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SIO2BT


TheMontezuma

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Tuf, these are the SIO plugs in XL size :)

 

Your SIO2BT is based on the standard SIO plug.

It is very compact and nice, but:

- the resources are very limited (it is hard and expensive to get the original SIO plugs)

- it requires a lot of manual work to remove some plastic parts from the plug in order to prepare place for a BT module

 

That's why I decided to experiment with printing SIO plugs. First I asked my wife to edit the STL files downloaded from Thingiverse.

She is skilled in 3D modelling, so she quickly prepared something for me:

 

post-29824-0-70753300-1490598216_thumb.jpg

 

It has enough space for a BT module or for ESP8266, etc.

The extended SIO plug looks overdimensioned, but it is much more flexible (and you can use to the XLsize after a while).

Edited by TheMontezuma
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I've lost track... does it work pretty reliably at 3X now? I know it started at 1X only, but then was thinking that it did get to 3X. (?)

 

It really is a great idea for folks that can't or don't want to use a PC with their Atari.

 

-Larry

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Tuf, these are the SIO plugs in XL size :)

 

Your SIO2BT is based on the standard SIO plug.

It is very compact and nice, but:

- the resources are very limited (it is hard and expensive to get the original SIO plugs)

- it requires a lot of manual work to remove some plastic parts from the plug in order to prepare place for a BT module

 

That's why I decided to experiment with printing SIO plugs. First I asked my wife to edit the STL files downloaded from Thingiverse.

She is skilled in 3D modelling, so she quickly prepared something for me:

 

attachicon.gifplug_1.jpg

 

It has enough space for a BT module or for ESP8266, etc.

The extended SIO plug looks overdimensioned, but it is much more flexible (and you can use to the XLsize after a while).

 

Totally makes sense! It will look a little odd sticking out the side of an 800 (if this even works with the 800) however :)

 

If you're going with something that size maybe consider designing a 'pass-thru' box that can fit the BT guts and have a pass-thru connector on the back so it can remain in-line with other SIO devices.

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Totally makes sense! It will look a little odd sticking out the side of an 800 (if this even works with the 800) however :)

 

If you're going with something that size maybe consider designing a 'pass-thru' box that can fit the BT guts and have a pass-thru connector on the back so it can remain in-line with other SIO devices.

 

SIO2BT would only work with Atari 800 upgraded with Incognito board. And yes, since 800 has a SIO port on the right side, the big "XL" plug wouldn't be very handy.

In this case I would go for an "internal" version -> BT module installed inside the computer.

 

Pass-thru is a nice idea, however building a SIO socket could be a challenge.

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I dunno, I kinda thing it looks pretty darn cool... I would buy a complete unit of one of these :D

 

Thanks. My english is not that good to say if it was ironic or not, but anyway you have a PM :)

Since it is easier to create a SIO2BT in a 3D printed plug, the price goes down to 30€ for a complete unit.

 

To save your time (if are interested and do not want read through several pages),

here is a small summary about the current status of the project:

1) SIO2BT does NOT work with stock Atari 800/400

 

2) SIO2BT works with Atari 800 upgraded with Incognito board (with new firmware from FJC)

 

3) SIO2BT works with XL/XE/XEGS machines

 

4) SIO2BT supports Hi-Speed (57600 baud) if you have:

- ATARI upgraded with Ultimate 1MB / Incognito board (with new firmware from FJC)

- stock ATARI + MyIDE II cart (with new firmware from mr.atari)

- stock ATARI + any SPARTA DOS X cart (SDX 4.48 or higher required)

otherwise it supports 19200 baud

 

5) If you have a XL/XE/XEGS machine and do not have Ultimate 1MB / MyIDE II / SDX cart,

you can still use SIO2BT with a software loader, which patches the OS in RAM at runtime.

However I would recommend in this case to replace the OS ROM (in some machines it is socketed) with an EPROM containing a patched OS.

 

6) As a file server you can use any PC (Win/Linux/Mac) running RespeQt SIO emulation

or you can use an Android smartphone (with the SIO2BT app or with the AspeQt app - both are available at Google Play).

 

7) IPhones are NOT and won't be supported (Apple intennsionally does not support Bluetooth SPP profile)

 

Emulation includes ATARI disk drives (with PERCOM support), APE Time and a Networking Device (currently only in a SIO2BT app).

Networking Device allows software developers to use network communication using simplified socket API mapped to SIO commands.

