The Sinclair QL Forum

NormanDunbar wrote:

ql_freak wrote:When examining your new book, I have found following:

Norman Dunbar, "QL Today’s QL Assembly Language Programming Series", Springer-Verlag GmbH,
Heidelberg, ISBN 978-1-4842-5790-6,

Ok, I'm confused. You mention that the title is my QL Today QL Assembly language, but the ISBN number is my Apress book Arduino Software Internals. I assume you have the correct title, and if so, that eBook doesn't have an ISBN and is not published by Springer-Verlag GmbH. (aka Apress.) Anyway, moving on...

This was my error (had some beers at that evening ;-))

I've corrected the text and uploaded a new latest version to https://github.com/NormanDunbar/QLAssem ... ses/latest.
...
No, it was me who missed the obvious! Thanks for the update.

Thanks for the link, seems to be another interesting QL assembler book, which I didn't know until now.

Ciao Peter

Morning Peter,

The link I posted for the corrected Assembly Book is to my GitHub repository. The most up to date version will always be on that link. Previously, I hosted the book on http://qdosmsq.dunbar-it.co.uk/downloads but I kept running out of space, so it moved.

If the latest book is not the same book as the one you spotted the bug in, then I'm cconfused!


Cheers,
Norm.

I have briefly flipped through Norman Dunbar's book and it has triggered "off-topic" thought.

If an AVR microcontroller were to be connected (via some interface hardware) to the Q68 extension bus, might not the microcontroller
be programmed and controlled by the Q68 to provide extra I/O facilities. Such an arrangement would allow for a network of microcontrollers
using the Q68 network. I would also, effectively, provide a visual interface to an AVR control system.

Hi,

This sounds like something I was thinking about to build a Q68 expansion port system, with integrated QL NET connections, rather like the Top Deck idea, but a little more enhanced.

A programmed Arduino controller could probably connect to the Q68, and with suitable extensions to SBASIC could more potential expansion.

I will start a new thread on this topic.

But thanks to Norm's excellent book this gives more potential interest.

Can an Arduino be programmed from QPC2 with an Arfuino attached to the PC USB port?

Pity no USB for the QL...

Hi Derek,

Derek_Stewart wrote:But thanks to Norm's excellent book this gives more potential interest.

Can an Arduino be programmed from QPC2 with an Arfuino attached to the PC USB port?

Kind words, thank you.

The Arduino is usually programmed by a software named avrdude. That's used to upload and set fuses etc. It uses a specific protocol and can talk over USB, parallel port etc.

It either talks to a bootloader within the AVR, or to an In Circuit System Programmer (ICSP) to do the actual writing of the hex file (Intel format) to the flash RAM of the AVR. (See chapter 2 in the book).

Arduino distributes a modified version of avrdude - I don't know why, or what has been changed - but source is available so maybe it could be compiled on QPC2 but there are important timings to be considered in use. I haven't looked at the source, so I'm not sure if it's C or C++ or even, something else.


Cheers,
Norm.

The book arrived today. It was addressed to a non-existent house. Fortunately I was around to intercept it. Maybe the publishers think the book would be too dangerous in the wrong hands.

Alan

PS: Looks just the job.

Just the job?
As a door stop?

Cheers,
Norm.

Just found this thread today thanks to Marcel's tip in the FB group, to see that the discount sale was good until yesterday, damn!
The Apress page showed full price for the book, but I tried the "SUMMER55" coupon and YES it was accepted!!
Managed to buy a softcover book, shipped to Brazil at that price is a very nice deal.
Thank you Mr. Dunbar, can't wait to read your book.

Hi Szk,

well done you, that was a good bargain. Thanks for buying and I hope you enjoy it.

Stay safe - we are hearing bad news from Brazil.

Cheers,
Norm.

PS. Mr Dunbar is too formal, Norm is better.

Norm's other new book:-
As mentioned in an earlier post I decided to "publish" (with permission) Norman Dunbar's PDF book titled 'QL Today's QL Assembler Language Programming Series - Book one' as a real book.

I decided to publish it as an A4 354 page, lay-flat book for easy referencing. The book costs £7.04 plus £3.50 for postage and packaging direct from the printers.
The method I have used for very low cost one-off printing to order means that anyone wanting to buy a book has to use my account to do; so as follows:-

Go to www.bookprintinguk.com
Login as
documentsforsms@gmail.com
Password - forsms11

Select "order one copy" and buy with your name and address.

For some reason the printers sent me two copies so I have one spare for anyone who wants it. Maybe Mr Dunbar?
I find it much easier to read and use a real book than a PDF. With permission I would like to "publish" other QL manuals. Does any one have a view on this?