{"id":23492,"date":"2026-02-11T19:34:02","date_gmt":"2026-02-12T00:34:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/?page_id=23492"},"modified":"2026-02-11T20:00:17","modified_gmt":"2026-02-12T01:00:17","slug":"vin162","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/vintage-computing\/item\/vin162\/","title":{"rendered":"Atari Super Pong"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Atari Super Pong<\/h2>\n<p>[Vin162]<\/p>\n<p>The Atari Super Pong C-140, released in 1976, stands out in vintage computing history for its pioneering use of Atari&#8217;s &#8220;Pong-in-a-chip&#8221; IC (C010073-01), which integrated complex analog circuitry into a single revolutionary component, enabling affordable home video gaming. Its most notable features included four distinct games: Pong, Super Pong, Catch, and Solitaire, plus rare on-screen digital scoring and color output on compatible TVs, all housed in a woodgrain cabinet with detachable controllers in the Sears-branded variant.<a href=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20260211_032020699-scaled.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-23495\" src=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20260211_032020699-240x180.jpg\" alt=\"Atari Super Pong\" width=\"240\" height=\"180\" srcset=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20260211_032020699-240x180.jpg 240w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20260211_032020699-400x300.jpg 400w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20260211_032020699-160x120.jpg 160w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20260211_032020699-768x577.jpg 768w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20260211_032020699-1536x1153.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20260211_032020699-2048x1538.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20260211_032020699-800x600.jpg 800w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20260211_032020699-360x270.jpg 360w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 240px) 100vw, 240px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Manufacturer<\/strong>: Atari Inc.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Model<\/strong>: C-140<\/li>\n<li><strong>Type<\/strong>: Video game console<\/li>\n<li><strong>Release Date<\/strong>: 1976<\/li>\n<li><strong>Cost at release<\/strong>: ~$500 (adjusted for inflation)<\/li>\n<li><strong>MIPS<\/strong>: As a dedicated analog hardware device without a CPU, it has no MIPS rating<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"slideme\"><dl class=\"slideme__list\"><dt class=\"slideme__term\"><a href=\"#slideme-hardware-specifications\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"slideme-hardware-specifications\" class=\"slideme__heading slideme__trigger\">Hardware Specifications<\/a><\/dt><dd class=\"slideme__description\" id=\"slideme-hardware-specifications\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><p><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Processor\/Logic<\/strong>: Custom Atari &#8220;Pong-in-a-chip&#8221; IC (C010073-01), analog design for four games (Pong, Super Pong, Catch, Solitaire)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Output<\/strong>: RF modulator (channel 3\/4), color-capable with gradient effects, on-screen digital scoring<\/li>\n<li><strong>Controls<\/strong>: Two integrated dial paddles, variable speed adjustment<\/li>\n<li><strong>Power<\/strong>: 4 x D-cell batteries (~6V total); optional Atari #004720 AC adapter (6V DC regulated, ~500mA)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Audio<\/strong>: Analog Pong beeps via discrete circuits<\/li>\n<li><strong>Build<\/strong>: Plastic cabinet (woodgrain Sears version), RF cable included, no expandability<\/li>\n<li><strong>Weight<\/strong>: 1.1 kg (no batteries)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><\/p><\/dd><dl><\/div>\n<div class=\"slideme\"><dl class=\"slideme__list\"><dt class=\"slideme__term\"><a href=\"#slideme-operating-system-programming-languages\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"slideme-operating-system-programming-languages\" class=\"slideme__heading slideme__trigger\">Operating System &amp; Programming Languages<\/a><\/dt><dd class=\"slideme__description\" id=\"slideme-operating-system-programming-languages\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><p><\/p>\n<p>It supports zero computer languages, as there&#8217;s no CPU, memory, or programmable hardware; all four games (Pong, Super Pong, Catch, Solitaire) are permanently etched into the analog chip, making it purely a &#8220;firmware-less&#8221; appliance.<\/p>\n<p><\/p><\/dd><dl><\/div>\n<div class=\"slideme\"><dl class=\"slideme__list\"><dt class=\"slideme__term\"><a href=\"#slideme-notables\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"slideme-notables\" class=\"slideme__heading slideme__trigger\">Notables<\/a><\/dt><dd class=\"slideme__description\" id=\"slideme-notables\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><p><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>One of the first consoles with on-screen digital scoring and color gradients (green-to-purple on TVs).<\/li>\n<li>Hardwired analog logic: No CPU\/OS, four fixed games (Pong, Super Pong, Catch, Solitaire); epitomized shift from arcades to living rooms.<\/li>\n<li>Saved Atari via massive Sears holiday orders (150k+ Pong units prior), fueling growth to Atari 2600; marked Pongmania&#8217;s peak, selling millions amid clones<\/li>\n<li>Sears catalogs touted &#8220;true Pong sounds, variable speed, color TV ready&#8221; as premium craftsmanship\u2014no rivals matched.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><\/p><\/dd><dl><\/div>\n<div class=\"slideme\"><dl class=\"slideme__list\"><dt class=\"slideme__term\"><a href=\"#slideme-donated-by\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"slideme-donated-by\" class=\"slideme__heading slideme__trigger\">Donated By<\/a><\/dt><dd class=\"slideme__description\" id=\"slideme-donated-by\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><p><\/p>\n<p>Andrew Miles<\/p>\n<p><\/p><\/dd><dl><\/div>\n<div class=\"content__video\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Atari Super Pong 1976 Commercial\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/qEdTDnQ0gR8?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p>\u200b<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Atari Super Pong [Vin162] The Atari Super Pong C-140, released in 1976, stands out in vintage computing history for its pioneering use of Atari&#8217;s &#8220;Pong-in-a-chip&#8221; IC (C010073-01), which integrated complex analog circuitry into a single revolutionary component, enabling affordable home video gaming. Its most notable features included four distinct games: Pong, Super Pong, Catch, and [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"parent":19704,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","_mi_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v21.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Atari Super Pong - School of Computer Science<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Atari Super Pong The Atari Super Pong C-140, released in 1976, stands out in vintage computing history for its pioneering use of Atari&#039;s &quot;Pong-in-a-chip&quot;\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/vintage-computing\/item\/vin162\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/vintage-computing\/item\/vin162\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/vintage-computing\/item\/vin162\/\",\"name\":\"Atari Super Pong - 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