Winchester Control System

The Pizza Time Theatre Winchester Control System was the system used to control the animatronics exclusively at the San Jose, CA (370 S Winchester Blvd) from May 1977 to sometime between 1980 and 1981. The system was developed by the Cyan Engineering subdivision of Atari (also known as the Grass Valley Team), headed by Larry Emmons and Gary Waters⁽¹⁾

Hardware

TEAC 4-Track Tape Deck

An unnamed TEAC 4-Track tape deck would be used to play back audio and programming signals to the hardware. The Winchester 4-Track Reel would be the format used for data, where audio, programming signals, and a timecode track would be streamed in real time. These tapes would be generated on the separate (but still possibly interlinked) Winchester Hardware Setup . Due to the later SongCode Hardware Setup using a TEAC A-2340 Tape Deck, which seemingly recorded only in the 2-track stereo-mode, it is a possibility that this was a carryover from the Winchester store, giving this unnamed tape deck a likely model.

Unnamed Decoding Box

Currently no sources cite what hardware was used to decode the incoming audio signals into the programming data for the system. It is stated however that there was no central minicomputer controlling the system⁽²⁾, meaning the decoding device was only there for decoding and streaming.

6502-Based Controllers

The main system was a set of identical boards with a CPU based off the MOS Technology 6502 Microprocessor. These boards would intercept the programming and timecode data, and process it for their individual outputs. Each character would receive one of these boards, that being:

• Winchester Chuck E Cheese V1 (Animatronic)
• Winchester Crusty the Cat V1 (Animatronic)
• Winchester Pasqually (Animatronic)
• Winchester Jasper T Jowls (Animatronic)

Additional boards were used for the rest of the controllable lights, props, and side-characters, though it is unclear which were grouped together, or if each had their own board:

• Lighting
• Winchester Warblettes (Animatronic)
• Winchester Pizza Time Orchestra (Animatronic)
• Winchester Flag Wavers (Animatronic)

Clapper Board

The Winchester Clapper Board (Animatronic)|Winchester Clapper Board would be added some time shortly after opening. This addition would likely see the installation of another 6502-Based Controller to the system, though the possibility of using unused slots

Guest Stars

Starting on August 12, 1977, Winchester Helen Henny (Animatronic) would be added to the lineup. This also has the possibility of another card being added, or more empty slots being taken up. The card would see additional characters hooked up to it over the years, being Winchester Foxy Colleen (Animatronic) and Winchester Madam Oink (Animatronic)

V2 Bots

At an unknown point between mid-1977 and 1978, Chuck E. Cheese and Crusty the Cat would be replaced with updated animatronics featuring more movements. It is unclear if any hardware was changed due to this.