375:. As each line used 20 bits of data, and there were 192 lines on an NTSC display, a display with a different layout on every line needed only 480 bytes (192 x 20 / 8) of the cartridge's 4 kB to hold a single hard-coded display. In this case the kernel simply advanced 20 bits through ROM for every line as the TIA advanced down the screen, a task that took only a few cycles of CPU time. This can be further reduced by using the same data for multiple lines, either doubling them vertically, or reading one way through the list for the top and then back the other way for the bottom, producing a vertically mirrored display of only 240 bytes.
326:
sync" command. This suspends the operation of the CPU until the start (color clock cycle 0) of the horizontal blanking period right ahead of the next line, providing a measure of automatic synchronization. The intended use of this mechanism is for the CPU to run code that sets up the TIA registers for the line about to be drawn, and which usually runs to completion some time before the TIA reaches the end of that line. To make video timing synchronization easier, the CPU then writes to the register that triggers the synchronization delay via RDY, throwing away a variable amount of CPU time.
132:
334:
trigger vertical sync signals and to count the lines in each frame to determine when a vertical sync signal should be generated. Like for the RDY-wait hardware, the vertical sync signal is triggered by the CPU writing to a specific TIA register address. If no write to that address was ever done and the TIA was allowed to free-run, it would generate a single infinite frame of active raster lines, which would typically appear on the TV as a rolling picture. Most published games for the
67:
379:
25:
321:. Generally the analog side of the display system generates an interrupt when it finishes drawing a raster line and is getting ready for the next one. The interrupt triggers the code needed to update the screen, and then returns to the "main" program. The 6507 left these pins off of the CPU to save money, however it does have a "RDY" pin to insert wait states into
239:
unlike the technique used in a framebuffer-mapped model, requiring the program to update these on every scan line. Horizontal resolution is not uniform, as its size depends on the particular graphics object. The smallest unit of pixel corresponds to 1 color clock cycle of the chip, of which there are 160 visible ones on a line.
396:
for the platform, which required many more player graphics to draw the enemy aliens. The solution was to change the player data for every line as the image was being drawn, creating an apparent large number of players. Another advance was made by (partially) coding the display as CPU instructions
325:
bus cycles. The TIA was specifically designed to use the RDY pin to synchronize the CPU with the raster line timing of the video generated by the TIA: when the CPU writes to a certain register address of the TIA, the TIA lowers its RDY output signal until the end of the current line, a "wait for
238:
Due to the lack of RAM, the TIA differs from the conventional framebuffer approach on the screen is composed by manipulating five movable graphic objects (2 players, 2 missiles and 1 ball) and a static playfield object. These are all generated on every scan line from their respective registers,
333:
signals (to mark the end of each video frame and the start of the next). The TIA is capable of inserting a vertical sync signal into the analog output video signal, but it does not have a frame line-counter and so cannot tell when a frame should end. Instead, it is left to the CPU program to
242:
The
Playfield object consists of a two-and-a-half byte register (20 bits wide), which can be reflected symmetrically or copied as-is to the right half of the screen for 40 bits in total (each bit being 4 color cycles wide). The color that was drawn if the bit was a 1 or a 0 was selected from a
411:
As programmers grew more accustomed to the odd timing needed to get things to work properly on-screen, they began to use the inherent flexibility in the TIA to greatly improve the displays. One common technique was to change the color registers that were used to draw the 1 and 0 states of the
346:
These and other details of TIA programming mean that programmers need to time their programs carefully to run in the exact number of cycles needed for various screen-related events. Getting this wrong means the screen is not drawn properly. The part of a program that does this is known as the
305:
loads the TIA's registers with the data needed to draw the first line of the display. The TIA then waits until the television is ready to draw the line (under the command of the TIA's associated analog hardware) and read out the registers to produce a signal for that line. During the
229:
focused on making an ASIC for the display adapter. Early on, the ASIC display adapter was named the
Television Interface Adaptor (TIA). The cost of RAM remained high as the team began its design, and thus the option to use memory-based framebuffers was dropped from the TIA's design.
