QXL card (original) memory question

[Pr0f]

I have a QXL card - not QXL2 as far as I can tell - which has only half the memory sockets populated.

My question is - can I just add the missing memory ZIP packages of the same type and spec to double the memory - or is a change required in the logic chip to handle the additional RAM ?

Wasn't sure whether to post here in hardware - or whether this should be in another section (Compatibles for instance) - MOD's - please feel free to move if needed.

[Derek_Stewart]

Hi,

Adding the additional 1Mb RAM ZIP chips to the empty slots will give you 8Mb.

The RAM is arranged in 2 banks, but both banks must be filled interleaved or all to complete the available memory.

As far as I know, the difference between QXL 1 and QXL 2, is:

QXL1: 20Mhz 680EC040 CPU, 40Mhz Oscillator
QXL2: 25Mhz 680EC040 CPU, 50Mhz Oscillator

Note that the 68040 CPU reduces the clock speed by half, a design feature by Motorola.

[Pr0f]

Thanks Derek,

I was hoping it might be as simple as populating the missing chips. I am happy to leave the processor at 20MHz, as looking for a 25MHz part could be expensive.

[tofro]

Thanks Derek,

I was hoping it might be as simple as populating the missing chips. I am happy to leave the processor at 20MHz, as looking for a 25MHz part could be expensive.

Maybe not so simple, as those dreaded SIPP chips can be very hard to find.

[Pr0f]

Well I sourced 10 zip chips, and populated the 8 missing sockets - god those things are fiddly. Plugged the card in the ISA PC box I have aquired, loaded the hard disk with the QXL files - and I get the familiar red and white display. I need to verify that the extra RAM is being detected - need to search on how to do that.

I may have some follow on questions - but I will probably raise another another thread if I need it.

Many thanks for the help

[Derek_Stewart]

Hi,

You could use the Toolkit 2 FREE_MEM function.

PRINT FREE_MEM

should give the about of usable ram.

[Marcel_X]

Gents,

I found a QXL card in my stash of old Sinclair machines. I got it somehow many years ago and never used it.
It says QXL 2B on the back and has 8 SIPPs installed. Those are TC514400 ones. Googled it and they are 1Mb x 4bit RAM.
The CPU says XC68EC040RC25B. Is that the 25 MHz version? However the crystal is 40 MHz...

What do I need to get it up and running? An old PC with an ISA slot I guess? I'm completely new to this, so forgive my ignorance, but what OS can I run on this?

This is what it looks like:

Any help is appreciated.

[dilwyn]

If you no longer have the manual and operating system floppy disk for it, replacements are available from my website at https://dilwyn.theqlforum.com/docs/manu ... ml#miracle (look under the QXL section).

The original SMSQ (version 2.76 on my site, last version I'm aware of) is a version of SMSQ/E operating system, but without the pointer environment. This may work with older versions of Windows, depending on what you get with your ISA-slot PC.

There is a version of SMSQ/E also available for it, available from SMSQ/E Registrar Wolfgang Lenerz's site at https://www.wlenerz.com/smsqe/ - this is more up to date than the SMSQ on my site.

Scroll down on his site to the part which says "BINARIES : you can download the compiled versions of SMSQ/E here." and click on "here". Within that zip there is a file called SMSQEQXL.EXE to run in DOS/Windows.

You may find my SMSQE/SBASIC manual useful to get started with, to show the differences between the enhanced SBASIC and original SuperBASIC - https://dilwyn.theqlforum.com/docs/eboo ... SQE_A4.htm to read online or https://dilwyn.theqlforum.com/docs/ebooks/index.html to download in various formats, scroll down to the "SMSQ/E Manual" section. It's being updated, so there may be a new release soon to cover the latest extensions added to SBASIC.

There's also Martin Head's Keywords and Concepts guides on the same page. These are for QPC2 really, but the SBASIC for both QPC2 and QXL are quite similar.

[Marcel_X]

Hi Dilwyn,

Thanks for all the links! Had a quick look and that's what I need to get started.
I don't have anything, not the manual nor the floppy disk. Unless they are in some of the boxes from the attic I still have to unpack...
I have to find an old PC with an ISA slot to get started first.

Again, thanks for the info!

[tofro]

The CPU says XC68EC040RC25B. Is that the 25 MHz version? However the crystal is 40 MHz...

Yes, that's a 25MHz CPU. In the QXL, the CPU runs at half the oscillator frequency, so 20MHz.