Sinclair QL
Encyclopedia
The Sinclair QL was a personal computer
launched by Sinclair Research
in 1984, as the successor to the Sinclair ZX Spectrum. The QL, based on the Motorola 68008
microprocessor
, was aimed at the hobbyist and small business
markets, but failed to achieve commercial success.
The QL was originally conceived in 1981 under the code-name ZX83, as a portable computer
for business users, with a built-in ultra-thin flat-screen CRT
display (similar to the later TV80
pocket TV), printer and modem
. As development progressed, and ZX83 became ZX84, it eventually became clear that the portability features were over-ambitious and the specification was reduced to a conventional desktop configuration.
Based on a Motorola 68008
processor clocked at 7.5 MHz, the QL included 128 kB
of RAM
(officially expandable to 640 kB) and could be connected to a monitor or TV for display. Two built-in ZX Microdrive
tape-loop cartridge drives provided mass storage, in place of the more expensive floppy disk
drives found on similar systems of the era. Microdrives had been introduced for the Sinclair ZX Spectrum in July 1983, although the QL used a different logical tape format. Interfaces included an expansion slot, ROM cartridge socket, dual RS-232
ports, proprietary QLAN local area network
ports, dual joystick
ports and an external Microdrive
bus. Two video modes were available, 256×256 pixels with 8 RGB colours and per-pixel flashing, or 512×256 pixels with four colours (black, red, green and white). Both screen modes used a 32 kB framebuffer
in main memory. The hardware was capable of switching between two different areas of memory for the framebuffer, thus allowing double buffering
. However, this would have used 64 KB of the standard machine's 128 kB of RAM and there is no support for this feature in the QL's original firmware. The alternative and much improved operating system Minerva
does provide full support for the second framebuffer. When connected to a normally-adjusted TV or monitor, the QL's video output would overscan
horizontally. This was reputed to have been due to the timing constants in the ZX8301 chip being optimised for the flat-screen CRT display originally intended for the QL.
Internally, the QL comprised the CPU, two ULAs, (ZX8301
and ZX8302
) and an Intel 8049 microcontroller
(known as the IPC, or "Intelligent Peripheral Controller"). The ZX8301 or "Master Chip" implemented the video display generator and also provided DRAM
refresh. The ZX8302, or "Peripheral Chip", interfaced to the RS-232 ports (transmit only) Microdrives, QLAN ports, real-time clock and the 8049 (via a synchronous serial link). The 8049 (included at late stage in the QL's design, the ZX8302 originally being intended to perform its functions) ran at 11 MHz and acted as a keyboard/joystick interface, RS-232 receive buffer and audio generator.
A multitasking
operating system
, QDOS
, primarily designed by Tony Tebby
, was included on ROM
, as was an advanced BASIC interpreter
, named SuperBASIC
designed by Jan Jones. The QL was also bundled with an office suite
(word processor, spreadsheet, database, and graphics) written by Psion. Sinclair had commissioned GST Computer Systems
to produce an operating system for the machine, but switched to QDOS, developed in-house, before launch. GST's OS, designed by Tim Ward, was later made available as 68K/OS
, in the form of an add-on ROM card.
The tools developed by GST for the QL would later be used on the Atari ST
, where GST object format became standard.
Physically, the QL was the same black colour as the preceding ZX81
and Sinclair ZX Spectrum models, but introduced a new angular styling theme and keyboard design which would later be seen in the ZX Spectrum+. Unusually, the QL used BS 6312 type 630W sockets for the RS-232 and joystick ports, except for QLs built by Samsung for export markets, which had DE-9 sockets.
The QL was the first mass-market personal computer based on the Motorola 68000
-series processor family. Rushed into production, the QL beat the Apple Macintosh by a month, and the Atari ST
by a year. While clock speeds were comparable, the 8-bit databus and cycle stealing
of the ZX8301
ULA
limited the QL's performance. However, at the time of launch, on January 12, 1984, the QL was far from being ready for production, there being no complete working prototype in existence. Although Sinclair started taking orders immediately, promising delivery within 28 days, first customer deliveries only started, slowly, in April. This provoked much criticism of the company and the attention of the Advertising Standards Authority
.