135:
The motherboard of the original six-switch Atari VCS. The 40-pin TIA chip is on the left. The center 28-pin is the MOS Technology 6507, and to its right, the 40-pin MOS Technology 6352 Ram-I/O-Timer (RIOT) chip. The cartridge insertion slot is to the immediate right of the RIOT
403:
uses this concept to produce a wide variety of maps by combining different portions of the data in ROM, jumping back and forth through it during the screen drawing. This allowed the game to have 30 rooms, which would have otherwise required 14 kB of
149:
led by Steve Mayer and Ron Milner had been considering alternatives to the development dedicated hardware such as application-specific integrated circuits (ASIC) for arcade video games and home video game consoles. Programmable
412:
playfield, resulting in displays with rainbow-like effects. Later games could modify the playfield mid-line to generate asymmetric patterns, repositioning and changing player sprites mid-screen to generate additional sprites.
154:
had reached the market, but Atari considered them too expensive for a home application. They were limited by cost in options for displaying graphics. At this point in time, most computer graphics were generated by using
350:
Given this complexity, early games using the system tended to be simple in layout, using the TIA to create symmetric playfields with players on top. This was the original intention of the system: to run the handful of
200:, on using the 6502 as the basis for their programmable video game console. Over the course of a couple of days, the basic design of the Atari VCS was laid out, with Peddle offering Atari the use of the lower-cost
342:
after either every 262 or every 263 lines (but nothing about the TIA prevents it from generating frames of any length, shorter or longer, though the resulting video displays would roll vertically on normal TVs).
178:(RAM). RAM was still expensive, costing tens of thousands of dollars per megabyte., and to display a two-color playfield on a 80×48 display would have cost thousands of dollars in memory. On a conventional
272:
and stores a bitmap of collisions, that are typically read during the VBLANK period. Registers in the TIA allow the programmer to control the positioning of the graphical objects and their color.
1251:
capable of detuned notes and the odd tuned frequency. The TIA is not a musical chip unless the composer works within the frequency limits or modulates between two detuned frequencies to create a
290:
As the registers hold data for only a single line of the display, creating a full screen requires the game program to update the registers on the fly, a process known as "
275:
The TIA also provides two channels of one-bit sound. Each channel provides for 32 pitch values and 16 possible bit sequences. There is a 4 bit volume control.
46:
1680:
222:
was hired on to help convert Milner's proof-of-concept to a functional prototype, sufficient for Atari to give the go-ahead for the development to continue.
96:
game console. The TIA generates the screen display, sound effects, and reads the controllers. At the time the Atari VCS was designed, even small amounts of
100:
were expensive. The chip was designed around not having a frame buffer, instead requiring detailed programming to create even a simple display.
212:
prototype for the display adapter atop a 6502 testbed system, Milner was able to demonstrate the ability to program a simple version of their
1976:
1972:
260:
Two 'missiles' - another horizontal line that is the same color as its respective player. It can be one, two, four, or eight pixels wide.
310:
period between lines, the 6502 quickly changes the TIA's registers as needed for the next line. This process continues down the screen.
2055:
33:
2070:
2254:
2240:
254:' Player 1 and Player 2. These are single color, can be stretched by a factor of 2 or 4, and can be duplicated or triplicated.
2029:
1926:
2103:
1879:
268:
is also complicated. The TIA has hardware collision detection for all of these objects through the use of 15 set/reset
196:, one of the first low-cost microprocessors on the market. Mayer and Milner arranged to speak to the chip's designer,
2152:
257:
A 'ball' - a horizontal line that is the same color as the playfield. It can be one, two, four, or eight pixels wide.
1952:
1831:
1693:
2212:
2180:
1902:
339:
330:
2309:
185:, maximum resolutions generally fell between 256 and 320 pixels per line, and 192 to 240 lines per screen.
