Minerva4Q68
-
- Font of All Knowledge
- Posts: 4013
- Joined: Mon Dec 20, 2010 11:40 am
- Location: Sunny Runcorn, Cheshire, UK
Re: Minerva4Q68
Hi,
I downloaded the most recent version of Minerva4Q68 v1.65
I loaded the Minerva4Q68 Q68_ROM.SYS to the root of a FAT32 partition on a SDHC Card.
Booted the Q68 v1.05, up all works perfectly, except, I did not install Toolkit 2. But DISP_MODE 4 switched to 1024x768 Mode 4 okay.
I tried to expand the MINERVA4Q68.zip, to a QLWA file on a SDHC card, with SMSQmulator. But I had to shorten the top level directory as ACP did not like the file length, to MIN4Q68
So should be able to assemble Minerva on the Q68.
I tried another Q68 v1.05, Batch 4 with Minerva, all worked OK
I have received Dilwyn's Q68 which seems to boot up with no cursor. So a little more investigation required.
I downloaded the most recent version of Minerva4Q68 v1.65
I loaded the Minerva4Q68 Q68_ROM.SYS to the root of a FAT32 partition on a SDHC Card.
Booted the Q68 v1.05, up all works perfectly, except, I did not install Toolkit 2. But DISP_MODE 4 switched to 1024x768 Mode 4 okay.
I tried to expand the MINERVA4Q68.zip, to a QLWA file on a SDHC card, with SMSQmulator. But I had to shorten the top level directory as ACP did not like the file length, to MIN4Q68
So should be able to assemble Minerva on the Q68.
I tried another Q68 v1.05, Batch 4 with Minerva, all worked OK
I have received Dilwyn's Q68 which seems to boot up with no cursor. So a little more investigation required.
Last edited by Derek_Stewart on Sun Mar 03, 2024 10:21 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Regards,
Derek
Derek
Re: Minerva4Q68
Sounds a little different to my experience here. For me, it'd rarely get as far as booting into Minerva. Even when it did, it locked up before you could type many characters.Derek_Stewart wrote: ↑Fri Mar 01, 2024 4:20 pm
I have received Dilwyn's Q68 which seems to boot up with no cursor. So a little more investigation required.
(Not moaning too much, SMSQ/E worked OK for me, though I hadn't had time to try 3.39 before sending it to Derek).
In case it had a bearing, I was preparing the SD card with Windows 10, with the Minerva copied from a folder on drive D: of my PC after formatting the card and configuring. Shouldn't make a difference, that's how I prepared the SMSQ cards too.
And in case the PSU used makes a difference in terms of rating or smoothness of power, the one I usually use is a 2.1A phone charger, though I've tried a couple of different ones with the same results.
--
All things QL - https://dilwyn.qlforum.co.uk/index.html
All things QL - https://dilwyn.qlforum.co.uk/index.html
- janbredenbeek
- Super Gold Card
- Posts: 636
- Joined: Wed Jan 21, 2015 4:54 pm
- Location: Hilversum, The Netherlands
Re: Minerva4Q68
Mark Swift has done a lot of research on this, see https://github.com/janbredenbeek/Minerva4Q68/issues/1Derek_Stewart wrote: ↑Fri Mar 01, 2024 4:20 pm I have received Dilwyn's Q68 which seems to boot up with no cursor. So a little more investigation required.
He was able to type a few lines on his Q68 before freezing. From the video it looks like the Q68 suddenly stops all interrupts (or it keeps hanging in an interrupt service routine).
Does SHIFT-CTRL-ALT-TAB work under Minerva? (should reboot Minerva)
One of the few remaining options (apart from a hardware issue) might be the Ethernet or mouse interrupt being asserted, for which the current version has no inbuilt drivers. But these should already have been disabled at startup:
(from ss_init.asm):
Code: Select all
GENIF Q68 <> 0 ; Q68 hardware initialisation (from SMSQ/E)
lea q68_sramt,a3
; st led-q68_sramt(a3); LED on
sf q68_ethi-q68_sramt(a3) ; block CP2200 interrupts v. 1.03
and.b #$1f,uart_status-q68_sramt(a3) ; disable serial interrupts
and.b #$7f,mouse_status-q68_sramt(a3) ; disable PS/2 mouse interrupts
sf kbd_unlock-q68_sramt(a3) ; no key may be got
move.b #$1f,pc_intr-q68_sramt(a3) ; no xmit/intf/gap interrupts
sf pc_tctrl-q68_sramt(a3) ; clear transmit control reg
move.l #q68_sramb+4,q68_sramb-q68_sramt(a3) ; first free space in fast sram mem
ENDGEN * Q68 <> 0 *
Looking forward to seeing your results...
-
- Font of All Knowledge
- Posts: 4013
- Joined: Mon Dec 20, 2010 11:40 am
- Location: Sunny Runcorn, Cheshire, UK
Re: Minerva4Q68
Hi,
I am waiting on Mark's Q68 being returned for furthepr investigation.
I have 2 Q68 with same build and Q68 ROM Loader v1.05, both seem to load Minerva from Q68_ROM.SYS or from SMSQ/E. A bit strange.
I only use Windows 7 to programme the FPGA, the Q68 is powered from a 1A power supply.
The SD Card is generated in with Linux.
I only used Windows 10 for the use of a CAD programme, but there is now Linux version thst does job as good, so no more Windows...