Due to its premature launch, the QL was plagued by a number of problems from the start. Early production QLs were shipped with preliminary versions of firmware
containing numerous bugs, mainly in SuperBASIC. Part of the firmware was held on an external 16 kB ROM cartridge (also known as the "kludge
" or "dongle
"), until the QL was redesigned to accommodate the necessary 48 kB of ROM internally, instead of the 32 kB initially specified. The QL also suffered from reliability problems of its Microdrives. These problems were later rectified, by Sinclair engineers, especially on Samsung
produced models, as well as by aftermarket firms such as Adman Services and TF Services — to the point where several QL users report their Microdrives working perfectly even after almost 17 years of service (for Samsung QLs) — but in any case much too late to redeem the negative image they had already created.
Although the computer was hyped as being advanced for its time, and relatively cheap, it failed to sell well, and UK production was suspended in 1985, due to lack of demand. After Amstrad
acquired Sinclair's computer products lines in April 1986, the QL was officially discontinued. Apart from its reliability issues, the target business market was becoming wedded to the IBM PC
platform, whilst the majority of ZX Spectrum owners were uninterested in upgrading to a machine which had a minimal library of games. Sinclair's persistence with the non-standard Microdrive and uncomfortable keyboard did not endear it to the business market; coupled with the machine's resemblance to a ZX Spectrum, they led many to perceive the QL as something akin to a toy. Software publishers were also reluctant to support the QL due to the necessity of using Microdrive cartridges as a distribution medium.
, ZX8301
and ZX8302
ULA
s and ZX Microdrive
s also formed the basis of International Computers Limited's (ICL's) One Per Desk
(OPD) - also marketed by British Telecom as the Merlin Tonto and by Telecom Australia
as the Computerphone. The result of a three-year collaboration between Sinclair Research, ICL and British Telecom, the OPD had the intriguing addition of a telephone handset on one end of the keyboard, and rudimentary Computer-Telephony Integration (CTI) software.
This curious machine interested a number of high-profile business customers, including certain divisions of the former UK Customs and Excise Department
, but its success was generally limited.
In the late eighties they were used in bingo halls to allow a country wide networked bingo game.
These included CST
and DanSoft, creators of the Thor
line of compatible systems; Miracle Systems
, creator of the Gold Card and Super Gold Card processor/memory upgrade cards and the QXL PC-based hardware emulator; and Qubbesoft, with the Aurora, the first replacement QL mainboard, featuring enhanced graphics modes.
In the late 1990s, two partly QL-compatible motherboard
s named Q40 and Q60 (collectively referred to as Qx0) were designed by Peter Graf and marketed by D&D Systems. The Q40 and Q60, based on the 68040
and 68060 CPUs respectively, were much more powerful than the original QL and have the ability among other things (such as multimedia, high resolution graphics, Ethernet
networking etc.) to run the Linux
operating system.
Hardware add-ons were still being produced for the original QL mainly by TF Services until early 2009, when it was passed to RWAP Software, who supply various hardware and software upgrades.
which gradually evolved into a completely rewritten operating system, offering improved speed, with multitasking SuperBASIC
interpreters. Tony Tebby went on to produce another updated operating system, SMSQ/E
, which has continued to be developed for the Sinclair QL and emulators, offering many more features.
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
launched by Sinclair Research
Sinclair Research Ltd
Sinclair Research Ltd is a British consumer electronics company founded by Sir Clive Sinclair in Cambridge. Originally incorporated in 1973 as Ablesdeal Ltd., it remained dormant until 1976, and did not adopt the name Sinclair Research until 1981....
in 1984, as the successor to the Sinclair ZX Spectrum. The QL, based on the Motorola 68008
Motorola 68008
The Motorola 68008 is an 8/16/32-bit microprocessor made by Motorola. It is a version of the Motorola 68000 with an 8-bit external data bus, as well as a smaller address bus.The original 68000 had a 24-bit address bus and a 16-bit data bus...
microprocessor
Microprocessor
A microprocessor incorporates the functions of a computer's central processing unit on a single integrated circuit, or at most a few integrated circuits. It is a multipurpose, programmable device that accepts digital data as input, processes it according to instructions stored in its memory, and...
, was aimed at the hobbyist and small business
Small business
A small business is a business that is privately owned and operated, with a small number of employees and relatively low volume of sales. Small businesses are normally privately owned corporations, partnerships, or sole proprietorships...
markets, but failed to achieve commercial success.
