SIO Wifi modem with esp8266

[Kyle22]

It would be great if it could use only the CIO registered R: Handler. The one listed in HATABS.

[jeffpiep]

It would be great if it could use only the CIO registered R: Handler. The one listed in HATABS.

Thomas Cherryhomes has said the same thing - he wants to use it with the PLATO cart.

[Curt Vendel]

I've given Thom the source code to the 850 firmware and he is working on an 850 interface clone right now...

 

 

Thomas Cherryhomes has said the same thing - he wants to use it with the PLATO cart.

[Stefan Both]

Too bad, my polish isn´t good enough...

http://www.atari.org.pl/forum/viewtopic.php?id=14246

 

 

Looks, like the idea implementing the R-Verter by software is / was the right direction...

-> http://atariage.com/forums/topic/262518-sio-wifi-modem-with-esp8266/page-2?do=findComment&comment=3930160

 

Too bad, there is no sketch or binary on the polish website...

 

Stefan

 

 

[Stefan Both]

"I just connected the boards' TX, RX and GND lines (so far) to SIO"

 

Is your NodeMCU still working?

 

My understanding is the ESP8266 module is not 5V tolerant. But the Atari SIO TX circuit is... .

 

Well the NodeMcu Board are definitely 5V >tolerant<. I mean in the sense it isnt made for, but

it will survive it. Both german "Commodore" communities use the NodeMcu that way.

All Chips survived so far. BUT, don't mix it up with the 'single' ESP8266 Chips.

Especially the 8pin ESP-01 Chips will die immediately.

 

I got my NodeMcu working so far, (only/just) connected to Tx and Rx as already mentioned here

in this thread. Ironically I 'only' succeeded in connecting with a Commodore BBS.

I hat no chance to find a atari related BBS still running.

Any help appreciated!

 

My plan for this weekend is, to print out all the data sheets

of the circuits used for the RVERTER. And to lable every single line,

to backward engineer / understand the way the RVerter works.

I'm convinced the simple boolean logic of a 74LS00 is

easy to replace by the power of an 80MHz processor.

 

Stefan

[Stefan Both]

By the way, who is the guy who developed

Bobterm? Is he member of atariage?

 

Stefan

[Fox-1 / mnx]

Robert "Bob" Puff. Owner of CSS.

 

http://www.nleaudio.com/css/

 

He left the Atari scene quite a while ago.

[Stefan Both]

Thank you Fox-1,

 

I gave it a try -

wrote an e-mail, just asking him

if Iḿ allowed to ask questions.

 

Lets see.

 

In the meantime, I study the data sheets

and the two/three different schematics.

 

Stefan

[Lastic]

I've had good success with NodeMCU dev boards using Strikelink and Zimodem 3.0 firmwares (links below).

 

Both firmwares work well. Both have telnet modes. Zimodem has the ability to answer. (EDIT - I haven't tested this aspect).

 

I'm still playing at this. I didn't add RS232 level conversion. I just connected the boards' TX, RX and GND lines (so far) to SIO. Power is via USB Phone charger.

 

I've been using the bobverter driver on the Atari but I'm not sure how to add RVerter logic. Since I don't have a real R: interface set up and the device just sits on the SIO bus I can't do disk I/O unless I'm using my internal MyIDE (with SDX 4.49c beta).

 

Links

DIY C64 Wifi Modem

Zimodem 3.0

 

 

Out of curiosity and because of the cheap price I'v bought an ESP8266 also.

 

I was wondering if you could elaborate on what your setup is and which bobverter driver you used.

 

My ESP8266 is hooked up also to TX,RX,GND to my 130XE's SIO port and I have an UNOcart which can load BobTerm or Ice-T.

[a8isa1]

 

 

Out of curiosity and because of the cheap price I'v bought an ESP8266 also.

 

I was wondering if you could elaborate on what your setup is and which bobverter driver you used.

