[Ql-Users] QL keyboard on Raspberry-pi

2012-10-19 Thread Bryan Horstmann

Hello all,

Is there an easy/in-expensive way to use the QL keyboard, which I find 
quite OK, on a R-pi?  There's a Ciseco board on ebay for £7.68



 K002 - Slice of Pi/o - add on Raspberry Pi - buffered I/O I2C upto 128
 ports!!!


http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/K002-Slice-of-Pi-o-add-on-Raspberry-Pi-buffered-I-O-I2C-upto-128-ports-/221134890594?pt=UK_Computing_Other_Computing_Networkinghash=item337caaa662.

Is that the sort of thing which might do it?


Bryan H

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Re: [Ql-Users] QL keyboard on Raspberry-pi

2012-10-19 Thread Tony Firshman

Bryan Horstmann wrote, on 19/Oct/12 09:32 | Oct19:

Bryan/


Is there an easy/in-expensive way to use the QL keyboard, which I find
quite OK, on a R-pi?

Interesting to know though if anyone can come up with a method.
The starting point I guess is an I/O device to convert the QL row/column 
into a serial stream.

I daresay it is not impossible but ...


There's a Ciseco board on ebay for £7.68




  K002 - Slice of Pi/o - add on Raspberry Pi - buffered I/O I2C upto 128
  ports!!!


http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/K002-Slice-of-Pi-o-add-on-Raspberry-Pi-buffered-I-O-I2C-upto-128-ports-/221134890594?pt=UK_Computing_Other_Computing_Networkinghash=item337caaa662.


Is that the sort of thing which might do it?

This gives 16 inputs and matches the QL keyboard row/columns exactly.

The issue then is software only maybe. One has to  persuading the system 
to stuff data into the keyboard queue.  Not a clue how though, or even 
if it is possible at all.  The IBM keyboard input is serial and a 
complex structure.


Over to Linux experts

Tony






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Re: [Ql-Users] QL keyboard on Raspberry-pi

2012-10-19 Thread Neil Riley
 Is there an easy/in-expensive way to use the QL keyboard, which I find 
 quite OK

(checks calendar no, not April 1...)

I wonder if it's possible to install the Pi within a usb Keyboard,  neatly done 
and with access to the posts via some clever extra wiring/socket extending.
I suppose a slightly less slimline keyboard would be required. 


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Re: [Ql-Users] Quanta Web site down?

2012-10-19 Thread Geoff Wicks



--
From: matras...@aol.com
Sent: Thursday, October 18, 2012 8:10 PM
To: ql-us...@q-v-d.com
Subject: [Ql-Users] Quanta Web site down?


The Quanta site has been down for at least 2 days. Has Quanta closed down?

Regards

Duncan
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I think the website has been deliberately taken down. It was no longer 
available from the day of the committee meeting held to discuss it. I hope 
it is only temporary.


There was nothing wrong with the site as such other than that it was not 
kept up to date. If all the committee, including the officers, pulled their 
weight it would not be a difficult job.


To my mind there are four areas to keep up to date:

1: News. This is already happening so no problem there.

2: Shows information. When the site was taken down it was still advertising 
the Austrian show held 3 months previously. It should not be difficult to 
keep show information up to date as there are only two or three shows per 
year.


3: Quanta Magazine. This is the most difficult part, but would only need 
updating 6 times a year.


4: Quanta News. This would be a new area in which the officers should keep 
the members up to date on Quanta developments. Up to now Quanta has regarded 
the magazine as being the first source of information for the members. This 
should now become the web.


There is also the question of the members' area. You have made constructive 
suggestions that Quanta should consider,


Best wishes,



Geoff



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Re: [Ql-Users] Quanta Web site down?

2012-10-19 Thread George Gwilt

On 19 Oct 2012, at 12:48, Geoff Wicks wrote:

 
 The Quanta site has been down for at least 2 days. Has Quanta closed down?
 
 Regards
 
 Duncan
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 I think the website has been deliberately taken down. It was no longer 
 available from the day of the committee meeting held to discuss it. I hope it 
 is only temporary.
 
 There was nothing wrong with the site as such other than that it was not kept 
 up to date. If all the committee, including the officers, pulled their weight 
 it would not be a difficult job.
 
 To my mind there are four areas to keep up to date:
 
 1: News. This is already happening so no problem there.
 
 2: Shows information. When the site was taken down it was still advertising 
 the Austrian show held 3 months previously. It should not be difficult to 
 keep show information up to date as there are only two or three shows per 
 year.
 
 3: Quanta Magazine. This is the most difficult part, but would only need 
 updating 6 times a year.
 
