Open source Floppy controller and Eprom programmer

Nagging hardware related question? Post here!
Post Reply
User avatar
mk79
QL Wafer Drive
Posts: 1349
Joined: Sun Feb 02, 2014 10:54 am
Location: Esslingen/Germany
Contact:

Open source Floppy controller and Eprom programmer

Post by mk79 »

I have written a bit about my old (and very customized) QL and only 30 years later I also open sourced two pieces of the hardware:

1. a Sandy SuperQBoard clone called the "Herbert card", named after my late father. It features a floppy controller, parallel port and mouse adapter. Unlike the SuperQBoard the Herbert card is HD compatible!
2. Jochen Hassler's Eprommer-II board that can burn EPROMs and even program old GAL chips. That was pretty advanced for its time

I included current KiCAD schematics, layouts, ROMs and even source code, so everything is there to built it, enjoy!

I've linked to the individual articles here:
https://www.kilgus.net/2020/09/05/hardw ... m-my-past/
Marcel_QL_annotated.jpg
Herbert-HD top.jpg
Eprommer II Revival - top.jpg


nikosdoykas
Over Heated PSU
Posts: 134
Joined: Tue Oct 09, 2018 4:20 am

Re: Open source Floppy controller and Eprom programmer

Post by nikosdoykas »

and as i seeee yoy got ready and the gerber files....
thanks for sharing for freeee


User avatar
Dave
SandySuperQDave
Posts: 2765
Joined: Sat Jan 22, 2011 6:52 am
Location: Austin, TX
Contact:

Re: Open source Floppy controller and Eprom programmer

Post by Dave »

I hereby give permission, in perpetuity, for the SuperQBoard schematics and layout to be released under the GPL V2 and/or V3 license. I obtained the rights to the hardware, but not whole driver, in 2004, from Tony Ianiri. Those parts of the driver code I did have rights to were not produced by Sandy, and included parts of TKII which is copyright Tony Tebby. I release what rights I have in the driver as above.

Nice work, Marcel! A very nice and clean looking board.


User avatar
NormanDunbar
Forum Moderator
Posts: 2251
Joined: Tue Dec 14, 2010 9:04 am
Location: Leeds, West Yorkshire, UK
Contact:

Re: Open source Floppy controller and Eprom programmer

Post by NormanDunbar »

You do produce a very neat board Marcel. Nicely done.

I note you are meticulous in lining up your resistors all the same way around! Good man! (I do that too.)

Cheers,
Norm.


Why do they put lightning conductors on churches?
Author of Arduino Software Internals
Author of Arduino Interrupts

No longer on Twitter, find me on https://mastodon.scot/@NormanDunbar.
Derek_Stewart
Font of All Knowledge
Posts: 3932
Joined: Mon Dec 20, 2010 11:40 am
Location: Sunny Runcorn, Cheshire, UK

Re: Open source Floppy controller and Eprom programmer

Post by Derek_Stewart »

Dave wrote:I hereby give permission, in perpetuity, for the SuperQBoard schematics and layout to be released under the GPL V2 and/or V3 license. I obtained the rights to the hardware, but not whole driver, in 2004, from Tony Ianiri. Those parts of the driver code I did have rights to were not produced by Sandy, and included parts of TKII which is copyright Tony Tebby. I release what rights I have in the driver as above.

Nice work, Marcel! A very nice and clean looking board.
Hi Dave,

Can you publish all the Sandy hardware designs under the appropriate licence.

Doing this will make all the hard work that Sandy did, not be lost.


Regards,

Derek
User avatar
mk79
QL Wafer Drive
Posts: 1349
Joined: Sun Feb 02, 2014 10:54 am
Location: Esslingen/Germany
Contact:

Re: Open source Floppy controller and Eprom programmer

Post by mk79 »

NormanDunbar wrote:You do produce a very neat board Marcel. Nicely done.