Description
Portable computer
A portable computer is a computer that is designed to be moved from one place to another and includes a display and keyboard. Portable computers, by their nature, are generally microcomputers. Portable computers, because of their size, are also commonly known as 'Lunchbox' or 'Luggable' computers...
for business users, with a built-in ultra-thin flat-screen CRT
Cathode ray tube
The cathode ray tube is a vacuum tube containing an electron gun and a fluorescent screen used to view images. It has a means to accelerate and deflect the electron beam onto the fluorescent screen to create the images. The image may represent electrical waveforms , pictures , radar targets and...
display (similar to the later TV80
TV80
The Sinclair TV80, also known as the Flat Screen Pocket TV or FTV1, was a pocket television launched by Sinclair Research in 1984. Unlike Sinclair's earlier attempts at a portable television, the TV80 used a flat CRT with a side-mounted electron gun instead of a conventional CRT; the picture was...
pocket TV), printer and modem
Modem
A modem is a device that modulates an analog carrier signal to encode digital information, and also demodulates such a carrier signal to decode the transmitted information. The goal is to produce a signal that can be transmitted easily and decoded to reproduce the original digital data...
. As development progressed, and ZX83 became ZX84, it eventually became clear that the portability features were over-ambitious and the specification was reduced to a conventional desktop configuration.
Based on a Motorola 68008
Motorola 68008
The Motorola 68008 is an 8/16/32-bit microprocessor made by Motorola. It is a version of the Motorola 68000 with an 8-bit external data bus, as well as a smaller address bus.The original 68000 had a 24-bit address bus and a 16-bit data bus...
processor clocked at 7.5 MHz, the QL included 128 kB
Kilobyte
The kilobyte is a multiple of the unit byte for digital information. Although the prefix kilo- means 1000, the term kilobyte and symbol KB have historically been used to refer to either 1024 bytes or 1000 bytes, dependent upon context, in the fields of computer science and information...
of RAM
Random-access memory
Random access memory is a form of computer data storage. Today, it takes the form of integrated circuits that allow stored data to be accessed in any order with a worst case performance of constant time. Strictly speaking, modern types of DRAM are therefore not random access, as data is read in...
(officially expandable to 640 kB) and could be connected to a monitor or TV for display. Two built-in ZX Microdrive
ZX Microdrive
The ZX Microdrive is a magnetic tape data storage system launched in July 1983 by Sinclair Research for their ZX Spectrum home computer. The Microdrive technology was later also used in the Sinclair QL and ICL One Per Desk personal computers.-Development:...
tape-loop cartridge drives provided mass storage, in place of the more expensive floppy disk
Floppy disk
A floppy disk is a disk storage medium composed of a disk of thin and flexible magnetic storage medium, sealed in a rectangular plastic carrier lined with fabric that removes dust particles...
drives found on similar systems of the era. Microdrives had been introduced for the Sinclair ZX Spectrum in July 1983, although the QL used a different logical tape format. Interfaces included an expansion slot, ROM cartridge socket, dual RS-232
RS-232
In telecommunications, RS-232 is the traditional name for a series of standards for serial binary single-ended data and control signals connecting between a DTE and a DCE . It is commonly used in computer serial ports...
ports, proprietary QLAN local area network
Local area network
A local area network is a computer network that interconnects computers in a limited area such as a home, school, computer laboratory, or office building...
ports, dual joystick
Joystick
A joystick is an input device consisting of a stick that pivots on a base and reports its angle or direction to the device it is controlling. Joysticks, also known as 'control columns', are the principal control in the cockpit of many civilian and military aircraft, either as a center stick or...
ports and an external Microdrive
ZX Microdrive
The ZX Microdrive is a magnetic tape data storage system launched in July 1983 by Sinclair Research for their ZX Spectrum home computer. The Microdrive technology was later also used in the Sinclair QL and ICL One Per Desk personal computers.-Development:...
bus. Two video modes were available, 256×256 pixels with 8 RGB colours and per-pixel flashing, or 512×256 pixels with four colours (black, red, green and white). Both screen modes used a 32 kB framebuffer
Framebuffer
A framebuffer is a video output device that drives a video display from a memory buffer containing a complete frame of data.The information in the memory buffer typically consists of color values for every pixel on the screen...
in main memory. The hardware was capable of switching between two different areas of memory for the framebuffer, thus allowing double buffering
Double buffering
In computer science, multiple buffering is the use of more than one buffer to hold a block of data, so that a "reader" will see a complete version of the data, rather than a partially-updated version of the data being created by a "writer"...
