[Coco] 8GB MicroSD Drive Pak

[Roger Taylor]

This is a MicroSD Drive Pak update.  I'm still working to catch up on 
overdue orders and have also obtained the new firmware update for the 
card module that increases the capacity from 2GB to 8GB.  All paks 
shipped from this day forward (including due orders) will be upgraded 
to 8GB capacity, and it's a only firmware change so there's no 
additional costs except if I ship 8GB cards.  As of now I'm shipping 
2GB cards with all 2GB orders and maybe soon someone can merge their 
wonderful card image into my distribution card image and let me use 
the new image on my 4GB or 8GB cards.

SOME past customers may be able to upgrade their Drive Pak to 8GB 
capacity.  You'll have to open up the case and see if there's a 5-pin 
header for the uDrive module.  If it doesn't, you can still upgrade 
your pak.. just get with me for help.  There's a USB to TTL cable you 
can order from 4D Systems that you run to your pak's header and the 
rest is easy.

If someone has a card image significantly different than my 2GB image 
and they don't mind me merging it with my image, it would be a 
sector-for-sector copy into the 2nd 2GB range but the partition 
entries from your image would have to have a new base LSN added and 
of course the entries must be appended to the partition table on my 
card.  That should work.

More news...

CoCoNet 2.x will emulate the MicroSD Drive Pak protocol for all other 
mini paks such as the Cable Drive Pak, USB Drive Pak, and Wireless 
Drive Pak.  So, that's 4 different kinds of Drive Paks each having 
it's own memory access method depending on your budget or PC 
capabilities.  Each Drive Pak runs off of a single smart version of 
the CoCoNet ROM.  No confusing custom ROM builds are 
required.  CoCoNet detects what compatible paks or cables you have 
and you're ready to go on boot with multiple drive systems.  The USB 
Drive Pak is a 230400 bps pak, MicroSD is 230400 bps, Wireless is 
115200 bps, and cable is 115200 8-N-2.

The smoke and mirrors is now clearly a well-developed SYSTEM that 
almost any CoCo can add by plugging in a single mini pak of your 
choice.  "No Thinking Required" <-- unofficial trademark  :)

Thank You



-- 
~ Roger Taylor