OPL2 (3 ?) sound for your QL through parallel port

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Zarchos
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OPL2 (3 ?) sound for your QL through parallel port

Post by Zarchos »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3DU2mNBa6M

Again a possible nice community project ...
Examples of how to write a driver mustn't be too difficult to find on the Net.

More later, just wanted to share the info.

I have just ordered two and have asked the author if commented source for his driver was available.


Owner of various QLs including accelerated beasts, and also a happy Q68 owner ;)
Now porting SOTB to the Archies, to then port it to the Q68.
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Re: OPL2 (3 ?) sound for your QL through parallel port

Post by Derek_Stewart »

Hi Xavier,

I watched the video, the sound card sounds really good. But there are only the Q40/60, Supergold Card with direct parallel ports. QPC2 can access the PC LPT port, so if the driver is set up correctly may work.

The Supergold card parallel port is not bi-directional, but that sound not be a problem as I think the sound works by sending data to the parallel port.

If it would work with a Serial to Parallel converter on the QL, then it does sound a good idea.

The other problem is there is no driver for the QL, but maybe that is something that can be written.

Since it is only 35 Euros for the kit, I might buy one to build.


Regards,

Derek
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Zarchos
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Re: OPL2 (3 ?) sound for your QL through parallel port

Post by Zarchos »

Derek_Stewart wrote:Hi Xavier,

I watched the video, the sound card sounds really good. But there are only the Q40/60, Supergold Card with direct parallel ports. QPC2 can access the PC LPT port, so if the driver is set up correctly may work.

The Supergold card parallel port is not bi-directional, but that sound not be a problem as I think the sound works by sending data to the parallel port.

If it would work with a Serial to Parallel converter on the QL, then it does sound a good idea.

The other problem is there is no driver for the QL, but maybe that is something that can be written.

Since it is only 35 Euros for the kit, I might buy one to build.
Great !

I have posted on the atari-forum and exxos' too.
Who knows, if they develop something for the Ataris 68000 based machines, some parts of the work would be already done for the QL ...


Owner of various QLs including accelerated beasts, and also a happy Q68 owner ;)
Now porting SOTB to the Archies, to then port it to the Q68.
https://www.youtube.com/user/Archimedes ... +%28100%25
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Giorgio Garabello
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Re: OPL2 (3 ?) sound for your QL through parallel port

Post by Giorgio Garabello »

there is a card with opl3 avable for different platforms: zx spectrum and MSX. I think is possible to adapt it with QL.
Watch this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6LvPTNfwl1c


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Re: OPL2 (3 ?) sound for your QL through parallel port

Post by Derek_Stewart »

HI,

I have ordered the OPL2LPT kit. Should be able to solder this no problems at all.

I have a few Ataris: TT-030, Mega STE with QVME, Mega ST, STFM, but would use it on a Q60.

I have downloaded the source code for the ADLIB driver, which is written in C with x86 assembler instructions.

I suppose this could be adapted to M68K, with the appropriate SBASIC keywords written.


Regards,

Derek
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Zarchos
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Re: OPL2 (3 ?) sound for your QL through parallel port

Post by Zarchos »

Giorgio Garabello wrote:there is a card with opl3 avable for different platforms: zx spectrum and MSX. I think is possible to adapt it with QL.
Watch this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6LvPTNfwl1c

Yes, for the spectrum ng or next dev from Russia.
Looks like a great beast.
Unfortunately it is built to interface with this machine's bus ... certainly it is faster than through the parallel port, but also means (I think) it'll
be more difficult to interface with the QLs. Or even just impossible.
You have some other great sound boards for the Spectrum, like the maaascrator, with the SAA philips sound chip, as found in the SAM coupe.

It is where I'd like to be happy to fund people developing them for one specific platform, to also adapt to other systems.
Imagine for example Quazar with his SID sound board for the Coupé, if that could also be used on the QL.
It uses a 6502 to Z80 emulator. Is there a 6502 to 68008 emulator available on the QL ?


Owner of various QLs including accelerated beasts, and also a happy Q68 owner ;)
Now porting SOTB to the Archies, to then port it to the Q68.
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Re: OPL2 (3 ?) sound for your QL through parallel port

Post by Derek_Stewart »

Zarchos wrote:It uses a 6502 to Z80 emulator. Is there a 6502 to 68008 emulator available on the QL ?
In the old days, in 1990s, I was writing a include file for QMAC assembler that would assemble 6502 OP Codes. I never really finished it.

I was wondering recently, if a Turbo compiled 6502 emulator would be as fast as the BBC B or other 6502 machines.

Maybe the way is to get working in basic and speed it up in assembler.


Regards,

Derek
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Zarchos
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Re: OPL2 (3 ?) sound for your QL through parallel port

Post by Zarchos »

Derek_Stewart wrote:
Zarchos wrote:It uses a 6502 to Z80 emulator. Is there a 6502 to 68008 emulator available on the QL ?
In the old days, in 1990s, I was writing a include file for QMAC assembler that would assemble 6502 OP Codes. I never really finished it.

I was wondering recently, if a Turbo compiled 6502 emulator would be as fast as the BBC B or other 6502 machines.

Maybe the way is to get working in basic and speed it up in assembler.
And well correct me if I am wrong, but 'simply' to play SID files, I don't think you will need the full emulation of a 6502.
Now, of course, another solution is to have a 6502 (or FPGA with this core) in your interface with a SID chip (but it'll be a more complex design,
and also more expensive).
If you put the idea to have a 65C816, maybe you could even have some kind of copro for your QL, but then, the Pi zero is so cheap and so powerful,
that this route could just be the best ...


Owner of various QLs including accelerated beasts, and also a happy Q68 owner ;)
Now porting SOTB to the Archies, to then port it to the Q68.
https://www.youtube.com/user/Archimedes ... +%28100%25
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Zarchos
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Re: OPL2 (3 ?) sound for your QL through parallel port

Post by Zarchos »

Received message from seller :

Hi Zarchos,
Thanks, and that would be great !
Have a look at this repository : https://github.com/pdewacht/adlipt
for all code.

good luck !
Serge


Owner of various QLs including accelerated beasts, and also a happy Q68 owner ;)
Now porting SOTB to the Archies, to then port it to the Q68.
https://www.youtube.com/user/Archimedes ... +%28100%25
Derek_Stewart
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Re: OPL2 (3 ?) sound for your QL through parallel port

Post by Derek_Stewart »

Zarchos wrote:Received message from seller :

Hi Zarchos,
Thanks, and that would be great !
Have a look at this repository : https://github.com/pdewacht/adlipt
for all code.

good luck !
Serge
I have already downloaded the C source code for the driver. As I said, the code is x86 specific. But could be converted to siit a M68K.

It remains to be seen if a serial to parallel converter will drive the OPL2.

I will give it try, but the Q60 is looking favourite due its similiar parallel port.


Regards,

Derek
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