I note you are meticulous in lining up your resistors all the same way around! Good man! (I do that too.)
ROFL, I didn‘t expect anybody to notice that :-D But yeah, I put way too much time and care into projects like these, down to the very smallest details like resistors all being the same orientation :-D

The boards in the pictures are actually the v1.0 prototypes, fortunately I could fix all problems without them being visible. Ordered a fixed set just for the hell of it, as I was ordering some other boards anyway, but will probably not build another one.


User avatar
Dave
SandySuperQDave
Posts: 2765
Joined: Sat Jan 22, 2011 6:52 am
Location: Austin, TX
Contact:

Re: Open source Floppy controller and Eprom programmer

Post by Dave »

Derek_Stewart wrote:Can you publish all the Sandy hardware designs under the appropriate licence.

Doing this will make all the hard work that Sandy did, not be lost.
I only bought certain rights. The Futura design, the QXT-640 and anything licensed from SPEM are not covered. Nor is any standalone software, including any ROM carts. Only QL expansions and those parts of any ROMs Sandy owned or licensed.

I have been going through my files pulling everything together, but Marcel did force my hand a little on the SQBv3. Everything else will follow in due course. I'm no longer actively working in the QL scene (I haven't turned my Q68 on in so long it lost the date) but I do have expectations of what people do with the IP I bought. Mostly, I will require it be open to the extent that anyone selling or releasing any products for profit or not based off a Sandy design has to publish any changes they make with clear enough documentation that anyone can understand and use what they have added.

More in time. I don't want this to overshadow the really nice board that Marcel has done.


User avatar
NormanDunbar
Forum Moderator
Posts: 2251
Joined: Tue Dec 14, 2010 9:04 am
Location: Leeds, West Yorkshire, UK
Contact:

Re: Open source Floppy controller and Eprom programmer

Post by NormanDunbar »

mk79 wrote:ROFL, I didn‘t expect anybody to notice that :-D But yeah, I put way too much time and care into projects like these, down to the very smallest details like resistors all being the same orientation :-D
The sign of a crafstman.

Cheers,
Norm.


Why do they put lightning conductors on churches?
Author of Arduino Software Internals
Author of Arduino Interrupts

No longer on Twitter, find me on https://mastodon.scot/@NormanDunbar.
User avatar
Pr0f
QL Wafer Drive
Posts: 1298
Joined: Thu Oct 12, 2017 9:54 am

Re: Open source Floppy controller and Eprom programmer

Post by Pr0f »

mk79 wrote:
NormanDunbar wrote:You do produce a very neat board Marcel. Nicely done.

I note you are meticulous in lining up your resistors all the same way around! Good man! (I do that too.)
ROFL, I didn‘t expect anybody to notice that :-D But yeah, I put way too much time and care into projects like these, down to the very smallest details like resistors all being the same orientation :-D

The boards in the pictures are actually the v1.0 prototypes, fortunately I could fix all problems without them being visible. Ordered a fixed set just for the hell of it, as I was ordering some other boards anyway, but will probably not build another one.
Then we must all have OCD - I hate seeing one or two components the 'wrong' way around - it even bugs me when a PCB has a design with a block of diodes and one is the opposite orientation - I know it is more work on PCB design, but it just looks so much better when they are in nice rows


User avatar
Peter
QL Wafer Drive
Posts: 1953
Joined: Sat Jan 22, 2011 8:47 am

Re: Open source Floppy controller and Eprom programmer

Post by Peter »

Hi Dave,
Dave wrote:I hereby give permission, in perpetuity, for the SuperQBoard schematics and layout to be released under the GPL V2 and/or V3 license.
Thanks. Lets hope your license will be respected. Are the schematics published somewhere on the web?
Dave wrote:I'm no longer actively working in the QL scene (I haven't turned my Q68 on in so long it lost the date)
When I read that, I fired up my own Q68 and noticed to be back in January 1st of 1961 as well. ;)

Sometimes a long break allows to forget the frustrations related to QL work. I hope this will happen for both of us. I still think you and Nasta should (and deserve to) release at least one major piece of QL hardware. I miss your vibrant activities here on the forum as well.

Peter


Post Reply