QIMSI Gold - getting started

[dilwyn]

HI:

It is likely, the Mouse on the Q68 is connected via a switch box, which is slowing down the detection of the Mouse.on the Q68 power up.

I have same problem, and she the mouse is connected via PS/2 splitter at works fine.

Now a solution, just a guess at the probable cause.

You will remember that the firmware "downgrade" you did for me fixed the issues I was having at the time with the Q68.

What it had no effect on was the 5% to 10% of the time that I start up the Q68 it fails to get to the point of starting the SMSQ/E, much like the QIMSI-Gold was doing and which Peter kindly clarified for me. The Q68 power supply I use is a 5V/2.4A charger with a USB A connector it, used with the power lead I received with the Q68 (and once again I take the opportunity to commend Derek for the standard of build of the Q68, as a non-hardware expert myself I can only say it looks excellent to me).

The mouse and keyboard are connected via the usual PS/2 splitter, no switch-box in sight.

As Peter said with his reply to me about QIMSI-Gold, it may probably something to do with the mouse not quite always being detected in time for whatever reason, for example - the Q68/QMSI-Gold designers have no control over the types of mice we end up doing.

[Pepperm]

To get the green and white GUI type screen I am using LRUN WIN8_boot to start it.

[Peter]

Sounds great, I'll give it a go. I am new to the QIMSI so don't know... how often are updates published and where would I get them from?

The experimental USB mouse support is only a last resort, so please try some PS/2 or combo mice first. It is a mess to have keyboard still PS/2 and mouse already USB, and I'd rather not spread that widely.

I have no schedule for FPGA updates, no known bugs in the FPGA logic, all appears stable. And for a rewrite of the PS/2 mouse initialization, just to widen the range of working mice, I currently have no motivation. Affordable working mice can be bought off the shelf, that's it for now.

Cache would be good, and is on my to-do-list. No idea when. FPGA updates would probably be published here or - with Dilwyn's kind support - on his QL homepage.

[Peter]

The procedure to update the hardware logic is actually in the QIMSI-Gold manual on page 15 under "Updating the hardware logic" - you get a file from Peter and EW a program called Proglogic to implement the update. [...]

Many thanks Dilwyn, nice that I didn't have to answer that all over again. Some people just don't read manuals.

[Pepperm]

No problems Peter. How do I know that the PS/2 mouse is working... sounds a daft question I know but I haven't seen it move that cursor on the boot screen yet.

[Maskenlos]

Hi,

I am not Peter, but I may answer:

1. The chapter "LED" in the manual can give a hint

2. Power up QIMSI Gold without SD Card. The screen will give some information.

Stephan

[Derek_Stewart]

is there an SMSQ/E manual for QIMSI Gold?

[tofro]

is there an SMSQ/E manual for QIMSI Gold?

No, not to my knowledge. I think that would be somewhat superfluous, as I'm not aware of any differences between SMSQ/E for the Q68 and what's implemented in QIMSI Gold.

[Pepperm]

Hi,

I am not Peter, but I may answer:

1. The chapter "LED" in the manual can give a hint

2. Power up QIMSI Gold without SD Card. The screen will give some information.

Stephan

Yes, my mouse is apparently detected (I read the LED section and the desktop starts) but does nothing happens mouse pointer wise. Is there another app on the WIN drives that would show mouse cursor movement?

[dilwyn]

is there an SMSQ/E manual for QIMSI Gold?

No, not to my knowledge. I think that would be somewhat superfluous, as I'm not aware of any differences between SMSQ/E for the Q68 and what's implemented in QIMSI Gold.

That was my understanding too when I set up the website pages for both systems, that no separate SMSQ/E document was needed. The QIMSI-Gold is essentially a mini-Q68 (unless you just use it as a QL-SD from the QL side) with few differences to worry about beyond the single SD card instead of two.