QIMSI section

Picture of a QIMSI card

Last updated: 29.01.2025

QIMSI

QIMSI Gold software (further down this page).

The QIMSI is a QL add-on designed by Peter Graf (who also gave us the Q40, Q60, Q68 and QL-SD) and supported by Stephan Preuss. It includes a
microSD card interface, a pointer environment-compatible mouse interface, a sampled sound interface, external keyboard facility and more, in a small card about the size of an original Toolkit 2 ROM cartridge board, which plugs into the ROM expansion slot on a QL. The board includes a 40MHz 68000-like coprocessor with a small ROM/RAM, although this part isn't so easy for the user to access. The QIMSI is built and sold on a non-profit basis in Germany - details can be found by searching for QIMSI in the hardware section of the QL Forum, or contact Stephan (Username Maskenlos) with a private forum message.

This page is here to enable QIMSI users to download replacements for the software and manual associated with this board. It is hoped that QIMSI support will become part of SMSQ/E in time - keep an eye on Wolfgang Lenerz's Official SMSQ/E Site at https://www.wlenerz.com/smsqe/ for any new downloads, and of course join QL Forum where they launched and announced anything to do with QIMSI.

manual.pdf (617K) The QIMSI manual as a PDF file.

qimsi_mice.txt (1K) A text file with a list of mice known to be compatible with QIMSI.

qimsi_mouse.zip (3.5K) QL mouse driver for QIMSI (mouse_bin) and 'C' source file (mouse_c).

playss.zip (11K) Sound player system, to use _ub or "unsigned byte" sound files. This player can run on a 128K QL, but is better when used on larger memory machines.

playss_examples_src.zip (639K) A few _ub sound files and some C source code for the sound player.

Empty ready-made QLWA.WIN file system containers in a selection of sizes for QIMSI, to save the trouble of preparing them with an emulator. In case you've never come across them before, QLWA.WIN is the container file system which stores your QL files on the FAT32 formatted micro-SDHC card. The QLWA.WIN should be the first file copied to the newly-formatted (i.e. empty) micro-SDHC card so that the QLWA.WIN is not fragmented on the card.  While it may seem obvious to go for the largest size, be aware that if your QL has only a small RAM, it may be better to use a smaller QLWA.WIN so that the driver doesn't use too much of the available RAM. Don't worry, this is all clearly explained in Chapter 3 of the QIMSI manual!
empty_8mb.zip (38K) zipped 8MB QLWA.WIN container.
empty_16mb.zip (33K) zipped 16MB QLWA.WIN container.
empty_64mb.zip (134K) zipped 64MB QLWA.WIN container.

Qimsi V2.4.stl.zip (12K) If you'd like a case for your QIMSI card, and have access to a 3D printer, here is the 3D printer file from "QLObi" on QL Forum. He said that the best result is in PLA or ABS print, not in resin print (that gives a better look, but is mechanically less stable).

Jan Bredenbeek has produced a Minerva PS/2 keyboard driver for QIMSI (does not work with original Sinclair ROMs). Get this from Jan's Github site at https://github.com/janbredenbeek/QIMSI-KBD


QIMSI GOLD

The QIMSI GOLD is an add-on card for a QL, based on a QIMSI as described above, but further developed to upgrade the QL with much more speed and memory. Additionally it extends the QL with high colour, high resolution graphics and the ability to connect to modern displays. It was designed by Peter Graf and is manufactured by Dr. Stephan Preuss. The zip file below contains the manual, SMSQ/E operating system, keyboard driver and a QLWA.WIN container for the filing system on the micro SD(HC) cards used.

After downloading the zip file, you will find it has a QIMSI Gold manual called MANUAL.PDF which you should read first.

You need to copy at least 3 files to the SD Card:

The SMSQ/E: Q68_SMSQ.WIN. You can configure the SMSQE for your needs by “lrun win8_boot”. K/B layout, language and so on. Kindly check the SMSQ/E manual.

The QL keyboard rom: Please choose whether you have UK or German keyboard, using the appropriate file (qlrom_de.bin for German / qlrom_uk.bin for UK keyboard) and rename to: QL_ROM.SYS

The QLWA container: QLWA.WIN. This container stores the QL-Files (your files!). You may choose another one, as you like, e.g. add a QLWA2.WIN. The container supplied here contains the basic files you may need. Kindly store them safely.

Refer to the manual to see that these 'system' files must be contiguous and unfragmented on the micro SD card, essentially meaning freshly formatted card before you copy the files to it. Stephan has asked me to add that the sequence of files on the card should be in this order:
1. Q68_SMSQ.WIN
2. QL_ROM.SYS
3. QLWA.WIN
4. QLWA2.WIN

Qimsi Gold.zip (1.7MB) [27/09/24]

ESP_QL_ROM.SYS.ZIP (2K) Spanish keyboard driver for QIMSI Gold. This should be placed on the SD card as a QL_ROM.SYS file.
1. Download the file and unzip (to file called QL_ROM.SYS)
2. Backup your data or use a fresh card.
3. Replace the current driver (UK or German) with the new one.
4. Bootup and enter this in SMSQ/E:
KBD_TABLE 34

Return to the home page. | Return to Downloads Index