QL on MIST FPGA board

[XorA]

My MIST arrived, took the card out of my QL-SD, dropped the core.rbf, rom file and a couple of .mdv files on it and its up and running in seconds.

Its so nice to use a QL with a real keyboard

[tofro]

Its so nice to use a QL with a real keyboard

...and a rock-steady display.

Tobias

[Paul]

Finally I also own a working MiST and the QL does work properly with QL-SD.
Has anybody of you tried to modify the core?
I already added a litte more ram resulting in 896K total.
I haven't managed to get more at the moment.
Is anybody able to give me some help in understanding the internals of the core a little better?
Kind regards
Paul

[bixio60]

Finally I also own a working MiST and the QL does work properly with QL-SD.
Has anybody of you tried to modify the core?
I already added a litte more ram resulting in 896K total.
I haven't managed to get more at the moment.
Is anybody able to give me some help in understanding the internals of the core a little better?
Kind regards
Paul

Paul,
nice to hear that you was able to increase available memory, how do you did it ?
I think that the only one that can help to modify Mist core is Mist ...., that i hope still read this forum.
Ciao

[Paul]

Paul,
nice to hear that you was able to increase available memory, how do you did it ?
I think that the only one that can help to modify Mist core is Mist ...., that i hope still read this forum.
Ciao

Once you have downloaded the Core and Quartus Software "compiling" ist quite easy.
in QL.V there is a line defining the extended Memory to be allowed at Bits 19 and 18 to be '01' or '10'.
Allowing '11' as well gives another 256K RAM resulting in 896K available RAM.
I am looking where the problem is with more RAM.
Somewhere it has to be reduced to 1MB because 68008 doesn't have more.
But inside the core is a 68000 which is cut down to 68008 Adress range.
I am searching where this happens.
I don't know much about QL internals.
When I add more RAM I get the following Error Message from Minerva:

[bixio60]

Many thanks for the info!!
Tomorrow I will try.

Fabrizio

[bixio60]

Paul,
which extension (device)I need to download with Quartus ? Arria, Cyclone, Max, Stratix ?
In the meantime , eventually can you upload the new core with more memory somewhere ?

Many thanks

Fabrizio

[Paul]

You will need Quartus 13.1 or earlier with cycloneII support.
I'd look into the MiST wiki which gives links as well.
Here is the core:

ql_896.zip

(121.34 KiB) Downloaded 343 times

Note that the onscreen still says 640K but when selected you find 896K
Kind regards
Paul

[bixio60]

Done !
It works, i amended in the core also the OSD with the correct 896k
Now I will be intrigued by changing the speed from 7.5 back to 14 Mhz, now looking for understanding where in the source core .....
Brutally I replaced the 3 files TG68K* with the ones taken from Atari....didn't work as expected.
Any progress from your side?

regards

fabrizio

[QLvsJAGUAR]

There's now fodder for the MIST. QL/E has been carefully tuned to run under the QL core of the MIST. Even the standard QL/E package includes the needed QL_BDI.bin file (the virtual drive container accessed as the SDC1 device) a special package has been put together which also includes everything needed to get the QL core running on the MIST. Download link in the message footer below.