Unique original firmware from the Sinclair Archives

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QLvsJAGUAR
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Unique original firmware from the Sinclair Archives

Post by QLvsJAGUAR »

Some time ago I got my hands on some bits & pieces from an ex-employee of the THORN (EMI) DATATECH Ltd Feltham plant where the QL was produced. Recently I've read the EPROM content. Here it is:
http://sinclairql.net/repository.html#Firmware

Enjoy!

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Urs


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Re: Unique original firmware from the Sinclair Archives

Post by QLvsJAGUAR »

This is how it looks when using the 16K $8000 binary Images in QemuLator:
THORN_EMI_DATATECH_EPROMs-SQPP-VAR_SEN_PROD_TEST_V2_02_87AB_bin-PrtScr.png
THERE IS AT LEAST ONE MORE FIRMWARE PROJECT I HAVE FOR THE (NEAR) FUTURE. STAY TUNED!


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Re: Unique original firmware from the Sinclair Archives

Post by vanpeebles »

Looks interesting :) Do they do anything different from the production ones?


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Re: Unique original firmware from the Sinclair Archives

Post by janbredenbeek »

Would be nice to have the complete FB rom contents. And then getting angry at the failing microdrives and the editor which doesn't allow you to edit a 'bad line' :D

Jan.


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Re: Unique original firmware from the Sinclair Archives

Post by Dave »

Two thumbs up! Would crash again!


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Re: Unique original firmware from the Sinclair Archives

Post by QLvsJAGUAR »

Hi folks,

I have a update on this.

While being on my once in a lifetime US road trip I was able to get my hands on a very early Sinclair QL Professional Computer with serial number D03-001123 which is equipped with the believed to be lost version PM of the QL's firmware. Since November 2001 I knew that this QL is located in Indianapolis in the US. I took my notebook computer and EPROM programmer with me on my journey to preseve this QL's firmware. In the end it all took just about 30 minutes.

The binary file of the firmware version PM is published under The Sinclair QL Preservation Project (SQPP), a well maintained project with its own website: http://www.sinclairql.net/

Most likely the biggest achievement in Sinclair QL Preservation!

QL forever!
Urs


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Re: Unique original firmware from the Sinclair Archives

Post by 1024MAK »

Where is that clapping emoji :?:

Well done Urs 8-) :D

Mark


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Re: Unique original firmware from the Sinclair Archives

Post by janbredenbeek »

Great work!

What's interesting is that this ROM presents itself as QDOS v1.02, like the AH ROM, but the contents are different. Still it's probably closer to AH than FB, as there is about 1.6K more code compared to the (incomplete) FB ROM. On the QL2K emulator the boot file crashed somewhere when loading the Pointer Environment and Hotkeys but otherwise it boots OK. It also doesn't suffer from the 'bad line' bug like FB did.
(If you're curious about me knowing about FB: I got a chance to try an early QL in autumn 1984 at a local computer store which had a dongle and FB ROM, too bad I didn't buy it or at least made a dump of the ROM :x . I guess these QLs are real collector's items now...).

Jan.


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Re: Unique original firmware from the Sinclair Archives

Post by 1024MAK »

While on the subject of the early QL machines that were supplied with a dongle, does anyone have any good quality photos of the the populated board that they used? Or know of web site(s) that have such photos?

Mark


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“There are four lights!”
Step up to red alert. Sir, are you absolutely sure? It does mean changing the bulb :!:
Looking forward to summer in Somerset later in the year :)

QL, Falcon, Atari 520STFM, Atari 1040STE, more PC's than I care to count and an assortment of 8 bit micros (Sinclair and Acorn)(nearly forgot the Psion's)
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Re: Unique original firmware from the Sinclair Archives

Post by QLvsJAGUAR »

1024MAK wrote:While on the subject of the early QL machines that were supplied with a dongle, does anyone have any good quality photos of the the populated board that they used? Or know of web site(s) that have such photos?

Mark
Just check the Picture Gallery on the sinclairql.net website. Look under Details, ROM...


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