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Tano Corporation

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Adapted from the English Wikipedia article Tano Corporation, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 8 August 2025
Dragon Data, Ltd.
Company typePrivate
IndustryComputer hardware
FoundedAugust 1982; 44 years ago (1982-08)
FateBankruptcy in 1984; acquired by Eurohard S.A.
SuccessorEurohard S.A.
Headquarters
Swansea, Wales (initially); later Port Talbot
,
United Kingdom
ProductsDragon 32, Dragon 64 home computers

The Dragon 32 and Dragon 64 are 8-bit home computer systems developed during the 1980s, mainly targeting the European market. They were initially manufactured by Dragon Data, Ltd., first based in Swansea, Wales, then moving to Port Talbot, before production was taken over by Eurohard S.A. in Spain. For the US market, versions were produced by Tano Corporation located in New Orleans, Louisiana. The numbers in their names correspond to their memory size: 32 KB and 64 KB respectively.

Introduced in August 1982, the Dragon 32 was succeeded by the Dragon 64 a year afterward. Although they gained early traction, limitations in graphics performance and hardware text modes constrained their competitiveness, especially within gaming and educational applications. Dragon Data declared bankruptcy in 1984 and was subsequently purchased by Eurohard S.A., which itself ceased operations in 1987.

Equipped with the Motorola MC6809E CPU, these computers offered a composite output compatible with standard televisions, support for analog joysticks, and various peripheral devices. Despite providing several high-resolution display options, their graphical capabilities fell short compared to rival systems.

The machines included a Microsoft BASIC interpreter embedded in ROM for immediate use upon startup and supported several disk operating systems. While numerous popular games were adapted for the platform, hardware constraints ultimately limited their enduring commercial success.

Dragon 32 versus Dragon 64

Apart from the increased memory capacity, the Dragon 64 includes a functional RS-232 serial port, which is not present on the Dragon 32. The two models also differ slightly in casing color: the Dragon 32 features a beige case, whereas the Dragon 64 uses a light grey shell. Aside from branding and the addition of the serial port, their physical designs are largely similar. It was possible to upgrade a Dragon 32 to a Dragon 64 configuration, and there are reports of some customers receiving a Dragon 64 when ordering a Dragon 32.

Product history

The Dragon 32 was launched by Dragon Data in August 1982, with the Dragon 64 following one year later. Early sales figures were promising, attracting independent software companies such as Microdeal. The product line was supported by a dedicated publication titled Dragon User.

Nonetheless, certain technical shortcomings restricted wider adoption. Their graphics capabilities were inferior to competitors like the ZX Spectrum and BBC Micro, reducing appeal within gaming markets. Additionally, cost-saving measures resulted in hardware text modes that only supported upper case letters, which diminished their suitability for educational institutions.

Dragon Data went bankrupt in June 1984 and was acquired by Spanish firm Eurohard S.A., which shifted manufacturing to Cáceres, Spain. Eurohard introduced the Dragon 200—a variant of the Dragon 64 featuring a redesigned case intended for monitor placement—and the Dragon 200-E, an improved version offering both upper and lower case characters along with a Spanish keyboard layout. Despite these updates, Eurohard also declared bankruptcy in 1987. Remaining inventory was eventually distributed to subscribers of a Spanish electronics magazine until as late as 1992.

In the US market, new boxed Tano-manufactured Dragons remained available through California Digital until early 2017, sourced from leftover stock.

Reception

In its January 1983 issue, BYTE highlighted that the Dragon 32 "provides more value for the price than many rivals," characterizing it as a cost-effective, redesigned variant of the Color Computer featuring 32K of RAM and an enhanced keyboard, although it lacked standout features.

Hardware and peripherals

At the heart of the Dragon lies the Motorola MC6809E CPU running at 0.89 MHz, an advanced 8-bit processor with some 16-bit functionality.

Users had the option to boost processing speed by executing POKE 65495,0, which sped up the ROM-based BASIC interpreter but temporarily disabled cassette and printer interfaces. Due to production inconsistencies, this method was not reliably supported on all units; normal operation could be restored with POKE 65494,0. A further speed increase was possible via POKE 65497,0, though this caused the display to vanish until the system was slowed down again.

The hardware incorporated the SN74LS783/MC6883 Synchronous Address Multiplexer (SAM) alongside an MC6847 Video Display Generator (VDG), while input/output functions were handled by two MC6821 Peripheral Interface Adapters (PIAs). Many Dragon 32 models were upgraded to 64 KB of RAM, and some users extended memory further—up to 128 KB or beyond—using custom memory controllers or memory management units (MMUs).

