Technical Detail

Connectors:

• tape interface which uses the CUTS (Computer Users Tape Standard) interface running at 300 baud - 7-pin round DIN
• Centronic parallel printer port - 26-pin IDC type male
• Acorn Bus socket - providing access to entire 6502 bus - 64-pin IDC-type male
• UHF TV output jack
• 8V unregulated 1.5A Power socket (supplied PSU provides 5V regulated inside the Atom) - 7-pin round DIN

Technical facts:

• The original supplied Atom power supply is an 8V capable of 1.5A. This was insufficient to power an expanded Atom with all its RAM banks populated. 3A provides enough current.
• A PAL Encoder unit could be installed inside the Atom to display colour images on a television. The expanded Atom's standard UHF output was monochrome.
• The Atom's video uses a 6847 VDG (Video Display Generator) chip which provides 8 different display modes with graphics resolution up to 256x192.

Trivia:

• Acorn's network, Econet, was first designed for use with the Atom.
• The Atom manual was called "Atomic Theory and Practice".