Atari Falcon030

The Atari Falcon030 combined a 16 MHz Motorola 68030 with a 32 MHz Motorola 56001 digital signal processor, flexible VIDEL graphics and 16-bit stereo recording and playback. Packaged in an STE-style keyboard enclosure, it also offered IDE and SCSI storage, MIDI, networking and an optional internal hard disk.

Unveiled in 1992 and reaching buyers in early 1993, the Falcon was Atari’s final production computer. Its multimedia hardware attracted musicians, audio developers and specialist video users, but limited production and Atari’s shift toward the Jaguar console ended the range after little more than a year.

Notable Features

• 16 MHz Motorola 68030 paired with a 32 MHz Motorola 56001 DSP.
• Flexible VIDEL video hardware and 16-bit stereo digital audio recording and playback.
• Included internal IDE, external SCSI II, MIDI and local-area-network connections.

Historical Significance

• The Falcon030 was Atari’s final production computer, released in 1992.
• Its advanced audio subsystem found lasting use in music and specialist recording applications despite a short commercial life.

Collector’s Notes

• Factory memory configurations were 1MB, 4MB or 14MB, with optional internal hard disks.
• Modified tower systems exist; an original keyboard-case Falcon with accessories is highly collectible.

Specifications

Technical Information
Name	Atari Falcon030
Manufacturer	Atari
Launched	Friday, January 1, 1993
Discontinued	1994
Country	United States
CPU	Motorola MC68030 at 16 MHz
Units Sold
I/O	MIDI, serial, parallel, cartridge, SCSI II, IDE, LAN, audio and monitor connections
Controllers	Two STE enhanced controller ports
Expansion	Internal expansion connector and DSP port
Storage	Internal 1.44MB floppy, optional internal IDE hard disk and external SCSI II
Sound	Eight-channel 16-bit PCM with stereo 16-bit ADC and DAC, plus YM2149 PSG
Graphics	VIDEL programmable video with ST, VGA and true-colour modes
ROM	512KB TOS 4.x ROM
DSP	Motorola 56001 at 32 MHz with 32K x 24-bit SRAM
RAM	1MB, 4MB or 14MB
CPU Speed	16 MHz