Breaking news: The QIMSI Interface

[janbredenbeek]

The Minerva keyboard driver including source is now available on my GitHub repository: https://github.com/janbredenbeek/QIMSI-KBD

Jan

[FrancoisLanciault]

Peter,

Do you see any problem using your QIMSI Interface with a Aurora board (assuming the correct ROM interface converter) ?

Francois

[Peter]

The Minerva keyboard driver including source is now available on my GitHub repository: https://github.com/janbredenbeek/QIMSI-KBD

Many thanks Jan! Fantastic job!

There is a small mistake in the description, however. You write "QIMSI has a micro-USB keyboard connector, but currently only accepts pure PS/2 keyboards". This is not correct. QIMSI does of course work with PS/2-USB combo keyboards! Which is also the more intended kind of keyboard for QIMSI. It does not require a PS/2 to USB converter then. I tried to make that a little clearer in the manual.

I can recommend the KeySonic mini keyboard ACK-595C+ for example. Available from Amazon, Reichelt, etc.

[Derek_Stewart]

The Minerva keyboard driver including source is now available on my GitHub repository: https://github.com/janbredenbeek/QIMSI-KBD

Jan

Hi Jan,

Does the PS/2 keyboard and the QL keyboard work together?

If so maybe a numeric pad can be added to the QL.

[Peter]

Does the PS/2 keyboard and the QL keyboard work together?

I think it is quite clear that one has to switch the active keyboard by BASIC commands.

[janbredenbeek]

Many thanks Jan! Fantastic job!

There is a small mistake in the description, however. You write "QIMSI has a micro-USB keyboard connector, but currently only accepts pure PS/2 keyboards". This is not correct. QIMSI does of course work with PS/2-USB combo keyboards! Which is also the more intended kind of keyboard for QIMSI. It does not require a PS/2 to USB converter then. I tried to make that a little clearer in the manual.

Oops, sorry... Corrected that section.
Note that it also has been forked to the SinclairQL repositories on GitHub.

By the way: Since QIMSI has been released now, will the new SMSQ/E version 3.39 with QIMSI support be released too? Wolfgang's site still shows 3.38.

Jan

[janbredenbeek]

Does the PS/2 keyboard and the QL keyboard work together?

Unfortunately not, since there can only be one keyboard decoding routine active at a time under Minerva.
(as I wrote earlier, the first build contained a bug that caused both keyboards to be active, and typing on the PS/2 keyboard resulted in characters being entered that not even remotely resembled the keys pressed).

[Peter]

Do you see any problem using your QIMSI Interface with a Aurora board (assuming the correct ROM interface converter) ?

What I'm not 100% sure about is the electrical behaviour with all possible backplanes, especially large ones, as I have no opportunity to test.

But with Aurora itself, I see no problem at all. Just make sure the address range $C000 ... $FFFF is not occupied by a different device.

[Peter]

Oops, sorry... Corrected that section.

Many thanks! Awesome achievement.
I didn't expect the external keyboard feature to become very popular, but with your driver, it's a different story.

By the way: Since QIMSI has been released now, will the new SMSQ/E version 3.39 with QIMSI support be released too? Wolfgang's site still shows 3.38.

Yes. Wolfgang told me he needs some more time, so the other release targets also get ready.

[Tesla]

Hi Peter.
First of all let me say thank for this great add on (just ordered one to Stephan ). I have two questions:
Is the QIMSI compatible whit qubide + hard disk (or DOM)?
Is the QIMSI compatible with Marcel QL-SD?
Thank you for your answer, your time and your great work.
Ciao.
Marco