. However, this would have used 64 KB of the standard machine's 128 kB of RAM and there is no support for this feature in the QL's original firmware. The alternative and much improved operating system Minerva
Minerva (QDOS reimplementation)
Written by Laurence Reeves in England, Minerva was a reimplementation of Sinclair QDOS, the built-in operating system of the Sinclair QL line of personal computers. Minerva incorporated many bug fixes and enhancements to both QDOS and the SuperBASIC programming language...
does provide full support for the second framebuffer. When connected to a normally-adjusted TV or monitor, the QL's video output would overscan
Overscan
Overscan is extra image area around the four edges of a video image that may not be seen reliably by the viewer. It exists because television sets in the 1930s through 1970s were highly variable in how the video image was framed within the cathode ray tube .-Origins of overscan:Early televisions...
horizontally. This was reputed to have been due to the timing constants in the ZX8301 chip being optimised for the flat-screen CRT display originally intended for the QL.
Internally, the QL comprised the CPU, two ULAs, (ZX8301
ZX8301
The ZX8301 was a ULA integrated circuit designed for the Sinclair QL microcomputer. Also known as the "Master Chip", it provided a Video Display Generator, the division of a 15 MHz crystal to provide the 7.5 MHz system clock, ZX8302 register address decoder, DRAM refresh and bus controller...
and ZX8302
ZX8302
The ZX8302 was a ULA integrated circuit designed for the Sinclair QL microcomputer. Also known as the QL's "Peripheral Chip", it interfaced the CPU to the Microdrives, QLAN local area network interface and RS-232 ports and also provided a real-time clock. The ZX8302 was IC23 on the QL motherboard....
) and an Intel 8049 microcontroller
Microcontroller
A microcontroller is a small computer on a single integrated circuit containing a processor core, memory, and programmable input/output peripherals. Program memory in the form of NOR flash or OTP ROM is also often included on chip, as well as a typically small amount of RAM...
(known as the IPC, or "Intelligent Peripheral Controller"). The ZX8301 or "Master Chip" implemented the video display generator and also provided DRAM
Dram
Dram or DRAM may refer to:As a unit of measure:* Dram , an imperial unit of mass and volume* Armenian dram, a monetary unit* Dirham, a unit of currency in several Arab nationsOther uses:...
refresh. The ZX8302, or "Peripheral Chip", interfaced to the RS-232 ports (transmit only) Microdrives, QLAN ports, real-time clock and the 8049 (via a synchronous serial link). The 8049 (included at late stage in the QL's design, the ZX8302 originally being intended to perform its functions) ran at 11 MHz and acted as a keyboard/joystick interface, RS-232 receive buffer and audio generator.
A multitasking
Computer multitasking
In computing, multitasking is a method where multiple tasks, also known as processes, share common processing resources such as a CPU. In the case of a computer with a single CPU, only one task is said to be running at any point in time, meaning that the CPU is actively executing instructions for...
operating system
Operating system
An operating system is a set of programs that manage computer hardware resources and provide common services for application software. The operating system is the most important type of system software in a computer system...
, QDOS
Sinclair QDOS
QDOS is the multitasking operating system found on the Sinclair QL personal computer and its clones...
, primarily designed by Tony Tebby
Tony Tebby
Tony Tebby is probably most famous for designing Qdos, the computer operating system used in the Sinclair QL personal computer, whilst working as an engineer at Sinclair Research in the early 1980s...
, was included on ROM
Read-only memory
Read-only memory is a class of storage medium used in computers and other electronic devices. Data stored in ROM cannot be modified, or can be modified only slowly or with difficulty, so it is mainly used to distribute firmware .In its strictest sense, ROM refers only...
, as was an advanced BASIC interpreter
Interpreter (computing)
In computer science, an interpreter normally means a computer program that executes, i.e. performs, instructions written in a programming language...
, named SuperBASIC
SuperBASIC
SuperBASIC was an advanced variant of the BASIC programming language with many structured programming additions. It was developed at Sinclair Research by Jan Jones during the early 1980s. Originally SuperBASIC was intended for a home computer, code-named SuperSpectrum, then under development...
designed by Jan Jones. The QL was also bundled with an office suite
Office suite
In computing, an office suite, sometimes called an office software suite or productivity suite is a collection of programs intended to be used by knowledge workers...