2435:
2268:
2166:
432:
format (part number CO10444), a 128-color palette is provided, while only 104 colors are available for
251:
156:
1268:
2400:
2120:
2096:
2060:
2045:
2642:
2607:
2145:
269:
38:
1968:
2226:
2065:
1271:
or noise. The following table (with designed duplicates) explains how its tones are generated:
399:
2500:
2261:
2187:
1205:
108:
2495:
2450:
2282:
175:
97:
1743:
159:
drawn atop a playfield, which then were translated into an analog signal for display on a
8:
2637:
2618:
2588:
2559:
2490:
2485:
2475:
2159:
2089:
1989:
421:
314:
307:
298:
265:
205:
201:
193:
131:
89:
357:
85:
2541:
2025:
1875:
1248:
1213:
425:
214:
2395:
1921:
1794:
368:
219:
182:
163:
160:
146:
278:
Lastly, the TIA has inputs for reading up to four analog paddle controllers using
2601:
2553:
2547:
2440:
2344:
2334:
2233:
2076:
2019:
1956:
1916:
291:
243:
pre-defined palette of up to 128 colors (see below) and held in other registers.
1814:
2430:
2194:
2138:
392:
189:
151:
317:
in the 2600 is a pin-reduced version of the 6502 with no support for hardware
2631:
2505:
2455:
2420:
1799:
1786:
372:
279:
116:
1682:
Atari Video
Computer System Field Service Manual - Model 2600/2600A Domestic
2572:
2415:
2354:
2247:
1221:
1209:
383:
197:
378:
66:
2566:
2425:
2364:
2299:
2129:
1689:
1201:
352:
171:
1949:
2525:
2520:
2445:
2369:
2304:
2275:
2112:
1839:
1264:
1197:
367:. In these cases the playfield data was typically laid out in the 2 kB
335:
209:
93:
70:
1917:"Racing the Beam: How Atari 2600's Crazy Hardware Changed Game Design"
2594:
2510:
2410:
2339:
2173:
1719:
1232:
318:
246:
The TIA also supported five separate graphics objects consisting of:
226:
104:
2050:
1898:
2515:
2405:
2329:
2324:
2219:
1247:) and dividing by the 5-bit value supplied. The result is a cheap
1217:
119:
chips. Jay Miner later led the design of the custom chips for the
107:
who continued at Atari expanding on the design of the TIA for the
2359:
1252:
24:
2319:
2314:
1787:"Atari Video Computer System: Bring Entertainment Stories Home"
167:
2379:
2374:
2081:
1240:
1236:
437:
225:
While Decuir worked on the design of the rest of the system,
120:
112:
2349:
429:
363:
179:
1244:
1216:
and a 4-bit audio control register which manipulates the
433:
405:
322:
302:
208:
RAM-I/O-Timer (RIOT) as the core of the design. Using a
1263:
The Audio
Control register generates and manipulates a
329:
In addition, the TIA only semi-automatically generates
297:
To start the process, the game program running on the
1220:. There is also a 4-bit volume control register per
1196:
The TIA is capable of generating different types of
1870:Goldberg, Marty; Vendel, Curt (2012). "Chapter 5".
103:Development of the CO10444/CO11903 TIA was led by
2629:
2021:Racing the Beam: the Atari Video Computer System
1191:
250:Two 8-pixel horizontal lines which make up the '
2017:
1869:
1780:
1692:January 21, 1983. pp. 1–4. Archived from
1227:
2097:
1863:
1778:
1776:
1774:
1772:
1770:
1768:
1766:
1764:
1762:
1760:
1212:) AUD0 and AUD1. Each oscillator has a 5-bit
397:instead of storing it as fixed data in ROM.