One question what does Minerva do different to SMSQ/E?
This difference is the probable reason for intermittant problems.
I am waiting on Mark's Q68 being returned for furthepr investigation.
I have 2 Q68 with same build and Q68 ROM Loader v1.05, both seem to load Minerva from Q68_ROM.SYS or from SMSQ/E. A bit strange.
I only use Windows 7 to programme the FPGA, the Q68 is powered from a 1A power supply.
The SD Card is generated in with Linux.
I only used Windows 10 for the use of a CAD programme, but there is now Linux version thst does job as good, so no more Windows...
One question what does Minerva do different to SMSQ/E?
This difference is the probable reason for intermittant problems.
Last edited by Derek_Stewart on Sun Mar 03, 2024 10:19 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Regards,
Derek
Derek
- janbredenbeek
- Super Gold Card
- Posts: 636
- Joined: Wed Jan 21, 2015 4:54 pm
- Location: Hilversum, The Netherlands
Re: Minerva4Q68
I have updated the FPGA to v1.05 and running Minerva with no problems.Derek_Stewart wrote: ↑Fri Mar 01, 2024 7:29 pm I have 2 Q68 with same build and Q68 ROM Loader v1.05, both seem to load Minerva from Q68_ROM.SYS or from SMSQ/E. A bit strange.
SMSQ/E has all drivers built-in, whereas Minerva has to rely on external drivers (either LRESPRed or in external ROM images). So the framework is different.One question what does Minerva do different to SMSQ/E?
In addition, there is little documentation available about the internals of the built-in drivers, other than the (scarcely commented) source code.
Re: Minerva4Q68
Given this fact, you do an amazing job!janbredenbeek wrote: ↑Fri Mar 01, 2024 9:55 pm In addition, there is little documentation available about the internals of the built-in drivers, other than the (scarcely commented) source code.
- janbredenbeek
- Super Gold Card
- Posts: 636
- Joined: Wed Jan 21, 2015 4:54 pm
- Location: Hilversum, The Netherlands
Re: Minerva4Q68
Thanks!Peter wrote: ↑Tue Mar 05, 2024 3:37 pmGiven this fact, you do an amazing job!janbredenbeek wrote: ↑Fri Mar 01, 2024 9:55 pm In addition, there is little documentation available about the internals of the built-in drivers, other than the (scarcely commented) source code.
Now a bit of bad news: I just discovered that SMSQ/E's Q68 FAT driver contains a bug that corrupts files read from the FAT16 partition on the SDHC card
I ran into this when LRESPRing Minerva from SMSQ/E failed randomly.
Proof of concept: Load a sufficiently large file using LBYTES and run a CRC32 check on it (you can use the crc32.bin file on my GitHub repository; https://github.com/janbredenbeek/Minerva4Q68). E.g.:
Code: Select all
a=ALCHP(350000)
LBYTES fat1_Q68_SMSQ.BIN,a:PRINT CRC32$(a, FLEN(\fat1_Q68_SMSQ.BIN))
The bug was introduced in v3.37, older versions are not affected. Incidentally, this was the version that introduced 40MHz SDHC clock option (which I had disabled during the test). The good news is that WIN drives doesn't seem to be affected.
It looks like we have some debugging to do...
-
- Font of All Knowledge
- Posts: 4013
- Joined: Mon Dec 20, 2010 11:40 am
- Location: Sunny Runcorn, Cheshire, UK
-
- Font of All Knowledge
- Posts: 4013
- Joined: Mon Dec 20, 2010 11:40 am
- Location: Sunny Runcorn, Cheshire, UK
Re: Minerva4Q68
Hi,
I have loaded Q68 v1.02 FPGA code onto a Batch 4 Q68, and copied a Q68_ROM.SYS, with integrated Toolkit 2, to a freshly formatted SD Card with a FAT32 partition.
The Q68 boots up to Minerva and links Toolkit 2, faster than my monitor startup.
The system seems to work in 512x256, 1024x768, also loads the Extended Environment. All seems to work.
One question regarding the mouse, vent though there is no mouse driver, would moving the mouse cause any interrupts on the operating system?
This was a problem on the Aurora.
I just need to test loading Minerva from SMSQ/E, and assemble the ROM on the Q68. Which be straight forward, using existing programming from the Minerva4Q68 repository distribution.
I have loaded Q68 v1.02 FPGA code onto a Batch 4 Q68, and copied a Q68_ROM.SYS, with integrated Toolkit 2, to a freshly formatted SD Card with a FAT32 partition.
The Q68 boots up to Minerva and links Toolkit 2, faster than my monitor startup.
The system seems to work in 512x256, 1024x768, also loads the Extended Environment. All seems to work.
One question regarding the mouse, vent though there is no mouse driver, would moving the mouse cause any interrupts on the operating system?
This was a problem on the Aurora.
I just need to test loading Minerva from SMSQ/E, and assemble the ROM on the Q68. Which be straight forward, using existing programming from the Minerva4Q68 repository distribution.
Regards,
Derek
Derek
- janbredenbeek
- Super Gold Card
- Posts: 636
- Joined: Wed Jan 21, 2015 4:54 pm
- Location: Hilversum, The Netherlands
Re: Minerva4Q68
It was too late last night, but I have just mailed Wolfgang.Derek_Stewart wrote: ↑Wed Mar 06, 2024 9:42 am Have you reported this to Wolfgang to get the problem fixed?