Quadram Quadlink

[jeff.brielmaier@yob.com (Jeff Brielmaier)]

NP>But when I got it home and plugged into the old XT, it didn't work.  The
NP>bootup program asks for the Filer disk, so I insert the Filer disk, and
NP>the disk drive runs for a few moments, and then reports a "problem", and
NP>loops back to the ask-for-the-Filer-disk prompt.
NP>
NP>I know the Filer disk isn't the cause of the problem, because it boots and
NP>runs on my IIGS just fine.  I'm pretty sure it's not a problem with the
NP>Quadlink board itself, since both boards from the package fail identically.
NP>
NP>So are there any old (or even current) Quadlink users out there who
NP>remember what kind of tricks are necessary to get it to work on an IBM XT
NP>clone?  (I think it might be a disk drive problem--the Quadlink cable
NP>wants to connect to an old-style edge connector, but my disk drive
NP>conroller has the newer 34-pin connectors, so I had to hook up the cables
NP>in rather bizarre ways.  The IBM drive still worked properly as an IBM
NP>drive in this configuration, but not as an Apple II drive.)

Ah, memories.  I worked for QuadRAM when QuadLink was released.  My job was to 
test various software packages (mostly games) to see if they would boot on the 
QuadLink (could we handle their copy protect routine).  If the didn't bootm 
then I got to deprotect the program, isolate the copy protection code being 
used, and pass that onto the main engineer so that the board (tyically the 
disk PAL) could be updated to work with it.

It was designed to work with the 360K disk drive/controller.  Use on "newer"
disk drives/controllers could be a problem.

The "disk" PAL (an R4 type device) also had a high failure rate.  Although
most of the failures will seen during the final testing prior to shipment.

Note: Be sure that you have an >original< Filer diskette.  The reason for this 
is that the QL system software does direct sector reads to read in the 
FPBASIC (AppleSoft + monitor ROM code) into the QL's upper memory.  If the 
diskette you are using was created by copying the files onto the diskette 
(instead of doing a disk copy), the copy will NOT work since FPBASIC will 
not be in the same sectors on the diskette.  [Sorry, I don't have a copy of 
the FILER diskette and I cannot remember the sectors FPBASIC used.]

* KingQWK 1.05 # [PK] * Farfignewton: n., from German, "ergonomic cookie"

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