The Sinclair QL Forum

Hi folks,

Quiz time: does anyone know what this cable is for?
It appears to be some sort of serial lead, but that's a 4-pin DIN plug at the end, so my initial guess of a MIDI cable is wrong. I certainly don't have anything that will accept it!

Thanks

Matthew

ZX Spectrum +2/+3 models have a midi port that would fit into.

Which end do you mean XorA? I thought 128K Spectrums had BT style sockets not DIN plugs for MIDI? I got this lead with some other QL stuff so I am guessing it is a QL lead first and foremost.

Exactly, BT style plug in the spectrum, DIN plug in the MIDI device.

There is a software MIDI for the QL which works via serial ports, by Mark Swift. See http://www.dilwyn.me.uk/sound/MIDI_Source.zip

The Tandy Colour computer used a 4 pin DIN for it's serial port so maybe a QL to CoCo cable?

Have you tapped it out to see what pin is connected to what?

Cheers.

Phill.

Thanks Dilwyn! The thing is, it's a 4 pin DIN plug at the end not 5 which makes me think it's not MIDI - but happy to be wrong on this.

@prime: no, I was going the lazy route first and asking on here before checking out the connections! Gosh I remember the CoCo - pretty rare in the UK as I recall - but that was a real long time ago. I think it could multi-task too back before pretty much anything else could (bar the QL, of course!)

Ooops I completely missed the bit about it being 4-pin din.

Hmm, the plot thickens... I've done the non-lazy thing and traced the connections as follows. All are zero resistance (which rules out the QL/MIDI thing based on the severe warning in the file Dilwyn linked).

If I number the DIN plug contacts looking at it so the pins are facing me as follows:

o o
o | | o
1 2 3 4

then these connect up on the QL side as:

DIN QL
1 TxD
2 Gnd
3 CTS
4 N/c

(Barrel not connected either)

I really don't get this though! Why have connections on TxD and CTS but not RxD??

(PS just found out the forum doesn't like leading spaces so my beautiful pinout diagram doesn't work!)