The Sinclair QL Forum

Wasa wrote: Mon May 13, 2024 3:11 pm Peter. What about the following suggestion, as the basis of a Sinclair Next (QL+), and to please different people:

For those who don't not want to replace their main board:
The Qzero as the basis of a a daughter board which fits into the socket of the 68008 and at least one ULA? If the CPU can be blocked, then in one ULA?


That this work also form the basis for the new machine? Which can come in editions with minimum interfaces and maximum interfaces?

That a newer higher performance core based on forth architecture also be included as the basis of the new platform for: small business (Sir Clive's dream) and as a retro hobbyist games machine? These forth/misc cores are interesting, small and fast, and outnumber all other language based softcores for FPGA.

Small business does not need most of the power of a modern PC, they used to use Commodore 64's. A new QL could be a cheap alterative which is propped up by hobbyist sales.

I'm looking at a thread on the following alternative:

Alternatively, a Linux QL which emulates the existing operating systems and GUI's? That's a bigger project, requiring an ARM or Risc-V chip. A cheap phone chip and modified Linux for it, is all which is needed to do low end business.

Wasa wrote: Tue May 07, 2024 3:46 pm Since writing this, I have decided not to attempt to arrange this myself, due to illness. But, have been interested in a another machine, which can run an emulator, which can be based on the same compatible circuits.

Maybe the following will inspire people. We know that Clive was talking about doing a wafer scale spiritual successor to the QL with Unix or Linux. Maybe we should look at doing the same, a reboot, a QL Next, which people could be attracted to as a hobby, but also a regular machine useful as a small business machine, which fits with Clive's vision. I'm going to post a link over to the QL Replica thread I have just found, where people are already discussing what to do:

viewtopic.php?p=57167


Hi. I'm a previous QL owner, and am investigating a QL clone concept, of what Sinclair could have done back then, and am doing some basic research to see how doable it is.

It is along the lines of the present machine, but with all the extra hardware logic stripped out and replaced by serial interfaces, which today would be represented by a subset of USB peripheral support. This includes the 8049. But it occurs to me, that programs might be dependent on directly coding to the 8049 microcontroller to control the sound and interfaces, and not just using registers and calls, which can get handled by a software routine? Making it not suitable to be replaced?

If anybody is interested. I'm interested in a new slanted keyboard with slanted track pad in place of the micro drives, where a 3 inch floppy option would have gone under the track pad to the side. Even a second one in place of the expansion card port, for software, instead of a hard drive (for business configuration) moving to a dual slim line drive under the pad eventually. This would be USB ports today. A basic unit might have had a high speed micro cassette, as used in answering machines, instead, for low cost gaming. Compiled basic to machine code. API's like white lightening had for software sprites etc, which the latter compiled basic versions had, are an idea. Unfortunately, I don't remember the name of these basics, but one way Blitz basic I think and one may have been by ocean. In the day, such a person could have been contacted to develop such, as the replacement basic for QL, making coding a lot easier for people who aren't Jeff Minter (nice guy, as was Clive).

Similar form factor and styling to the QL, maybe Wafer Scale QL replacement concept styling.

Better graphics (palletted 16 colour mode, with 80 column 16 colour text mode with programmable characters, maybe a simplified dma blitter (compositing the image at high speed rather than sprites) moving to 256 colour 256 and 512 resolution width modes and different resolutions.

VGA is more standard, and able to be fit on a NTSC monitor, and widescreen VGA will scale well within a FullHD screen. But derivatives resolutions going up to 1024*512 are more compatible with PAL widescreen. Today we talk about fullhd and 4k and 16 HDR bit professionally, but memory register hooks in there for all these then future derivative resolutions would be important, even if we are only looking at up to widescreen VGA to start.

A few other game friendly graphics configurations, full 16 colour programmable characters. Maybe a 68000. Better sound.

Emulated CPM and Spectrum, with code translation to 6800x machine code. (Not all games of the day would work, because of self modifying code).

Sort of alternative to the CPC, and cheap alternative to the Amiga and PC.

A TTL version as proof of concept (suitable as a kit), and as a design basis for the FPGA or CPLD's, which represent the ULA's back then. The extra circuitry for the dma transfer circuit that is used for blittering, is not much. Altogether the circuit might be less complex, except the disk drive controller.

