PiStorm

[Derek_Stewart]

My question was of course under the assumption that we just use the QL just as a hobby.

I wonder if a nuclear power station is still using a QL for management tasks

Thought that was a ZX81 to run a Nuclear Power Station...

[Dave]

There was a QL on the premises at Sizewell.

[bwinkel67]

The key question seems: Why would one want to plug into the QL mainboard?

If the only answer is "to type on the mediocre QL keyboard" then buy a matrix to USB converter for the Raspi and you are done.

Based on your answer... why anybody would like to buy a QL? to use a uncomfortable and useless computer nowadays? ... no sense.
There are people that would like to, useful for us? maybe not, but if somebody want it... it is because somebody like it, for sure there are a reason.

I agree, would be cool to see it work. Not suggesting it's going to create an uber-QL, but it would be neat to replace the CPU with a raspberry Pi and then see what you can do with it, plus it could be inexpensive. I personally like the BBQL, keyboard and all.

I also see a lot of Amiga folks using the PiStorm for no other reason than they can and it's not like $300. Sometimes it's hard to see the reason until someone does it and then it's like...wow, that's pretty neat, plus now you can do all this other stuff.

[Peter]

To be honest: I have never got problems with Microdrives (just two or three times). For me, they were always very good and reliable. And...thanks TT for RAMPRT.

"Were reliable" or "are reliable"? Nowadays I don't even risk to use microdrives at all because of the aged felts. And I really don't feel like tinkering with every cartridge to replace them.

[bwinkel67]

Based on your answer... why anybody would like to buy a QL? to use a uncomfortable and useless computer nowadays? ... no sense.

That's not the point. My question was of course under the assumption that we just use the QL just as a hobby.

The Amiga has a good keyboard and interfaces that people want to keep using with a very fast CPU, making the fascination of the PiStorm more obvious to me than for the QL.

For example if someone says: I want the Raspi to access microdrives, or an EPROM burner for the QL extension port, then fine, I will understand.

But if the answer is "I only need the QL keyboard" and the rest will be attached to the Raspi, then a matrix to USB converter provides an equivalent solution that can still stay in the original case.

I want a Raspi to access microdrives That'd be actually pretty cool a raspberry Pi with a built-in microdrive. Call it the Pi 0.400

I like microdrives... I did a video recently comparing sector recovery on old floppies vs microdrive cartridges. My old floppies seem to have a similar failure rate. The noise is different though with micrordives just endlessly spinning in a consistent tone whereas a bad floppy makes a lot of deep "eheheh" sounds when it gets stuck on a bad sector. I mean, all fun now when you have solid state tech and don't need either one.

[bwinkel67]

To be honest: I have never got problems with Microdrives (just two or three times). For me, they were always very good and reliable. And...thanks TT for RAMPRT.

"Were reliable" or "are reliable"? Nowadays I don't even risk to use microdrives at all because of the aged felts. And I really don't feel like tinkering with every cartridge to replace them.

I actually think QDOS could be a little kinder on microdrives and after it thinks they failed should actually give you the option to grab part of the file. When I do sector recovery I'm also surprised how much data is on a microcartidge that just endlessly spins otherwise.

[Peter]

Not suggesting it's going to create an uber-QL, but it would be neat to replace the CPU with a raspberry Pi and then see what you can do with it, plus it could be inexpensive. I personally like the BBQL, keyboard and all.

The funny thing is: My new system has a suitable RPi connector - but the majority voted for "QL mainboard replacement" and not for "QL extension slot plugin". Had it voted for the latter, it would sit on the 68008 bus, and your hardware needs already covered.

[bwinkel67]

The funny thing is: My new system has a suitable RPi connector - but the majority voted for "QL mainboard replacement" and not for "QL extension slot plugin". Had it voted for the latter, it would sit on the 68008 bus, and your hardware needs already covered.

I voted for the extension slot plugin but that's the great thing about our small community, lots of different things we want. I'm certainly always excited about your projects and can't wait to see it. Ironically I invested in your Q68 instead of a Super Gold Card, and am happy I did. I like tinkering with the old BBQL but also having a faster FPGA version. I still don't use it day-to-day since I want to create a cool case for it but this damn pandemic is just not making access at school so easy. But to me the FPGA solution is better than running a raspberry Pi OS and a QL emulator on top of that...however, that doesn't mean having a CPU socket replacement using the raspberry Pi to emulate the CPU at that level (aka PiStorm) isn't cool either and something I want to see as well...in my mind it's different than running a full-fledged emulator on a Pi...I guess it's hybrid?

[Dave]

I think the top four answers in the poll were close enough to be statistically insignificant.

All that matters is that there's a continuous flow of available hardware to satisfy existing and returning QLers. Peter has an exceptionally good track record with this.

[Peter]

Ironically I invested in your Q68 instead of a Super Gold Card, and am happy I did. I like tinkering with the old BBQL but also having a faster FPGA version. I still don't use it day-to-day since I want to create a cool case for it but this damn pandemic is just not making access at school so easy.

Well, the QL case is a cool case also, and my new baseboard allows lot to mount a Q68 inside quite nicely. One could place the Q68 in the QL extension slot area (or the SER/Joystick area for non-UK QLs), and the baseboard provides matrix keyboard, QL network, power supply connector, power switch and aufio amplifier for the internal speaker. Just the Q68 SD card slots need extension cables. Unfortunately, the person who convinced me there were a lot of defective QL mainboards and therefore surplus QL cases seems utterly wrong. I experience the opposite, more working mainboards than QL cases.

But to me the FPGA solution is better than running a raspberry Pi OS and a QL emulator on top of that...however, that doesn't mean having a CPU socket replacement using the raspberry Pi to emulate the CPU at that level (aka PiStorm) isn't cool either and something I want to see as well...

Yes, now that you have explained that you wish to use microdrives for example, I can comprehend why you find software-emulating the QL CPU interesting. My personal interest is lower, but yes I can follow your way of thinking. Beyond lack of time, I have a strategic reason why not to deal with this myself. I think it would mainly lead to Linux or baremetal Raspberry tinkering. These are fine hobbies, but they distract our rare development resources away from the 68K side, where I see them needed most.

in my mind it's different than running a full-fledged emulator on a Pi...I guess it's hybrid?

The more portions of the QL mainboard are going to be supported, the more it differs from pure software emulation.
For me personally, the QL mainboard would end up being just a matrix keyboard interface for the Raspberry, and that's not sufficient to motivate me.