Announcing the new "Gold Card" - QIMSI Gold

[7alken]

Hi, if you are doing something new, what you pls mean about this intentionally cpu-decoupled 3V3 PCMCIA-inspired (only peripherals though), later also MIPI DBI-B + SPI DBI-C (8pin conn) inspired "bus". I plan to use it with cheap 2mm pitch 2x15pin connectors having max 7 slots on backplane for hw tinkering against old cpu's various kinds, over CPLD/FPGA. It probably can be driven even over single serialized/rs485 SPI link entirely. At least I hope )) ...7xbus
https://chatgpt.com/share/67275032-7fd4 ... 3e96f89e82

[Peter]

Hi, if you are doing something new, what you pls mean about this intentionally cpu-decoupled 3V3 PCMCIA-inspired (only peripherals though), later also MIPI DBI-B + SPI DBI-C (8pin conn) inspired "bus". [...]

This is not about QIMSI Gold. Can you please create your own topic?

I even doubt it is about the QL. It rather looks like a general electronics question. Might be something for the Off-Topic Section.

[7alken]

ya, I apologize even for crosspost here, excuse me; idea came that if you can have some free SPI link, "something like this" can be hooked to your great QIMSI Gold;
again, apologies
Petr

[dilwyn]

Two Dell scroll wheel optical mice I bought recently from eBay as PS/2-USB combo mice I've found do not work with QIMSI-Gold, just in case anyone goes to buy one of these. They both have USB plugs and no PS/2 adaptor so it's possible the seller is mis-describing them. No worries, as one can be used to replace one of my PC mice which has developed a fault with its scroll wheel (click on the scroll wheel in a browser to open something in a new tab and three to six tabs open simultaneously, whereas CTRL-click using keyboard works normally). Shame really as these two mice are black and look good alongside a QL.

Dell MS116P
Dell MS111L

they might be M511P and M5111L - it's hard to tell if the second digit is a 5 or an S.

In both cases, when connected to QIMSI-Gold, it hangs at the power up screen. There is no single or double green flash on power up before the red flash, so probably not true PS/2 mice despite what the eBay seller said.

Also, has anyone come up with a case for the QIMSI-Gold yet I can buy? My QIMSI-Gold has the backup battery underneath in case there are two sizes of case.

[Peter]

Two Dell scroll wheel optical mice I bought recently from eBay as PS/2-USB combo mice I've found do not work with QIMSI-Gold, just in case anyone goes to buy one of these.

Hi Dilwyn, if you like, you could also try the USB mouse variant of the FPGA with these. Could just be that I return to PS/2 in later FPGA versions.
Unlike Q68, the QIMSI Gold FPGA logic can be changed by the user.

Also, has anyone come up with a case for the QIMSI-Gold yet I can buy? My QIMSI-Gold has the backup battery underneath in case there are two sizes of case.

As far as I know, there is no case with room for the RTC yet. But that would not be a big deal for QLObi - feel free to contact him.

[gferluga]

CHERRY Optical Wheel Mouse USB+PS/2 Blck is best mouse in my opinion.
I have it on my QL and works perfectly.

https://www.bechtle.com/gb/shop/cherry- ... -323772--p

[dilwyn]

Two Dell scroll wheel optical mice I bought recently from eBay as PS/2-USB combo mice I've found do not work with QIMSI-Gold, just in case anyone goes to buy one of these.

Hi Dilwyn, if you like, you could also try the USB mouse variant of the FPGA with these. Could just be that I return to PS/2 in later FPGA versions.
Unlike Q68, the QIMSI Gold FPGA logic can be changed by the user.

Also, has anyone come up with a case for the QIMSI-Gold yet I can buy? My QIMSI-Gold has the backup battery underneath in case there are two sizes of case.

As far as I know, there is no case with room for the RTC yet. But that would not be a big deal for QLObi - feel free to contact him.

Yes, I'd like to try the USB mouse variant if it can be changed by the user without an external programmer. If the necessary files can be sent by email, please send them to my usual gmail address.

I understand what you say about the likelihood of returning to PS/2 at some point.

I'll contact QLobi about the cases.

Thank you.

[Maskenlos]

CHERRY Optical Wheel Mouse USB+PS/2 Blck is best mouse in my opinion.
I have it on my QL and works perfectly.

https://www.bechtle.com/gb/shop/cherry- ... -323772--p

This is the mouse we recommend to use with Qimsi and QIMSI Gold. It also works with the "USB FPGA" just proposed by Peter to Dilwyn.

Its really worth to buy and let the mouse-trouble behind.

Stephan

[Peter]

Also, has anyone come up with a case for the QIMSI-Gold yet I can buy? My QIMSI-Gold has the backup battery underneath in case there are two sizes of case.

On the German forum, a suitable STL has appeared:
https://forum.tlienhard.com/phpBB3/view ... 915#p65915
(Not fully my taste, as it wastes space between top and connectors, while not providing a closed bottom.)

[dilwyn]

Having struggled to find a mouse which worked properly on the QIMSI-Gold, the Cherry M5400 mouse arrived today, as suggested by others here.

It worked first time, I am delighted to say.

It's a mouse with a USB plug on the cable, and supplied with a USB to PS/2 adaptor plug (it's a combined PS/2 and USB mouse). And it's black! Cost £12 on eBay.

I've been trying out the USB mouse hardware logic trial version from Peter and had been unable to get any of my many spare cheap unbranded USB mice working with it, this Cherry mouse worked first time. Just shows it's worth spending a bit more sometimes to make life easier.

With the cheap unbranded USB mice, I was getting several issues:
1) many mice didn't work at all
2) some which worked were uncontrollably fast, the slightest movement of the mouse would make the pointer jump from one edge of the screen to the other, and trying to vary the mouse speed with the settings in Qpac2's Sysdef menu didn't work, or tended to vary the speed in one direction only.

The Cherry mouse is a combined PS/2 and USB device. So whichever version of the QIMSI-Gold hardware logic you have, it should work.

It's quite an unbelievable experience after "only" 40 years, using a BBQL in high resolution display, optionally with high colour modes, loading and saving using a micro-SD card, and computing much faster than a standard QL. In actual fact, the QL is not much more than a keyboard and power supply for the QIMSI-Gold in many ways, but being able to use the QL keyboard with this tiny plug in card totally transforms it making it feel to me like a brand new incarnation of a QL in QL clothing, albeit without access to the microdrives, etc. Quite unreal experience.