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Re: SMS2 and STELLA
Posted: Thu Feb 17, 2022 5:14 pm
by Dave
We did get a couple of batches of PCBs in that were very substandard. The layout was to the best capabilities of software at the time. Due to cost it was a two layer board, so that was a huge compromise of the design.
So yeah, the boards were not as they could have been.
Re: SMS2 and STELLA
Posted: Thu Feb 17, 2022 6:03 pm
by RalfR
Maybe Urs can say something about that, he has a few of them.
Re: SMS2 and STELLA
Posted: Thu Feb 17, 2022 6:54 pm
by RalfR
Dave wrote:Due to cost it was a two layer board
Wasn't the SQB not a multilayer board?
Re: SMS2 and STELLA
Posted: Thu Feb 17, 2022 7:01 pm
by Dave
RalfR wrote:Dave wrote:Due to cost it was a two layer board
Wasn't the SQB not a multilayer board?
Two layers.
Re: SMS2 and STELLA
Posted: Fri Feb 18, 2022 9:06 am
by Derek_Stewart
Hi,
Is it possible to copy the Futura Board?
Re: SMS2 and STELLA
Posted: Fri Feb 18, 2022 9:40 am
by RalfR
Derek_Stewart wrote:Is it possible to copy the Futura Board?
Possibly, as Urs has one or two. But you need the special firmware and OS for this. We do not know, if it was ever fully programmed. And what was planned for the ROMPER connections?
Re: SMS2 and STELLA
Posted: Fri Feb 18, 2022 4:32 pm
by Dave
In hindsight, I don't think the Futura system is particularly interesting. The main advantage it had over the currently available system from Peter is excellent expansion support. That said, the Q68 has a very reduced extension bus that is useful and practical. I have had a floppy interface working on it.
Re: SMS2 and STELLA
Posted: Fri Feb 18, 2022 5:58 pm
by RalfR
Dave wrote:In hindsight, I don't think the Futura system is particularly interesting. The main advantage it had over the currently available system from Peter is excellent expansion support. That said, the Q68 has a very reduced extension bus that is useful and practical. I have had a floppy interface working on it.
It is merely a thing of a last time to use it, would be interesting to see, why not, it is one of TT's babys? But what OS? SMS2, SMSQ?. I think, it was the time of QRAM and QLib with its col 208.
How have you managed a disk support with Q68? I miss PAR!
Re: SMS2 and STELLA
Posted: Fri Feb 18, 2022 6:40 pm
by Dave
RalfR wrote:How have you managed a disk support with Q68? I miss PAR!
74LVCH16245 level shifters and a WD1772 - main hard bit is editing the drivers to use logical lowest byte in every long word instead of consecutive bytes to map to the registers. Needs an external 5V supply though.
Re: SMS2 and STELLA
Posted: Fri Feb 18, 2022 6:46 pm
by RalfR
Dave wrote:RalfR wrote:How have you managed a disk support with Q68? I miss PAR!
74LVCH16245 level shifters and a WD1772 - main hard bit is editing the drivers to use logical lowest byte in every long word instead of consecutive bytes to map to the registers. Needs an external 5V supply though.
Would like to see a circuit diagram. And the software?