Q68 serial port

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FrancoisLanciault
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Re: Q68 serial port

Post by FrancoisLanciault »

Derek_Stewart wrote:Hi,

Can you not copy all your data into a QXL.WIN file and transfer the file to a SD Card via PC or QPC2.
To answer that part:

I don't have a PC, being a mac user. So for all those years QLers where playing with QPC, I was not.

I was developing directly on the SGC QL. For many years the workflow to get and send program from/to the internet was:

Program downloaded to the mac
Transferred using FTP to my NeXT computer that have serial ports
QL connect to NeXT Unix shell thru serial port using QPTi
Program transferred over the serial port using Zmodem.

Everything was setup so it was easy and fast as all QL programs are short.

I have an Hermes chip in my QL so I was able to receive at 19200 bauds for an average transfer speed up to 14000 baud as the QL was stopping the transmission from time to time with the hardware handshaking signals.

Recently, I have tried QPC for Mac, but I the native file system does not work for me. Also, I have no means to copy files from the QL to the mac as the mac don't have a floppy disk.

So the quickest and easiest way to transfer my personal files and all the software I develop over the years is with the serial port. But that's ok I am used to it. For all other QL resources and programs beside my personal stuff, everything is available somewhere, thanks to Derek, in the two distributions that came with the Q68.

I will report here my experience connecting Q68 to SGC QL. Sending from the QL to Q68 should be achieved without trouble at 19200 bauds as the Q68 can cope with much higher rate. I will also try to send files from Q68 to QL. I know that without handshaking it will have to be done slowly and hopefully it will work at 4800 baud otherwise I all go down to 2400 or less. What is nice with the Zmodem protocol is that it is self correcting and I will see if transfer blocks fail and are requested again.

Something just struck my mind: What about the stop bits ??? Any compatibly issues between Q68 sand QL ? I think I remember that the QL needs at least two stop bits....

Thank you all for your contribution.

François


Derek_Stewart
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Re: Q68 serial port

Post by Derek_Stewart »

Hi,

You could try Q-emulator which has MAC implementation. But you would have register to get all the features required.

Another solution would be to load SMSQ/E Gold on the SGC QL and connect the serial ports between SGC QL and Q68 via a Null Modem cable.

Load in Sernet and transfer the files via the Sernet Server on SER2. I am mot sure you will get 19200 baud.

I transfer my old BBS files to a Q40, the highest reliable speed was 9600 Baud. The transfer took a few days.

Stop bits, usually for comms transfer, 8 bits, no parity, 1 stop bit


Regards,

Derek
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Peter
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Re: Q68 serial port

Post by Peter »

Also note that Qxlwinreader runs on MACOS X. It can handle both QLWA (QXL.WIN) and Qubide format.


johnh
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Re: Q68 serial port

Post by johnh »

[quote="Derek_Stewart"]
Another solution would be to load SMSQ/E Gold on the SGC QL and connect the serial ports between SGC QL and Q68 via a Null Modem cable.

Load in Sernet and transfer the files via the Sernet Server on SER2. I am mot sure you will get 19200 baud.
[/quote]

I was hoping to to this with my GC QL and my (batch 2) Q68 but, according to the SMSQ/E manual, SERNET requires hardware handshaking...

John Hall


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pjw
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Re: Q68 serial port

Post by pjw »

FrancoisLanciault wrote:
Derek_Stewart wrote:Hi,

Can you not copy all your data into a QXL.WIN file and transfer the file to a SD Card via PC or QPC2.
To answer that part:

I don't have a PC, being a mac user. So for all those years QLers where playing with QPC, I was not.

I was developing directly on the SGC QL. <>
Just in case you are not aware, QPC2 is available for the Mac at kilgus.net/Downloads. You might like to try this to read and write to the SD card. It would save you a lot of hassle, at least for the initial transfer. Besides, you could check out what youve been missing ;) If you do try, it would be nice to hear how it went..


Per
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bixio60
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Re: Q68 serial port

Post by bixio60 »

FrancoisLanciault wrote:
Derek_Stewart wrote:Hi,

Can you not copy all your data into a QXL.WIN file and transfer the file to a SD Card via PC or QPC2.
To answer that part:

I don't have a PC, being a mac user. So for all those years QLers where playing with QPC, I was not.

I was developing directly on the SGC QL. For many years the workflow to get and send program from/to the internet was:

Program downloaded to the mac
Transferred using FTP to my NeXT computer that have serial ports
QL connect to NeXT Unix shell thru serial port using QPTi
Program transferred over the serial port using Zmodem.

Everything was setup so it was easy and fast as all QL programs are short.

I have an Hermes chip in my QL so I was able to receive at 19200 bauds for an average transfer speed up to 14000 baud as the QL was stopping the transmission from time to time with the hardware handshaking signals.