(word processor, spreadsheet, database, and graphics) written by Psion. Sinclair had commissioned GST Computer Systems
GST Computer Systems
GST was a group of computer companies based in Cambridge, England, founded by Dr Jeff Fenton in June 1979. The company worked with Sinclair Research, Torch Computers, Acorn Computers, Monotype Corporation and Kwik-Fit, amongst others.The group included:...
to produce an operating system for the machine, but switched to QDOS, developed in-house, before launch. GST's OS, designed by Tim Ward, was later made available as 68K/OS
68K/OS
68K/OS was a computer operating system developed by GST Computer Systems for the Sinclair QL microcomputer.It was commissioned by Sinclair Research in February 1983...
, in the form of an add-on ROM card.
The tools developed by GST for the QL would later be used on the Atari ST
Atari ST
The Atari ST is a home/personal computer that was released by Atari Corporation in 1985 and commercially available from that summer into the early 1990s. The "ST" officially stands for "Sixteen/Thirty-two", which referred to the Motorola 68000's 16-bit external bus and 32-bit internals...
, where GST object format became standard.
Physically, the QL was the same black colour as the preceding ZX81
Sinclair ZX81
The ZX81 was a home computer produced by Sinclair Research and manufactured in Scotland by Timex Corporation. It was launched in the United Kingdom in March 1981 as the successor to Sinclair's ZX80 and was designed to be a low-cost introduction to home computing for the general public...
and Sinclair ZX Spectrum models, but introduced a new angular styling theme and keyboard design which would later be seen in the ZX Spectrum+. Unusually, the QL used BS 6312 type 630W sockets for the RS-232 and joystick ports, except for QLs built by Samsung for export markets, which had DE-9 sockets.
History
The QL was the first mass-market personal computer based on the Motorola 68000
68k
The Motorola 680x0/m68000/68000 is a family of 32-bit CISC microprocessors. During the 1980s and early 1990s, they were popular in personal computers and workstations and were the primary competitors of Intel's x86 microprocessors...
-series processor family. Rushed into production, the QL beat the Apple Macintosh by a month, and the Atari ST
Atari ST
The Atari ST is a home/personal computer that was released by Atari Corporation in 1985 and commercially available from that summer into the early 1990s. The "ST" officially stands for "Sixteen/Thirty-two", which referred to the Motorola 68000's 16-bit external bus and 32-bit internals...
by a year. While clock speeds were comparable, the 8-bit databus and cycle stealing
Cycle stealing
Cycle stealing is used to describe the "stealing" of a single CPU cycle, for example, to allow a DMA controller to perform a DMA operation. This is opposed to block operation where a DMA controller would request a bus, hold it for a complete transaction before releasing to a CPU.Cycle stealing...
of the ZX8301
ZX8301
The ZX8301 was a ULA integrated circuit designed for the Sinclair QL microcomputer. Also known as the "Master Chip", it provided a Video Display Generator, the division of a 15 MHz crystal to provide the 7.5 MHz system clock, ZX8302 register address decoder, DRAM refresh and bus controller...
ULA
Gate array
A gate array or uncommitted logic array is an approach to the design and manufacture of application-specific integrated circuits...
limited the QL's performance. However, at the time of launch, on January 12, 1984, the QL was far from being ready for production, there being no complete working prototype in existence. Although Sinclair started taking orders immediately, promising delivery within 28 days, first customer deliveries only started, slowly, in April. This provoked much criticism of the company and the attention of the Advertising Standards Authority
Advertising Standards Authority (United Kingdom)
The Advertising Standards Authority is the self-regulatory organisation of the advertising industry in the United Kingdom. The ASA is a non-statutory organisation and so cannot interpret or enforce legislation. However, its code of advertising practice broadly reflects legislation in many instances...
.
Due to its premature launch, the QL was plagued by a number of problems from the start. Early production QLs were shipped with preliminary versions of firmware
Firmware
In electronic systems and computing, firmware is a term often used to denote the fixed, usually rather small, programs and/or data structures that internally control various electronic devices...
containing numerous bugs, mainly in SuperBASIC. Part of the firmware was held on an external 16 kB ROM cartridge (also known as the "kludge
Kludge
A kludge is a workaround, a quick-and-dirty solution, a clumsy or inelegant, yet effective, solution to a problem, typically using parts that are cobbled together...
" or "dongle
Dongle
A software protection dongle is a small piece of hardware that plugs into an electrical connector on a computer and serves as an electronic "key" for a piece of software; the program will only run when the dongle is plugged in...
