Atari Jaguar Specifications
   
      Physical dimensions:
     * Size: 9.5" x 10" x 2.5"
       
      Controls:
     * Power on/off
       
      Display:
     * Resolution up to 800 x 576 pixels (1300+ with additional hardware)
     * 24-bit "True Color" display with 16,777,216 colors simultaneously
     * Multiple-resolution, multiple-color depth objects (monochrome,
       2-bit, 4-bit, 8-bit, 16-bit, 24-bit) can be used simultaneously
       
      Ports:
     * Cartridge slot/expansion port (32 bits)
     * RF video output Video edge connector (video/audio output)
       (supports NTSC and PAL; provides S-Video, Composite, RGB outputs,
       accessible by optional add-on connector)
     * Two controller ports Digital Signal Processor port (includes
       high-speed synchronous serial input/output)
       
      Controllers:
     * Eight-directional joypad
          + Size 6.25" x 5" x 1.6", cord 7 feet
          + Three fire buttons (A, B, C)
          + Pause and Option buttons
          + 12-key keypad (accepts game-specific overlays)
            
   
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   Comparison Chart
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   Hardware
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   Atari
   Jaguar
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   3D0 Sega
   32X SNES Sega
   Genesis Architecture 64 - Bit 32 - Bit 32 - Bit 16 - Bit 16 - Bit Bus
   Bandwidth
   (MB/sec) 106.4 50 NA 1 1 Rendering Speed
   (Mpix/sec) 850+ 64 15.4 1 1 Number of
   Colors 16.8 Mil 16.8 Mil 32 K 256 64 Processors Five:
   GPU
   DSP
   Object
   Blitter
   68000 Four:
   ARM60
   DSP
   Graphic(2) Five:
   68000
   Hitachi
   Z80
   VDP
   32XVDP Two:
   65C816
   DSP Two:
   Z80
   68000 Object Processor Yes No No No No 16 Bit CD
   Sound Yes Yes Yes No No S-Video Output Yes Yes No Yes No RGB Output
   Yes No Yes Yes Yes Retail Price $149.99 $400.00 $149.99* $129.99
   $119.99 * 32X is an add-on for the Genesis. Price does not include the
   Genesis unit.
   
   The Jaguar has five processors, which are contained in three chips.
   Two of the chips are proprietary designs, nicknamed "Tom" and "Jerry".
   The third chip is a standard Motorola 68000 used as a coprocessor. Tom
   and Jerry are built using an 0.5 micron silicon process.
   
      "Tom"
     * 750,000 transistors, 208 pins
     * Graphics Processing Unit (processor #1)
          + 32-bit RISC architecture (32/64 processor)
          + 64 registers of 32 bits wide
          + Has access to all 64 bits of the system bus
          + Can read 64 bits of data in one instruction
     * Rated at 26.591 MIPS (million instructions per second)
     * Runs at 26.591 MHz
     * 4K bytes of zero wait-state internal SRAM
     * Performs a wide range of high-speed graphic effects
     * Programmable
     * Object processor (processor #2)
          + 64-bit RISC architecture
          + Programmable processor that can act as a variety of different
            video architectures, such as a sprite engine, a pixel-mapped
            display, a character-mapped system, and others.
     * Blitter (processor #3)
          + 64 bits
          + Performs high-speed logical operations
          + Hardware support for Z-buffering and Gouraud shading
     * DRAM memory controller
          + 64 bits
          + Accesses the DRAM directly
            
      "Jerry"
     * 600,000 transistors, 144 pins
     * Digital Signal Processor (processor #4)
          + 32 bits (32-bit registers)
          + Rated at 26.6 MIPS (million instructions per second)
          + Runs at 26.6 MHz
          + Same RISC core as the Graphics Processing Unit
          + 8K bytes of zero wait-state internal SRAM
          + CD-quality sound (16-bit stereo)
          + Number of sound channels limited by software
          + Full stereo capabilities
          + Wavetable synthesis, FM synthesis, FM Sample synthesis, and
            AM
          + synthesis
     * A clock control block, incorporating timers, and a UART
     * Joystick control
       
   Motorola 68000 (processor #5)
   
   Runs at 13.295MHz
     * General purpose control processor
     *
       
   Communication is performed with a high speed 64-bit data bus, rated at
   106.364 megabytes/second. The 68000 is only able to access 16 bits of
   this bus at a time. The Jaguar contains two megabytes (16 megabits) of
   fast page-mode DRAM, in four chips with 512 K each. Game cartridges
   can support up to six megabytes (48 megabits) of information. The
   Jaguar uses 24-bit addressing, and is reportedly capable of accessing
   data as follows:
          + Six megabytes cartridge ROM
          + Eight megabytes DRAM
          + Two megabytes miscellaneous/expansion
            
   Compressed cartridge data can be uncompressed in real-time, and ratios
   of up to 14:1 have been cited. In theory, a Jaguar cartridge can store
   up to 84 megabytes (672 megabits) of data, though actual results will
   vary widely. Compression is performed with JagPEG, an enhanced JPEG
   image decompression mechanism.
   
      Other Jaguar features:
     * Support for ComLynx I/O for communications with the Atari Lynx
       hand-held game system and networked multiconsole games (on DSP
       port, accessible by optional add-on connector). Networking of up
       to 32 Jaguar units available.
     * The two controller ports can be expanded to support "dozens" of
       controllers
     * Digital and analog interfaces
     * Keyboards, mice, and light guns are possible
     * Expansion port allows connection to cable TV and other networks
     * Digital Signal Processor port allows connection to modems and
       digital audio peripherals (such as DAT players)
     * One megabyte per second serial interface
     * 9600 baud, RS-232 serial port (accessible with optional interface)
     * General-purpose I/O bits via the cartridge port
     * Can accomodate future expansions of different processor types, I/O
       types, video types, and memory types and/or quantities. 
       
   
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   Source: Jaguar FAQ by Robert Jung
          
   
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