Sandy SuperQBoard firmware.

[prime]

You are referring about 1.16+TKII and 1.19+TKII. The original firmwares don't include the TKII code?

The SuperQBoard did have TKII onboard. If you didn't have TKII what you have there is a SuperDisk, the second (or third don't remember which it was), version of this uses the same circuit board as the SuperQBoard and is marked as such.

The SQB also had an extra 512K of memory that was attached via a piggyback board that plugs in just behind the connector to the QL motherboard, that is why there are two rows of solder pads just behind it.

But both boards map 32K of ROM, so if you put a 27256 with the disk interface ROM in the first half and Toolkit II in the second half both will be mapped in, though depending on what QL ROM version you have, the second ROM may not be initialized with disk firmware 1.16, I believe that 1.19 fixes this.

Cheers.

Phill.

[Dave]

I can verify what Phill said.

[chriskgnr]

So, in the first half (0000-3FFF) will be the Sandy Q Board 1.19 firmware and in the second (4000-7FFF) will be the TKII code. There must be the 4AFB header before the TKII code?

[Derek_Stewart]

Hi Dave,

Is the SuperQBoard firmware, floppy driver copyright with Sandy?

Do you have the source code?

[chriskgnr]

If there is the 4AFB header before the TKII code, it means that the Rom Cartridge Slot is useless?

[Ralf R.]

So, in the first half (0000-3FFF) will be the Sandy Q Board 1.19 firmware and in the second (4000-7FFF) will be the TKII code. There must be the 4AFB header before the TKII code?

Yes.

[prime]

So, in the first half (0000-3FFF) will be the Sandy Q Board 1.19 firmware and in the second (4000-7FFF) will be the TKII code. There must be the 4AFB header before the TKII code?

Yes that is correct, the version of TKII must be a rom version, e.g. one that would normally be on a ROM cartridge. Having it on the SD / SQB means that the ROM slot can be used for a different cartridge.

I tend to use the 2.20 TKII image from Dilwyn's site as the commands are available without having to remember to type TK2_EXT. Note the 1.16 firmware has a limited set of extra commands included, GET/PUT, WDIR, WSTAT, DATA_USE, IIRC 1.19 doesn't which is why it included TKII.


Cheers.

Phill.

[chriskgnr]

I have a QL with the JM version firmware. I have read that JM version has a bug about the expansions cards and that bug is that it maps only one expansion card firmware. If this is correct then my QL will map just one firmware, the disk interface firmware or the TKII.

[Dave]

The primary changes in 1.19 were to overcome that bug in JM ROMs, and to have an updated TK2 that didn't need to be TK2_EXT'd.

Sandy only has a license to use the code. I don't own it so I can't release it. I don't have the sources. What I would like to do is find out where it was licensed from originally and get permission to open it up for free.

[Dave]

addendum to previous post:

From my vague recollection, the other changes from <1.16 to 1.19 were support for faster drive mechanisms (Sony, Mitsubishi, Citizen) with 1:1 interleave, and some small bug I don't remember the details off, that wasn't critical.