The Sinclair QL Forum

HI, I am a happy owner - well, used to be a happy one - of the QL Pascal Development Kit by Metacomco.

When I tested it a couple of years ago, the external ROM used to work fine. However, now upon running the Pascal programme the QL show the message "ROM not included or wrong version".

Is seems the external ROM is corrupt - is it possible to fix it?

I attach pictures should they show anyting particular.

Thanks!

The photo makes it look like the contacts are corroded.have you tried cleaning them with one of those cleaning brushes made, I believe, from fibregalss?

If I remember correctly, the contacts have a thin layer of solder over the copper, it dulls with age and resistance goes up as it oxidises. Maybe a rub down with IPA (Iso Propyl Alcohol) would also help?

Failing that, is the chip socketed? If so, the legs might need cleaning. Stab them onto a sheet of tin foil a few times.

HTH

Cheers,
Norm.

In the dark depths of my hard drive I found something called PASCAL_ROM.zip. Looking at the unzipped file in an editor, it says QL Pascal v1.8. It's Metacomco, but don't know if it'll work with the software version you have.

Thought I'd post it here in case it becomes a matter of making a new EPROM. I'll assume it's OK to post it as it's for a repair and no use to anyone without the rest of the software and manuals.

Hopefully, Norman's suggestions will be sufficient, though.

EDIT: As an afterthought, do you have anything installed which might prevent access of the ROM port (only mention it as you said it's a couple of years since last use, in case you'd added anything in the meantime)

Are you issuing the "ROM" command to activate the ROM before trying to use Pascal?

I have an image of v1.40 if that turns out to be the one you need

Hi,

When the QL starts up and displays the F1, F2 screen, it alsipo displays all the Roms with version information attached to the QL.

If thus is not displayed, then the ROM isnot working.

What is your QL setup?

Derek_Stewart wrote: Tue Feb 11, 2025 7:45 pm Hi,

When the QL starts up and displays the F1, F2 screen, it alsipo displays all the Roms with version information attached to the QL.

If thus is not displayed, then the ROM isnot working.

What is your QL setup?

None of the Metacomco Pascal ROM's I have display anything on the F1/F2 screen, you have to issue the "ROM" command after pressing F1/F2 and it then displays the ROM name & version on the screen in a small 1 line box

The ROM command is something Metacomco supplied to verify the Eprom cartridges. If it is a valid Eprom as far as the contents are concerned, it displays the Eprom name and version. If not, it displays "Bad ROM".

It isn't a command to activate the ROM itself.

Cheers,
Norm.

Thanks for the clarification Norm, I can stop bothering with typing it in then

(They still don’t display anything on the F1/F2 screen though)

Thank you all for your feedback.

@NormanDunbar: I tried cleaning it with IPA, I also used the tin foil for the chip, but no result. Will try to clean it with a fiberglass brush I ordered.

@t0nyt: the ROM command doesn't work, it says "bad name", so it might be that the ROM is not detected at all.

@dilywin and Derek_Stuart: I have only the vDrive installed, nothing else. I tried it with JS and Minerva ROMs.

Thanks, dilywin for the ROM, - the next step is to try it with the emulator.

I was surprised to see that there are two versions of Metacomco Pascal. It is possible that I have a mismatch between the ROM and the MDVs (the initial files were corrupt and I got the working ones from another source). In the end the note on the screen says " bad ROM or wrong version".

So yes, t0nyt, I would welcome your version of ROM to try it on the emulator. In fact, if possible, I would appreciate the whole package to avoid testing different versions of ROM with different versions of MDVs. Thanks!

FYI: here are my MDVs, I am not sure which version they are.