Atari 1020
| Atari 1020 Color Printer | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Atari 1020 colour printer/plotter | |
| Manufacturer | Atari, Inc.; mechanism by ALPS |
| Type | Four-colour X-Y plotter |
| Release date | Introduced December 1982; shipping from spring 1983[1] |
| Price | US$299 (1983)[1] |
| Interface | Atari SIO, two I/O connectors, 19,200 bit/s[2] |
| Compatible | Atari 8-bit computers[2] |
| Power | External AC adaptor; on-board rectifier and two 5 V regulators[2] |
| Media | Roll paper about 4.5 inches (11.5 cm) wide[3] |
The Atari 1020 Color Printer is a 40-column, four-colour printer/plotter for the Atari 8-bit computers. Atari introduced it in December 1982 together with the 1200XL, the 1010 program recorder and the 1025 printer, and shipped it in spring 1983 at US$299.[1] It draws text and graphics on a roll of narrow paper with four pens held in a rotating barrel, moving the pens across the paper and the paper up and down.[2][3]
The mechanism is an ALPS design used in several other low-cost plotters of the time, including the Commodore 1520, the Oric MCP-40 and the Tandy CGP-115.[1][3] Tandy-plotter owners identify it as the ALPS DPG-1302 engine.[4]
Specifications
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Text widths | 20, 40 (default) and 80 columns[5] |
| Speed | Averages 12 characters per second (Atari service manual); 10 cps in 40-column mode (FAQ)[2][1] |
| Colours | Black, red, blue and green[1] |
| Graphics range | X 0 to 480, Y −999 to 999[5] |
| Interface | SIO at 19,200 bit/s[2] |
| Processors | Two 6805-family microcontrollers with 4 MHz crystals[2] |
The two speed figures come from different sources and are given as published.
Hardware
Atari's 1020 Color Printer Field Service Manual (FD100288 Rev. 01, August 1983) describes the electronics.[2] A serial-to-parallel microcontroller (A1, a 6805P) receives data from the computer at 19,200 bit/s and passes it to the printer controller (A2, a 6805V), which drives the print head and paper feed stepper motors through an LB1257 driver (A3) and switches the pen solenoid through transistors Q4 to Q7. Each microcontroller has its own 4 MHz crystal, X1 and X2.[2]
The pens lift and drop under an electromagnet: a pulse of about 5.4 ms in one direction pulls the pen down and a permanent magnet holds it there; the reverse pulse lets the actuator spring lift it. A reed switch and a magnet in the rotary pen holder find the home position for colour changes.[2] Atari's manual calls the pens ballpoint pens, and its parts list gives the standard pack as C061420-01 and the roll paper as C061533.[2]
The AC adaptor's output is rectified by D1 to D4 and regulated by two HA17805P regulators (A5 and A6), giving Vc, 5 V ±5 % for the motors and logic, and Vp, 5 V for the pen solenoid.[2] The FAQ lists the 1020 among the devices that use Atari's 9 V AC adaptors.[1]
| Location | Part | Atari part number |
|---|---|---|
| A1 | 6805P, ROM version | FC100346 |
| A2 | 6805V, ROM version | FC100347 |
| A3 | LB1257 octal power driver | FC100348 |
| A4 | HD74LS09 | FC100632 |
| A5, A6 | HA17805P +5 V regulator | FC100350 |
| D1-D4 | V03C rectifier diode, 1.3 A | FC100355 |
| X1, X2 | 4 MHz crystal | FC100357 |
| – | Print head motor unit (carriage) | FC100370 |
| – | Paper feed motor unit (platen) | FC100371 |
| – | Electromagnet assembly (solenoid) | FC100375 |
Power-on test
Each time it is switched on, the 1020 moves its carriage, then draws a test pattern of four small squares, one in each colour. The pattern shows that the printer works and how much ink each pen has left.[2][5]
Known faults
- Dried-out pens. Most original pens no longer write, and refilling them has a low success rate.[4][6]
- Split nylon pinion gears on the carriage and paper feed motors, which stop the pen carriage or the paper moving accurately, even on unused printers.[7][4]
- A dead oscillator on a microcontroller crystal, which leaves the printer lit but motionless.[8]
These are covered on the Atari 1020 Troubleshooting and Atari 1020 Maintenance Guide pages.
Documentation
- Atari 1020 Documentation: the field service manual and owner's guide, with contents.
- 1020 Color Printer Field Service Manual, FD100288 Rev. 01 (August 1983).
- The Atari 1020 Color Printer Owner's Guide (1982).
Gallery
-
Top cover removed, showing the pen carriage
Related pages
- Atari 1020 Maintenance Guide
- Atari 1020 Troubleshooting
- Atari 1020 Documentation
- Atari 1025
- Atari 1027
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Michael D. Current (ed.), Atari 8-Bit Computers: Frequently Asked Questions, comp.sys.atari.8bit FAQ, last modified 29 November 2009: section 4.2 (the 1020, 1025, 1027 and 1029 printers), section 6.7 (power requirements) and section 11.1 (history, December 1982 to spring 1983). faqs.org. Community reference.
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 Atari, Inc., 1020 Color Printer Field Service Manual, FD100288 Rev. 01, August 1983. Theory of operation (pp. 1-1 to 1-12); testing (pp. 3-1 to 3-10); symptom checklist (p. 5-1); preventive maintenance and adjustments (pp. 6-1, 6-5 and 6-6); parts list (p. 7-1). Hosted here as File:Atari 1020 Color Printer Field Service Manual FD100288 Rev 01.pdf.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Wikipedia, "Atari 1020". en.wikipedia.org. Used for the paper width and the list of related plotters.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Tandy Tech wiki, "CGP-115", sections on the ALPS plotter engine, pens, gears and refilling pens (last edited 1 August 2026). tandy.wiki. Community reference.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Atari, Inc., The Atari 1020 Color Printer Owner's Guide (1982): controls, loading paper and pens, the power-on test pattern, and the text and graphics commands. Hosted here as File:Atari 1020 Color Printer Owner's Guide.pdf.
- ↑ drygol, "Atari 1020 Plotter – plotting pens replacement", retrohax.net, 2 February 2024. retrohax.net. Community repair write-up.
- ↑ Jason H. Moore, "Repair an Atari 1020 Printer (30-60 mins)", Atari Projects, 25 August 2018. atariprojects.org. Community repair write-up.
- ↑ RetroNerd, "Atari 1020 Colour Printer Plotter Repair", 7 January 2024. retronerd.co.uk. Community repair write-up.