Hi Fabrizio, it seems like the MIST is re-using the TG68 CPU core. Richard and me had debugged this CPU core, so it can execute most QL code.
After I prevously used other CPU cores, I will most likely stay with the TG68 (or a derivative) now, so the Q68 should have this similarity with the MIST. From what I read, the MIST probably resembles an original QL, while the Q68 is somewhere between SGC and Q40. After demonstrating the Q68 at the Edinburgh meeting, I made a hardware redesign, so the Q68 board is now easier and cheaper to build. Also I did some work toward implementing a data/instruction cache. As for Q40/Q60, the Q68 can not reach them in terms of speed. At the moment, the Q68 is only slightly faster than the QXL. However, since it is FPGA based, a later generation could benefit from faster chips without the need for a completely new design. If I remember correctly, the FPGA generation I picked for the Q68 is already 8 years old, so there is room for more speed, should there be new generation Q68 someday. In case I didn't write it here: The Q68 has 32 MB SDRAM @ 100 MHz, highcolor graphics, Ethernet, two SDHC slots, PS2 keyboard and mouse, stereo sound, SER, I2C, battery buffered realtime clock. I didn't find time for QL work lately, but I still hope to bring the Q68 into a stage where it is useful for others. All the best Peter On 17 Nov 2015 at 16:25, Fabrizio Diversi wrote: > Peter, > I remember an email in 2013 ql-user discussing about Q68, any update about > the project ?Considering the work done with Mist , can it be enhanced to > replicate a Qx0? > Many thanks > Ciao > > Sent from my iPhone > > > On 17 Nov 2015, at 14:31, pg...@q40.de wrote: > > > > Hi Derek, > > > >> To get SMSQ/E running on a standard QL with 640K or 896K ram, the SMSQ/E > >> initialisation routine would have to re-written to use the QL internal > >> memory map. > > > > SMSQ/E on the standard QL requires a modified ROM, and can not just > > be loaded from QDOS or Minerva. An option would be to design an > > extension with shadow RAM. > > > >> This is one of my pet project to get running, as the SMSQ/E source code > >> is available, so should be achievable. > >> > >> But a couple of questions arise: > >> > >> 1. Is it worth the effort, when Minerva works very well and basically > >> does the same thing and can be extended where it does not. > > > > As the QL has the slowest hardware, it would benefit most from the > > fast SMSQ/E BASIC. > > > > Also, a QL port of SMSQ/E would run on the Q68 with just minor > > modifictaions. (SMSQ/E has more advantages over QDOS/Minerva on the > > Q68, because of the highcolor graphics and 32 MB RAM.) > > > >> The big difference, is that SMSQ/E has the Extended Environment > >> built-in, this can be added to Minerva at boot up, as with Language tables. > >> > >> Maybe a Minerva to SMSQ/E toolkit could be compiled from existing > >> toolkit to give Minerva the SMSQ/E functionality. > > > > Sounds nice, but I think porting SMSQ/E to the QL is less work than > > creating an add-on. > > > >> 2: With a Gold Card or Super Gold Card fitted, can the QL internal ram > >> be access through some type of paging mechanism? > > > > I don't think so. Only the video area. > > > > All the best > > Peter > > > > _______________________________________________ > > QL-Users Mailing List > _______________________________________________ > QL-Users Mailing List _______________________________________________ QL-Users Mailing List
