20 Jan
2004
20 Jan
'04
2:14 p.m.
This would also have enough BlockRAM to present 1KX16
to the QBUS as
a boot ROM (is this enough?)
Yes. Especially since the bootrom code can use idiosyncratic features
of the board - for example, if you put an otherwise nonsensical bit
combination into some register, it could be a command to DMA some big
chunk of bootcode into host RAM. Then the bootcode on the qbus becomes
just set up for DMA, poke the register, wait till done, jump.
[...]
This all adds up to less than $100 for parts. I'd certainly pay $150
for such a board if it could drive ordinary IDE and/or SCSI disks. I'd
even volunteer to write the firmware for such a project, assuming the
necessary specs are available (eg, whatever protocols it needs to
speak).
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