ and Atari's manual say only that it was made in Japan;[1][2] the Atari Computermuseum names JVC (Victor Company of Japan) at its Maebashi plant;[3] Wikipedia describes the XC11 as essentially the later-model Atari 410 in XE colours.[4]
Specifications
[edit | edit source]| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Data rate | 600 bit/s[1] |
| Capacity | About 100 KiB per 60-minute cassette[1] |
| Tape format | Quarter-track stereo: audio on the left track, data on the right[1] |
| Data tones | Mark 5327 Hz, space 3995 Hz[1] |
| Tape speed | 1.875 inches per second[1] |
| Keys | REC, PLAY, REWIND, ADVANCE, STOP/EJECT, PAUSE[2] |
| Indicators | Counter with reset button; power light[2] |
| Connection | Built-in SIO cable (I/O connector 1) and one SIO socket (I/O connector 2)[2] |
| Power | +5 V from SIO pin 10 of the computer[1] |
The Atari Computermuseum describes the recorder as a standard cassette deck driven by a motor through a belt, with a belt-driven counter and a control board carrying the SIO connections.[3] The XC11 has a red power light on the front, like the 1010; the XC12 dropped it.[4]
Connecting and using
[edit | edit source]Plug the built-in cable into a PERIPHERAL socket on the computer. A disk drive or other SIO device can then be plugged into the socket on the back of the XC11.[2][1] Only one program recorder can be used on the SIO bus.[1]
Load with CLOAD: press RETURN, press PLAY at the beep and press RETURN again, and the computer starts the tape. Save with CSAVE, pressing REC at the two beeps before the second RETURN.[2]
The XC11 needs +5 V on SIO pin 10. The Atari 1200XL supplies only a Ready signal on that pin, so the XC11 does not run on an unmodified 1200XL; the FAQ's fix is to replace the 1200XL's 100 Ω resistor R63 with a 0 to 1 Ω resistor or a wire link.[1][4]
Known faults and checks
[edit | edit source]- Error 138 or 143 when loading from the start of a tape. Atari's manual puts this down to a long tape leader: rewind, advance the tape to about 010 on the counter and load again.[2]
- Recorder dead on a 1200XL but working on other machines: this is the missing +5 V on SIO pin 10, not a recorder fault.[1]
- Use Type I (ferric) cassettes; Atari's recorders are not used with Type II (chrome) or Type IV (metal) tape.[1]
Atari's service procedures for the earlier recorders are on the Atari 1010 Maintenance Guide and Atari 410 Maintenance Guide pages.
Documentation
[edit | edit source]- Atari XC11 and XC12 Documentation
- Atari XC11 Program Recorder Owner's Manual, C070347 Rev. A (1985): connection and use only.
Gallery
[edit | edit source]-
Rear: built-in SIO cable (left) and SIO socket (right)
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Related pages
[edit | edit source]References
[edit | edit source]- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 1.19 1.20 1.21 1.22 Michael D. Current (ed.), Atari 8-Bit Computers: Frequently Asked Questions, last modified 2 August 2026, mcurrent.name (retrieved 2026-10-06). Section 1.4 (1200XL SIO pin 10 and resistor R63), 3.1.1 (specifications common to Atari program recorders; XC11 entry) and the 1986 and 1987 chronology in section 11.1 (announcement, UK shipment and shows). Community reference.
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 Atari Corp., Atari XC11 Program Recorder Owner's Manual, C070347 Rev. A, 1985, printed in Japan. Pp. 2–3, keys, I/O connectors and power light; p. 4, connecting; pp. 5–6, loading, with the note on errors 138 and 143; pp. 7–8, saving. Hosted as File:Atari XC11 Program Recorder Owner's Manual C070347.pdf.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Atari Computermuseum, "XE-Peripherie: Atari XC11 Program Recorder", atari-computermuseum.de (retrieved 2026-10-06), in German. Maker, dates, construction, dimensions and weight.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Wikipedia, "Atari Program Recorder", sections "Common features" and "XC11", revision of 9 September 2026, en.wikipedia.org. Used for the power light, the 1200XL incompatibility and the comparison with the 410.