The vDrive QL provides hardware emulation for up to eight microdrives and includes a comprehensive toolkit for managing microdrive cartridge images stored on the SD card. The vDriveQL is simply connected to your QL's external Microdrive bus and invoked with the usual Microdrive commands. A 3D printed case (optional) is available to house the vDriveQL. Alternatively, a standard ZX Microdrive enclosure can be used (see installation). (see manual vDriveQL hardware installation).

The SD card file system implementation is based on DOS and is compatible with systems that can read or write to FAT16 or FAT32 media. The vDriveQL was tested with SD cards with a capacity of up to 32 GB.

vDriveQL adopts the MDV image format. This format is supported by emulators such as Q-emulator and QLAY. In general, images created with these emulators are compatible with vDriveQL and vice versa. MDV images can be formatted, saved, read and deleted using standard QL commands on real QL hardware.

Other formats such as mDump archive format and MDI are also supported. They are automatically converted to MDV format before being assigned to a vDrive.

In addition to the standard 128K QL hardware with JM, JS or Minerva 1.97/1.98 ROM, the vDrive QL was also tested on the following:

Miracle Systems Gold Card (including Tetroid's clone)

Miracle Systems Super Gold Card

512K memory expansion cards

QL Trump Card (including clones)

vMapQL Microdrive address translator

All combinations of system firmware and peripherals listed above are supported. It is likely that many other peripheral cards are also compatible, but these have not been tested. The Toolkit is compatible with Toolkit II and both extensions can be resident at the same time.

For maximum flexibility, vDriveQL is best combined with the vMapQL Microdrive Address Translator. For more information about this versatile interface, see the vMapQL product page.

The goal of vDriveQL is to reduce the hassle of using microdrives and reproduce what the original hardware was intended to do.

The vDriveQL also provides an easy way to preserve existing cartridge contents, ensuring future cartridge wear is kept to a minimum.

The result is a unique solution that will hopefully help deliver the original Microdrive experience to the QL.

vDrive QL - Microdrive Hardware Emulator