Re: [Ql-Users] [QL-Users] Data collection on (S)GCs
Difficult to read as some of the characters have worn off... Looks like: EP1810LC-20T A9119 Yellow gold card with just the name Gold Card. Not working. Will look at my super goldcard eventually. F. On 2013-03-10, at 13:53, Dave Park wrote: Hi everyone, I was wondering if you could take a minute out of your day to help us? We're trying to solve a problem by better understanding it. This requires that we collect information about what works, to see how big a pool of components is. If you have a Gold Card or Super Gold Card, we'd like some information about it. In particular, we'd like to know the date and model of the Altera chip your card has. What we already know is that some time in the late 90s, Altera made a revision to the chip which made it unsuitable for using in SGCs. We're trying to work out the complete date range of that chip as used on SGCs so we can see how broad the date range is that we can buy from. Also, we know the Gold Card used some slower versions of the IC, but many also used the faster version, which is suitable for re-use in a Super Gold Card. If you could please just remove your GC/SGC from your system and look at the Altera chip, you will see markings (which may be under a sticker saying INGOT #) like this: ALTERA EP1810LC-25T C9301 Could you please write these markings down? Next, if it's a Gold Card, please turn it over and note if it says Gold Card, Gold Card Issue 2, or Gold Card 3? Also, could you follow this link: CPU Toolkit http://www.dilwyn.me.uk/tk/cputk.zip and see if your card can run at 24 MHz? If it's a Super Gold Card you do not need to do this. If you have the original SAFT 40LF220 red battery on your card, can you please check the date code, which will be in the format YY MM. Finally, there's an EPROM on your card. Could you please write down what it says on the label? If you know that this has been changed since the card was made, please could you add a note of that? Next, could you email that information to d...@sinclairql.com please? Now would be a good time to blow away the dust and check all socketed chips are seated properly before re-assembling and testing your system :) We will collate the date ranges for each model, and get a much clearer picture of which versions/dates were used in which cards. We will publish the results. Thank you for doing this for us. We really appreciate it. ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [Ql-Users] [QL-Users] Data collection on (S)GCs
I suspect that many folk who have such devices are maybe long enough in the tooth not to really see those markings especially after xx years. A really nice simple way of getting accurate results is merely to photograph the board with your compact camera assuming you have a decent Macro. This is a great way of getting all sorts of board information depending on circumstance.. Yeah I know it's obvious but I'm sure that it's sooo obvious that many an owner will be cursing over that faded writing :) Good luck John A --- On Sun, 10/3/13, Francois Lanciault francoislancia...@hotmail.com wrote: From: Francois Lanciault francoislancia...@hotmail.com Subject: Re: [Ql-Users] [QL-Users] Data collection on (S)GCs To: ql-us...@q-v-d.com Date: Sunday, 10 March, 2013, 18:36 Difficult to read as some of the characters have worn off... Looks like: EP1810LC-20T A9119 Yellow gold card with just the name Gold Card. Not working. Will look at my super goldcard eventually. F. On 2013-03-10, at 13:53, Dave Park wrote: Hi everyone, I was wondering if you could take a minute out of your day to help us? We're trying to solve a problem by better understanding it. This requires that we collect information about what works, to see how big a pool of components is. If you have a Gold Card or Super Gold Card, we'd like some information about it. In particular, we'd like to know the date and model of the Altera chip your card has. What we already know is that some time in the late 90s, Altera made a revision to the chip which made it unsuitable for using in SGCs. We're trying to work out the complete date range of that chip as used on SGCs so we can see how broad the date range is that we can buy from. Also, we know the Gold Card used some slower versions of the IC, but many also used the faster version, which is suitable for re-use in a Super Gold Card. If you could please just remove your GC/SGC from your system and look at the Altera chip, you will see markings (which may be under a sticker saying INGOT #) like this: ALTERA EP1810LC-25T C9301 Could you please write these markings down? Next, if it's a Gold Card, please turn it over and note if it says Gold Card, Gold Card Issue 2, or Gold Card 3? Also, could you follow this link: CPU Toolkit http://www.dilwyn.me.uk/tk/cputk.zip and see if your card can run at 24 MHz? If it's a Super Gold Card you do not need to do this. If you have the original SAFT 40LF220 red battery on your card, can you please check the date code, which will be in the format YY MM. Finally, there's an EPROM on your card. Could you please write down what it says on the label? If you know that this has been changed since the card was made, please could you add a note of that? Next, could you email that information to d...