About Build Standards, Serial Numbers, Motherboard, Chipset & ROM versions
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sinclair QL professional computer Build Standards & Serial Numbers do follow the following notation and format: Dxx-yyyyyy or S*xx-yyyyyy where:

* D stands for manufacturer named Datatech, short for (Thorn EMI) Datatech. Earliest machine ever seen (in December 2019) is D02-001058. Original D02 build standard QLs had ZX8302 chips manufactured 8414. Latest machine even seen (in June 2019) is ##8-123538 (ZX8302 chip manufactured 8534).

* S stands for manufacturer named SAMSUNG. Earliest machine ever seen (in September 2013) is SG18-001002. Latest machine ever seen (in July 1990) is SG18-010800. * is optional, stands for the designated target market, only use case was G for German Edition.

* xx is the build standard number, where D machines known to exist are in the range 02 (most likely also on earth at one time was 01) to 17 plus ##8 which is a misprint of D18 (the only machine ever seen is ##8-123538), S machines known to exist are in the range 13 (S13 for North American markets) and 18 (SG18 for German speaking markets).

* yyyyyy is the sequential serial number, per manufacturer (Datatech), respectively per manufacturer edition (SAMSUNG), each starting from 001001 (or 001000).


Sinclair QL PCB (Motherboard) issues are named and have the specifics as following:

* (Thorn EMI) Datatech made Dxx-yyyyyy QLs have seen 7 PCB issues. Known to exist are ISS.2 (date code 8350), ISS.4, ISS.5 (earliest date code 8415), ISS.6 (earliest date code 8447), ISS.7 (5). Most likely also on earth at one time were ISS.1, ISS.3 (2).

* SAMSUNG made S*xx-yyyyyy QLs have seen 9 (!) PCB issues. Known to exist are US3, US5, US5.1, US5.2, US5.3, US6 (6). Most likely also on earth at one time were US1, US2, US4 (3). SAMSUNG made QL had the inside of the plastic case silver-coated and had other measures to make the QL comply with stronger US FCC and German VDE standards. Such measures include capacitors added piggyback on some chips or at some lines, diodes added piggyback on the RGB video signal pins of the ZX8301.


Sinclair QL Chipset components and issues are named as follows:

* ZX8301 Master Chip (MC). Made by Plessey in the UK. 2 issues are known to exist CLA2310 and CLA2345.

* ZX8302 Peripheral Chip (PC). Made by NCR in the USA. 1 issue is known to exist 0371725.

* 8049 Intelligent Peripheral Controller (IPC). Licenced Intel 8049 made by either NEC or PHILIPS. 2 versions of embedded firmware are known to exist 0.7 (NEC and PHILIPS) and 1.1 (NEC only).


Sinclair QL ROM versions are named as follows:

FB, FB.2, PM, AH, JM, TB, JS, JSU, MGx, EFP, TY05, TY06. Those written in italic were only produced in EPROM form. The earliest seen masked ROMs are VTi made gold-plated CERDIP with date code 427 (1984 week 27) which contain the AH firmware.


Trivia:

* Very early QLs often have a hand written number on (a small white round sticker on) the UHF modulator which numbers the machine before its serial number was heat stamped, e.g. the QL with S/N D02-001071 has written the number 72 on that small sticker on the UHF modulator.

* QLs failed to be completed on the production line and QLs not passed QA have no heat stamped serial number at all.

* QL reworked/refurbished/repaired after DOA return have a white rectangular sticker with a printed number in the format AR1zzzzz, where A stands for AB Electronics, R stands for Rework and zzzzz is the sequential number of the rework.