A DOSPlus Extender for Drivewire & CoCo-SDC

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pser1
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Re: A DOSPlus Extender for Drivewire & CoCo-SDC

Post by pser1 »

Hi all,
Some users have asked me how could they create proper VDK files on the CoCo-SDC using the DOSPlus5.0 extender.

Unfortunately, despite we add the VDK extension to the file name, the SDC firmware will always create a DSK-like file, that's to say
an VDK file but without any header.
In previous versions, when we dskinited the file in the next step, everything worked alright because the DOSPlus is asking for sectors
to the SDC and this last keeps working without header, so despite everything worked flawlessly, these created files on the SDC would
never work on Drivewire because they are not true VDK files but DSK files (with no header).

So, I have added some code to DSKINIT on the fly any kind of file while creating it, keeping into account if it has to have a header.
I have found that writting all the sectors of the disk (formatting)
I can create a real VDK file with a header 256 byte long according to the VDK definition (I include the filename in the header too).
Unfortunately as the SD firmware still thinks it is a DSK file, it is mandatory to unload the disk and then mounting it again.
For this reason, I have addded a bit more of code so that the program itself does this two steps for free!
This was suggested by Darren Atkinson. Thanks a lot!
With these changes, we will never be prompted to DSKINIT a file any more.

Formatting the VDK or DSK by the program is a bit faster than entering the old DSKINIT command at the prompt after creating it and waiting for it to finish.
Disks 180k need 7 sec to be ready, 15 sec for 360k and 30 sec for 720k

I upload here a zip file containing the usual files. This new version is V0.25.05

cheers
pere
Attachments
_DOSPlus50ExtenderV0.25.05.zip
Now creating proper VDK files
(152.65 KiB) Downloaded 398 times
pser1
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Re: A DOSPlus Extender for Drivewire & CoCo-SDC

Post by pser1 »

Hi all,
I have tested this last version creating / formatting
both kind of files (DSK and VDK) with the three sizes: 180k, 360k and 720k
I had no problems, but any feedback about this new feature will be greatly welcome!

cheers
pere
YuT666
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Re: A DOSPlus Extender for Drivewire & CoCo-SDC

Post by YuT666 »

Hi,

is there a list with ALL available DOSPlus commands for the CoCoSDC? I can't load a single file. My 32 shows the normal DOSPlus message at the startup, but with SDIR i only receive some weird orange lines with the size of the programs i put on the mmc (vdk files ready for the Dragon).

A little help would be great.

Thanks.
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pser1
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Re: A DOSPlus Extender for Drivewire & CoCo-SDC

Post by pser1 »

Hi,
it has to be in this thread, but to save time, I am uploading a doc file with a summary of the
acepted commands
regards
pere Ps If you have an older version of DOSPlus5.0 in your CoCo-SDC, you will find in this thread
a VDK that contains an 'upgrader' program to put it up to date
pser1
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Re: A DOSPlus Extender for Drivewire & CoCo-SDC

Post by pser1 »

YuT666 wrote:Hi,
My 32 shows the normal DOSPlus message at the startup, but with SDIR i only receive some weird orange lines with the size of the programs i put on the mmc (vdk files ready for the Dragon).
What kind of VDK shows this result?
Maybe you could upload here one of these VDKs so that we could verify if it works well with last DOSPlus version and last CoCo-SDC firmware
regards
pere
YuT666
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Re: A DOSPlus Extender for Drivewire & CoCo-SDC

Post by YuT666 »

Hi,

thanks for your help. I used some VDK from the TOSEC and these here ...

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B2c-p ... UFGRG03cE0

I have firmware 0.25.02.

I can't do anything. I formated the MMC as FAT ... no change ... FAT32 ... no change.

What means SDRIVEn ... what is the small"n"? I never used a Dragon before.

I now get only SDIR
.0

SDRIVE
1. NO DISK
2. NO DISK

Well,

Yesterday i got weird things on my screen after SDIR and today i only get an empty disk. Too weird and too hard to get into that SDC stuff.

A Dragon step by step for "silly" Thomson and Amstrad Users would be great. Thanks.

So (the CoCoSDC is already set for a use with the Dragon):

1. What format the mmc should be EXACTLY?
2. How to update exactly? And how to mount the vdk update file DW42 v0.25.05 SDC-Updater.VDK

"to update the CoCo-SDC to the last version, just copy it in the card, 'mount' it and run UPDBANK.BAS"?

Cheers

Tom
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pser1
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Re: A DOSPlus Extender for Drivewire & CoCo-SDC

Post by pser1 »

Hi Tom,
I thought you had used or knew about the CoCo version of that software.
I attach here the two docs I created to explain the added commands for the DOSPlus5.0
and the new commands for the SDC
SDRIVEn"FileName" is a general for:
SDRIVE1,"GAMES/GAME01.VDK" or
SDRIVE2,"APPS/APP01.VDK"

If you don't have a config file in the root of the SDC card, then you have *NO* disks
asociated to any one of the two drives (1, 2)
The file is named STARTUP.CFG and it can contain some commands, mine has:
----------------------------------------------
0=AUTOBOOT.VDK
1=OFF
----------------------------------------------
If the VDK is not at the root of the card, you have to enter the whole pathname instead
That way I can access one disk on startup and left the other one unmounted, so I have
to mount with SDRIVE2,"Filename" whatever I want to work with from that drive number
Unfortunately this hardware was created for the CoCo and the firmware waits for the
disks to have numbers 0 and 1, but we, Dragon users, must remember that despite those
numbers it points to drive1 and drive2 respectively.
The commnads I added use the Dragon numbering convention

An importat point is that SDIR is meant to show the contents of any SDC folder or the root
If you want to see the contents of a mounted VDK, just use DIR 1 or DIR 2 as usually

kind regards
pere
Attachments
The added SDC commands.zip
(5.22 KiB) Downloaded 345 times
The DOSPlus add-ons.zip
(3.42 KiB) Downloaded 349 times
pser1
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Re: A DOSPlus Extender for Drivewire & CoCo-SDC

Post by pser1 »

Hello Tom,
after last message, I hope you will copy the VDK file with the updater to the root of the card
and then mount it to drive 1 ...
SDRIVE1,"DiskName"
Thereafter you could DIR1 and see the contents and use them ...
regards
pere
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robcfg
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Re: A DOSPlus Extender for Drivewire & CoCo-SDC

Post by robcfg »

Hi Pere!

I got a CoCo-SDC some time ago, and would like to use it with my Dragon too.

Is there any 'for dummies' guide on how to set it up?
pser1
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Joined: Sun Mar 25, 2012 7:32 pm
Location: Barcelona (SPAIN)

Re: A DOSPlus Extender for Drivewire & CoCo-SDC

Post by pser1 »

Hi Roberto,
I have never thought about that point.
Version 0.25.04 is *one* year old and Ed Snider (aka Zipster) installs it for free in any
CoCo-SDC he sells to Dragon users. No problems have ever arised.
There are lots of users that use compiled collections (by Chris Poacher) on the Facebook group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1602723 ... =bookmarks

So I have never thought it was complicated to use ...
Probably to start with, it could be good to read the 'original' CoCo page for that add-on:
http://cocosdc.blogspot.com.es/

Then simply read the two docs I uploaded for Tom.
Anyway this thread has lots (tons) of explanations about the DOSPlus50 that I am shure can
be of help if you have enough patience to read it (it is daunting long, I know)

I am sure that if you have used the Dragon DOS regularly you will not have any problem using
that SDC.
If you get stuck at any point, just let me know and I will try to see what has to be done to
overcome the problem...
cheers
pere
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