Is there a serial number "key "

[techy]

Hi forum ,

i always wondered if there is a " key" to the QL serial numbers ???

Can you determine what type/version of ql is inside that blackbox without opening it .

Why ?? , well ...........these days a lot of gold-miners show up with their mint-ql's but they don't know anything about these units , so cannot supply any relevant info .
And they certainly not have the knowledge to hook the unit up to a tv-set and give the version numbers .




techy

[tofro]

Hi techy,

I have never seen such a "key".

It also would assume that the PCB never parted with the case, which often seemed to happen when QLs were sent back to Sinclair or other places for repair.

The "Prefix" (Dxx) of the serial number is the build standard - and D06 to D13 should be issue 5 (whereas, I'm not really sure about the "lower" end), D14 and above issue 6. That's more or less derived from all the QLs I came across during the years.

Regards,
Tobias

[Dave]

I'd like to add something to the information above that may contradict it slightly.

All returned QLs were converted to parts, and the case bottoms were used for new QLs. The D## was the month of manufacture, with the earliest release machines being D03 or similar, and the last of the machines were made around month 13 or 14, D13, etc... The six digit number was a simple sequential number which climbed.

Sinclair was selling Iss. 5 boards in D09 bottoms, and Iss. 7 boards in D03 bottoms. There were at least three designs of case bottom, with the earlier ones having a warp to them, plus two and three feet versions.

[tofro]

Dave,
That's what the Service Manual has to say about serial numbers:

The serial number is visible on a label attached to the underside of the Sinclair QL thus: D1359643. Prefix D13 relates to the build standard (B/S) and Issue Number; 59643 is the number off the production run.

And I do agree (at least that was what I meant to say above) there must have been a swap of case bottoms wherever several QLs where taken apart - Except the Samsung built QLs I've seen, they were always D14 and above. So you really can't do much with this information.

Tobias

[dex]

Except the Samsung built QLs I've seen, they were always D14 and above.

I have checked 2 of them, both starting with SG18-xxxxxx (probably meaning "Samsung, German"?).

[techy]

Thanks for all info ,

Very Interesting !! ,.............


Is there any technical documentation to the samsung build units ????


techy

[tofro]

Not that I knew of.
Never seen anything newer than Dxx in the service manuals.

Regards,
Tobias