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Re: Boot Q68 without monitor and keyboard

Posted: Fri Jun 12, 2020 11:44 pm
by Peter
afx wrote:Now my Q68 acts "unattended" as a server and gateway with QPC2 <-> BBQL . Everything is OK!!
Good to hear that it works for you now.

By the way, I designed a piece of hardware which seems ideal for this purpose. I did not plan to talk about it yet, as I may not spend the time for a public release.
But since you mention this use case, you may want to have a look at the "Q Zero":
qzero.jpg
The "Q Zero" is a tiny QL compatible computer in a sub-RaspberryPi Zero form factor. It has most of the Q68 features, but with some omissions and some additions. It is meant as a space + cost saving "embedded" board, so it has no fullsize connectors on it, just pin headers. In your case, only external connectors for 5V, QLNET and SER would be needed.

Re: Boot Q68 without monitor and keyboard

Posted: Sat Jun 13, 2020 9:40 am
by Tinyfpga
Your Qzero is a great idea. I counted 66 potential I/O pins. What does your current configuration support. How difficult would it be to create UARTS, PWMs
ADCs,DACs etc. Support for RS485 would be great. I Know that no drivers exist for such I/O but I am sure they would be written if the hardware existed.

The response I received, on the forum,from Norman Dunbar to the following remark:
"If the Q68 had the I/O capability of an Arduino I guess it might represent an easy to use control system."
was
"That would be a nice to have!"

Re: Boot Q68 without monitor and keyboard

Posted: Sat Jun 13, 2020 9:58 am
by Pr0f
It looks like you would have to add analogue to digital devices to it to make those available, as that looks like one of those amazing Lattice FPGA's with small footprint and packing a hell of a lot of logic capability and RAM on chip - I spot a micro SD card and what looks to be 2 RAM devices. I have to say I am impressed by this!

I know some of these Lattice FPGA's did have PWM functionality - and UART should be no problem along with I2C and SPI bus - so adding your analogue systems would not be too difficult. You would want to buffer any input/output to the outside world through some tough interface chips - the tpic range from TI offer some almost bullet proof I/O capability - used these in an ECU I am designing - survive 50V tansients, short circuit, open circuit, drive relay / coils - the kind of toughness you need for an embedded controller.

Re: Boot Q68 without monitor and keyboard

Posted: Sat Jun 13, 2020 10:24 am
by NormanDunbar
I'm pretty sure that I "need" one of these! :)

Cheers,
Norm.

Re: Boot Q68 without monitor and keyboard

Posted: Sat Jun 13, 2020 7:18 pm
by afx
Peter wrote:The "Q Zero" is a tiny QL compatible computer in a sub-RaspberryPi Zero form factor. It has most of the Q68 features, but with some omissions and some additions. It is meant as a space + cost saving "embedded" board, so it has no fullsize connectors on it, just pin headers. In your case, only external connectors for 5V, QLNET and SER would be needed.
Peter, great!!! :o :o I think that's a great idea. This project stimulates the imagination of any QL enthusiast.

I'm already imagining QZero inside my QL, in the area where the microdrive 2 is (next to QL-SD which is on mdv 1), then open some holes on the left side to take out some connectors ... :D :D

I want one too! ;-)

Re: Boot Q68 without monitor and keyboard

Posted: Sat Jun 13, 2020 7:32 pm
by Pr0f
that's 3 customers already! :-)

Re: Boot Q68 without monitor and keyboard

Posted: Sat Jun 13, 2020 8:58 pm
by vanpeebles
We need QL laptops asap! :ugeek:

Re: Boot Q68 without monitor and keyboard

Posted: Sat Jun 13, 2020 10:44 pm
by Peter
Tinyfpga wrote:Your Qzero is a great idea. I counted 66 potential I/O pins. What does your current configuration support. How difficult would it be to create UARTS, PWMs
ADCs, DACs etc. Support for RS485 would be great. I Know that no drivers exist for such I/O but I am sure they would be written if the hardware existed.
The Q Zero has not that many free I/O, as the pin headers on the left and right are already dedicated for VGA, HDMI (adaptor required), PS/2 keyboard and mouse, QL network, I2C and SER. Only the RPi style header at the bottom is free for GPIO or other stuff.

Re: Boot Q68 without monitor and keyboard

Posted: Sat Jun 13, 2020 10:47 pm
by Peter
Pr0f wrote: I spot a micro SD card and what looks to be 2 RAM devices.
Well spotted ;) The two SDRAMs are fully independent, allowing either dual CPU cores or video memory separate from main RAM.
The bottom side also holds a QL-SD style MicroMatch connector.

Re: Boot Q68 without monitor and keyboard

Posted: Sun Jun 14, 2020 11:38 am
by mk79
Ah, I see you've gone BGA ;) That little thing looks truly incredible, congrats.