2071:Programming the Atari 2600, and Me - Part 1
1273:
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826:
447:
2104:
2090:
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1258:
1798:
415:
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1829:
1823:
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377:
313:This is made more difficult because the
130:
65:
49:of all important aspects of the article.
16:Video/audio/input chip of the Atari 2600
1830:McCallum, John C. (February 13, 2012).
1730:
1724:Programming in the Twenty-First Century
1720:"Why Do Dedicated Game Consoles Exist?"
2630:
1914:
1784:
1311:
285:
45:Please consider expanding the lead to
2085:
1888:
1717:
2077:Atari 2600 Development by Joe Decuir
2018:Montfort, Nick; Bogost, Ian (2009).
1982:
1807:
1742:Stilphen, Scott (February 5, 2020).
436:(part number CO11903). Finally, the
18:
1929:from the original on July 12, 2014.
1718:Hague, James (September 10, 2013).
1235:are generated by taking 31399
440:palette consists of only 8 colors.
390:A key advance was the licensing of
92:constituting the heart of the 1977
13:
2046:ATARI 2600 Programming for Newbies
1791:IEEE Consumer Electronics Magazine
233:
145:Around 1975, Atari's engineers at
14:
2654:
2039:
1901:, (in Spanish) December 3, 1979.
1990:"Sound Chips in 8-bit Computers"
1915:Kohler, Chris (March 13, 2009).
1138:
355:Atari had already produced like
264:Without RAM-based framebuffers,
23:
1961:
1942:
1933:
1908:
443:
282:and for two joystick triggers.
37:may be too short to adequately
2111:
1854:
1711:
1672:
822:
88:, along with a variant of the
47:provide an accessible overview
1:
2066:TIA high resolution die shots
1939:Montfort & Bogost, pg. 34
1860:Montfort & Bogost, pg. 27
1665:
1192:Noise/Tone Generator (AUD0/1)
166:. Sprites would be held as a
140:
2481:Television Interface Adaptor
2310:American Multiple Industries
2073:, part 1 of an 8-part series
1973:University of North Carolina
1815:"ANTIC and the display list"
78:Television Interface Adaptor
7:
1950:"Atari 2600 Specifications"
1899:"Stella Programmer's Guide"
1832:"Memory Prices (1957-2012)"
1228:Frequency Divider (AUDF0/1)
94:Atari Video Computer System
10:
2659:
2011:
1872:Atari Inc: Business is Fun
1744:"ATARI VCS/2600 TIA CHIPS"
1679:"I. Theory of Operation".
1304:Type of noise or division
382:Rainbow effect visible in
347:"kernel" of that program.
2616:
2581:
2534:
2468:
2388:
2292:
2204:
2128:
2119:
2051:TIA technical information
1785:Decuir, Joe (July 2015).
1503:9-bit poly (white noise)
126:
1800:10.1109/MCE.2015.2421572
1390:5 bit poly → 4 bit poly
426:television signal format
2608:Atari video game burial
1327:Set to 1 (volume only)
1259:Audio Control (AUDC0/1)
420:The TIA uses different
416:TIA Color Capabilities
387:
137:
73:
2501:Starpath Supercharger
1955:May 24, 2011, at the
1566:Set last 4 bits to 1
381:
134:
109:Atari 8-bit computers
69:
2451:Howard Scott Warshaw
2056:TIA technical manual
1979:on January 27, 2018.
1699:on February 15, 2017
331:vertical sync timing
176:random-access memory
2560:Atari Greatest Hits
2535:Emulation and ports
2486:Atari joystick port
2476:Atari 2600 hardware
1842:on October 26, 2012
315:MOS Technology 6507
308:horizontal blanking
299:MOS Technology 6502
286:Drawing the display
266:collision detection
206:MOS Technology 6532
202:MOS Technology 6507
194:6502 microprocessor
188:In September 1975,
90:MOS Technology 6502
1967:Robinett, Warren,
1267:to create complex
1204:output to its two
388:
204:processor and the
138:
74:
2625:
2624:
2464:
2463:
2031:978-0-262-01257-7
1994:FLOP Atari portal
1948:More on PAL, see
1905:on March 5, 2016.
