Re: [Ql-Users] Newbie question follows: How to join Minerva ROM and ToolKit II?
Hi Alexandre, I've seen around the net photos of internal ROMs of Minerva AND ToolKitII. How do I join both codes? Is that a matter of just concatenating files or there is something I should learn? Basically, you can have Minerva in the first 48 KB and TK2 in the following 16 KB. Resulting in a 64 KB binary stored in EPROM. However, the Minerva binary has to be padded up to exact 48 KB length, so TK2 is properly aligned. Please note that you need a ROM version for TK2, not a disk version. I'm refering to a 64 KB EPROM adaptor. If you have the original Minerva hardware instead, the upper 16 KB of the EPROM will be ignored, so the area is free for use by the external ROM slot. By the way, it is not always clever to have TK2 in ROM. For example, if you have a fast mass storage device. In this case, it is more important to have the drivers for the storage device in ROM, so the QL can boot from that device. TK2 can always be loaded later on. Provided you have enough RAM - but you won't get far without memory extension anyway. It might be of relevance for you that the first QL-SD devices are being built here in Germany while we write. QL-SD provides an SDHC card interface for the QL, combined with the Minerva OS in EPROM. The QL-SD design was given to the QL community for free, so it's not a product with commercial support. After testing is completed, the source code will be freely available. Hope this helped Peter ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [Ql-Users] Newbie question follows: How to join Minerva ROMand ToolKit II?
Hi Alexandre, It might be of relevance for you that the first QL-SD devices are being built here in Germany while we write. QL-SD provides an SDHC card interface for the QL, combined with the Minerva OS in EPROM. The QL-SD design was given to the QL community for free, so it's not a product with commercial support. After testing is completed, the source code will be freely available. So I'll be able to build mine here, at home? Sorry for being so cheap, but I don't know if you know how expensive is to import things from abroad here in Brazil :o( Building QL-SD at home would be very hard, because of 0.5 mm pitch SMD components and a thin two layer PCB with 0.15 mm tracks. It took more than a year until someone came up, who has the skills and equipment to do it. QL-SD is fast as a harddisk. But if speed is not an issue for you, there might be a simpler solution. From my Q68 project, I have spinned off a compatible SDHC driver which just needs three simple registered output bits and an input bit mapped to some specific adresses. A tinkerer here in Germany has successfully intergrated this concept into his own hardware. However, I don't have the time to support this repeatedly. Someone else would need to write instructions. If you want to make such a hardware, I can ask him if he'd like to explain things to you, or even write a more general HOWTO. All the best Peter ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [Ql-Users] Newbie question follows: How to join Minerva ROM andToolKit II?
In the German forums, I meant. How many others like you will turn up, I have no idea. Soldering fine pitch SMD devices isn't that hard, if you have the right equipment, or tons of patience. I've done lots of these jobs without the right tools, and it worked. Took longer than reasonable, but it worked. If you want I can do a video showing an easy way of soldering SMD ICs, but I believe there are lots of videos like that on the web. Of course, as soon as I put my dirty hands on the project and have the boards and ICs on hand, I'm planning in doing a video showing how to build it :) And of course, I hope I can be of any help to the QL comunity with my simple resources. Thanks, Alexandre ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [Ql-Users] Newbie question follows: How to join Minerva ROMand ToolKit II?
On 21 Nov 2013 at 12:34, Alexandre Souza wrote: Peter, I don't want to be disrespectful, but I can't see problems in soldering fine-pitch SMD devices. Of course the board will have to be made in a professional setup (ever tried OSS and other chinese low-volume suppliers? They make quite good boards for a very cheap price!) but I have a smd oven with proper reflow curve, and I'm used to building panels of devices with fine pitch SMD. This is what I do for a living :o) Cool - I really had no chance to expect that you're a professional electronics manufacturer :) Pity that our continents are separated by currency, shipment and customs overhead. Someone like you would be great to produce QL hardware stuff. Cheers, Peter ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [Ql-Users] Newbie question follows: How to join Minerva ROM and ToolKit II?
