Today I Received...

[Pr0f]

You should be able to build a Hermes with this guy.

Cheers,
Tobias

or at least tinker with the source code for the IPC that's available and see what could be done with this chip. This actually has upto 4K Eprom space available, and a very simple SPI port on chip. The sockets above the eprom chip allow you to select emulation of 8048, 8049 or full 8050 mode.

[Derek_Stewart]

Hi,

It is a pity thd Hermes source code was not released, as Laurence Reeves did a lot of work debugging the 8049 IPC.

The Hermes code was programmed into a Intel 8749 programmable rom, if the Hermes source code is the same as the Minvera aource, there would many comments on the code, whoch also help.

[Pr0f]

Hi,

It is a pity thd Hermes source code was not released, as Laurence Reeves did a lot of work debugging the 8049 IPC.

The Hermes code was programmed into a Intel 8749 programmable rom, if the Hermes source code is the same as the Minvera aource, there would many comments on the code, whoch also help.

The original source - a copy of which is on "the distribution" and on Dilwyn's site is documented, and I've also found some old MCS-48 documentation. This has some notes on doing serial receive/transmit with 4x oversampling using the timer on the 8049, which I think is what Hermes also does. There is a comment in the source code example saying that there is some free cycles to do other things on a regular timer interrupt basis such as scan a keyboard, etc - so I am thinking this is a good basis for re engineering it.

The Hermes documentation also tells you what Hermes fixes - although reading the original source to see why it is broken is difficult to say the least.

[Derek_Stewart]

Hi Pr0f,

The point I was trying make was that Laurence Reeves has already done the work to debug the 8049 in the QL, so maybe a request to Tony Firshman to release the source code to Hermes would help.

I will contact him and see if this can be done.

[Pr0f]

Hi Pr0f,

The point I was trying make was that Laurence Reeves has already done the work to debug the 8049 in the QL, so maybe a request to Tony Firshman to release the source code to Hermes would help.

I will contact him and see if this can be done.

I would certainly like to look at it if it is released

My main interest is in porting the functionaliity to a propeller chip - but I like to tinker and play with the original platform a bit to have better understanding. I find that 'playing with the code' is a good way for me to learn and understand what it is doing.

[Ruptor]

My main interest is in porting the functionaliity to a propeller chip

Does that mean a different chip pin compatible? I would design the software correctly for the new chip rather than repeat the mistakes you might as well make new ones and be in the position of having the ability of correcting them.

[Pr0f]

My main interest is in porting the functionaliity to a propeller chip

Does that mean a different chip pin compatible? I would design the software correctly for the new chip rather than repeat the mistakes you might as well make new ones and be in the position of having the ability of correcting them.

i did say port the functionallity - not the code - thankfully they are so different that would not be an easy task.

The reason for messing about with the old chip was purely to learn, not to necessarily develop on that platform and then update it to a propeller.

[NormanDunbar]

... I'm afraid it's not QL related. It's to do with microcontrollers. I can't say much about it just yet though...

Now I can speak about it. Coming soon - https://www.apress.com/gb/book/9781484257890

Cheers,
Norm.

[vanpeebles]

... I'm afraid it's not QL related. It's to do with microcontrollers. I can't say much about it just yet though...

Now I can speak about it. Coming soon - https://www.apress.com/gb/book/9781484257890

Cheers,
Norm.

Awesome!

[pjw]

Sexy!