Kickstart roms???

The DraCo as mentioned earlier is a compatible Amiga architecture hardware, that runs AmigaOS. On amigaland, the kickstart rom contains the boot up code and some essential parts of the operrating system.

 (picture taken from http://www.amigakit.com)


The DraCo uses a two set Amiga 3000 kickstart roms (version 40.68 which usually come with AmigaOS 3.1) .  In some DraCo models, these two roms are integrated into a single one, which in that case, it is wrongly labeled version 40.63, despite being just the same 40.68.

(picture taken from DaMi http://draco.efektivne.eu/index_1.htm)
 

The DraCo upon boot heavily patches the mentioned rom contents to make itself more compatible with AmigaOS and also provides drivers for its peculiar hardware by adding and renaming RomTags/Modules.

The DV module (aka Firewire module)

The DV module is a set of 2 PCB boards and an expansion bracket with cable and connector that attaches to the DraCo Motion board providing a FireWire input. The core of this DV module is the Sony DVBK-1, which is a board manufactured by Sony and sold to many OEM´s to integrate FireWire into their hardware solutions.

 (picture credit: taken from http://www.amiga-hardware.com/)

A curious note, worth mentioning,  is that the DraCo DV module has a serious resemblance to the earliest MacroSystem Casablanca NLE FireWire modules.

The big drawback of the DV module is that still, video was handled with the lossy motion-jpeg standart, and video was internally converted from digital to analog, so in the end, it just provides a FireWire video input to the DraCo, but unfortunately loses the benefits of digital video regarding image noise prevention and High Definition resolutions.

Another thing, I almost forgot to mention: support for the DV module starts with Movieshop 4.4

DraCo prototypes: Draco Motion 1.3 and DraCo Overlay 1.1

Courtesy of Ebay, I have recently come across this interesting find:




It is just a version 1.3 of the the DraCo Motion NLE card for the DraCo which has been attached by two flat cables to a small PCB which is called DraCo Overlay, and its version  is 1.1.

One can only guess in this situation, but a couple of conclusion can be driven from simple observation and common sense. This DraCo Motion card, doesnt have the ordinary video connectors, it only has a centronics one, probably to connect a cable, and finally end in some sort of brakeout box full of connectors. All that, just for reaching the video connectors easily, and not having to resort to the rear of the case, which clearly makes them more difficult to reach.

This is aparently a MacroSystem Casablanca prototype board.