System (Machine)¶
The System tab controls which machine kat5200 emulates and how it is configured. Use Save to update your global defaults, or Save for ROM only [*] to apply the settings only to the currently selected ROM.
System¶
Choose the emulated machine:
- Atari 5200
- Atari 400/800
- Atari XL/XE
The options below change depending on the selected system (for example, RAM, BASIC, and SIO-patch settings apply only to the 8-bit computers).
OS / BIOS¶
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| OS | The OS / BIOS variant to boot. The choices depend on the machine: for the 5200, 4-Port or 2-Port; for the 400/800, OS A or OS B; for XL/XE, a specific OS revision (600XL, XL/XE, 800XE, XEGS, 1200XL, …). |
| BIOS File | Path to the OS / BIOS ROM image on disk, with a file browser. |
The OS file is also filled automatically when you scan for BIOS images in the Setup window. Changing the OS or TV standard re-resolves and reloads the matching BIOS file.
Media files¶
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Cartridge | The cartridge image attached to the machine (file browser). |
| BASIC File | The BASIC ROM file (8-bit only). |
| Disk File | A floppy disk image to attach (8-bit only). |
Memory and video standard (8-bit)¶
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| RAM | Amount of RAM to emulate (e.g. 16 / 48 / 64 / 128 KB). Valid amounts depend on the selected machine. |
| TV Encoding | NTSC or PAL. Affects timing, speed, and colors. |
8-bit options¶
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Enable SIO Patch | Speeds up loading of floppy and cassette images. Fast and convenient, but not compatible with every title — disable it if a disk/cassette image fails to load. |
| Enable BASIC | Boots the machine with BASIC enabled. Most cartridges expect BASIC off; some titles (and, of course, BASIC programs) require it on. Best left off globally and enabled per-ROM. |
| BASIC Rev | Which revision of the BASIC ROM to use (Rev A / B / C). |
Controller ports¶
Port 1–Port 4 select which kind of Atari controller is emulated on each port:
- None
- Joystick
- Trackball
- Paddles (8-bit)
- Keypad (8-bit)
The 5200 offers Joystick / Trackball; the 8-bit computers add Paddles and Keypad. The detailed PC-to-Atari bindings live in Options → Input; this only selects the controller type.
Pokey POT Values¶
The Pokey POT Values sub-window exposes the low-level analog pot calibration used by the emulated POKEY — Joystick HPOT/VPOT Center, Low, and High for the joystick's horizontal and vertical pots, plus (on the 5200) Trackball HPOT/VPOT Center and the Trackball DPOT Min/Max range. These are advanced tuning values; most users never need to change them. They matter when fine-tuning how an analog controller maps onto a specific game's expected pot range.
Tip
If a game misbehaves, the most common System-level fixes are toggling Enable BASIC, toggling the SIO Patch, or correcting the RAM amount. For cartridge mapping problems, set the Mapping per-ROM in the Launcher.