The Sinclair QL Forum

Hi,

If the updated logic is available, I could update the existing QL-SD interfaces.

I would also like a new internal QL-SD interface.

Excellent work!

If there really is sufficient demand for an external version I might consider doing one. It's more or less the same thing in another form factor after all. The CPLD code might need some small tweaks to make routing easier or to optionally disable the lower 48KB of the ROM, but that's probably it. But in any case "real artists ship", so first priority is producing the internal version, let's see how that works out for me first

Thank you all for your interest.

Marcel

I wonder how easy it would be to make one of these that works with the ICL One Per Desk (OPD) - it would probably be easier to adapt the vDrive!

Well, the QL market is already limited, I think the OPD market might actually be negative

The OPD uses an ICL-written OS that isn't compatible with QDOS. It also operates the microdrives in a different way.

It would need new drivers. That is a bit of a stumbling block.

mk79 wrote:If there really is sufficient demand for an external version I might consider doing one.

Before I started QL-SD, Rich Mellor strongly voted for an external version, and I guess he knows the "market" quite well.
Especially for an external version, demand will depend much on offers at SellMyRetro and eBay, not just forum.

I would buy one, if it is a singleboard like RomdisQ. As clumsy sandwich solution with two PCBs would not be my taste.

I presume you already had a look at Wolfgang's driver and use that one. Do you see a chance to make it QDOS compatible?
Otherwise the external interface would require opening the case to remove the internal ROMs.

Dave wrote:The OPD uses an ICL-written OS that isn't compatible with QDOS. It also operates the microdrives in a different way.

It would need new drivers. That is a bit of a stumbling block.

I haven't seen an OPD for years. We used to have a couple in the office when I worked in Aberdeen City Council - we were an ICL shop back then and had a few mainframes to look after. They had decent keyboards, and inbuilt modems too, if memory serves.

I think Dave Walker did an OPD reader, possibly writer, back then. Maybd there's a driver there?


Cheers,
Norm.

Just checked, Dave did indeed write a low level driver for OPD microdrives. Check https://itimpi.updog.co/djwdown.htm#OPD for source and binaries.

Cheers,
Norm.

Peter wrote:I presume you already had a look at Wolfgang's driver and use that one. Do you see a chance to make it QDOS compatible?
Otherwise the external interface would require opening the case to remove the internal ROMs.

I made one important change to improve SMSQ/E and QDOS compatibility. Tried it with JS for fun, but it didn't work reliably. Avoided the pain of investigating this further.

Marcel