SD Card Reader
Posted: Wed Apr 03, 2024 2:33 pm
Hello all,
I've had so much fun so far with the QL. Got myself a super cheap one because of a keyboard fault, switched the membrane out and everything was good.
I was using SCART to a TV and I really wanted monitor mode, so Techy kindly supplied a little QL2VGA which worked perfectly. Next on the list was ROM, and CHR$ supplied me with the Minerva socket adapter, but whilst I was awaiting the arrival of the magic upgrade, my QL developed a fault as it warmed up the display went a bit broken up. It would be OK after cooling down but was progressing. After a few days like this, it became permanent and there wasn't a display readable enough for Minerva memory test to tell me anything.
So, out came the oscilloscope followed by the Microdrives and then the motherboard. On to Ebay for some new old stock TTL DIP devices. IC19, 20 and 21 are now socketed my display is all good again. I had such a lovely nostalgic time breathing the rosin flux vapour, taking me right back to my young apprentice Electronic Engineering days when the yellow orange Texas TTL Data Book and the RS catalogue ruled my working life. I didn't risk lifting pads, I clipped the legs from the little 74 series devils, before removing the estranged pins and finally sucking out the holes. I had dig out some very old lead solder to assist with that last step - and to solder in the new sockets. How lucky that no 4864 DRAM devices had gone bad. I have some spares now anyway.
So, having invested so much time and thoroughly enjoyed the experience I need to be doing more with my new little friend and I am looking for more add-ons. So anyone patient enough to have read this far, I thank you and ask if you can tell me where I might get my hands on an external storage device that would operate in lieu of the microdrives? Preferably an SD card adapter that would allow me to load up QL software and save any productive output?
Thanks.
I've had so much fun so far with the QL. Got myself a super cheap one because of a keyboard fault, switched the membrane out and everything was good.
I was using SCART to a TV and I really wanted monitor mode, so Techy kindly supplied a little QL2VGA which worked perfectly. Next on the list was ROM, and CHR$ supplied me with the Minerva socket adapter, but whilst I was awaiting the arrival of the magic upgrade, my QL developed a fault as it warmed up the display went a bit broken up. It would be OK after cooling down but was progressing. After a few days like this, it became permanent and there wasn't a display readable enough for Minerva memory test to tell me anything.
So, out came the oscilloscope followed by the Microdrives and then the motherboard. On to Ebay for some new old stock TTL DIP devices. IC19, 20 and 21 are now socketed my display is all good again. I had such a lovely nostalgic time breathing the rosin flux vapour, taking me right back to my young apprentice Electronic Engineering days when the yellow orange Texas TTL Data Book and the RS catalogue ruled my working life. I didn't risk lifting pads, I clipped the legs from the little 74 series devils, before removing the estranged pins and finally sucking out the holes. I had dig out some very old lead solder to assist with that last step - and to solder in the new sockets. How lucky that no 4864 DRAM devices had gone bad. I have some spares now anyway.
So, having invested so much time and thoroughly enjoyed the experience I need to be doing more with my new little friend and I am looking for more add-ons. So anyone patient enough to have read this far, I thank you and ask if you can tell me where I might get my hands on an external storage device that would operate in lieu of the microdrives? Preferably an SD card adapter that would allow me to load up QL software and save any productive output?
Thanks.