My Pandora Aurora Super QL Project

The Thor, Aurora, Q40, Q60 & Q68 etc. are discussed here.
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dilwyn
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Re: My Pandora Aurora Super QL Project

Post by dilwyn »

vanpeebles wrote:I've managed to get it working using smsq, although with a small window top left. Which from reading the manual, I need to adjust some window# values.
The BASIC windows always start top left in a high resolution display, the assumption being that you only want QL-sized windows for BASIC, leaving the rest of the screen free for other programs.

That said, you can move them around with WMON and WTV commands in SMSQ/E:

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WMON ,x,y
moves the monitor mode windows to a location x pixels across, y pixels down. Note that there is nothing before the first comma, this is where the mode number would normally go, but as we are not changing mode, just moving the screens...

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WTV ,x,y
the same, but for TV-shaped windows where screen channel #1 and #2 overlap.

If you want to make the windows fill the screen, you can use the SCR_XLIM and SCR_YLIM functions to establish the size:

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wide=SCR_XLIM
high=SCR_YLIM
WINDOW #1,wide,high,0,0
add border as required. Note that depending on what else is going on, whether windows enlarge or reduce, you may also need an OUTLN command to set the window save area to cover the new window sizes.
Here's a couple of simple BASIC procedures which set the TV (XTV command) and Monitor (XMON command) to fill the video screen. I always have these tagged onto the end of my programs when using BASIC so I can quickly reset the windows:

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29800 DEFine PROCedure XTV
29810   OUTLN #0,SCR_XLIM,SCR_YLIM,0,0
29820   WINDOW SCR_XLIM,SCR_YLIM-52,0,0
29830   WINDOW #2,SCR_XLIM,SCR_YLIM-52,0,0
29840   WINDOW #0,SCR_XLIM,52,0,SCR_YLIM-52
29850   BORDER #1,1,255
29860   BORDER #2,1,255
29870   BORDER #0,1,255
29880   CLS : CLS #2 : CLS #0
29890 END DEFine XTV
29900 :
29910 DEFine PROCedure XMON
29920   OUTLN #0,SCR_XLIM,SCR_YLIM,0,0
29930   WINDOW SCR_XLIM/2,SCR_YLIM-54,SCR_XLIM/2,0
29940   WINDOW #2,SCR_XLIM/2,SCR_YLIM-54,0,0
29950   WINDOW #0,SCR_XLIM,52,0,SCR_YLIM-52
29960   BORDER #1,1,255
29970   BORDER #2,1,255
29980   BORDER #0,1,255
29990   CLS : CLS #2 : CLS #0
30000 END DEFine XMON
Both set the #0 window to five lines of text high, you can have fun altering 29840 and 29950 to vary the height, then alter the preceding lines by the same amount to prevent the other two windows overlapping.


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vanpeebles
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Re: My Pandora Aurora Super QL Project

Post by vanpeebles »

Many thanks, I'll experiment later!


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tofro
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Re: My Pandora Aurora Super QL Project

Post by tofro »

dilwyn wrote: That said, you can move them around with WMON and WTV commands in SMSQ/E:
I tend to move them around interactively with the mouse using the WMOV command. (That's part of EasyPtr, if I remember right)

Tobias


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vanpeebles
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Re: My Pandora Aurora Super QL Project

Post by vanpeebles »

Any thoughts on the boot issue? Would I be best making the hxc flp1_? Currently I have two ed floppies flp1_ and flp2_ and the hxc is flp3_ and flp4_.


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tofro
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Re: My Pandora Aurora Super QL Project

Post by tofro »

vanpeebles wrote:Any thoughts on the boot issue? Would I be best making the hxc flp1_? Currently I have two ed floppies flp1_ and flp2_ and the hxc is flp3_ and flp4_.
I think I would leave the boot to a "real" floppy. (I haven't got a lot of good reasons why, this is just what I've done with my SGC QL). Speed wouldn't be much of an issue, both are more or less the same (although ED drives might even be a bit faster than even HD hxc)

You can always have the BOOT on flp1_ MERGE another one from flp3_ or flp4_ in case you use SMSQ/E (Although this wouldn't work on some earlier QL ROMs)

Technical issues - I don't see any why I would prefer one or the other. The QL shouldn't even be able to detect the difference.

Tobias


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Cristian
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Re: My Pandora Aurora Super QL Project

Post by Cristian »

vanpeebles wrote:I just thought I'd post some pics and thoughts on one of the more empty parts of the forum detailing my recent Pandora/Aurora acquisition.
Great! Congratulations :)


Ralf R.

Re: My Pandora Aurora Super QL Project

Post by Ralf R. »

Yes, same as in S_Edit. Works perfect.
tofro wrote:
dilwyn wrote: That said, you can move them around with WMON and WTV commands in SMSQ/E:
I tend to move them around interactively with the mouse using the WMOV command. (That's part of EasyPtr, if I remember right)

Tobias


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Peter
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Re: My Pandora Aurora Super QL Project

Post by Peter »

It would be very interesting to know whether QL-SD works reliably with Aurora and SGC, as the electrical signal quality is better than in a standard QL. Did you try QL-SD yet?


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vanpeebles
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Re: My Pandora Aurora Super QL Project

Post by vanpeebles »

I didn't even think about that possibility! I'll have to order one when the next batch comes up :D


Paul
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Re: My Pandora Aurora Super QL Project

Post by Paul »

vanpeebles wrote:I didn't even think about that possibility! I'll have to order one when the next batch comes up :D
I'm also keen to know if it works with aurora. That's why I'm trying to get my hands on an aurora board.
But I haven't heard about them from Dave for quite a while.
So in the meantime I could send you one of my personal QL-SD devices for testing purposes.
If you're interested just PM me.
From my experience about a third of all QLs run with SGC and QL-SD.
It isn't related to the issue if the mainboard. Maybe some other differences are important.
kind regards Paul


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