ZX Spectrum Next (and compatibles) QL Core now available!

[Peter]

The PS/2 connector is dual obviously so it can accomodate both keyboard AND mouse.

In case of the QL core, the mouse channel is needed for the PE.
The question is whether the PS/2 keyboard could (optionally) be sacrificed to allow the simplified network solution I've mentioned.

The Joystick solution especially given that the Next has CTCs similar to Q68s makes it ideal to realise martyn's driver/interface combo on both sides.

What do you mean by CTCs?
And yes, Martyn's driver is great.

Of course the core is open source; you could make it run on the Q68 (which would be great fun I think)

Last time I looked, the sources were not available. Any link?
I was mainly interested because of the alleged 68030 @ 56 MHz CPU core.

Not sure I could do a port as a quick fun project.
Q68/QIMSI Gold are not (mainly) SRAM based - could be some work to adapt for SDRAM.
Altera to Lattice might also be non-trivial, depending on what Leon did, etc.
And for serious investments of time, I didn't notice features that would interest me.

By the way, the GR in your forum name points to Greece, which points to Phoebus... maybe it is you?

[QuantumLeapGR]

The PS/2 connector is dual obviously so it can accomodate both keyboard AND mouse.

In case of the QL core, the mouse channel is needed for the PE.
The question is whether the PS/2 keyboard could (optionally) be sacrificed to allow the simplified network solution I've mentioned.

The Joystick solution especially given that the Next has CTCs similar to Q68s makes it ideal to realise martyn's driver/interface combo on both sides.

What do you mean by CTCs?
And yes, Martyn's driver is great.

Of course the core is open source; you could make it run on the Q68 (which would be great fun I think)

Last time I looked, the sources were not available. Any link?
I was mainly interested because of the alleged 68030 @ 56 MHz CPU core.

Not sure I could do a port as a quick fun project.
Q68/QIMSI Gold are not (mainly) SRAM based - could be some work to adapt for SDRAM.
Altera to Lattice might also be non-trivial, depending on what Leon did, etc.
And for serious investments of time, I didn't notice features that would interest me.

By the way, the GR in your forum name points to Greece, which points to Phoebus... maybe it is you?

CTCs are Counter Timer Circuits; counters in other words
I don't know where they picked 68030@56 MHz from; The core can go fast; latest from Leon just got sped up by a factor of 2 but it's either a 68020 or a 68000 (Leon synthesizes both)
Sources to the Next core are available here: https://gitlab.com/SpectrumNext/ZX_Spectrum_Next_FPGA. QL Core sources are going to be uploaded to an adjacent repo after a bit of cleanup
Re: the sacrifice of the PS/2 port, many users don't have Nexts but N-GOs (with a rubber keyboard) or X-Berry π (Νο keyboard) which meant that the only logical solution was the joystick port. Actually the Next on Next mode can turn it into a serial port too
As for porting the Next to the Q68, I didn't say it was going to be quick; but it would definitely be fun for people that own a Q68 and either can't afford a Next or just want that machine and nothing else; it does open up a whole world of opportunities
Finally yes; you guessed it right obviously Now back to fighting with people in order to explain why they should keep the QXL.WIN defragged

[Derek_Stewart]

Hi,

Why would I want a Spectrum Next core on the Q68, as it has everything I need., as a Q68 running SMSQ/E.

I would just buy a Spectrum Next as well as a Q68, but the Next QL core does not run SMSQ/E, so I would use SMSQ/E machines before Minerva.

Minerva is a wonderful operating system, but SMSQ/E works better, also there is development in SMSQ/E, whereas Minerva is locked as the QDOS version can not go over 1.99.

[lliont]

I think he means not the ql-core but the spectrum next core.

[Peter]

I don't know where they picked 68030@56 MHz from; The core can go fast;

I don't know how fast, since the sources are still not available.
Rumors were that it is a TG68K.C at 22 MHz, which would be a bit on the low end.
Even the low speed XP2 chip of the Q68 runs this CPU at 40 MHz.
QIMSI Gold and Qzero with ECP5 can clock it at 50 MHz, but I kept 40 MHz there for 100% compatibility.