 

I'm also planning to add the R: handler with support for visiting BBSs (over telnet).

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I dunno, I kinda thing it looks pretty darn cool... I would buy a complete unit of one of these :D

Cool, but occupies unnecessary desk space behind the computer (on my desk anyway). The connector isn't really necessary given that the BT module will stay there all the time. Soldering the wires to the board will do just fine.

 

How long is the whole thing anyway?, it looks like it is over 9 cm.

Edited by gargoyle
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The Android SIO2BT 2.80 is released.

 

It comes with a new button to open the app menu.

 

A few users reported that some new smartphones do not dispay the menu button at all (at least per default)

and apps which depend on the menu can not be operated.

 

Thank you!!!

 

Did I ever send you photos of my SIO2BT mod? Some of them can be found in my homepage: SIO2BT.

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The connector isn't really necessary given that the BT module will stay there all the time. Soldering the wires to the board will do just fine.

 

But this is exactly the point - I wanted to make it flexible and reduce soldering efforts, etc.

Assuming somebody has already acquired a Bluetooth (or some other module like ESP8266) and want to experiment with ATARI, it is only a matter of connecting jumping wires.

 

How long is the whole thing anyway?, it looks like it is over 9 cm.

 

The whole plug is 8,5 cm long (the part outside of ATARI is 7cm long).

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4) SIO2BT supports Hi-Speed (57600 baud) if you have:

- ATARI upgraded with Ultimate 1MB / Incognito board (with new firmware from FJC)

- stock ATARI + MyIDE II cart (with new firmware from mr.atari)

- stock ATARI + any SPARTA DOS X cart (SDX 4.48 or higher required)

otherwise it supports 19200 baud

Should I have all or one of these to run in 57.6k mode?

Is required any special configuration?

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Should I have all or one of these to run in 57.6k mode?

 

One of those :)

 

Is required any special configuration?

 

Yes, I will explain each variant:

 

1) Ultimate 1MB / Incognito

- use BTCONFIG.XEX to change SIO2BT baudrate to 57600

- change Ultimate/Incognito BIOS settings: Enable PBI, use HSIO+SIO2BT mode

 

2) MyIDE II

- use BTCONFIG.XEX to change SIO2BT baudrate to 57600

- MyIDE II always supports all SIO2BT baudrates (no settings to be changed)

 

3) SDX

- use btcfg.com to change SIO2BT baudrate to 57600

- enter the following SDX commands:

SIOSET WAITACK 16

(increases the timeout)

SIOSET 1 US 8

(set the baudrate for a specific disk, where 1 is a disk number and 8 is a hsindex corresponding to 57600)

 

Please note, that changing the baudrate is only possible when there is no active Bluetooth connection (blinking LED).

 

BTCONFIG.XEX and btcfg.com tools (together with up-to-date documentation) are included in the SIO2BT archive:

http://abbuc.de/~montezuma/SIO2BT.zip

Edited by TheMontezuma
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Which is the technical reason for the requirement of one of those? Why is it not possible to get 57600 using a plain Atari?

 

The standard ATARI SIO procedures support only 19200 (this is what you get with a plain ATARI).

If you want to communicate for example with a "Speedy" or "Happy" disk drive, you need the Hi-Speed procedures on the ATARI side.

The same applies for BT.

 

At the moment the Hi-Speed procedures which also support Bluetooth are built into:

- Ultimate 1MB / Incognito

- MyIDE II

- Sparta Dos X

 

You can still take a stock ATARI (XL/XE), insert the MyIDE II or a SDX cart and use SIO2BT with 57600.

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I have Montezuma's modified OS ROM. Isn't that enough to get 57600 baud? That might be a 4th option to get hi speed.

 

Now I got your question.

Indeed I'm working on that (OS ROM supporting communication over SIO2BT with up to 57600) :)

 

In the mean time, you can give a try to MyBIOS-R2.ROM:

http://www.mr-atari.com/MyBIOS/

It is a OS ROM replacement written from scratch by mr.atari, which supports SIO2BT and 57600.

Edited by TheMontezuma
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But this is exactly the point - I wanted to make it flexible and reduce soldering efforts, etc.

Assuming somebody has already acquired a Bluetooth (or some other module like ESP8266) and want to experiment with ATARI, it is only a matter of connecting jumping wires.

Oh, i see, the module comes with the right angle header already in place, in that case it makes sense, i thought it simply came with connection holes.

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