What is a Sloop?
A sloop is a single-masted boat. Unlike cutters and other boats with only one mast, a sloop’s mast is located further forward in a boat and supports a smaller forward sail. A sloop generally carries a headsail and a mainsail, but the term can refer to a number of different craft, from a ‘Bermuda sloop’ (a modern yachting sloop) to a ‘sloop-of-war’ (a large craft historically used by the British Navy). The sloop design is ideal for upwind sail, and is considered a good general design for most sailing purposes. As a light rig with minimal lines and spars, a sloop has less drag on the sails to deal with. The same characteristic also makes for flatter sails, and less sideways force on the sails. Sideways force is an important concern for preventing heeling in a sailing craft — keeping the craft upright and preventing the weight of the sails from tipping it over. A sloop relies on its keel and flat sails to stay upright. Bermuda sloops are the most common type of sloop found in modern saili
The SLOOP (or “SLOOPstic”) is a follow-on chip to the slapstic. It provides a similar type of security, but is programmed onto a GAL6001, rather than a custom part. It was created because Atari was running out of slapstics to use in their games, and the original masks for the slapstic had been lost by the company that manufactured them. A separate FAQ for this chip is planned for the future.
The SLOOP (or “SLOOPstic”) is a follow-on chip to the slapstic. It provides a similar type of security, but is programmed onto a GAL6001, rather than a custom part. It was created because Atari was running out of slapstics to use in their games, and the original masks for the slapstic had been lost by the company that manufactured them. A separate FAQ for this chip is planned for the future. How do I identify a slapstic chip on my board? Look for a small, socketed 20-pin DIP on the board. The number on the chip will be 137412-1xx. Are slapstic chips interchangeable? Sadly, no. They were designed to prevent operators from burning new EPROMs and “upgrading” their PCBs to a new game without buying the necessary kits from Atari. For example, the five System 1 games each used a different slapstic, so that you couldn’t take, say, a Marble Madness machine, burn new EPROMs, and convert it into an Indiana Jones. That said, however, there are two pairs of the slapstics that appear to be function
