Breaking news: The QIMSI Interface

[Pr0f]

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

That's a good Question Marco - as both interfaces want to use "WIN" - but I know that you can use "QUB" with certain setups of the qubide with Qubata ROM installed. I'd be interested in the answer to that too. I think that QIMSI and QL-SD can't co exist as they use the same ROM space - but I believe the SD format is the same for both, so you should be able to read the SD cards (assuming you are using the small ones) from one in the other and vice versa...

[Peter]

First of all let me say thank for this great add on (just ordered one to Stephan ). I have two questions:

Thanks Marco, for the kind words.

Is the QIMSI compatible whit qubide + hard disk (or DOM)?

I'm not sure what you mean by "compatible". The following assumes that you mean "can be used simultaneously".

Firstly, QIMSI can not coexist at all with QubIDE jumpered to address $C000!
If QubIDE is jumpered to a different address, there will not be an electrical conflict, but still a conflict with the device name WIN1_.
It might be possible to make QIMSI coexist with QubIDE by renaming one of the two devices, but I'm not sure if that can be achived without cahnges to the ROM.
Maybe someone who owns a QubIDE could have a look at this.

Is the QIMSI compatible with Marcel QL-SD?

Due to the same address range used, QIMSI can not coexist with QL-SD, no matter if it is the original or built by Marcel.
QIMSI rather replaces QL-SD.

[Peter]

[...] but I believe the SD format is the same for both, so you should be able to read the SD cards (assuming you are using the small ones) from one in the other and vice versa...

Yes, but it might be required to use the WIN_DRIVE command, described in the manual.

QIMSI does not use the container name "QXL.WIN" by default, because that name was originally established for emulators which support fragmented container files.
QIMSI does not allow fragmented container files, and special care must be taken, according to the manual.
To create some attention for this important restriction, QIMSI uses the default container name "QLWA.WIN". This name was originally established for the Q68, also requiring non-fragmented containers.

[Derek_Stewart]

Hi,

When the Qubide first appeared, I had 2 Qubides attached to a QL, for BBS storage which does work if the interfaces are located at different addresses and and the device name is different.

I had a Super Gold Card, with Qubide at C0000 device driver name: WDD and the second Qubide at 0C000 in the Rom Port Area, device driver name WIN.

I had initial problems with using the WIN_USE command which got confused with similiar versions of the same commands on each interface, a solution was to patch one of the Qubide ROMs, renaming the WIN device driver and WIN_xxx commands. Which sort worked but a little messy, as most people do not have facilities to programme EPROMs, well in 1990s, that is.

Fast forward to, today, Qubide at another memory address other than the Rom Port at 0C000, would allow the interface to work, but the there would be a device driver name clash.

The WIN_USE command exists on each interface, and the interface last initialised would have the previous interfaces WIN commands overwritten, so the only way would be to patch the rom changing the WIN_xxx commands.

Just shows, 25 years on, nothing has changed.

Foot Note: I moved to a Q40 for the BBS and transferred all the data by SerNET to a Q40 hard drive.

[Derek_Stewart]

Hi,

Can a QUB device driver be written to access QUBide container files like the Q68?

Or is SMSQ/E able to do this?

[Peter]

Hi,

Can a QUB devide driver be written to access QUBide container files like the Q68?

Or is SMSQ/E able to do this?

Historically, the QL-SD driver was derived from the Q68 driver. So it should be doable, if someone spends the time for that. But I find it pretty pointless to have both QLWA and QubIDE images on SD card. Once a QubIDE image has been pulled from an IDE device, it is easy to copy the contents to a QLWA image. Why complicate matters and spend memory without any benefit? Better keep the driver and it's memory usage as small as possible. Unlike the Q68 with it's 32 MB RAM, some QL setups are short of memory.

In my opinion, QubIDE only makes sense for the real hardware. A QubIDE interface does not sit on the ROM port and therefore has slightly higher write speed than QIMSI or QL-SD. That is still a benefit.

[Tesla]

Thanks Pr0f and Peter, for your answers. I was afraid of this .
Not a great annoyance, QIMSI appears to be a great replacement anyway.

Ciao.
Marco

[Derek_Stewart]

Thanks Pr0f and Peter, for your answers. I was afraid of this .
Not a great annoyance, QIMSI appears to be a great replacement anyway.

Ciao.
Marco

Hi,

You could transfer the data on the Qubide by the QL Network, to a Q68 or QXL and save to a QWA file, which could be transfered to the QIMSI.

A couple of Tetroid Qubide kits all working, I can try a patched ROM to rename the Qubide WIN device, which wiĺ work with the QIMSI.

If required, I can make a back of the data if you send the Qubide and DOM,

[Peter]

Thanks Pr0f and Peter, for your answers. I was afraid of this .

If you own a Lattice programmer or know someone who does, there might be a solution.
I have developed an alternative QL-SD logic, which allows coexistence with QIMSI per jumper option.

viewtopic.php?t=4540

In addition to the traditional QL-SD use, one can:

- Use the QL-SD hardware just as Minerva ROM adaptor and QIMSI as normal
- Let QIMSI use the QL-SD card socket instead of it's own socket

I found this quite useful, as I have two QL-SD myself and didn't want to buy additional Minerva ROM adaptors. And while tinkering with the PLD for that purpose, I had the crazy idea to let QIMSI use the card sockets of QL-SD. It's a bit "magic", but it appears to work. This way, it is more convenient to exchange cards than at the back of the QL. Note that QIMSI uses the default container name QLWA.WIN, not QXL.WIN for good reasons explained elsewhere.

[Tesla]

Hi Derek
I have an operating QXL, therfore I'll try to transfer data via network. I don' t know if the QXL network is working, I'll never tested it.
This too is QL fun.
Thank for your kind help offer, if all fails I could take advantage of it .
See you soon.
Marco