Wasa wrote: Tue May 07, 2024 3:49 pm This an interesting thread, though I'm a little lost, as I can read again, but skim reading. I had also written something up to post about a modern representation of what could have been done with the QL myself, but the login authorisation too so long other things came up and I got sick. I want to look at it to see if it's worth posting. I've determined not to do it myself.


viewtopic.php?t=4820


On this thread. I may have a few suggestions. I found it googling Smallest Sinclair QL. It occurs to me that the QZero could be a basis for such a machine, with the modifications I mention in my thread. The Commodore 64 HP serial bus was ahead of it's time, a space that USB and Thunderbolt now occupy. But, such a scheme was viable on more condensed logic than the previous generation Commodore attempt, and healthy profits for the company selling the peripherals. So, a QZero plus USB, HDMI over USB SD card and basic sata (or whatever replaced it) and few other interfaces, represents a complete system in the space a pi zero W would take up. In today's terms there are a lot of open hardware out there, and graphics gpu softcores, with their own drivers. But, all that is needed for a cheap machine is the USB soft cores drivers and a few more graphics modes (and that blitter).

Another idea, that might be of help developing drivers and apps, that I had years back, was to vsee things on another platform which offers services. Android uses linux and the hardware drivers which come with that. I understand the universal driver attempts on Linux failed, but android's core exists. Linus got his start from owning a QL, and a android Linux core, would be a natural relationship.

For software, a JavaScript engine, like Firefox OS and Chrome OS did, but local installed desktop applications instead, to maintain web compatibility and offer a way to write and get cross platform applications. When JavaScript is not good enough, native code is used (there is also a way to run Linux apps through a framework on JavaScript).

Using these approaches, after the original system is implemented existing drivers and apps, hardware soft cores, USB libraries and whatever services attached to the Linux kernel under android, can be used from elsewhere.


I had also been looking for a Sinclair QL on Pi Pico emulator. I have found various 8 bit Sinclair, Jupiter, Commodore, Atari systems, and the Nes. But, the QL is not far off of an 8 bit system, and does the Pico use internal 32 bit data which would make emulation easier. A high speed method of emulating systems, is to translate the code to local machine language. Except for lack of graphics output, the Pico offers a reasonable minimal target system. I do not like the whole stick a Pico on a base board to make an emulated system, when they could be using the Pico and Pi chips themselves as the basis of the base boards.

Manufacturing and legal protection, certification, IP, warranty, distribution are very complicated before you even do the business. There must be a better way to get this all done, to take it off of our hands.

XorA wrote: Mon May 13, 2024 3:55 pm It already exists, stop spamming!

So, where is the Qzero mounted on top of QL main board. Peter says the Q68 can't even fit in the case. Where is the new case and package? Where is the finished product?

XorA wrote: Mon May 13, 2024 4:40 pm

So, where is the Qzero mounted on top of QL main board. Peter says the Q68 can't even fit in the case. Where is the new case and package? Where is the finished product?

Waiting for you to design it!

Derek_Stewart wrote: Mon May 13, 2024 4:50 pm Hi,

The Q68 is a standalone QL compatible single board computer, as is the Qzreo.

I produce the Q68, from Peter's design files.

The Qzero is also a standalone single board computer, that can be fitted into the QL Case and use the QL Keyboard with the QL Base board. There is no contact with the QL board.

The QIMSI works with the QL Board and plugs int the QL ROM Port, adding Hard Disk storage, PS/2 Mouse & Keyboard, fast Serial port, SSS sound.

The forthcoming QIMISI Gold has all the QIMSI functionality and extended screen modes, accelerated graphics and CPU, and more features than I can mention.

Derek_Stewart wrote: Mon May 13, 2024 4:50 pm Hi,

The Q68 is a standalone QL compatible single board computer, as is the Qzreo.

I produce the Q68, from Peter's design files.

The Qzero is also a standalone single board computer, that can be fitted into the QL Case and use the QL Keyboard with the QL Base board. There is no contact with the QL board.

The QIMSI works with the QL Board and plugs int the QL ROM Port, adding Hard Disk storage, PS/2 Mouse & Keyboard, fast Serial port, SSS sound.

The forthcoming QIMISI Gold has all the QIMSI functionality and extended screen modes, accelerated graphics and CPU, and more features than I can mention.