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Asterock (Sidam):.
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(Update 24.
May 2018)
Asterock (Sidam 1979)
[ Game
Info | Pictures
| Manuals/Datasheets
| Repair/Restore
| ROMs
| Reproductions/Spares
| Mixed
Stuff ]
NEW (1. Jan. 2006):
Asterock Schematics
(scanned by
Simon Hanlon)
Asterock Manual
(scanned by Marco
Vernillo)
Information
missing: Flyer,
production numbers,
size/weight
Game
Info
Overview
- Asterock is a copy of
Atari's Asteroids. The italian company Sidam manufactured/developed an
own CPU PCB for their upright cab while still using many parts of the
original Asteroids code. The cabinet was also different in some
aspects. Although the color scheme was very similar to Asteroids and
the bezel around the monitor was black, the game had a completely
different
control panel layout and -graphics. The sideart is also completely
different. Sidam used the Electrohome G05-802, 19 inch XY b/w monitor.
Description
- Same gameplay as Asteroids from Atari.You find your spaceship
suddenly to appear in the middle of an
asteroid
field. To get relief for yourself from the dangerous situation you need
to
blast away the slow-moving asteroids that drift randomly through space
and are blocking the way to further levels. When hit, the large
asteroids will break in
two smaller pieces that need to be shot at again making two more
fragments
that need a last shot to be dust eventually and dissappear. You control
your ship by rotating it left or right and you can
accelerate with the "Thrust" button. Take care, you are in space, so
no braking via air friction. To stop your ship from travelling
endlessly int the sam direction you need to turn
180° and press the "Thrust" button again until you stop. From time
to time saucers
will appear and shoot around, randomly in the beginning, but then more
and
more precisely into the player's spaceship direction. The smaller kind
of saucer
is deadly with the 3rd or 4th shot if the player doesn't react. As a
last resort you have the ability to use the "Hyperspace" button to
suddenly dissappear from your current place in space and reappear at
another random location on the screen. However you don't know
where you will reenter the universe, it may happen just right into an
asteroid! Once all asteroids have been shot away the next level starts
with more
asteroids and saucers appearing earlier and more often.
Cabinet
Types - Upright, Released
1979
PCB(s) - The CPU is a
6502A running at 1.5Mhz with 6k of ROM (six 2708 EPROMs) for the actual
game. The PCB was also sold by Sidam to at least one other manufacturer.
Monitor - G05-802 B/W xy Monitor from
Electrohome
Original Game
- Asteroids by Atari
Prototypes
- not known
Other
Info
Sources
» Asterock Cabinet [
link ]
» PCB
[ link ]
» Monitor
Electrohome G05-802 [ link ]
Manuals/Datasheets/Technical
Info
Asterock
Upright
»
Schematics
( scanned in by
Simon Hanlon www.hanlon.info ) - sidam_asterock_schematics.pdf
» Operator's
Manual ( scanned in by Marco Vernillo
www.vernimark.com
) - asterock_manual.pdf
» G05-802
Electrohome Monitor
Manual incl.
Schematics - EH G05-802
» Theory
of Vector
Generators & Vector Monitors
- The secret life of Vector
Generators
- The secret life of of Vector
Monitors
- Programming the Vector
Generator
- Theory of Vector Generators
- AVG Description (Atari
Internal) 5.2
MByte
» "A
Hitchhikers
Guide to the Atari Digital Vector Generator" ( Philip Pemberton, Dec.
2005) - [ PDF ]
»
Datasheets for electronic components - CPU 6502A - EPROM2708 - PROM 82S129 - Static RAM 2114 - D/A Converter AD561J - TTL Logic 74LSxx
Repair/Restore/Improve
Repair
Tips (Note:
This is meant for the Atari Asteroids machine, but it may help although
the SIDAM PCB is different in some areas.)
»
Asteroids
Troubleshooting Encyclopedia
- http://www.ionpool.net/arcade/asteroidtech/asteroidsrepair.html
» Asteroids
troubleshooting Tips from Star Tech Journal - debug_ast.gif
Restore
Pages
- Nothing yet known specifically for this machine. Maybe you want to
lookup the Asteroids Page
Improvements/Add-ons -
Nothing yet known specifically for this machine. Maybe you want to
lookup the Asteroids Page.
» Asterock ROMS as .zip
file.
Eight 2708 EPROMs needed - asterock_roms.zip
Spares -
have a look
at the "Link Collection"
section to
find sources.
I can help out with electronic components, if you don't find them
elsewhere. A
non conclusive list is in the "Electronics
/ Parts"
section.
Reproductions
- Nothing yet known specifically for this machine.
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