Is there anything user-friendly or multicart-like for CoCo gaming?

[RickR]

That is pretty cool. I wish I had one of those DOS carts.

[RangerG]

I just got the cart and cable from Ninja. I should be able to test it all out in a few days. I really want to thank Ninja for his generosity!! The willingness to share knowledge, skill, and time makes AtariAge such a great place (and Ninja is a perfect example of this spirit).

Edited October 21, 2013 by RangerG

[00WReX]

HDB-DOS on a cartridge would be awesome.

I load it from a .wav file off my laptop...a bit tedious after you have done it a few times in a row.

 

Cheers,

Shane

[RickR]

Just bumping this thread to ask if anyone is selling the DOS carts. I've never had luck finding a cartridge that has the ROM socketed to use as a donor.

[MarkO]

Just bumping this thread to ask if anyone is selling the DOS carts. I've never had luck finding a cartridge that has the ROM socketed to use as a donor.

If you looking for HDB-DOS in ROM, try one of these CoCo SDC Boards:

 

Developer, Darren Atkinson:

http://cocosdc.blogspot.com/

 

 

Production Manager, Zippster ( OCT-NOV 2014 Run )

https://sites.google.com/site/thezippsterzone/home/coco-sdc

 

 

Custom Case, Tim Lindner:

http://www.macmess.org/images/170_0989-x.jpg

http://www.macmess.org/images/170_0987-x.jpg

http://www.macmess.org/images/170_0985-x.jpg

http://www.macmess.org/downloads/CoCo-SDC-CADs.zip

 

 

Here is the one I built as kit.

 

I still need to get a DriveWire Cable, but in the mean time, I just load the .DSK Images on the SD Card and then Mount Them with the Patched DOS on the CoCoSDC.

 

MarkO

[RangerG]

MarkO,

 

Looks great, thanks.

 

If you have the CoCoSDC, do you still need DriveWire? If this reads the .dsk images from a SD card, doesn't this get rid of the need for a cable to connect to the computer?

 

Also, does the CoCoSDC have HDB-DOS rom in it or a functional equivalent? It says that it supports DriveWire, so I assume it does? Do you know of this rom is the CoCo 1,2,or 3 one?

 

Take care,
RG

[MarkO]

MarkO,

 

Looks great, thanks.

Your Welcome....

 

If you have the CoCoSDC, do you still need DriveWire? If this reads the .dsk images from a SD card, doesn't this get rid of the need for a cable to connect to the computer?

Kind Of....

The DriveWire Cable lets you transfer an Image of a Disk to your CoCo, and I believe Mount Disk Images on your Host System the appear to be local on you CoCo. But..... DriveWire 4 does even more.

 

If your only focus is Running CoCo disk on your Original CoCo, the CoCo SDC Card will do fine for you.

 

A few limitations are.

 

#1) The SD Card CAN NOT be Hot Swapped. You need to Power Off your CoCo, before removing the SD Card.

 

#2) File Names are limited to 8.3 Names, but you can use Sub-Directories. I am running a 16GB Micro SD on mine, so the SD Card size is not too critical.

 

Having the DriveWire Cable means that you can Transfer Disk Images and then Store them on the SD Card, without Powering Down and removing the SD Card.

 

Also, does the CoCoSDC have HDB-DOS rom in it or a functional equivalent? It says that it supports DriveWire, so I assume it does? Do you know of this rom is the CoCo 1,2,or 3 one?

I am very new to the CoCo....

 

But As I understand it, the Radio-Shack Disk Operating System, ( RS-DOS ) is a ROM Extension to BASIC. It is kept in the Disk Controller Cartridge. Booting your CoCo, it will Display "Color Basic", or if you have the Extended BASIC "Extended Color Basic". When you plug in the Disk Controller Card, ( while your CoCO is OFF!! ) and then Boot It, you see "Disk Extended Color Basic" ( Both my CoCO's are Extended BASIC, I assume that if you have the Regular BASIC, it displays, "Disk Color Basic". ) So the Radio-Shack Disk ROM, or any other Disk OS ROM enhances the CoCo, Independent of which Model it is, or Which BASIC it has.