 4: Quanta News. This would be a new area in which the officers should keep 
 the members up to date on Quanta developments. Up to now Quanta has regarded 
 the magazine as being the first source of information for the members. This 
 should now become the web.
 
 There is also the question of the members' area. You have made constructive 
 suggestions that Quanta should consider,

Ah QUANTA is back!!

Geirge
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Re: [Ql-Users] Quanta Web site down?

2012-10-19 Thread Tony Firshman

George Gwilt wrote, on 19/Oct/12 17:10 | Oct19:

Geirge (sic)/


On 19 Oct 2012, at 12:48, Geoff Wicks wrote:



The Quanta site has been down for at least 2 days. Has Quanta closed down?

Regards

Duncan
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I think the website has been deliberately taken down. It was no longer 
available from the day of the committee meeting held to discuss it. I hope it 
is only temporary.

There was nothing wrong with the site as such other than that it was not kept 
up to date. If all the committee, including the officers, pulled their weight 
it would not be a difficult job.

To my mind there are four areas to keep up to date:

1: News. This is already happening so no problem there.

2: Shows information. When the site was taken down it was still advertising the 
Austrian show held 3 months previously. It should not be difficult to keep show 
information up to date as there are only two or three shows per year.

3: Quanta Magazine. This is the most difficult part, but would only need 
updating 6 times a year.

4: Quanta News. This would be a new area in which the officers should keep the 
members up to date on Quanta developments. Up to now Quanta has regarded the 
magazine as being the first source of information for the members. This should 
now become the web.

There is also the question of the members' area. You have made constructive 
suggestions that Quanta should consider,


Ah QUANTA is back!!

Geirge


   ^- Seems you aren't though (8-)#

Tiny (sic)


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Re: [Ql-Users] Quanta Web site down?

2012-10-19 Thread Tony Firshman

Tony Firshman wrote, on 19/Oct/12 17:22 | Oct19:

George Gwilt wrote, on 19/Oct/12 17:10 | Oct19:

Geirge (sic)/


On 19 Oct 2012, at 12:48, Geoff Wicks wrote:



The Quanta site has been down for at least 2 days. Has Quanta closed
down?

Regards

Duncan
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I think the website has been deliberately taken down. It was no
longer available from the day of the committee meeting held to
discuss it. I hope it is only temporary.

There was nothing wrong with the site as such other than that it was
not kept up to date. If all the committee, including the officers,
pulled their weight it would not be a difficult job.

To my mind there are four areas to keep up to date:

1: News. This is already happening so no problem there.

2: Shows information. When the site was taken down it was still
advertising the Austrian show held 3 months previously. It should not
be difficult to keep show information up to date as there are only
two or three shows per year.

3: Quanta Magazine. This is the most difficult part, but would only
need updating 6 times a year.

4: Quanta News. This would be a new area in which the officers should
keep the members up to date on Quanta developments. Up to now Quanta
has regarded the magazine as being the first source of information
for the members. This should now become the web.

There is also the question of the members' area. You have made
constructive suggestions that Quanta should consider,


Ah QUANTA is back!!

Geirge


^- Seems you aren't though (8-)#

Tiny (sic)


... and that reminds me of a really *brilliant* similar misprint in a 
post recently:


Geraldine Muchova, a Scot who loved through the communist Czech 
darkness and emerged with her integrity intact, has died at the great 
age of 95.


It would be nice to imagine it wasn't a misprint.

Tony


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Re: [Ql-Users] Quanta Web site down?

2012-10-19 Thread Tony Firshman

Norman Dunbar wrote, on 19/Oct/12 17:29 | Oct19:



Geraldine Muchova, a Scot who loved through the communist Czech
darkness and emerged with her integrity intact, has died at the great
age of 95.

It would be nice to imagine it wasn't a misprint.


I gather, perhaps, that the communists didn't think Muchova then? ;-)


Groan - or should that be 'grian'.

Tony

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[Ql-Users] Fwd: Quanta Web site down?

2012-10-19 Thread Quanta Webmaster
Hi

The QUANTA website was not taken down intentionally, I am now working to
get the site back on-line, but did not know it was down until I received a
message from the mailing list! If people know the site is down please let
the committee know as we want to know as quickly as possible so we can fix
issues as soon as they become apparent.

Thank you for your suggestions Geoff, I would like to let you know about
the outcome of the committee meeting.

The committee decided that moving to a cheaper platform was a good idea and
I have now been tasked with finding a service to use (I know there are
plenty around so will be feeding back my thoughts to the committee). It was
also agreed that the new site will be mainly static so the committee will
not be making much effort in updating the site (though we will use a
different CMS system we can make updates as required.

