Dragon 32 & 64


The DRAGON 32 enjoyed a pretty good success in Europe. Its ROM holds the Operating System and a version of the Microsoft Extended BASIC.
One of its characteristics is partial compatibility with the Tandy TRS 80 Color Series. They can use same peripherals and some cartridges, but most ROM calls will fail on the other computer.
However, the Dragon did have at least two advantages over the first TRS-80 Color computer: A typewriter-style keyboard that was somewhat better than the Tandy's calculator-like keys; and a Centronics parallel-printer port.



The Dragon 64, launched in 83, was exactly the same computer as the Dragon 32, except that it had 64k RAM instead of 32k, an OS9 operating system and a RS232C connector.
The Extended Basic has been modified to provide RS232 I/O calls, to remove the USR bug present in the Dragon 32 ROM and to add calls allowing the additional interpreter to be invoked.
This second interpreter was the same Extended Basic re-compiled to run from a higher memory address and stored in a EPROM. When invoked, the machine was switched into 64k RAM mode and the interpreter copied from EPROM to RAM giving an extra 16K BASIC workspace. (Source : Jon's Dragon Home Page)
The Dragon 64 was sold in various European countries. A slightly modified version was also manufactured and sold in the US by TANO (Technical Associates of New Orleans) from August 1983. They sold the machine under the TANO name for a few months but couldn't compete with the aggressive price policy from Commodore, Atari and T.I. All the unsold machine were eventually sold off to a discount store called California Digital.
In 85 Eurohard, a Spanish manufacturer, acquired Dragons Data. Then the Dragon 200 replaced the 64 with some minor changes: power-on lights, auto-repeat keyboard... They also also had plans for a 128k Dragon and a MSX Dragon.
 

Data Sheet Dragon 32
OS   Flex and OS-9 (Level I)
Processor   0,9 Mhz Motorola MC6809EP
Sound   1 voice, 5 octaves with the Basic 4 voices, 7 octaves with machine code
RAM   32 kb
Resolution   max : 256 x 192 (with 2 colors)
Color   8
IO Ports   TV connector, 2 analogue joystick ports, cassette port, Centronics parallel printer port, cartridge slot, composite monitor port
Release Date   January 1982
Language   Microsoft Extended BASIC + BASIC Interpreter 1.0 (1982)
   
Data Sheet Dragon 64
OS   OS9
Processor   0,9 Mhz Motorola MC6809EP
Sound   1 voice, 5 octaves with the Basic 4 voices, 7 octaves with machine code
RAM   64 kb
Resolution   max : 256 x 192 (with 2 colors)
Color   8
IO Ports   TV connector, 2 analogue joystick ports, cassette port, Centronics parallel printer port, cartridge slot, composite monitor port, serial connector
Release Date   Summer 1983
Language   Microsoft Extended BASIC
     
Emulator
Dragon 32 & 64 uses MESS, a free emulator for a large variety of different systems.  Its main purpose is to be a reference to the inner workings of the emulated systems.  This is done for educational purposes and to preserve many historical games.

MESS BIOS File:
dragon32 DRAGON64

Download Emulator

 

Continue to ROMs