QL vDrive upgrade

[stephen_usher]

:yay: :dualthumbup: :yay2: :cheer:

[rubber_jonnie]

Final note on the QL saga. I removed the ROM from the FDD controller and pulled the old toolkit code from it, and dropped in the 2.32 code and burned a new ROM.

Seems to work well, so now it's all reassembly and a few final tests, but otherwise looking great :)

Final config for now will be Sandy disk ROM, TK2 v 2.32, 512KB memory expansion and Minerva 1.98a1 main ROM.

Happy days.

[stephen_usher]

Wow. That's a lot of work.

[rubber_jonnie]

Wow. That's a lot of work.

The worst part was that the Sandy Board also includes a RAM upgrade and the boards are sandwiched, but there isn't enough space between the FDC board on the bottom where the ROM is and the RAM board on the top to fit a socket.

What I ended up doing was temporarily removing the RAM board as it simply plugs in to the lower one, and fit a socket whilst I tested my ROM variations.

I tried a Sandy FDC only ROM, removing TK2 completely, and then I found a version 2.32, so as that was also 16K like the original TK2 image, I was able to drop that into the second half of the image, replacing the old version.

Both worked fine, but I opted to keep the image with both FDC ROM and TK II 2.32 as the Sandy can easily be removed. The ROM was a standard 27256, so easy to do.

Once I'd settled on the ROM image and tested, I then had to remove the socket I'd installed for testing and solder the ROM in so the RAM board would fit on top!!!

All working now though, so happy days, just need to acquire some more MDV images for the vDrive.

I may just be ordering a Gold card next though!!

[stephen_usher]

I think that I saw a real Super Gold Card on eBay the other day at a surprisingly reasonable price

P.S. Here it is £99 starting bid and no takers. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/284539015289 ... Swb9Fhm88r

[rubber_jonnie]

I think that I saw a real Super Gold Card on eBay the other day at a surprisingly reasonable price

P.S. Here it is £99 starting bid and no takers. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/284539015289 ... Swb9Fhm88r

Watching now, that's a good price for a Super Gold Card, the remade ones by Tetroid on sellmyretro are around £170, hence why I was going to buy a Gold Card. Even if this one doesn't work for some reason, I'm sure it'd be fixable :)

[rubber_jonnie]

I think that I saw a real Super Gold Card on eBay the other day at a surprisingly reasonable price

P.S. Here it is £99 starting bid and no takers. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/284539015289 ... Swb9Fhm88r

P.S. That Saft battery might have to go!!

[rubber_jonnie]

@stephen_usher

Hmm, worried that SGC might get a bit expensive, there's already 1 bid with 4 days to go :sigh:

[stephen_usher]

Bah!

[rubber_jonnie]

Bah!

Bah indeed!!

Will just have to keep watch, see what happens. Shame it wasn't on buy it now or I would have!