 

My ESP8266 is hooked up also to TX,RX,GND to my 130XE's SIO port and I have an UNOcart which can load BobTerm or Ice-T.

I'm using an 800XL with RAMBO XL, internal MyIDE, SDX 4.49c beta (on an Atarimax 8mbit cart). I mostly use ICE-T, because of the 80 column support and the 19.2 kbits/sec speed.

 

I'm not aware of more than one bobverter driver. I believe I once read that bob puff wrote a better driver than the original rverter driver. Don't know if it's true or even if I'm remembering that correctly but don't really have a reason to use the original rverter driver.

Edited May 18, 2018 by a8isa1

[manterola]

Meanwhile we are waiting for the cool solution of emulating a 850 interface with esp8266, I got one of those cheap esp-01 versions with 5v adapter:

https://goo.gl/Xouesu

 

I tested it with bobterm and rverter (and just default AT firmware) and it worked great (I needed to set wifi setting, and serial comm. settings, of course). I just connected 5v, gnd, tx and rx using a breadboard

Now I am getting a little project box and I plan to put it in the middle of a SIO cable (I don't want it to be end of line device). I will also add a little more sophisticated interface (which I just copied from the rverter interface schem.) to use the Motor signal, so the interface will be able to share the SIO bus and download files to floppies.

 

 

I hope this is useful to anyone who is interested in alternatives to Lantronix solutions.

 

Mauricio

Edited May 30, 2018 by manterola

[Stefan Both]

Dear Mauricio,

 

that is the solution I was searching for.

But it was to risky for me to try with

my one AND ONLY Atari.

So my expectation was right?

The motor line is activated by the driver,

each time the signals belong to the modem?

 

And the way you did it allows you

to daisychain other devices?

 

Stefan

[manterola]

Yes, that's how rverter driver works. If you have a cassette program recorder you can load bobterm or icet (first load rverter handler) then press play and the cassette will run (motor active). Then go, for example, to disk functions like disk directory in the terminal program, and when the Atari access the disk drive you will notice that the cassette stops for a second or two, and then keeps going.

Edited June 1, 2018 by manterola

[Stefan Both]

Sir,

you are my personal hero.

I'LL build it.

One last question :

The diode in your drawing,

What kind is it? I'm a bit confused

because of the reverse direction?

( or am I totally wrong?)

 

Stefan

[manterola]

I just stole that part of the circuit from rverter interface, check these out for more detailed part list:

http://ftp.pigwa.net/stuff/collections/nir_dary_cds/Hardware%20Projects/The%20RVerter%20SIO%20to%20RS232%20interface/rverter.html

http://atari.a8maestro.com/info/8ball/images/rverter2.jpg

http://ftp.pigwa.net/stuff/collections/nir_dary_cds/Hardware%20Projects/The%20RVerter%20SIO%20to%20RS232%20interface/rverter.html

I am using a 1n4007 which is the one I could get from the my "junk box" but I plan to get a 1n4148 as the original design.

The diode is in the right direction because the idea is to simulate an open collector device output (which does not "generate" current , it only "sinks" current to ground)

Check this post:

http://atariage.com/forums/topic/267963-sio2pc-usb-daisy-chained-to-1050-issues/?p=3811358

[Stefan Both]

I just stole that part of the circuit from rverter interface, check these out for more detailed part list:

 

http://ftp.pigwa.net/stuff/collections/nir_dary_cds/Hardware%20Projects/The%20RVerter%20SIO%20to%20RS232%20interface/rverter.html

 

http://atari.a8maestro.com/info/8ball/images/rverter2.jpg

 

http://ftp.pigwa.net/stuff/collections/nir_dary_cds/Hardware%20Projects/The%20RVerter%20SIO%20to%20RS232%20interface/rverter.html

 

I am using a 1n4007 which is the one I could get from the my "junk box" but I plan to get a 1n4148 as the original design.