A wide array of peripherals was compatible with both the Dragon 32 and 64. One notable accessory was the Dragon's Claw, which enabled hardware-level compatibility with the BBC Micro user port, though it required dedicated device drivers. Although neither system came with an integrated disk operating system—compact cassettes remained standard—DragonDOS was provided alongside the disk controller interface by Dragon Data Ltd. The inclusion of versatile external connections, such as a standard RS-232 port on the Dragon 64, allowed attachment of various devices.

The computer offered both a composite monitor output and a TV RF signal, facilitating connection to contemporary television sets for enhanced visual clarity.

In contrast to most contemporaneous machines that used digital joysticks, the Dragon supported analogue joysticks; its ports also accommodated peripherals like light pens.

The specifications of the Dragon were defined by Tony Clarke and Richard Wadman.

Its sturdy motherboard was housed within a roomy chassis—reminiscent of the BBC Micro—providing greater flexibility for aftermarket enhancements than many smaller competitors.

Video modes

The Dragon's default display mode featured 'black on green' text, where black was actually represented by a darker shade of green, supporting only quarter-tile block graphics.

It provided five high-resolution display options, PMODEs 0 through 4, alternating between monochrome and four-colour modes at progressively higher resolutions, culminating in a 256×192 black-and-white PMODE 4. Each mode offered two colour palettes, which were often described as garish, contributing to the system’s lag behind rivals in terms of visual aesthetics. Standard printing commands did not support text output in graphical modes, presenting challenges for software development.

There were also full-colour, scanline-based semi-graphics modes at 64×192 resolution; however, these were seldom utilized due to their uneven resolution and lack of accessibility from BASIC.

Disk systems

Premier Microsystems, located near Croydon, was the first to offer a comprehensive disk operating system named "Delta." However, Dragon chose not to adopt this system and instead created its own incompatible disk operating system known as DragonDOS.

While Delta's early release ensured that initial software titles were available in its format, DragonDOS later gained official recognition and broader software backing. This division led to confusion in the marketplace, as consumers frequently purchased software or hardware that was not compatible across both platforms.

System software

The Dragon computer features a 16 KB Microsoft BASIC interpreter embedded in ROM, which closely mirrors the Extended Basic found on the Tandy Color Computer but includes modifications tailored to Dragon hardware. The operating system stored in ROM allows the machine to boot instantly when powered on.

To maximize the limited RAM capacity, third-party compilers were developed to translate BASIC and other programming languages into faster machine code. Toward the end of its production run, Dragon Data introduced Dream, a suite combining an assembler, disassembler, and editor.

In addition to DragonDOS, the Dragon 32/64 models support several alternative operating systems such as FLEX and OS-9, with OS-9 providing UNIX-like multitasking capabilities. Enhanced memory configurations equipped with memory management units (MMUs) can run OS-9 Level 2.

Games

At launch, the Dragon enjoyed strong backing from leading UK software developers, with many well-known games ported from other platforms. Notable hits included Arcadia by Imagine, Chuckie Egg from A&F, Manic Miner and Jet Set Willy by Software Projects, Hunchback from Ocean, and Football Manager by Addictive. Some publishers, such as Microdeal, specialized in Dragon software, featuring characters like Cuthbert, whose games were also adapted for Atari 8-bit and Commodore 64 platforms.

Because of the Dragon's restricted graphics capabilities, ports exhibited a unique visual style: color games often ran against green or white backgrounds rather than black, while high-resolution titles were typically displayed in monochrome.

Following the discontinuation of the Dragon system, software development largely ceased; nevertheless, Microdeal continued producing titles for the platform until January 1988. Their later releases, including Tanglewood and Airball, were also ported to 16-bit systems like the Atari ST and Amiga.

Differences from the TRS-80 Color Computer

Both the Dragon and the TRS-80 Color Computer utilize the Motorola MC6883 SAM chip for memory management and peripheral control functions.

This architectural similarity allows a substantial amount of compiled software to operate on either machine. BASIC programs exhibit compatibility after being re-tokenized, a process achievable through cassette transfer with suitable settings.

A TRS-80 Color Computer can be permanently transformed into a Dragon by replacing its ROM chips and modifying the keyboard cable wiring.

The Dragon includes extra circuitry designed to accommodate European 625-line PAL television standards, contrasting with the US 525-line NTSC standard used by the TRS-80. Additionally, it offers a Centronics parallel printer port not found on the TRS-80 models. Select Dragon units were manufactured with NTSC video output intended for North American markets.

References

Notes
  • Vander Reyden, John (1983). Dragon 32 programmer's reference guide. Beam Software/Melbourne House. .
  • Smeed, D.; Sommerville, I. (1983). Inside the Dragon. Addison-Wesley.


External links

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