Re: [Ql-Users] [QL-Users] Data collection on (S)GCs

[Dave Park]

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
wrote:

> 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 
> wrote:
>
> From: Francois Lanciault 
> 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  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
>
___
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http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm

Re: [Ql-Users] [QL-Users] Data collection on (S)GCs

[John Alexander]

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  wrote:

From: Francois Lanciault 
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  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
___
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http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm

Re: [Ql-Users] [QL-Users] Data collection on (S)GCs

[Francois Lanciault]

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  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