"), until the QL was redesigned to accommodate the necessary 48 kB of ROM internally, instead of the 32 kB initially specified. The QL also suffered from reliability problems of its Microdrives. These problems were later rectified, by Sinclair engineers, especially on Samsung
Samsung
The Samsung Group is a South Korean multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Samsung Town, Seoul, South Korea...
produced models, as well as by aftermarket firms such as Adman Services and TF Services — to the point where several QL users report their Microdrives working perfectly even after almost 17 years of service (for Samsung QLs) — but in any case much too late to redeem the negative image they had already created.
Although the computer was hyped as being advanced for its time, and relatively cheap, it failed to sell well, and UK production was suspended in 1985, due to lack of demand. After Amstrad
Amstrad
Amstrad is a British electronics company, now wholly owned by BSkyB. As of 2006, Amstrad's main business is manufacturing Sky Digital interactive boxes....
acquired Sinclair's computer products lines in April 1986, the QL was officially discontinued. Apart from its reliability issues, the target business market was becoming wedded to the IBM PC
IBM PC
The IBM Personal Computer, commonly known as the IBM PC, is the original version and progenitor of the IBM PC compatible hardware platform. It is IBM model number 5150, and was introduced on August 12, 1981...
platform, whilst the majority of ZX Spectrum owners were uninterested in upgrading to a machine which had a minimal library of games. Sinclair's persistence with the non-standard Microdrive and uncomfortable keyboard did not endear it to the business market; coupled with the machine's resemblance to a ZX Spectrum, they led many to perceive the QL as something akin to a toy. Software publishers were also reluctant to support the QL due to the necessity of using Microdrive cartridges as a distribution medium.
ICL One Per Desk
The QL's CPUCentral processing unit
The central processing unit is the portion of a computer system that carries out the instructions of a computer program, to perform the basic arithmetical, logical, and input/output operations of the system. The CPU plays a role somewhat analogous to the brain in the computer. The term has been in...
, ZX8301
ZX8301
The ZX8301 was a ULA integrated circuit designed for the Sinclair QL microcomputer. Also known as the "Master Chip", it provided a Video Display Generator, the division of a 15 MHz crystal to provide the 7.5 MHz system clock, ZX8302 register address decoder, DRAM refresh and bus controller...
and ZX8302
ZX8302
The ZX8302 was a ULA integrated circuit designed for the Sinclair QL microcomputer. Also known as the QL's "Peripheral Chip", it interfaced the CPU to the Microdrives, QLAN local area network interface and RS-232 ports and also provided a real-time clock. The ZX8302 was IC23 on the QL motherboard....
ULA
Gate array
A gate array or uncommitted logic array is an approach to the design and manufacture of application-specific integrated circuits...
s and ZX Microdrive
ZX Microdrive
The ZX Microdrive is a magnetic tape data storage system launched in July 1983 by Sinclair Research for their ZX Spectrum home computer. The Microdrive technology was later also used in the Sinclair QL and ICL One Per Desk personal computers.-Development:...
s also formed the basis of International Computers Limited's (ICL's) One Per Desk
One Per Desk
The One Per Desk, or OPD, was an innovative hybrid personal computer/telecommunications terminal based on the hardware of the Sinclair QL. The One Per Desk was built by International Computers Limited and launched in the UK in 1984...
(OPD) - also marketed by British Telecom as the Merlin Tonto and by Telecom Australia
Telecom Australia
Telecom Australia was the trading name of the:* Australian Telecommunications Commission * Australian Telecommunications Corporation * Australian and Overseas Telecommunications Corporation...
as the Computerphone. The result of a three-year collaboration between Sinclair Research, ICL and British Telecom, the OPD had the intriguing addition of a telephone handset on one end of the keyboard, and rudimentary Computer-Telephony Integration (CTI) software.
This curious machine interested a number of high-profile business customers, including certain divisions of the former UK Customs and Excise Department
Her Majesty's Customs and Excise
HM Customs and Excise was, until April 2005, a department of the British Government in the UK. It was responsible for the collection of Value added tax , Customs Duties, Excise Duties, and other indirect taxes such as Air Passenger Duty, Climate Change Levy, Insurance Premium Tax, Landfill Tax and...
, but its success was generally limited.
In the late eighties they were used in bingo halls to allow a country wide networked bingo game.
