"More
specifically, could someone describe what the advantage and/or reason
why Atari chose to use current regulating DACs, instead of voltage
regulating DACs?"
..availability
DAC's are programmable resistor networks, which produce a current
output. Voltage output DACs have the current to voltage converter
(..an OP Amp) built into them. They sometimes have a voltage reference
built into them as well. The lower cost (or earlier...) DACs didn't
have all this stuff built in.
