New release Minerva4Q68 v1.3

[janbredenbeek]

I believe Minerva4Q68 is now stable enough for a new release, though there still seems to be an issue with v1.05 firmware and the machine freezing after the initial F1/F2 screen. If you have v1.05, please test and report if there are any problems.

New and/or improved features:

• Merged keyboard and SD-card drivers so that the ROM image is now 80K, leaving 16K free for another extension ROM (e.g. TKII)

• Keyboard languages merged into one ROM, the keyboard layout may be set using the new KBTABLE command (supported are US, UK, and DE)

• Support for external interrupts on all firmware versions

• Support for keyboard interrupt on newer firmware versions

• LRESPRable version Min4Q68_rext which can be loaded from SMSQ/E, avoiding the need for a separate boot SD-card

The new version is available on https://github.com/SinclairQL/Minerva4Q68

Jan

[martyn_hill]

Great work, Jan!

I shall be trying out your latest Min4Q68 this weekend

[Peter]

• Merged keyboard and SD-card drivers so that the ROM image is now 80K, leaving 16K free for another extension ROM (e.g. TKII)

Awesome!

• Support for external interrupts on all firmware versions

Does this mean the hardware support for the external interrupt bit in PC.INTR which I introduced in firmware 1.05 is no longer used?

Many thanks, really fantastic job!

[janbredenbeek]

Hi Peter,

• Support for external interrupts on all firmware versions

Does this mean the hardware support for the external interrupt bit in PC.INTR which I introduced in firmware 1.05 is no longer used?

Yes, only the Frame interrupt bit is tested, if it's set the frame interrupt is handled, else the external interrupt list is executed.
On exit the corresponding interrupt bit (frame or external) is written back to PC.INTR as on BBQL, I'm not sure if the Q68 needs that for clearing the interrupt, but it's done anyway.

Many thanks, really fantastic job!

Thanks!

[RalfR]

Just for fun I tried to LRESPR it under QPC2....the startup screen appears, then it hangs (of course). But interesting to see.

[janbredenbeek]

Just for fun I tried to LRESPR it under QPC2....the startup screen appears, then it hangs (of course). But interesting to see.

If you feel ambitious, you can build a Q68 emulator here... I've tried, but it looks like I have to install a load of WebAssembly tools first...

[XorA]

Just for fun I tried to LRESPR it under QPC2....the startup screen appears, then it hangs (of course). But interesting to see.

If you feel ambitious, you can build a Q68 emulator here... I've tried, but it looks like I have to install a load of WebAssembly tools first...

Erm, only if you want to run it in a web browser! (which wont work so dont try it).

[Derek_Stewart]

Hi,

I compiled sQ68ux with no real problem with Linux Mint 21.1, all works great, with SMSQ/E v3.38:

A really nice piece of programming.

Not tried the updated Minerva yet.

[XorA]

I have added a very basic README to sq68ux.

[janbredenbeek]

I have added a very basic README to sq68ux.

Thanks, finally succeeded in compiling it (after removing the -Werror cc option)
But when executed, I get the following error:

Code: Select all

$ ./build/sq68ux --smsqe Q68_SMSQ.bin 
Can't load 'sq68ux.ini'
VideoDriver x11 xres 1920 yres 1200

(process:12724): GLib-CRITICAL **: 00:03:09.911: g_mapped_file_get_length: assertion 'file != NULL' failed

(process:12724): GLib-CRITICAL **: 00:03:09.911: g_mapped_file_get_contents: assertion 'file != NULL' failed
Segmentation fault (core dumped)

Do I need to create sq68ux.ini, and if so what should it contain?