The Sinclair QL Forum

Hi.
Is the QL-SD compatible with vDRIVE QL.
Could I use both ?
Thanks in advance.
Regards,
Massimino

Absolutely.

Thanks!

But don't confuse the SD cards - neither will work with the other's media.

Tobias

vDriveQL was the one connected to the external MDV connector, right? In case of the QL-SD variants that replace an internal MDV two pins on the MDV connector must be bridged (1&2) so that the chain isn't broken. Also I guess that afterwards vDrive QL becomes MDV2.

Yes, vDriveQL was the one connected to the external MDV connector.

M.

QL-SD is an order of magnitude faster than vDrive. QL-SD will have forward support on many different compatible platforms, vDrive will not.

If you buy only one, buy QL-SD.

Hi,

I have both QL-SD and vDriveQL on same QL, with a SGC Clone, all works great.

To make the vDriveQL more flexible, the vMapQL allows mapping of the external microdrives, that is vDriveQL to any of the internal microdrive slots.

I also have 2 Spectrum Microdrives, which connect the the vDriveQL system. Just need to make connecting cable.

2 weeks ago Charles Ingley published an update for vDrive, to make it compatible with the SGC. The previous version seemed to have a problem in vtkql itself. The file could be read but vDrive initialization sequence failed
It happened also on my QL with SGC, so I applied the update.
Problem is that after the update I still get "vDrive is not responding"

I tested on 3 QLs and with various configurations:

1. QL+ Minerva ROM + SD-QL (installed but with no SD cards in drive) = it works
2. Same QL +Minerva ROM + Tetroid GC (with or without SD card in QL-SD) = it works, but after loading vtkql_bin toolkit PRINT command is no longer available
3. Same QL +Minerva ROM + original SGC (with or without SD card in QL-SD) = 'vDrive not responding"
4. Second QL - stardard, AH ROM = 'vdrive not responding"
5. Second QL - stardard, AH ROM + Tetroid GC = 'vdrive not responding"
6. Third QL + vmap+Tetroid ROM Switcher + QUIBIDE + 512 k ="vDrive not responding" (tested with JM, JS, MG and Minerva ROMs,with and without Tk2)
7. Third QL + vmap+Tetroid ROM Switcher ="vDrive not responding" (tested with JM, JS, MG and Minerva ROMs, with and without Tk2)

Update was a quest because before the update I had exactly the same problem in running the vtkql_bin - so I had to disassemble all 3 QLs and swap parts, and change ROMs util I stumbled on the only configuration that worked ...

That is interesting - the problem with the command PRINT no longer available suggests that there is an issue in memory allocation for the keywords - this has caught me out in the past when writing keywords and you manage to change something in the toolkit which means insufficient memory is set aside by LRESPR, or the pne of the new keywords is no longer word aligned.

It would be worth checking if a=RESPR(xxxx):LBYTES mdv1_vtkql_bin,a:CALL a resolves the issue - try setting the xxxx to the length of the bin file + 2000 say...