Hardware
After Amstrad abandoned the QL in 1986, several companies previously involved in the QL peripherals market stepped in to fill the void.These included CST
Cambridge Systems Technology
Cambridge Systems Technology were a company formed in the early 1980s by ex-Torch Computers engineers David Oliver and Martin Baines, to produce peripherals for the BBC Micro, and later, with Graham Priestley, Sinclair QL microcomputers. Products included IEEE 488, floppy disk and SCSI interfaces...
and DanSoft, creators of the Thor
CST Thor
The CST Thor series of personal computers were Sinclair QL-compatible systems designed and produced by Cambridge Systems Technology during the late 1980s.- Thor PC :...
line of compatible systems; Miracle Systems
Miracle Systems
Miracle Systems Ltd. were a manufacturer of personal computer peripherals and upgrades, specializing in the Sinclair QL, in the 1980s and early 1990s....
, creator of the Gold Card and Super Gold Card processor/memory upgrade cards and the QXL PC-based hardware emulator; and Qubbesoft, with the Aurora, the first replacement QL mainboard, featuring enhanced graphics modes.
In the late 1990s, two partly QL-compatible motherboard
Motherboard
In personal computers, a motherboard is the central printed circuit board in many modern computers and holds many of the crucial components of the system, providing connectors for other peripherals. The motherboard is sometimes alternatively known as the mainboard, system board, or, on Apple...
s named Q40 and Q60 (collectively referred to as Qx0) were designed by Peter Graf and marketed by D&D Systems. The Q40 and Q60, based on the 68040
Motorola 68040
The Motorola 68040 is a microprocessor from Motorola, released in 1990. It is the successor to the 68030 and is followed by the 68060. There was no 68050. In keeping with general Motorola naming, the 68040 is often referred to as simply the '040 ....
and 68060 CPUs respectively, were much more powerful than the original QL and have the ability among other things (such as multimedia, high resolution graphics, Ethernet
Ethernet
Ethernet is a family of computer networking technologies for local area networks commercially introduced in 1980. Standardized in IEEE 802.3, Ethernet has largely replaced competing wired LAN technologies....
networking etc.) to run the Linux
Linux
Linux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds...
operating system.
Hardware add-ons were still being produced for the original QL mainly by TF Services until early 2009, when it was passed to RWAP Software, who supply various hardware and software upgrades.
Software
A few patched versions of QDOS were produced, most notably MinervaMinerva (QDOS reimplementation)
Written by Laurence Reeves in England, Minerva was a reimplementation of Sinclair QDOS, the built-in operating system of the Sinclair QL line of personal computers. Minerva incorporated many bug fixes and enhancements to both QDOS and the SuperBASIC programming language...
which gradually evolved into a completely rewritten operating system, offering improved speed, with multitasking SuperBASIC
SuperBASIC
SuperBASIC was an advanced variant of the BASIC programming language with many structured programming additions. It was developed at Sinclair Research by Jan Jones during the early 1980s. Originally SuperBASIC was intended for a home computer, code-named SuperSpectrum, then under development...
interpreters. Tony Tebby went on to produce another updated operating system, SMSQ/E
SMSQ/E
SMSQ/E is a computer operating system originally developed in France by Tony Tebby, the designer of the original QDOS operating system for the Sinclair QL personal computer. It began life as SMSQ, a QDOS-compatible version of SMS2 intended for the Miracle Systems QXL emulator card for PCs. This was...
, which has continued to be developed for the Sinclair QL and emulators, offering many more features.
External links
- Dilwyn Jones's QL pages - General QL information and software downloads
- Thierry Godefroy's Sinclair QL and QDOS compatible systems site
- The QL chronology (1981 until today)
- Binary Dinosaurs: QL peripherals gallery
- Sinclair QL Service Manual, issue 3, October 1985
- QL-Users Mailing List
- QL User Forum
- QUANTA - the QL Users and Tinkerers Association
Emulators and support
- RWAP Software - Software, second hand items and keyboard membranes
- RWAP Adventures - Adventure programs for the Sinclair QL and ZX Spectrum
- Jochen Merz Software
- TF Services (Tony Firshman) Spares, repairs and addons for the QL
- Davide Santachiara web page
- Q-emuLator Sinclair QL emulator for Windows and Mac OS
- QPC emulator for DOS and Windows (uses QDOS successor SMSQ/E)
- uQLx emulator for Unix
- QL2K - Sinclair QL Emulator for Windows 2000/XP