On 21 Nov 2013 at 11:07, Alexandre Souza wrote: Building QL-SD at home would be very hard, because of 0.5 mm pitch SMD components and a thin two layer PCB with 0.15 mm tracks. It took more than a year until someone came up, who has the skills and equipment to do it. I don't think so. I have resources to build a board like that here at home It took a quite an amount of email and phone support, even providing complete working samples, until someone (very skilled at building hardware) successfully reproduced the QL-SD. QL-SD has a much higher difficulty level than the other projects you find at the forums. Nobody else wanted to do it himself yet - for good reasons. However, the QL-SD design and software is free. As soon as it is tested and someone cares to publish it on the web, you can try your luck. Peter ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [Ql-Users] Newbie question follows: How to join Minerva ROMand ToolKit II?
It took a quite an amount of email and phone support, even providing complete working samples, until someone (very skilled at building hardware) successfully reproduced the QL-SD. QL-SD has a much higher difficulty level than the other projects you find at the forums. Nobody else wanted to do it himself yet - for good reasons. Peter, I don't want to be disrespectful, but I can't see problems in soldering fine-pitch SMD devices. Of course the board will have to be made in a professional setup (ever tried OSS and other chinese low-volume suppliers? They make quite good boards for a very cheap price!) but I have a smd oven with proper reflow curve, and I'm used to building panels of devices with fine pitch SMD. This is what I do for a living :o) I'm crazy to try it :oD Thanks :) Alexandre ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [Ql-Users] Newbie question follows: How to joinMinerva ROMand ToolKit II?
Building QL-SD at home would be very hard, because of 0.5 mm pitch SMD components and a thin two layer PCB with 0.15 mm tracks. It took more than a year until someone came up, who has the skills and equipment to do it. I don't think so. I have resources to build a board like that here at home QL-SD is fast as a harddisk. But if speed is not an issue for you, there might be a simpler solution. From my Q68 project, I have spinned off a compatible SDHC driver which just needs three simple registered output bits and an input bit mapped to some specific adresses. A tinkerer here in Germany has successfully intergrated this concept into his own hardware. However, I don't have the time to support this repeatedly. Someone else would need to write instructions. Well, I'm not an expert in QL but I can try :o) Thanks! Alexandre ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [Ql-Users] Newbie question follows: How to join Minerva ROM and ToolKit II?
On 21 Nov 2013 at 15:10, Peter wrote: Nobody else wanted to do it himself yet - for good reasons. In the German forums, I meant. How many others like you will turn up, I have no idea. Peter ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [Ql-Users] Newbie question follows: How to join Minerva ROM and ToolKit II?
On 21 Nov 2013 at 12:44, Alexandre Souza wrote: Soldering fine pitch SMD devices isn't that hard, if you have the right equipment, or tons of patience. Tons of patience, when I did it :( If you want I can do a video showing an easy way of soldering SMD ICs, but I believe there are lots of videos like that on the web. Of course, as soon as I put my dirty hands on the project and have the boards and ICs on hand, I'm planning in doing a video showing how to build it :) Will certainly be cool to watch. However, as much as I'd like to help spontaneously, I have to concentrate my time on other issues at the moment. If you wait until docs are out, you have the added benefit of a manual and maybe test experiences or bugfixes from others. And of course, I hope I can be of any help to the QL comunity with my simple resources. Simple resources are just great for the QL. Pity you are not located in Germany, or at least Europe. Peter ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [Ql-Users] Newbie question follows: How to joinMinerva ROMand ToolKit II?
Cool - I really had no chance to expect that you're a professional electronics manufacturer :) Well, I'm not that kind of professional you're thinking of. I work at home and make small runs of electronic devices for small companies which doesn't fulfill the numbers needed for a run on professional manufacturers. I work in my garage :o) Pity that our continents are separated by currency, shipment and customs overhead. Someone like you would be great to produce QL hardware stuff. It would be great, but I believe shipping in both directions (in to Brazil with very high customs taxes and out to germany) would take most of the profit. Anyway, I'm here to help if I'm needed. Greetings, Alexandre :o) ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