Re: the sacrifice of the PS/2 port, many users don't have Nexts but N-GOs (with a rubber keyboard) or X-Berry π (Νο keyboard) which meant that the only logical solution was the joystick port.

Okay, so forget my simplification idea. With a little PCB, Martyn's circuit will be fine.

[...] but it would definitely be fun for people that own a Q68 and either can't afford a Next or just want that machine and nothing else; it does open up a whole world of opportunities

Ah now I think I get you... you mean to port the Spectrum core, not the QL core?! That of course makes a lot of sense.
QIMSI Gold would be a cost effective platform. The ROM port pads could be re-designated to handle a Spectrum matrix keyboard.
Unfortunately, my QL to-do-list is long. Qzero undocumented and unfinished, QIMSI Gold lacking cache, Q60 video problem unsolved, just to name a few.

Finally yes; you guessed it right obviously Now back to fighting with people in order to explain why they should keep the QXL.WIN defragged

Great to hear you are back in the QL world! I still remember your Q40 flash ad
Recently tried to convert it to a video, for preservation, but failed.

[lliont]

Hi Peter
It is clocked @22Mhz I told you so, I can boost it at least in KS2, KS1 can't keep up.
I was busy with the features and my card (@32 Mhz with low end cyclone LP fpga).

May I ask how many cycles per fetch your core uses ? The clock frequency alone doesn't say much.

[QuantumLeapGR]

Hi,

Why would I want a Spectrum Next core on the Q68, as it has everything I need., as a Q68 running SMSQ/E.

I would just buy a Spectrum Next as well as a Q68, but the Next QL core does not run SMSQ/E, so I would use SMSQ/E machines before Minerva.

Minerva is a wonderful operating system, but SMSQ/E works better, also there is development in SMSQ/E, whereas Minerva is locked as the QDOS version can not go over 1.99.

You maybe not, but others might! Not everyone has ample space on their desks As for SMSQ/E I was telling Leon yesterday that after some weird combination of screen modifying extensions, smsqe_mister ran on the QL core on the next with a bunch of garbage on screen but it ran; I haven't been able to reproduce it, nor do I remember what the heck was I doing at that time. This leads me to believe that it may not be so much of stretch to make the QL Next core run SMSQ/e. Ideally a QL core on the Next should be able to run ALL OSes including Argos

[Derek_Stewart]

Hi

I currently, have an All-One-PC running Linux, there is an external monitor connection, which has connected: Q68, QL with Lion Card, using a PS/2 keyboard and mouse, selectabld by a 4 port KVM switchbox.

The Linux PC also acts a file server with 16Tb Raid storage.

I network the Q68 to QPC2,SMSQmulator, sQLux, Qemulator on PC via QLUB, so access to the Linux file storage is accessed by SMSQmulator acting as a QL Network file server.

The Q-Lion card in the QL can seem to run with rhhe QL Net, tbus maybe timing synchronisation.

I have space for Q60 (assuming I make one for myself), Next...

I only need SMSQ/E, Minerva is okay, but a little fiddly to run a Superbasic program with mulitibasic, all do-able, SMSQ/E is cleaner and is also implemented as a Thing.

[Peter]

Hi Leon,

It is clocked @22Mhz I told you so, I can boost it when I find some time at least in KS2.

Phoebus wrote it was sped up by a factor of 2, so I wasn't sure if 22 MHz was still a valid figure.

May I ask how many cycles per fetch your core uses ? because the clock frequency alone doesn't say much.

Of course. SRAM and ROM zero waitstates, SDRAM 3 waitstates. How about yours?

[lliont]

Yes me too, zero wait states for both ram and rom, but how many main clock pulses total?
I want to know if I can optimize mine more besides the clock frequency which for KS2 issue 4 surely can be increased.