On Mon, Jan 24, 2011 at 3:35 PM, Peter Graf <[email protected]> wrote: > Plastic wrote: > > > My real heart's desire is, ironically, a hardware/software project, to > > put together a package of an ARM-based embedded computer with Linux, > > booting right into uQLx, so that it is basically a QL. Getting it so > > it can fit inside a QL case with PSU and a couple of laptop SATA HDs > > or compact flash cards > > Why don't you desire a hardware/software project with an 68K-based > embedded computer which boots right into Minerva that fits into the > quarter of a QL case, has a couple of SDHC card interfaces and consumes > so little power that it runs from a tiny wall plug transformer? > > Sorry couldn't resist... the core problem for almost a decade has been > the lack of OS. For a realistic approach on a major hardware, SMSQ/E is > useless by jurisprudence and Minerva is useless by lack of manpower. > > I don't mean to start a discussion... It was just a big SIGH... Because > you mentioned the _heart_ :-) > > Peter > _______________________________________________ > QL-Users Mailing List > http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm >
The reason I said ARM is because it's readily available extremely cheaply, easy to design with, and there's a plethora of available boards already. As I understand it, doing something that will run QDOS/SMSQ/E natively would require either a Motorola 68k family, or certain older Coldfire processors. The Motorola route (like the Q40/Q60) is nice'n'all, but doesn't fit the power envelope I was thinking of, would be hard to embed, and I personally don't think it has a great future. The high end Coldfire route puts impositions on the OS to change to conform to changes in instructions and registers that would be so burdensome nobody will invest the energy. ARM cores are everywhere, run embedded Linux universally, and can emulate a 680X0 faster than a 680X0 can run, natively. Current generation multi-core ARM chips are rivaling Intel performance in a 2W power budget. The only thing "hard" there is accepting a QL membrane. Following the ARM route, we can easily obtain ready made boards for around $100 (70 ukp) complete, or design our own (where are you, Nasta?) and build them for around $150 (100 ukp). Separately, we could have our own linux distribution that strips out EVERYTHING except the ability to run the QL emulation. That would make it incredibly tiny and fast-loading with a small memory footprint and would give us the entire sensation of using a hardware QL. A simple utility within the QL could be used to configure how it is configured, what the emulated hardware profile would be, etc. Additionally, going this route allows us to expand to have a variety of different hardware projects that lets us market QDOS/SMSQ/E etc into various embedded markets by giving it good data processing/logging and IO capabilities. In the longer term future I could see people becoming enamored with the beauty of ARM assembly when compared against 68k assembly. Given we have the source, it's even possible in the future that SMSQ/E could be prepared in an ARM native version, even though I know that would not be trivial to do. QDOS and its children regrettably have no "marketable" future outside this dwindling community on 68k hardware. I see the Q60 as the high point of QL native hardware design, but know such a venture with the same architecture doesn't get us any further down the road if it was repeated today. The Q60 is excellent, expensive, and hard to make now due to availability of parts. If you were looking to start this project now, you would probably choose a different hardware base, yes? My personal opinion. I don't expect people to see it as I do. I'm not especially fervent about it, I'd just like to see us able to put the QL operating systems into a more marketable and flexible situation. It's an amazing opportunity to sell into education, robotics, small industry, and help the userbase have fatser, cheaper, more flexible kit - that can still fit in the original case, for spiritual reasons ;) Dave _______________________________________________ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
