The Sinclair QL Forum

Hi,

MDUMP_task is a Turbo compiled programme, so maybe this could be decompiled and debugged to all QL Rom platforms.

Derek_Stewart wrote:Hi,

MDUMP_task is a Turbo compiled programme, so maybe this could be decompiled and debugged to all QL Rom platforms.

Or have it recompiled under Liberator

Daniele told me once that it needs an original ROM for the important timings, or something! As it's really only for original QL's and its only use is for dumping original cartridge data, I don't think it needs to be Minerva compatible. When I dump carts I simply ensure I'm running the QL barebone with MGG or JS. Mdump_task is still updated from time to time.

What would be nice though is a program that could dump Spectrum cart data (and even ICL OPD ) - which would require a custom QL ROM for the different timings I think?

Yeah, I guess that Daniele still has the source code. And the EXE says "Can run on Sinclair or Minerva QDOS only", so I'm not sure Minerva is completely out of the question.

mk79 wrote:Yeah, I guess that Daniele still has the source code. And the EXE says "Can run on Sinclair or Minerva QDOS only", so I'm not sure Minerva is completely out of the question.

I also would pretty much doubt that Minerva can have different timings on Microdrive access routines than original QDOS has - How would it read "standard" cartridges, then?

mk79 wrote:Yeah, I guess that Daniele still has the source code. And the EXE says "Can run on Sinclair or Minerva QDOS only", so I'm not sure Minerva is completely out of the question.

*Goes to test it barebones with Minerva* - Yes, sorry, I tried it and it does work with Minerva (and TK2 + QLSD driver, nothing else). I was mixing it up with (S)GC. It doesn't work with an (S)GC, because of timing issues. That makes more sense.

Thanks for testing. It hangs on my Minerva QL with Trump Card and vDrive attached. Guess it’s deconstruction time…

HI,

I thought Minerva enhanced the Microdrive access routines making them more efficient, but since the Minerva source has been released with Lau's commented code, this should be easy available.

Back when I wrote my machine code Microdrive dumping program for the MDI driver, I had problems getting it to work with Minerva.

It would crash the system, but worked OK with JS ROM's. I seem to remember some time later reading something about that with Minerva. Once you start the Microdrive running, you should not alter the stack pointer (A7). I was calling subroutines, so this may be the reason why it was crashing on me.