@sinclairql.com please? Now would be a good time to blow away the dust and check all socketed chips are seated properly before re-assembling and testing your system :) We will collate the date ranges for each model, and get a much clearer picture of which versions/dates were used in which cards. We will publish the results. Thank you for doing this for us. We really appreciate it. ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [Ql-Users] [QL-Users] Data collection on (S)GCs
People are welcome to send photos too, but please remember to send them to d...@sinclairql.com and not to the list. :) BUT... how could it be?! QLers are a youthful and spritely bunch with a sparkle in their eye that belies their years! Dave On Sun, Mar 10, 2013 at 5:38 PM, John Alexander acontractor...@yahoo.co.ukwrote: I suspect that many folk who have such devices are maybe long enough in the tooth not to really see those markings especially after xx years. A really nice simple way of getting accurate results is merely to photograph the board with your compact camera assuming you have a decent Macro. This is a great way of getting all sorts of board information depending on circumstance.. Yeah I know it's obvious but I'm sure that it's sooo obvious that many an owner will be cursing over that faded writing :) Good luck John A --- On Sun, 10/3/13, Francois Lanciault francoislancia...@hotmail.com wrote: From: Francois Lanciault francoislancia...@hotmail.com Subject: Re: [Ql-Users] [QL-Users] Data collection on (S)GCs To: ql-us...@q-v-d.com Date: Sunday, 10 March, 2013, 18:36 Difficult to read as some of the characters have worn off... Looks like: EP1810LC-20T A9119 Yellow gold card with just the name Gold Card. Not working. Will look at my super goldcard eventually. F. On 2013-03-10, at 13:53, Dave Park wrote: Hi everyone, I was wondering if you could take a minute out of your day to help us? We're trying to solve a problem by better understanding it. This requires that we collect information about what works, to see how big a pool of components is. If you have a Gold Card or Super Gold Card, we'd like some information about it. In particular, we'd like to know the date and model of the Altera chip your card has. What we already know is that some time in the late 90s, Altera made a revision to the chip which made it unsuitable for using in SGCs. We're trying to work out the complete date range of that chip as used on SGCs so we can see how broad the date range is that we can buy from. Also, we know the Gold Card used some slower versions of the IC, but many also used the faster version, which is suitable for re-use in a Super Gold Card. If you could please just remove your GC/SGC from your system and look at the Altera chip, you will see markings (which may be under a sticker saying INGOT #) like this: ALTERA EP1810LC-25T C9301 Could you please write these markings down? Next, if it's a Gold Card, please turn it over and note if it says Gold Card, Gold Card Issue 2, or Gold Card 3? Also, could you follow this link: CPU Toolkit http://www.dilwyn.me.uk/tk/cputk.zip and see if your card can run at 24 MHz? If it's a Super Gold Card you do not need to do this. If you have the original SAFT 40LF220 red battery on your card, can you please check the date code, which will be in the format YY MM. Finally, there's an EPROM on your card. Could you please write down what it says on the label? If you know that this has been changed since the card was made, please could you add a note of that? Next, could you email that information to d...@sinclairql.com please? Now would be a good time to blow away the dust and check all socketed chips are seated properly before re-assembling and testing your system :) We will collate the date ranges for each model, and get a much clearer picture of which versions/dates were used in which cards. We will publish the results. Thank you for doing this for us. We really appreciate it. ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
