Last Updated: 01.05.2007
A two part article about expanding your QL system. Looks at hardware,
software and operating systems.
expand.zip (43K)
An article from IQLR magazine by the late Denis Briggs, listing most of
the early QL disk interfaces and other cards, complete with simple
diagrams to aid identification. The diagrams are PIC files to go with the
QL versions of the document.
dbhw.zip (90K)
How to connect a switched joystick such as an Atari switched joystick to
the CTL ports of the QL.
joystick.zip (1K)
A series of ASCII files drawn up by Keith as he has serviced some QL
add-ons over the years. All should be viewable on an 80 column screen as
they are basically plain text files.
hw.zip (13K)
Two articles about the QL video system. The first is a PDF file from
Marcel Flipse which shows how to make a little circuit board which inverts
the Csync pin video signal. This allows the QL to be connected to CGA
monitors, which expect an active-high signal (QL Csync pin normally gives
out an active-low signal). The second article (from Bob Gilder) explains
how to use an IBM CGA monitor with a QL.
cga.zip (184K)
Article from QL Today by Richard Cooke showing how to connect QL video
to a Scart input TV. Details for both RGB and composite video. Shows how
to connect suitable value resistors in line with the colour signals to
ensure correct voltages etc. along with the calculations involved.
scart.zip (29K)
Serial ports are a very useful means of interconnection between
computers, but wiring cables for them can be a tricky experience! This
article, written with advice from Tony Firshman, shows how easy it is to
connect up the various types of serial ports you are likely to encounter.
It may be useful if you wish to try to make up cables for use with the
Sernet serial networking software for example. An article from QL Today
magazine. The second article is also about making cables for serial file
transfers between QL and PC. Covers making cables for QL connectors and PC
serial ports whichuse 9-pi and 25-pin D connectors. The diagrams are in
.GIF format.
serials.zip (124K)
An article by H.P.Recktenwald about the U.K. QL serial ports.
ukqlser.zip (7K)
Two packages showing how you can read system information to determine what type of QL hardware and operating system your software is running on.
1. Which Machine Am I Running On?
More recent versions of our favourite operating systems have been ported
to runon various processors and platforms. This article from QL Today
documents system variables and language extensions which will help
software to identify which platform it's running on, e.g. so it can check
for certain hardware facilities and take advantage of them. The article
has been slightly amended from the one published in QL Today (QLay
hardware code details). Note also that since this article was written,
QPC2 no longer pretends to be a 68010 as it now pretends to be a 68020
since it supports new instructions from that processor.
machine.zip (8K)
2. A package by J.D.Mitchell to allow a degree of machine interrogation
via simple BASIC procedures, capable of running on most if not all
systems.
whathw.zip (5K)