1663:
1662:
1249:frequency divider
1214:frequency divider
1189:
1188:
1136:
1135:
820:
819:
424:depending on the
64:
63:
2650:
2582:Related articles
2396:Steve Cartwright
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1874:. Sygyzy Press.
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1838:. Archived from
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1813:Chris Crawford,
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183:color television
147:Cyan Engineering
84:) is the custom
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27:
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2602:Racing the Beam
2577:
2554:Atari Flashback
2548:Atari Anthology
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2441:Warren Robinett
2384:
2345:Parker Brothers
2335:Games by Apollo
2288:
2234:Missile Command
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2115:
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1957:Wayback Machine
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1897:Wright, Steve.
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234:RAM-less design
192:introduced the
152:microprocessors
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32:This article's
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2040:External links
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422:color palettes
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393:Space Invaders
373:game cartridge
371:memory in the
287:
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280:potentiometers
262:
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190:MOS Technology
142:
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41:the key points
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2491:CX40 joystick
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2024:. MIT Press.
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1479:5 bit poly →
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1139:SECAM palette
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340:vertical sync
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164:video monitor
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86:computer chip
83:
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42:
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35:
30:
26:
21:
20:
2600:
2593:
2565:
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2546:
2480:
2416:Larry Kaplan
2355:Spectravideo
2281:
2274:
2267:
2260:
2253:
2248:Demon Attack
2246:
2239:
2232:
2225:
2218:
2211:
2193:
2186:
2181:Street Racer
2179:
2172:
2165:
2158:
2151:
2144:
2137:
2020:
1997:. Retrieved
1993:
1984:
1963:
1944:
1935:
1920:
1910:
1871:
1865:
1856:
1844:. Retrieved
1840:the original
1835:
1825:
1818:
1809:
1790:
1749:February 24,
1747:. Retrieved
1723:
1713:
1701:. Retrieved
1694:the original
1681:
1674:
1656:
1632:
1609:
1586:
1543:
1480:
1456:
1433:
1410:
1367:
1262:
1255:tuned note.
1239:(31113
1231:
1195:
444:NTSC palette
419:
410:
398:
391:
389:
384:Barnstorming
362:
356:
353:arcade games
349:
345:
328:
312:
296:
289:
277:
274:
263:
245:
241:
237:
224:
213:
198:Chuck Peddle
187:
174:, requiring
144:
102:
81:
77:
75:
52:
36:
34:lead section
2573:Atari 2600+
2567:Atari Vault
2436:Alan Miller
2426:David Lubar
2401:David Crane
2389:Programmers
2365:Tigervision
2300:Atari, Inc.
2205:Bestselling
1999:14 December
1969:"Adventure"
1846:October 27,
1819:De Re Atari
1690:Atari, Inc.
1688:. Rev. 02.
1655:5-bit poly
1523:5-bit poly
1347:4 bit poly
1233:Frequencies
1206:oscillators
1202:white noise
1198:pulse waves
823:PAL palette
172:framebuffer
2638:Atari 2600
2632:Categories
2526:Atari 7800
2521:Atari 2700
2446:Carol Shaw
2370:U.S. Games
2305:Activision
2293:Publishers
2276:River Raid
2146:Basic Math
2113:Atari 2600
1666:References
1265:pulse wave
864:0,1,14,15
428:used. For
338:generated
336:Atari 2600
319:interrupts
270:flip-flops
220:Joe Decuir
210:breadboard
141:Background
123:computer.
71:Atari 2600
2595:Atari Age
2511:CompuMate
2411:Rob Fulop
2340:M Network
2269:Adventure
2227:Asteroids
2174:Star Ship
2153:Blackjack
1836:jcmit.net
1793:: 59–66.
