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Q68 support thread

Posted: Sun Sep 10, 2017 9:36 am
by QLvsJAGUAR
Let's start this even before GA of the machine.

First questions:
- What does S*BASIC report when one invokes PRINT MACHINE?
- What does S*BASIC report when one invokes PRINT DISP_TYPE at the available resolutions?

QL forever!
Urs

Re: Q68 support thread

Posted: Sun Sep 10, 2017 8:37 pm
by Peter
QLvsJAGUAR wrote:- What does S*BASIC report when one invokes PRINT MACHINE?
18
QLvsJAGUAR wrote:- What does S*BASIC report when one invokes PRINT DISP_TYPE at the available resolutions?
0 in QL modes, 33 in highcolour modes, independent from resolution

Re: Q68 support thread

Posted: Thu Sep 14, 2017 11:32 am
by phwodehouse
would the new q68 fit into a raspberry case?

Re: Q68 support thread

Posted: Thu Sep 14, 2017 12:03 pm
by tofro
phwodehouse wrote:would the new q68 fit into a raspberry case?
No, it wouldn't - The Q68 PCB is slightly larger in all dimensions than the RPi. It obviously also has entirely different connectors in entirely different places. I don't quite see the need, though, to re-use an RPi case when Derect offers a case which is a perfect fit for the Q68 and even looks stylish.

Tobias

Re: Q68 support thread

Posted: Sun Sep 17, 2017 10:18 am
by phwodehouse
thank you, where can i get hold of a q68 and the suitable case? thanks, p.h.

Re: Q68 support thread

Posted: Mon Sep 25, 2017 10:39 am
by Peter

Re: Q68 support thread

Posted: Sun Oct 08, 2017 12:49 pm
by Zarchos
Please tell us more about :
- timings of the opcodes and in particular registers <--> memory and memory<-> memory when code and / or data fetched is in main memory
- timings of the opcodes and in particular registers <--> memory and memory<-> memory when code and / or data fetched is in the special fast 12 kbytes space
- as above but when code and data are not in the same memory space : code / data is in 1 of the 2 types of memory and the other is in the different space of memory.
Is this 12 kbyte space some kind of cache, which would imply self / auto modifying code won't work in this area ; or will work only under special conditions ?

More generally, please give any hint on what very efficient coding would be on this machine, compared to a standard 68000 running at 40 Mhz.

My view is that 12 kbytes isn't a lot of space, but it can be perfect :
- for a sound or MOD (amiga format tunes) or better (8 channel fastrekker format for example) soundtracker playroutine (to output the number of channels the hardware natively supports but also for mixing more channels into what the Q68 can support natively hardware-wise)
- for fast horizontal segment plotting routines, for 3D ; but also for all algos to remove hidden faces, compute the 3D coordonates and do sorting
- for fast optimised sprites plotting routines

That's a lot of questions, but I am really eager to code on your machine : no hardware acceleration and a very fast CPU, it is in a way a close cousin to what I know with my beloved Acorn Archimedes ;-)

Thank you very much in advance.
I hope your health is better now, and of course first rest and get better before spending some time answering me. I mean it.

Kindest regards,
Xavier.

Re: Q68 support thread

Posted: Wed Mar 07, 2018 7:59 pm
by QLvsJAGUAR
In todays preparations for the upcoming Mahlerts Meeting I built a new home for my Q68. See the photo Story:
https://plus.google.com/+QLvsJaguar/posts/B1rQHWsGWWG

QL forever!

Re: Q68 support thread

Posted: Wed Mar 07, 2018 10:05 pm
by NormanDunbar
Nice!

Of course, it couldn't really have been any other colour but black. ;)


Cheers,
Norm.

Re: Q68 support thread

Posted: Fri Mar 09, 2018 8:35 am
by vanpeebles
Lego is great for building computer cases, as long are they are not too big, gets expensive quick! :D