The Sinclair QL Forum

I added a new graphics mode, it is 256x256 with 2048 colors, it could have been 64K colors but I run out of io pins for a bigger dac, but I will soon manage 4096 colors with a small change to the pcb that will free one more pin.

Hi I am trying to resist… but I know I will fail… please tell us when the design is frozen and you are ready to built some!

Sorry for not finalizing the card but you see I still add new capabilities.
The QLion card now boots in the Marcel's version of SMSQ/E for his mister ql core.
Everything works but it supports only the standard video modes.

What can I say... "Wow!"

Hi

Can the QLion Card be connected to an Aurora like the Miracle SGC?

I don't know the aurora but I don't think so, I could maybe make an aurora compatible video mode, would the gold card smsqe version use it if I emulate the identification process?

In a sense the Aurora is a motherboard replacement - so it has all the same hardware (ZX8302, IPC, ROM) that you would find in a QL, but also a video interface that maps the original QL video areas - and 240K of RAM with A19 and A18 high - it was designed to work with Gold and Super Gold cards, and with the SGC it will actually map to above the 4GB RAM space, allowing use of the extra video RAM space.

The very last 16K is free for use by a plug in card - such as QUBIDE.

4GB RAM space is possible for a 68020 CPU, although I doubt it was ever implemented
But not for the SuperGoldCard which did not have a 68020 as often wrongly stated. It only had a 68EC020 with reduced address bus of 24 bit.

Peter wrote: Tue Jan 21, 2025 10:15 pm 4GB RAM space is possible for a 68020 CPU, although I doubt it was ever implemented
But not for the SuperGoldCard which did not have a 68020 as often wrongly stated. It only had a 68EC020 with reduced address bus of 24 bit.

Too much time spent in Intel Land ! yes - 4MB it should hae been

I added 2 new screen resolutions

-512x384 256 colours

-1024x384 16 colours

I tried aurora emulation for smsq/e, it works but doesn't support the higher than 512x256 resolutions, no good so I quit trying.
It currently works with a pretty standard version of gold card smsq/e with the standard resolutions.
it also worked with super gold card smsq/e but had to enable 68020 mode in the core which takes a lot of fpga resources and doesn't gain anything significant.
I just wish I was able to run smsq/e in these two new higher resolutions and maybe a 1024x768 and I would call it finished.