Atari Transputer Workstation ATW-800

The Atari Transputer Workstation ATW-800 was a parallel-processing workstation developed with Perihelion Hardware around the 20 MHz INMOS T800 transputer. A separate 8 MHz Motorola 68000 subsystem handled input and output, while the custom Blossom graphics hardware supported demanding colour workstation displays.

Originally demonstrated under the Abaq name and sold in limited numbers from 1989, the ATW-800 ran Perihelion’s HeliOS distributed operating system and an X Window environment. Expansion cards could add further transputers, turning the machine into a compact parallel computer for graphics, research and engineering.

Notable Features

• 20 MHz INMOS T800 transputer with a separate Motorola 68000 I/O subsystem.
• Custom Blossom graphics and expansion for additional transputer farm cards.
• Ran Perihelion HeliOS with an X Window interface.

Historical Significance

• First shown as the Abaq before being renamed the Atari Transputer Workstation.
• Represented Atari’s most unusual and technically ambitious professional computer, with only a few hundred systems produced.

Collector’s Notes

• Surviving systems are exceptionally rare and often lack complete documentation or working storage.
• Configuration details vary because the workstation evolved through several pre-production and production revisions.

Specifications

Technical Information
Name	Atari Transputer Workstation ATW-800
Manufacturer	Atari
Launched	Sunday, January 1, 1989
Discontinued	1990
Country	United Kingdom
CPU	INMOS T800-20 transputer at 20 MHz with Motorola 68000 I/O processor
Units Sold	Approximately 250–350
Software	ANSI C development tools and distributed HeliOS environment
I/O	Mega ST-derived keyboard, mouse and peripheral subsystem
Parallel Processing	Additional T800 transputers could be added for distributed workloads
Expansion	Multiple transputer farm-card slots plus 68000 expansion
Storage	40MB SCSI hard disk typical
Display	Up to 1280x960 in 16 colours; lower modes with larger palettes
Graphics	Custom Blossom graphics processor with dedicated video memory
Operating System	Perihelion HeliOS with X Window System
RAM	4MB typical, expandable with transputer cards
CPU Speed	INMOS T800-20 at 20 MHz; Motorola 68000 I/O processor at 8 MHz