Floppy Controller

A place to discuss everything Dragon related that doesn't fall into the other categories.
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pser1
Posts: 1655
Joined: Sun Mar 25, 2012 7:32 pm
Location: Barcelona (SPAIN)

Floppy Controller

Post by pser1 »

Hello,
Is there anybody out there with a spare floppy controller cartridge for the Dragon?
If there's a floppy unit too, much better!
I could be contacted at psergm@gmail.com
drag0n
Posts: 12
Joined: Sun Jul 08, 2012 1:03 pm

Re: Floppy Controller

Post by drag0n »

Unfortunately dragondos cartridges have become quite hard to find.

The best long term solution would probably be the DragonMMC controller that is being developed by Phill (prime).
You can see a video of his prototype in this post: viewtopic.php?f=5&t=549&p=2907&hilit=dragonmmc#p2907
I think many of us would be interested in such a controller. I hope prime will soon be able to offer the DragonMMC for pre-order / sale.

The other alternative is to purchase a tandy coco FD-502 disk controller off ebay and replace the EPROM with the a special version of Dragon SuperDOS, modified by Phill to work with the Tandy controller hardware (see attachement).
Even with airmail shipping costs, FD-502's are usually cheaper and easier to find than dragondos cartridges.
The FD-502's EPROM is in a 28-pin socket, so the replacement is straight forward with this model (older coco controllers had 24 pin EPROMS)

Actually, I've done that a few years ago and it works perfectly! Compatible with practically all dragondos software. There's even a NitroOS9 distribution disk with compatible drivers (see the images ending with tano at http://www.nitros9.org/latest/)
Attachments
sdtandy.rom
SuperDOS for Dragon with Tandy Controller, by prime
(7.99 KiB) Downloaded 204 times
pser1
Posts: 1655
Joined: Sun Mar 25, 2012 7:32 pm
Location: Barcelona (SPAIN)

Re: Floppy Controller

Post by pser1 »

Thanks a lot for your answer.
I hadn't seen that thread. I will peek an eye regularly at it to see how it goes.
Besides, I will try to go for a FD-502 if I'm lucky enough

- Pere
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