New QL backplane.

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Dave
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New QL backplane.

Post by Dave »

This is one of the results of the "Random hardware ideas..." thread. I'm splitting it out here so this has its own thread and we can keep having ideas over there! :D

I got enough interest - eight people contacted me about the mini backplane - that I popped into my favorite PCB designer and freshened up the design a little.

The card fits inside a QL and supports three positions. Two positions face left and one faces right, upside down over the CPU. I don't personally recommend that you use all three positions with old cards that suck juice and spit out heat. However it does make it perfectly reasonable to have a recently redesigned Trump Card and QubIDE with CF slot just above it facing left. Alternatively, you could have the Trump Card face left and the IDE card face right. As long as the total current draw of the cards isn't excessive everything is fine.

The card is TINY, 96.3mm x 20.6mm. I left as much room as possible around it to allow air to circulate in the QL case. It will come with two protective plastic shields so a top card can't short against a bottom card, or an inverted card can't short against the metal keyboard backplate.
backplane QL side.png
I should get the PCBs in a few days and have everything assembled in around two weeks. They have already shipped to me. Then I'll work out my partscosts and sell them at cost price. I'll post photos and so on then. I will only be making 25 of these, and 11 are already reserved. I have parts on hand to make 11 (was 8) until I order more male DIN41612 connectors.

Looks like it'll be somewhere around £20-£25 with three sockets, £17-22 with two and £14-19 if you just have the one doubling back. Plus shipping which looks like it's £10 for international up to two, and £19 three to many. ($13.50 up to 6oz, $22.50 6-32oz). The price variation is just depending on how much it costs to get quality connectors - prices vary from $3.50 for cheap ones up to $7+ for high end gold plated ones with a high number of insertion cycles. I prefer to use quality parts but I don't go crazy.

I'm open to doing custom designed backplanes for people for cost price of the PCBs and components if you have a particular layout in mind or want to use an ATX case and PSU. I could also do a version of this card with taller spacing for the second level of cards, for those of you who already re-cased your computers and don't need to squeeze into the QL case.

Larger backplanes with longer tracks have different design considerations. If you have an idea, hit me up. I do have library schematics and a design for an ATX card with full power control. If there's sufficient demand for an ATX backplane I'll clean up my current design and just make 25.
Last edited by Dave on Wed May 03, 2017 9:39 pm, edited 1 time in total.


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Dave
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Re: New QL backplane.

Post by Dave »

I'm updating the above post as I get new requests and as deliveries progress.


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belg4rion67
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Re: New QL backplane.

Post by belg4rion67 »

Hi, is it possible to have only the pcb as I already have the connectors?
Thanks in advance
Ciao!


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Paul
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Re: New QL backplane.

Post by Paul »

I am also interested in the pcb (two or three) only because I have plenty of both connectors and which should also keep postage low.
Kind regards Paul


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Dave
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Re: New QL backplane.

Post by Dave »

belg4rion67 wrote:Hi, is it possible to have only the pcb as I already have the connectors?
Thanks in advance
Ciao!
Yes. That would probably be around €4 or €5 and maybe a couple of bucks for shipping.


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belg4rion67
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Re: New QL backplane.

Post by belg4rion67 »

That's right; pls tell me when you have it and I'll give you money and address (consider the international shipment to Italy in the price for me Dave) ;)
Cheers
Paolo


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Dave
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Re: New QL backplane.

Post by Dave »

I'm now on a road trip to visit with a QLer in Tennessee. I'll be back next Thursday so there will be something to report then ;)


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Outsoft
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Re: New QL backplane.

Post by Outsoft »

Dave wrote:I'm now on a road trip to visit with a QLer in Tennessee. I'll be back next Thursday so there will be something to report then ;)
Please come back with some material to preserve too ;)


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Dave
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Re: New QL backplane.

Post by Dave »

Sandy Labs Miniplane
Sandy Labs Miniplane
It's here!


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Dave
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Re: New QL backplane.

Post by Dave »

Here is a new backplane that lets you get two and in special cases three expansion cards inside your QL case. It is a left-over from my QL2 project in 2013.

It plugs into the expansion port and allows one expansion in the usual place, and one upside down over the QL mainboard. It's ideal for having, for example, a QubIDE with CF card internal to the QL.

The option exists to have another small card over the first expansion card. However, it is VERY mechanically tight. You also need to carefully watch the power draw doesn't exceed the QL's ability to supply. The new generation of cards released in the last couple of years do draw a lot less current, so it may be time to upgrade :D Meanwhile, it works well with a (Super) Gold Card and QubIDE, if the 68008 is removed.

A layer of electrical insulation needs to be applied to the metal keyboard backplate as it does touch the back of an upside down card over the QL. I will supply a piece of vinyl that can be applied and easily removed later, so no permanent changes are required.

Due to the physical shape of the Gold Card and Trump Card, they will not easily allow cards stacked above them. If you replace the crystal on a Trump Card with a low profile one, it will allow a QubIDE or similar above it.

I designed it so it is possible to solder all the pins by hand, but it requires assembly in a particular order to gain access. On the top row, it's a very tight fit. My older batch of connectors fits well but my newer batch the pins are slightly larger. I will order another batch with a very slightly larger centre hole.

I'm going to assemble and test a few, then post details of how you can get your grubby mitts on one of these bad boys.


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