The Sinclair QL Forum

RWAP wrote:Do you have a disk drive built into the PC or a USB disk drive - as they are very different beasts (the latter has no disk controller).

Hi Rich, yes I was using my old Tiny PC of early 00s vintage, which has a floppy built in, but it isn't doing well so far with my existing floppies

RWAP wrote:I am stuck with a USB disk drive and find that if I format DD disks on the PC it is hit or miss as to whether that works when I put the disk in the QL (Windows claims to no longer support DD disks) - however, there do not tend to be issues if you format them on the QL first (the QL is also much quicker at formatting them than either QPC2 or q-emulator).

Exactly my experience regarding the formatting, though trying to copy when using the QL-formatted disc in the PC was also not happening. Though Q-emulator could see my 'Hello world' test basic file that I had added on the QL, trying to add anything else via PC made the disc unreadable on the QL.

RWAP wrote: The other trick is to force Windows to see the disk as a DD disk before you try using it (once you do one you can carry on with other disks during the same session). Open a cmd window and use

Code: Select all

FORMAT a: /t:80 /n:9

Nice one, I will give that a try! I also have another old family PC with an inbuilt floppy that is probably late 90s, so there's something else I can test on potentially, if I can swap the drive out or get it working (currently used for spare parts!)

Doug wrote:...

Many thanks Pr0f, very useful to know! Is there example of a boot file available which loads in the standard sort of things that people are interested in these days? TKII, QubATA, etc? I guess this is how SMSQ/E would be fired up too?

I can probably find the one I used to use when I get back home later today, but I think there are good examples in quite a few of the manuals of at least partial boot files - check hermes, qubide, documentation for instance. I used boot file to bring up a minimal quick pointer environment for a gold card - I think I saved it...

May also be worth a search on here for boot file examples...

Doug wrote: Exactly my experience regarding the formatting, though trying to copy when using the QL-formatted disc in the PC was also not happening. Though Q-emulator could see my 'Hello world' test basic file that I had added on the QL, trying to add anything else via PC made the disc unreadable on the QL.

In thaat case it could be a drive head alignment issue

Doug wrote:I've since tried the Gold Card in the backplane (with the buffer board) without the 68008, and it still won't work, alas!

Early I had no original Gold card.
I received Gold card 2 last week and very strange, my original GC dont work with QL backplane too.

I have first step of tests - Minerva 128K logo and nothing else.

I dont understand this problem and need to check several tests.

Doug wrote:I've since tried the Gold Card in the backplane (with the buffer board) without the 68008, and it still won't work, alas!

Can you check what ROM version on your Gold card ?

tetroid wrote:

Doug wrote:I've since tried the Gold Card in the backplane (with the buffer board) without the 68008, and it still won't work, alas!

Early I had no original Gold card.
I received Gold card 2 last week and very strange, my original GC dont work with QL backplane too.

I have first step of tests - Minerva 128K logo and nothing else.

I dont understand this problem and need to check several tests.

I solved the problem with my GC2.
It has 2.28 ROM version.
I change to 2.49 and GC2 works with QL backplane now.

Hi Tetroid,

Thanks for getting back to me about this, I will have a look at the ROM version when I get home tonight.

If it is the ROM that is the issue, how might I get it updated? Would someone be able to sell me an updated one?

Cheers,

Doug

Additional info: my Gold Card doesn't work on the backplane with buffers, ROM 2.49. It does work on the backplane without the buffer card, but locks up about every 20-30 minutes. Before locking up, I get individual pixels of screen corruption. I can get the logic analyzer on it at the weekend when I have some free time and see what's going on with mine if you like?

Mine is a Version 3 card, the ROM sticker says 2.32

Doug wrote:Mine is a Version 3 card, the ROM sticker says 2.32

Yes, I found 2.32 version and check it.
I have a same problem - one logo screen then second test, second logo screen with 1920K and stop, cant responce F1-F2 keys.

I think you need 2.49 ROM.

I can send 2.49 ROM but delivery period from Russia may be long, approx 2 weeks.
If you have EEPROM programmer you can use any 64Kx8 ROM.

If not - I can send.