The Sinclair QL Forum

You have some flexibility on the Motoroa chips - you can underclock them by a reasonable percentage - so 40MHz crystal - 20 MHz clock is fine for both the 20 and 25 MHz processor variants. I probably wouldn't go the other way - overclocking - as RAM access constraints, logic speed and all sorts of problems likely to come your way.

I can confirm the card will work with DOS (tested with MSDOS 5 and 6) and both Windows 95 and 98 in command line (DOS mode), I don't know if it will work in a Window, as I suspect the card may not follow Windows rules for video access. I had the same exact card - but described as a QXL (not QXL2) but it seems to work with the 50MHz oscillator, 25MHz processor variant and fully expanded memory slots.

I suppose that for an old PC with ISA slot, if it won't run a fairly modern Windows, you could potentially try something like FreeDOS if it's still maintained and available. At least it would make it into more or less a stand alone fairly fast "QL". It could still be networked with a QL because QXLS have a QL-compatible network socket.
Edit: FreedDOS is at https://freedos.org/

I've found industrial PC's are good place to look for computers that can run older Windows / DOS - you can get hold of several versions of DOS FOC (Free DOS being one of them), so you'd have no problems there - the main issue is finding drivers for any odd hardware.

This thread may be of some use:

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/win ... 6252e03825

I have some old copies of technet which have full versions of DOS on, but not sure on the legality of copying this anywhere.

Mine have found their home in some "Lunchbox PCs" (a Dolch and a similar Taiwan clone). Makes them ideal portable boxes for QL meetings that don't need a reserved home on the desk.

I found one of these on ebay:

https://pdf.directindustry.com/pdf/ipo- ... 56352.html

Has a Vortex system on a chip CPU on an ISA card, with 4 serial ports, parallel port, IDE, floppy controller, network, VGA and a powered backplace that it plugs into, small power supply and plenty of ISA slots. No room for a floppy though, even though the cpu board has a floppy controller

After I mentioned the QXL card having QL-style network ports, anyone happen to know if these continue to work with the 25MHz QXL? Network timing is a bit critical, but it's possible that SMSQ and SMSQ/E take this speed change into account I suppose.

(I don't have a QXL nowadays to check for myself).

dilwyn wrote: Thu Feb 27, 2025 9:42 am After I mentioned the QXL card having QL-style network ports, anyone happen to know if these continue to work with the 25MHz QXL? Network timing is a bit critical, but it's possible that SMSQ and SMSQ/E take this speed change into account I suppose.

(I don't have a QXL nowadays to check for myself).

Mine has a 50mhz crystal and a 25mhz CPU and I certainly remember networking it with a BBQL a couple of years ago. Using whatever version of SMSQ/E was current at the time. Don't think I tried it with the included SMSQ.

QXL and networking seems to be a bit of a hit-and-miss

I have two cards in two different PCs, one was always working flawlessly and has been acting as my "QDOS file server" through decades.

The other one has never worked reliably, until Martyn Hill thankfully helped me to re-calculate the timing constants in SMSQ/E (specifically for this card).

From the outside, both cards look exactly the same (are QXL 1, both with 40 MHz oscillators and 25 MHz CPUs). The problem might even be caused by the choice of host operating system: The working one is running on OS/2 Warp, the (previously) non-working one on Windows 98.

Marcel_X wrote: Wed Feb 26, 2025 11:27 am 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...

The zip holds all the files on the original HD floppy that came with my QXL2 card.
It has several copies of the SMSQ v2.76 OS configured for different resolutions, a good way to start exploring the possibilities. BSJR

Hi,

The QXL SMSQ/E executable is a DOS based application, not a Windows WIN32 application, but Windows can run DOS based in Window, if the app,ication is set up.

MSDOS 6.22 freely available so no need to use Freedos.

I use a 486SX based Amstrad PC, with 2 ISA slots one for QXL the other for ISA network card to link into my network.

I have used 68040 CPUs from faulty Qbranch Q40s which are 40Mhz 68040 CPUs, and run happily at 25Mhz or 20Mhz.

The QXL uses a 68EC040 20Mhz or 25Mhz, which needs a input clock speed of 40Mhz or 50Mhz, because Motorola designed the 68040 to reduce the internsl CPU clock by 50%

Which leads to an interesting idea, by using a 68040 to 68060 adapter, the CPU woukd run at 40 or 80 Mhz, which woukd not need any cooling on the Altera glue.

But I guess that is too simple and SMSQ/E would not run too well, with the same problems with the cache as the Q60.