QL on MIST FPGA board

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XorA
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Re: QL on MIST FPGA board

Post by 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 :-D


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tofro
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Re: QL on MIST FPGA board

Post by tofro »

XorA wrote: Its so nice to use a QL with a real keyboard :-D
...and a rock-steady display.

Tobias


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Paul
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Re: QL on MIST FPGA board

Post by 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
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Re: QL on MIST FPGA board

Post by bixio60 »

Paul wrote: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
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Re: QL on MIST FPGA board

Post by Paul »

bixio60 wrote: 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:
RAMERROR.JPG


bixio60
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Re: QL on MIST FPGA board

Post by bixio60 »

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

Fabrizio


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Re: QL on MIST FPGA board

Post by 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
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Re: QL on MIST FPGA board

Post by 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 213 times
Note that the onscreen still says 640K but when selected you find 896K
Kind regards
Paul


bixio60
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Re: QL on MIST FPGA board

Post by bixio60 »

Done !
It works, i amended in the core also the OSD with the correct 896k :D
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


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QLvsJAGUAR
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Re: QL on MIST FPGA board

Post by 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.


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