In relation to your point number 3 however the magazine will not be made
available to members or the public, I have spent quite some time on the
current Typo3 CMS getting it ready for a new members area and having all
the latest magazines available for users to download and we were about to
get the emails sent out so members could access the site (the magazines are
only made public after 1 to 2 years as this is one of the benefits of
membership of QUANTA). However, as the committee has agreed to create a
more static website, use a CMS easier to maintain and configure which does
not have this ability this functionality will now be lost. Given that Typo3
has been difficult to maintain AND the vocal membership does not want to
pay for am maintained server this seems to be the only option. Of course if
anyone wants to join the QUANTA committee and help implement these features
I would be pleased to have some help.

As for your other points:

1. once the new site is up and running the news MAY not be updated on a
regular basis, Dilwyn has already had training and issues with Typo3 and he
may not want training on another platform (I will have to speak to him
about this). Also the feeds to facebook and twitter will be stopped.

2. It will be up to the committee as to what is displayed and when, Typo3
and the new CMS do have facilities where articles and content can be set to
appear/disappear at certain times, however, this is down to the editor to
set. If it is not set they will be there until we are notified to remove
the article. If anyone sees anything out of place a simple email to
commit...@quanta.org.uk would quickly get the article updated rather than
waiting 3 months then posting on a public forum!

4. It is unlikely that the committee will update the static website with
QUANTA news. It will be just a static site with information about how to
join and about the various QL's.

*. The membership area will not be recreated as this will be in a different
CMS and the site will be a static site.

Of course these are my current opinions of what will happen, if the current
QUANTA membership or the QUANTA committee decide something else is needed
then perhaps this will change, however, the only way I can see this
changing is if more volunteers help with the website but people seem more
interested in attacking the site rather than contributing to it.

Realistically Geoff, if you have a real desire to implement the features
you have mentioned, can I suggest you take over the webmaster role on the
committee?

Keith


On 19 October 2012 12:48, Geoff Wicks gtwi...@btinternet.com wrote:



 --**
 From: matras...@aol.com
 Sent: Thursday, October 18, 2012 8:10 PM
 To: ql-us...@q-v-d.com
 Subject: [Ql-Users] Quanta Web site down?


  The Quanta site has been down for at least 2 days. Has Quanta closed down?

 Regards

 Duncan
 __**_
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 http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/**smsqe.htmhttp://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm


 I think the website has been deliberately taken down. It was no longer
 available from the day of the committee meeting held to discuss it. I hope
 it is only temporary.

 There was nothing wrong with the site as such other than that it was not
 kept up to date. If all the committee, including the officers, pulled their
 weight it would not be a difficult job.

 To my mind there are four areas to keep up to date:

 1: News. This is already happening so no problem there.

 2: Shows information. When the site was taken down it was still
 advertising the Austrian show held 3 months previously. It should not be
 difficult to keep show information up to date as there are only two or
 three shows per year.

 3: Quanta Magazine. This is the most difficult part, but would only need
 updating 6 times a year.

 4: Quanta News. This would be a new area in which the officers should keep
 the members up to date on Quanta developments. Up to now Quanta has
 regarded the magazine as being the first source of information for the
 members. This should now 

Re: [Ql-Users] My slice of Pi

2012-10-19 Thread Malcolm Cadman
In message 507e723b.5010...@dunbar-it.co.uk, Norman Dunbar 
nor...@dunbar-it.co.uk writes

Hi Malcolm,

On 16/10/12 21:45, Malcolm Cadman wrote:


I have purchased a 10 Port USB powered Hub, from Maplins, on offer at
14.99ukp. Two ports upright, and four each at front and back. In a small
and neat housing.

That I am now using with Pi. So plenty of room for any future expansions
and experiments . :-)


Have you read this 
http://qdosmsq.dunbar-it.co.uk/blog/2012/08/the-dangers-of-cheap-usb-hubs/ 
- you need to be sure that your power supply is man enough (500mA per 
port - so you should have a 5A supply) plus, there's a link to a 
disassembly and testing of a cheap power supply supplied with other USB 
hubs. Interesting viewing and explains a lot!


Does your Pi's power light come on when the Pi is connected only to the 
uplink to the Hub while the Pi is powered off and the hub powered on? 
If so, it's bad for your Pi and completely not USB 2.0 Compliant.


Hopefully, yours will be ok.


Umm, applied the 'Dunbar' test to 10 Port USB - it is a cerulian USB 
2.0.


The two upright (top loading) are designed to be hot swappable, whilst 
the others can be used for everyday usage.


Of course, no need for the extra power supply, when just using a 
keyboard and mouse.


--
Malcolm Cadman
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