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Atari Coin Executive -- The Open Source Video Game Arcade management system... from 1982
Powered by an Atari 800. Plus a handheld 6507 computer. And, not kidding, it really was open source.
May 07, 2024
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1982 was a big year for Atari video arcades — with the release of such classics as Gravatar, Millipede, and Space Duel (complimenting the already massive number of popular Atari games filling video game arcades).

In order to make the management (and, primarily, the accounting) of video game arcades easier — and more future-y — Atari developed and released the “Atari Coin Executive”.

And it is incredibly cool.

I wouldn't mind having that desk.

The central brain of the Atari Coin Executive was an Atari 800 computer (with 48k of RAM) with a number of accessories, including:

  • 2 x Atari 810 Disk Drives

  • An Atari 850 Interface Module (which added RS232)

  • An Atari 825 printer

  • An Amdek 13 inch color monitor

The Atari 800. Ain’t she pretty?

How the Atari Coin Executive worked was both simple… and, at the same time, incredibly cool.

I kinda want to setup an arcade... just so I can use the Atari Coin Executive.

The basic process:

  1. A “Coin Monitor” was installed in the coin slot of every arcade game.

  2. Each Coin Monitor is connected back to the Atari Coin Executive workstation (that Atari 800) via “telephone type wiring”.

  3. The arcade manager can then use that Atari 800 to see how much each game is earning.

Screenshot of the Coin Executive main menu

Fun fact: The Atari Coin Executive software was open source and written in a combination of BASIC and Assembly. Or, as Atari put it in 1982: “In Basic and 6502 Assembler - Source listings and manual supplied”.  You can find images of the Atari Coin Executive software over on the AtariAge Forum.

In addition to the above mentioned setup, the Atari Coin Executive also included a handheld computer called the “Data Recorder”.

It's a 1982 Atari handheld!  Sort of!

The “Atari Coin Executive Data Recorder” was powered by a MOS 6507 CPU with 16K of RAM (8 2k chips), and communicated with the Atari Coin Executive computer via 300 baud serial. It even had a small built-in printer.

This allowed people to manage several arcades, in separate locations, by:

  1. Plugging the Data Recorder into each arcade machine equipped with a Coin Monitor.

  2. Then taking the Data Recorder back to the Coin Executive computer and downloading the data into the Coin Executive software.

Finally, here’s a color picture of the whole setup — including the custom desk which was used for the Coin Executive.

Fern not included.
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Looking for the Podcast RSS feed or other links?
https://lunduke.locals.com/post/4619051/lunduke-journal-link-central-tm

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December 09, 2025

For some reason videos are not processing on Locals at all. At least for me. Have two shows sitting in the "processing" queue for a full day now (with a third about to be added).

I'm talking with the Locals crew about this. Hopefully should be resolved quickly. Luckily those shows are on all of the other platforms as a backup.

Lunduke Journal Lifetime Wall 2 almost full, plus Lifetime Sub as a gift

Two quick tidbits!

First: Lifetime Wall 2 Almost Full

The 2nd Lunduke Journal Lifetime Subscriber Wall of Shame… err… I mean “Wall of Awesomeness” (which shows at the end of each video) is almost full! Holy cow! So many people have signed up over the last few days and asked to be added! Awesome!

There’s room for maybe 3 or 4 more names on there before I need to start Wall Number 3. So if you want to be on the 2nd wall, grab a Lifetime Sub quickly. (Though, really, being on the 3rd wall will be cool too.)

Plus, hey! You can snag one for $89 this month. Which is pretty sweet.

Second: Sending a Lifetime Sub as a Gift

Several of you have asked if it’s possible to send someone a Lifetime Subscription as a gift (at the discounted $89 / $99 price).

The answer is yes! And, instead of sending instructions to each of you, individually, I am including a Step-by-Step rundown on how to send someone a Lunduke Journal Lifetime Sub as a gift.

There are two options — Locals & Bitcoin — and both work equally well.

(Note: A gifted Lifetime subscription can also be applied to Substack accounts… it just can’t be purchased via Substack because of the way the system works for gifting it to another person.)

How to give a gift Lifetime Subscription via Locals:

  1. Go to Lunduke.Locals.com/support.

  2. Select “Give Once“.

  3. Enter “99“ (or more) into the amount field.

  4. Email “bryan at lunduke.com”. Include the following in that email:

    1. Have the words “Gift Sub” somewhere in the subject line.

    2. Include the email you used to make the purchase and the email address of gift recipient.

    3. Include any special instructions or requests, such as: A special message you would like included, when you would like an email sent to the recipient, or if you would prefer to let the recipient know yourself.

  5. Lunduke will send you a confirmation email after that. This usually happens within a few hours.

How to get a Lifetime Subscription with Bitcoin:

You can also send a gift Lifetime Subscription via Bitcoin.  (And it's $10 cheaper thanks to the lower processing fees of Bitcoin.)

  • Send $89 worth of Bitcoin (or more) to the following address:

bc1qyjakve8fywm8pz2v99v57yhjj0vzr2vjze6fcq

  • Email “bryan at lunduke.com”. Include the following in that email:

    1. What time you made the transaction, & how much was sent (in Bitcoin).

    2. Have the words “Gift Sub” somewhere in the subject line.

    3. Include the email address of gift recipient.

    4. Include any special instructions or requests, such as: A special message you would like included, when you would like an email sent to the recipient, or if you would prefer to let the recipient know yourself.

  • Lunduke will send you a confirmation email after that. This usually happens within a few hours.

Note: The Lifetime Subscription only applies to Substack, Locals, and the Lunduke Journal Forum. Other platforms (such as X, Patreon, & YouTube) do not provide the functionality necessary to create Lifetime Subscriptions.

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December 12, 2025
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This last week has been, as usual, a doozy for Tech News.

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Oh, and a quick reminder: Lifetime Subscriptions can be snagged for $89 through the end of December. Monthly & Yearly subscriptions are 50% off as well. Just because.

All Shows From the Last Week

Below are all of the shows over the last 7 days, with links to Substack (where you can get both the audio or video versions). If you want to watch on a different platform (Locals, X, Rumble, YouTube, etc.) check Lunduke.com for all of the links.

As always, thank you for making The Lunduke Journal possible. If it weren’t for your support, most of these stories would never have been told (as no other Tech News outlet is covering them).

You rule.

-Lunduke

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