Brian Jepson pointed me to this 1984 article about AtariLabs, which were science modules that included sensors you plugged into your Atari computer. This article describes the temperature module, and hints at forthcoming kits, including a light sensor, a timekeeper, a lie detector, a biofeedback module, low-level nuclear radiation detector, a robotics kit, "and more than a dozen other topics."
AtariLab stations invite experimentation. They are easy to install, simple to use, and accept either joystick or keyboard input. Data sets are displayed on four-color graphs, and results can be seen quickly.
The AtariLab Starter Set ($89.95) helps students explore principles of temperature and heat energy. It contains a hand-held electric temperature sensor, a standard alcohol bulb thermometer, a 16K program cartridge (disk versions of the program cartridges are being produced for Apple and Commodore computer systems), a 144-page manual, and the AtariLab interface box which connects the sensor to Port 2. The interface box is used with every AtariLab module, but only comes with the Starter Set.
When running, the Temperature Module turns your Atari into a colorful recording thermometer capable of measuring temperatures between – 5 and 45 degrees Celsius (23-113 degrees Fahrenheit). It records the temperature over time periods from 10 seconds to 24 hours. As temperature readings are taken, they are plotted on the screen in full color. Data also may be stored on disk or sent to a printer.
