Transputer

"Atari Transputer ATW-800.. Faster than Light"

The Atari Transputer Workstation (ATW-800) was a bold and futuristic attempt by Atari to break into the workstation market of the late 1980s. Based on a parallel processing architecture developed by the British company Inmos, the ATW-800 could harness the power of up to 17 transputer CPUs, delivering computing capabilities far ahead of its time.

• Only 350 units were ever produced, including 50 to 100 prototypes

• Launch price: $8,000 (equivalent to $18,650 in 2023)

AT A GLANCE

• Inmos Transputer running at 20 MHz (10 MIPS), expandable via 4 slots to a total of 17 transputers
  
• Memory: 4 MB RAM, expandable up to 16 MB
• Graphics: Custom Blossom video system with 1 MB dual-ported VRAM and blitter support
• Operating System: Helios — a Unix-like OS with support for the X Window System GUI
• I/O Processor: Modified Atari Mega-ST (512 KB RAM), managing peripherals via the Mega-ST’s keyboard and mouse

Colors & Graphic Modes

The Blossom video subsystem, developed in-house by Atari, delivered exceptional performance with advanced blitting and rapid fill rates (up to 128 megapixels per second).

Supported video resolutions:

• 1280×960 – 16 colors from a 4,096-color palette
• 1024×768 – 256 colors from a 16.7 million-color palette
• 640×480 – 256 colors from a 16.7 million-color palette
• 512×480 – True Color (32-bit) mode

A Short History of the Transputer

The transputer was conceived as a revolutionary CPU designed for parallel computing, enabling multiple processors to work together efficiently. In 1986, engineers began developing Helios, an operating system specifically for this architecture. The aim was to create a scalable, high-performance workstation.

Initially, Commodore showed interest and even developed transputer demos for the Amiga 2000, but ultimately abandoned the project. Atari, however, pursued the vision and partnered with Perihelion Software, leading to the creation of the ATW-800.

Notes:

• First introduced in November 1987 under the name "Abaq", the system had to be renamed to ATW-800 due to trademark conflicts in Europe

• The prototype appeared in May 1988, with limited production beginning in May 1989

Legacy

Despite its limited release and niche appeal, the ATW-800 was a fascinating computer system, featuring parallel processing, multitasking, and advanced multimedia before they became industry standards.

• Notably, the ATW’s video team would later contribute to the design of the Atari Jaguar game console

■ Atari Transputer ATW-800

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Sources:

• Wikipedia
• https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4570374
• http://www.atarimuseum.de/atw800.htm