If you have a Gold Card or Super Gold Card, we'd like some information about it. In particular, we'd like to know the date and model of the Altera chip your card has.
What we already know is that some time in the late 90s, Altera made a revision to the chip which made it unsuitable for using in SGCs. We're trying to work out the complete date range of that chip as used on SGCs so we can see how broad the date range is that we can buy from.
Also, we know the Gold Card used some slower versions of the IC, but many also used the faster version, which is suitable for re-use in a Super Gold Card.
If you could please just remove your GC/SGC from your system and look at the Altera chip, you will see markings (which may be under a sticker saying "INGOT #") like this:
ALTERA
EP1810LC-25T
C9301
Could you please write these markings down?
Next, if it's a Gold Card, please turn it over and note if it says Gold Card, Gold Card Issue 2, or Gold Card 3? Also, could you follow this link: CPU Toolkit and see if your card can run at 24 MHz?
If it's a Super Gold Card you do not need to do this.
If you have the original SAFT 40LF220 red battery on your card, can you please check the date code, which will be in the format YY MM.
Finally, there's an EPROM on your card. Could you please write down what it says on the label? If you know that this has been changed since the card was made, please could you add a note of that?
Next, could you email that information to dave@sinclairql.com please?
Now would be a good time to blow away the dust and check all socketed chips are seated properly before re-assembling and testing your system
We will collate the date ranges for each model, and get a much clearer picture of which versions/dates were used in which cards.
We will publish the results.
Thank you for doing this for us. We really appreciate it.