The Sinclair QL Forum

If anyone is interested they can find further information here for the NetUSBee:

http://hardware.atari.org/netusbee/netus.htm

and for the UltraSatan here:

http://joo.kie.sk/ultrasatan/pics/index.html

I have been fishing to make that but with little success.

Yep, they are open source, effectively. The designers gave permission for anyone to replicate them, for purely altruistic reasons - to help keep the platform alive.

JonB wrote:Yep, they are open source, effectively. The designers gave permission for anyone to replicate them, for purely altruistic reasons - to help keep the platform alive.

I had to look that word up, as not sure of the meaning

Altruistic
Web definitions
showing unselfish concern for the welfare of others.
wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

Anyone know the encoding format of the Microdrives ?

So far I have found the circuit diagrams and the sector format but how is a single bit encoded on the tape ?

Hello Gertk,

this is 100kHz FM encoding.
I had done some work on it here:

http://www.theqlforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=269#p1616

Unfortunately the image I had uploaded to the forum is gone !?
(I am sure I had not put an external reference to the image.)

Greetings,
Vassilis

Would the data format/encoding be something like this:

Sorry to butt in to this discussion, but already, within an hour of starting up my first QL I can see the value of an SD card based mass storage system.

I have an IF1bis for my Spectrums, which pretends to be a whole load of microdrives, and I think is marvellous.... Surely there is someone out there with the nous to produce something similar for the QL? I'd certainly buy one!

Is there a person who...

A) has spare time? (most important)
B) wants to build the QL-SD and learn the software/hardware issues?
C) owns a QL and is willing to use it for testing the QL-SD?
D) can solder TQFP and components with similarly small pads?
E) can deal with ROM binaries and has equipment to burn EPROMs?
F) has a Lattice programming adaptor or would buy one?
G) can source PCBs and electronic components, including difficulties like DIL sockets with long wires?
H) would find the QL-SD worthwhile as it is (internal, using ROM socket and microdrive slots)?
I) would accept instabilities with some SuperGoldCards, or find a solution?
J) can organize production and sales without help from my side?

I was glad Adrian was into all this - someone with his knowledge was ideal. I think financing the parts is not a problem, I can help with that if necessary. But I can not spend much time.

I have A, B, C, D, E, H, I and J down. I can arrange F. G is difficult this month due to financial paralysis (just had two wisdom teeth out, and.... American healthcare prices a nonsensical!) but that's going to resolve next month I have stock of many standard items like DIN connectors etc., and a good relationship with a quality PCB house.

I can see scope to combine three or four disparate projects, but realize practicality of time, getting people together, plus exponential complexity of multiple projects pretty much ensures that will never happen. It would help to reduce the costs of ALL the projects though if they shared a common DIN connector and PCB.

I don't care what happens - I just want *something* to happen.