 

HDB-DOS, As I understand it is an Enhancement to the R-S DOS, for the DriveWire Support, and possibly other Enhancements. The HDB-DOS on the CoCO SDC is further Enhanced, to support accessing the SD Card.

 

RS-DOS uses the command, DIR to look at a Disk Directory. Your Primary Floppy is Drive Zero, so the Command "DIR 0" followed by an Enter will display the File Names on Drive Zero. If you has a Second Drive, it is likely Drive One, so the Command "DIR 1" followed by an Enter will display the File Names on Drive One. You can have 4 Drives, but there is a 3 Drive Limit if they're Double Sided.

 

One of the HDB-DOS enhancements for the CoCO SDC is the "DIR -" followed by an Enter. It will display the File Names on SD Card. Then the "DRIVE" followed by an Enter, Command, will display the currently Mounted Drives. To Mount a Disk Image on the SD Card as Drive Zero, the Command, "DRIVE 0,ZAXZON.DSK" followed by an Enter will associate that Game Disk Image with Drive Zero. Using the "DIR 0" followed by an Enter Command, will display the File Names on the Zaxzon Disk.

 

 

Specifically, I have a CoCo 2 with the Enhanced BASIC, and a CoCo 3, which I understand ONLY comes with Enhanced BASIC.

On the CoCO 1 and CoCo 2, the Enhanced BASIC was an Option, or an Additional Cost at purchase time..

 

I have Two Disk Controllers:

An original Radio-Shack 26-3022, that requires 12VDC to operate, but I replaced the Controller Chip a Western Digital with a newer Fujitsu Controller. No Modifications are needed, you just Pull the Old Western Digital Chip, and Insert the Fujitsu Chip. Make Sure that the Pins are in the Right Spots..

 

I also have a J&M Disk Controller, with a Radio-Shack Disk BASIC ROM installed, instead of the normally installed JDOS, which I guess can have compatibility problems with applications that use Un-Documented points in the Radio-Shack DOS .

 

Take care,

RG

Thanks.... I will

 

IF you would like me to try a particular Game, ask me some more questions... There are quite a few sites to download .DSK Images.

 

MarkO

[RangerG]

Thanks MarkO. I have both DriveWire and the CoCoSDC. Butm I have only tested CoCoSDC to make sure it is working. DriveWire has been great. Ninja helped me set it up and I finally got the hang of all the commands and how it works. Part of me just wants to keep DriveWire and figure out how to use the CoCoSDC for games DriveWire doesn't support. I was asking about the CoCoSDC replacing DriveWire because it seems like that is how others are moving. Ninja set me up with a cart with a socketed HDB-DOS, the CoCo3 one. In talking with him, I realize there are differences in initial game speed and color if you have HDB-DOS CoCo 2 vs. 3. I was just wondering how the CoCoSDC fits into this (if it does)?

 

Keep us posted on how CoCoSDC works for you! Take care.

[MarkO]

Thanks MarkO. I have both DriveWire and the CoCoSDC. Butm I have only tested CoCoSDC to make sure it is working. DriveWire has been great. Ninja helped me set it up and I finally got the hang of all the commands and how it works. Part of me just wants to keep DriveWire and figure out how to use the CoCoSDC for games DriveWire doesn't support. I was asking about the CoCoSDC replacing DriveWire because it seems like that is how others are moving. Ninja set me up with a cart with a socketed HDB-DOS, the CoCo3 one. In talking with him, I realize there are differences in initial game speed and color if you have HDB-DOS CoCo 2 vs. 3. I was just wondering how the CoCoSDC fits into this (if it does)?

I didn't realize there was a different version for each CoCo, at least I haven't discover any Version Specific HBD-DOS. According to the Review I referenced below, the CoCo SDC detects which CoCo its Installed In.

 

Keep us posted on how CoCoSDC works for you! Take care.

 

I will. I got a Space Invaders like game running off of a Disk Image, running from the CoCo SDC. But I needed a Joy Stick to play it correctly.. I was able to shoot the Incoming Aliens.

 

 

Here is a Review on the CoCo SDC. It is from about a year ago, and I know that the CoCo SDC's HBD-DOS has the 1.2 Version now.

 

Here is another Review about HDB-DOS and DriveWire from 2010.

 

MarkO