831:luminance
452:luminance
400:Adventure
227:Jay Miner
117:CTIA/GTIA
111:with the
105:Jay Miner
55:June 2013
39:summarize
2619:Category
2516:GameLine
2469:Hardware
2406:Tod Frye
2330:Data Age
2325:CommaVid
2262:Atlantis
2220:Pitfall!
2188:Surround
2167:Indy 500
1977:Archived
1953:Archived
1927:Archived
1903:Archived
1218:waveform
1210:channels
2360:Telesys
2283:Kaboom!
2213:Pac-Man
2012:Sources
1312:
1253:vibrato
1222:channel
301:-based
252:sprites
157:sprites
2542:Stella
2320:Coleco
2315:Imagic
2160:Combat
2130:Launch
2028:
1878:
1269:pulses
218:game.
168:bitmap
127:Design
2380:Zimag
2375:Xonox
2121:Games
1922:Wired
1697:(PDF)
1686:(PDF)
438:SECAM
170:in a
136:chip.
121:Amiga
113:ANTIC
2350:Sega
2255:E.T.
2026:ISBN
2001:2023
1876:ISBN
1848:2012
1751:2020
1705:2010
1277:HEX
1243:for
1208:(or
1200:and
834:hue
455:hue
430:NTSC
386:game
364:Pong
361:and
358:Tank
215:Tank
180:NTSC
115:and
76:The
1795:doi
1635:93
1546:31
1459:31
1301:D0
1298:D1
1295:D2
1292:D3
1289:D4
1286:D5
1283:D6
1280:D7
1245:PAL
1167:14
1164:12
1161:10
1116:13
1095:12
1074:11
1053:10
859:14
856:12
853:10
800:15
779:14
758:13
737:12
716:11
695:10
480:14
477:12
474:10
434:PAL
406:ROM
369:ROM
323:CPU
303:CPU
294:".
161:CRT
98:RAM
82:TIA
2634::
1992:.
1975:.
1971:,
1925:.
1919:.
1890:^
1834:.
1817:,
1789:.
1759:^
1732:^
1722:.
1659:6
1652:1
1649:1
1646:1
1643:1
1640:F
1629:0
1626:1
1623:1
1620:1
1617:E
1612:6
1606:1
1603:0
1600:1
1597:1
1594:D
1589:6
1583:0
1580:0
1577:1
1574:1
1571:C
1563:1
1560:1
1557:0
1554:1
1551:B
1540:0
1537:1
1534:0
1531:1
1528:A
1520:1
1517:0
1514:0
1511:1
1508:9
1500:0
1497:0
1494:0
1491:1
1488:8
1483:2
1476:1
1473:1
1470:1
1467:0
1464:7
1453:0
1450:1
1447:1
1444:0
1441:6
1436:2
1430:1
1427:0
1424:1
1421:0
1418:5
1413:2
1407:0
1404:0
1401:1
1398:0
1395:4
1387:1
1384:1
1381:0
1378:0
1375:3
1364:0
1361:1
1358:0
1355:0
1352:2
1344:1
1341:0
1338:0
1335:0
1332:1
1324:0
1321:0
1318:0
1315:0
1309:0
1241:Hz
1237:Hz
1224:.
1158:8
1155:6
1152:4
1149:2
1146:0
1032:9
1011:8
990:7
969:6
948:5
927:4
906:3
885:2
850:8
847:6
844:4
841:2
838:0
674:9
653:8
632:7
611:6
590:5
569:4
548:3
527:2
506:1
485:0
471:8
468:6
465:4
462:2
459:0
408:.
2105:e
2098:t
2091:v
2034:.
2003:.
1884:.
1850:.
1803:.
1797::
1753:.
1726:.
1707:.
1657:÷
1633:÷
1610:÷
1587:÷
1544:÷
1481:÷
1457:÷
1434:÷
1411:÷
1368:÷
80:(
57:)
53:(
43:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.