Recently, I have tried QPC for Mac, but I the native file system does not work for me. Also, I have no means to copy files from the QL to the mac as the mac don't have a floppy disk.

So the quickest and easiest way to transfer my personal files and all the software I develop over the years is with the serial port. But that's ok I am used to it. For all other QL resources and programs beside my personal stuff, everything is available somewhere, thanks to Derek, in the two distributions that came with the Q68.

I will report here my experience connecting Q68 to SGC QL. Sending from the QL to Q68 should be achieved without trouble at 19200 bauds as the Q68 can cope with much higher rate. I will also try to send files from Q68 to QL. I know that without handshaking it will have to be done slowly and hopefully it will work at 4800 baud otherwise I all go down to 2400 or less. What is nice with the Zmodem protocol is that it is self correcting and I will see if transfer blocks fail and are requested again.

Something just struck my mind: What about the stop bits ??? Any compatibly issues between Q68 sand QL ? I think I remember that the QL needs at least two stop bits....

Thank you all for your contribution.

François
Hi,
I am also use Mac Book.
Considering that I am forced (for Business activities) to use Windows I have Parallels for Mac installed and always active in Coherence mode. Coherence mode means that window app are fully integrated in Mac osx. In this way QPC run like another Windows app.
Best solution for Mac user is to use the native Mac Osx app SMSQmulator, QPC and SMSQmulator can also communicate in virtual LAN using Ipnet (fantastic tool :D) on the same machine.
Finally i usually connect my Mac with Q60 using USB/Ser converter and Sernet, last but not least when I need to exchange files with BBQL I use floppy with USB floppy on the mac (QPC) or QXLwinreader using QL-SD .

Regards

Fabrizio


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Peter
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Re: Q68 serial port

Post by Peter »

johnh wrote:
Derek_Stewart wrote:I was hoping to to this with my GC QL and my (batch 2) Q68 but, according to the SMSQ/E manual, SERNET requires hardware handshaking...
SERNET itself does not requite it. You can use SERNET between two Q68 at up to 115200 Baud with no handshake. Also between Q68 and PC (at least with decent serial hardware).

The bottleneck is the QL hardware, especially receive. The GC can run SMSQ/E, so XON/XOFF can be used reliably there.

What is the medium, on which the QL side data resides?


johnh
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Re: Q68 serial port

Post by johnh »

Peter wrote:
johnh wrote:I was hoping to to this with my GC QL and my (batch 2) Q68 but, according to the SMSQ/E manual, SERNET requires hardware handshaking...
SERNET itself does not requite it. You can use SERNET between two Q68 at up to 115200 Baud with no handshake. Also between Q68 and PC (at least with decent serial hardware).

The bottleneck is the QL hardware, especially receive. The GC can run SMSQ/E, so XON/XOFF can be used reliably there.

What is the medium, on which the QL side data resides?
One scenario would be copying the files from various QL boot floppies to the Q68 (probably via a RAM disk).

However, I was also hoping to use the Q68 as a "poor man's SD card reader" for the GC (+ Hermes) QL...

John Hall


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Peter
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Re: Q68 serial port

Post by Peter »

johnh wrote:One scenario would be copying the files from various QL boot floppies to the Q68 (probably via a RAM disk).
If you don't want to use QL-SD, an emulator, or wait for QLNET support on the Q68, the fastest way is probably to ZIP flopppy contents to ramdisk and then simply COPY it to SER1, even without XON/XOFF.
If the QL is the sender, the lack of Q68 hardware handshake does not matter. The Q68 is fast enough to receive at whatever speed the QL can reliably send.
johnh wrote:However, I was also hoping to use the Q68 as a "poor man's SD card reader" for the GC (+ Hermes) QL...
This looks like a typical application for QLNET, for which I hope we will get software support this year.
Could you solder the jack socket and the few external components for that purpose (described elsewhere in this forum)?

All the best
Peter


johnh
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Location: South Wales

Re: Q68 serial port

Post by johnh »

Peter wrote:
johnh wrote:However, I was also hoping to use the Q68 as a "poor man's SD card reader" for the GC (+ Hermes) QL...
This looks like a typical application for QLNET, for which I hope we will get software support this year.
:) That was, in fact, what started me thinking about SERNET - "Hmm... it looks like a QLNET solution will be available later - what could I do in the meantime?"
Peter wrote: Could you solder the jack socket and the few external components for that purpose (described elsewhere in this forum)?
Unfortunately, my soldering skills are nonexistant.

What I'm hoping is that, in the future, the community will agree on a standard board connector and then someone will come up with some sort of I/O "hat" that includes the QLNET connector (and perhaps a "proper" USART)...

Mind you, I'd still have to find someone to retro-fit the connector onto my board :lol:

Regards,

John Hall


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