Guys, there be a DRAGON in that there CAVE(!)

I’m going to have a crack at making my own Joystick adapter based on the website...

https://vrai.net/retro/?p=112

 

See this link Graham...
https://thezippsterzone.com/2019/03/27/gime-x/

 

Wow that's several hours I wont get back.
Very Very intresting site and looks like GIME replacements on the cards similar to Sophia2 for the Atari GITA

So with a GIME-X, Mega Mini MPI, and SDC and 2MByte of memory and we have that Dragon-Co-Co 2048 (now with VGA output)

 

I guess one just needs to dig the net deep enough and you can come up with upgrades for any retro machine...like the internet leads to other realities...I bet if I dig deep enough, I'll find retro-fan sites of the Mattel Aquarius and upgrades and home-brews for it! Once found on the internet, it becomes a reality in our world!

What do you guys think of my sci-fi theory? Does the Internet reach other realities, and when pulled to our side, it becomes a reality here too?

I'm off to test my "Aquarius theory"...there, I have now coined the theory...



https://archive.kontek.net/aqemu.classicgaming.gamespy.com/aqfaq2.htm

 

After reading about the GIME-X on 'Thezippsterzone' The Coco 3 is once again a possibility, one day. It reminds me of the VBXE or Sophia 2 (new GTIA modes) upgrades for the Atari's. Of course those upgrades will become a reality in my computers before I think of getting a Coco 2 or 3, or any other micro unless one falls in my lap for extra cheap. Sophia 2 for my Incognito 800, VBXE and U1Mb in one 1200XL. My current 1200XL will stay as-is but with a Rapidus upgrade. Once those and current upgrades are completed, then other micros will come to the forefront of my mind, maybe, depending on the cost and time of actual projects I want to do on my upgraded Atari's!

So many systems and never enough time or money...I may end up just sticking with my Atari's. But who knows what the future holds or if my mind changes.

 

Nicely put Matt..

I'm not sure about your theory regarding the internet, but who knows with so much WIFI; our planet must be radiating so much electromagnetic smog it's untrue.. Never mind me bouncing singals off the Moon; always wonder where the rest of the signal that missed the Moon has got to; some 25 years later, a fair way I guess.

*/ Begining of
Hmm lets think approx 300,000Kilometers a second.. in 25 Years that’s 788,923,800 Seconds

so about 236,677,140,000,000 Kilometres or 147,064,356,657,122 Miles ..

I'll just call that a long way, not a fair way...
End of /*
Back to Retro Computers.. and sorry the the mental / interlude

Just managed to bag an original IBM XT, and NO I’ll not be playing with it coz it's not going to get here for some time, also why I couldn’t afford a Dragon ops sorry a potential Dragon-co-co 2048 Thingamajiggy.

I've loads of stuff I want to get done and maybe for the last two weeks feeling much better (Fingers Crossed Famous last words and all that)

Well mucker's Well Andy knee deep in it at the moment !
73's (look it up)

 

We just need to know how many light years now Graham

 

Hmm 25
Radio waves travel at the speed of light...

 

Well I guess someone may have heard the dots and dashes 147 Million Million miles away but who knows

 

They could be walking among us...

 

Richie one for you :- wasn't a parrallel printer interface, but just an additional 8 bit interface for control..

 

You’ll have to take some pictures of your PC when it arrives Graham, not seen inside a XT before.

 

I will, not sure when as yet, really want to sort out XEGS 1st. (mind you a few piccys shouldn't derail me for too long I guess.)
Now collecting XT this Monday coming

 

And most likely are !! (seemed to have missed that post earlier)

 

Hi Graham,
The text for fig 2 [ Dragon Interface ] must be on the reverse side. Do you the you could scan both sides and email it to me?

 

Hey all
This is a interesting website ( minus the daft Gifs ) and it’s given me a lot of ideas of what is possible to revamp an old Dragon...

https://retrohax.net/dragon-32-64k-ram-upgrade-and-mods/

 

Hi Richie
I don't appear to have the other parts of that and I stayed up late (like you ) going through it, I've also searched online to see if the Magazine is archived and found nothing, although many Electronics and computer magazine had issues around that time with take overs renaming, and closures. I'll have another search for it!
It's tcked away at the moment so I don't recall the name of the magazine nor the issue early 80's I think.

 

Checking out RetroHax

 

Well lots on retro computers, although I didn't see any detail on the upgrade, in terms a circuit diagram, just pictures and more cleaning and 'wrecking' the case for an Amiga PSU socket, the information being on another website via a link. No idea why he chose to change the case with a perfectly suitiable connector in place, even if the PSU was altered internally. Hey but that's me, And I do have cases with changes to them, although that won't be the case with the 800 I've got, even worked out I don't need to cut any plastics at all for the wiring going to the Incognito
The world of dragon seems a good resource though..
I've finally found this :-

 

Yeah I don’t agree with some of the stuff he did and the RAM can be upgraded via the Cartridge port these days. So getting everything all set for when Idris the Dragon arrives

 

I've still had no luck in finding the Magazine archived, however I do have both page 54&55, with I think only page 51 & 56 missing.
This gives details in both Fig. 2 & 3 of the connections to the Dragons expansion port, and also in Fig. 6 shows how to produce an extension connector.. so all the Hardware side is there just no Idea as to software, or even the address of the PIA/VIA added although this should match what ever the first cartridge area address is as a direct connection with no further address decoding that I can see.

 

Something I've just come to realise is that the expansion connector matches that of the Co-Co, as the SDC cart only needs an option switch to be set to use in a Dragon. I assume most upgrades can do the same.

It's also possible to stack PIA's and play with the ‘Chip Enable’ lines and an additional address line to add this.

Would work in a very similar way as the Atari version.

 

Yeah someone is selling a CoCoSD cart on feeBay for CoCo’s and Dragons so the cartridge port must be identical or near identical with a couple of dip switches to change track assignments. Cannot find a schematic for the PCB though....
Not yet anyway

 

The Dragon emulator “Xroar” is very good and I have a Dragon 64 with DragonDos cartridge as my default setup so running OS9 level 2 is possible, I think.
I have a Raspberry Pi ZeroW working as a CoPro on my Beeb and one of the cores is a 6809 Co-Processor that lets you run Flex/OS9 to but I haven’t really got into that much.
I have some Raspberry Pi level shifter board on the way if anyone has a Beeb and wants in on the Co-Pro party just let me know. I also have some CPC Single MX4 adaptors on the way which let you plug in a MX4 expansion and has a pass through edge connector as well. I used to use one to plug in my 512KB RAM expansion when using SYMBOS I have 10 PCB’s coming in Matt Black. If anyone wants one drop me a line the rest will be listed on the sell my retro website to fund further Dragon expansions

 

The Dragon uses 6821 PIA’s and I have found a spare one in my parts box, I remember seeing 6821’s ( the 2mhz version ) being used as replacements for the Atari but I’m not sure what needed two PIA’s stacked on top of each other.