QL-Lion (QLion) card project
Posted: Tue Oct 01, 2024 6:39 am
I am making an upgrade card for the QL that has all the features of my "FPGA ZX8301 replacement card" but it isn't a zx8301 replacement.
It just plugs to the expansion port and gives QL more capabilities.
It offers
- Faster 68008 compatible CPU at 16Mhz
- Fast dual bus video ram that together with the faster cpu makes QL perform more than 4 times faster
- 2MB of ram, 1920K available to OS, 128K as extra video ram for the 256 color modes
- 512K flash rom let's you choose from 4 sets of rom and driver rom (JS+qlsd, Minerva+qlsd+tk2 etc)
- QLSD storage for win1_ to win4_ drives. It's driver works well with toolkit 2.36, has some issues with some other versions of toolkit.
- VGA up-scaled output that can be easily converted to hdmi if needed with a cheap external adapter (QL standard video output is disabled)
- 16 colors for mode 8 and some palette choice for mode 4
- 256 color graphics modes that can optionally be mixed with the standard QL modes, screens of standard and 256 color modes are drawn independently and can be
switched instantly. (when displaying 256 color modes QL works slower because they don't fit in the fast video ram but even then QL is faster than the standard).
- 90 hardware sprites of 16x16 pixels and 15 colors + transparency
- PS/2 mouse that works in the pointer environment by loading a driver
- 3 channels of audio + noise emulating the standard AY-3-8910/YM2149 ic, 3.5mm audio jack output and 2 more audio channels of my implementation
- fast serial port with 3.3v lvttl output to use with a common serial to usb board at speeds up to more than 115200
- battery backed up real time clock using a DS1307 ic
This is not a commercial product although I can produce cards for those interested at a slow rate. It's a use at your own risk thing.
Also there is not much software for some of the new features, only some test basic programs, a galaxians game and a ym file player.
I also made 3 utility programs for fat/win file transfer that are very usefull. One that displays the directory of the sd-card, one that copies a file from the fat system of the sd card to a file at the win drive and one that copies a file from the win image to one at the sd card.
It's in the beta testing state but I see no problems in my issue 5 and issue 6 QL except the one I mentioned that you have to use toolkit 2.36 and this is what I program in it's flash.
I had already named this card before the many nice name suggestions.
It just plugs to the expansion port and gives QL more capabilities.
It offers
- Faster 68008 compatible CPU at 16Mhz
- Fast dual bus video ram that together with the faster cpu makes QL perform more than 4 times faster
- 2MB of ram, 1920K available to OS, 128K as extra video ram for the 256 color modes
- 512K flash rom let's you choose from 4 sets of rom and driver rom (JS+qlsd, Minerva+qlsd+tk2 etc)
- QLSD storage for win1_ to win4_ drives. It's driver works well with toolkit 2.36, has some issues with some other versions of toolkit.
- VGA up-scaled output that can be easily converted to hdmi if needed with a cheap external adapter (QL standard video output is disabled)
- 16 colors for mode 8 and some palette choice for mode 4
- 256 color graphics modes that can optionally be mixed with the standard QL modes, screens of standard and 256 color modes are drawn independently and can be
switched instantly. (when displaying 256 color modes QL works slower because they don't fit in the fast video ram but even then QL is faster than the standard).
- 90 hardware sprites of 16x16 pixels and 15 colors + transparency
- PS/2 mouse that works in the pointer environment by loading a driver
- 3 channels of audio + noise emulating the standard AY-3-8910/YM2149 ic, 3.5mm audio jack output and 2 more audio channels of my implementation
- fast serial port with 3.3v lvttl output to use with a common serial to usb board at speeds up to more than 115200
- battery backed up real time clock using a DS1307 ic
This is not a commercial product although I can produce cards for those interested at a slow rate. It's a use at your own risk thing.
Also there is not much software for some of the new features, only some test basic programs, a galaxians game and a ym file player.
I also made 3 utility programs for fat/win file transfer that are very usefull. One that displays the directory of the sd-card, one that copies a file from the fat system of the sd card to a file at the win drive and one that copies a file from the win image to one at the sd card.
It's in the beta testing state but I see no problems in my issue 5 and issue 6 QL except the one I mentioned that you have to use toolkit 2.36 and this is what I program in it's flash.
I had already named this card before the many nice name suggestions.
?