 

The diode is in the right direction because the idea is to simulate an open collector device output (which does not "generate" current , it only "sinks" current to ground)

Check this post:

http://atariage.com/forums/topic/267963-sio2pc-usb-daisy-chained-to-1050-issues/?p=3811358

You may compare the drawings in your first and second link.

Especially pin 2, respectively pin 3 (D in).

Maybe you can understand, why I wasnt bold enough

to try it by my own.

Thank you for your explanation.

I will build the interface you draw, and

will excessively test it

 

Thank you!

 

Stefan

[manterola]

Btw, there is an error. The capacitor should go b/w +5VDC and GND.

[Stefan Both]

Btw, there is an error. The capacitor should go b/w +5VDC and GND.

 

Dear Mauricio, dear "board members"

 

I appended a picture of a drawing. May I ask you to have a look at it?

If you are confused, you are at the same level as me...

I will mill the pcb...(even the routes) it´s the only option I have.

(already did that a couple of times)

It´s a double sided circuit board. Some pads are throughplated.

The whole thing will be packed into a 3D printed case.

 

What´s your opinion? Any mistakes?

 

greets

 

Stefan

 

 

[Dropcheck]

Dear Mauricio, dear "board members"

 

I appended a picture of a drawing. May I ask you to have a look at it?

If you are confused, you are at the same level as me...

I will mill the pcb...(even the routes) it´s the only option I have.

(already did that a couple of times)

It´s a double sided circuit board. Some pads are throughplated.

The whole thing will be packed into a 3D printed case.

 

What´s your opinion? Any mistakes?

 

greets

 

Stefan

 

 

SioWifiPCB.gif

 

Not sure what you are trying to do.

 

Is it a SIO2Wifi adapter? If so you have no connection point for the ESP8266 Wifi module. And the second SIO connector is going to have the wrong signals on the pins for connecting any Atari device. You need to wire for a DB9/DB25 serial port instead of the output SIO connector.

 

Or a SIO2wifi adapter with SIO pass through? See previous note about the wrong signals on the SIO connector for Atari devices.

 

Here's an untested schematic and board design that might work better. Board size is reduced a little. 80mm x 60 mm

 

[manterola]

It looks ok to me, except for the things already pointed out: connection for specific esp8266 used, and wrong Sio connections: it should be pin1 to pin1, pin2 to pin2, and so on.

I would like to add that those Sio connectors are very difficult to get. You need one o a couple of broken Atari computers or devices, or pay a lot for them. That is why I am just using a Sio cable and putting a box with the circuit in the middle.

Another thing you may consider is a switch to turn it off, if you want.

In my case I am using esp-01 with 5v adapter so I have 5v levels readily available in a 1x4 pin header (RX TX 5v gnd) or something like that. Depending on the device you are connecting to you may need 3.3v adaptation, or rs232 voltage level adaptation.

I updated firmware to zimodem, which is a very cool firmware, but it is not saving the updated baud rate, wifi connection and "address book". Anyway, what are your plans for esp8266? Or using something else?

[Stefan Both]

Hey dropcheck,

greets manterola,

 

my drawing doesn't seem so clear, than I was hoping

 

I already have two of these plugs from a totally damaged

1027 so, that's not tbe problem.

The left plug is on top of the PCB, while the right

one is mounted upside down, on the backside of the PCB.

 

That is why I still hope, my drawing is o. K.

 

I already have a esp8266 12e WiFi. It IS 5V tolerant,

however I'll use a level shifter and a Oled 64x128.

The Wifi board has a build in 3.3v level shifter.

I can use it for the lv site of the level shifter as well as

for the OLed.

The switch however, I just forgot... :-(

There is no need for me to build it as small as possible,

so I use a slightly bigger case.

 

So the plan was, to connect the rxtr lines of the

esp (via level shifer), with the pads marked Rx Tx

on my drawing. Or do I have to cross the lines?

 

Stefan

[Stefan Both]

Not sure what you are trying to do.

 

Is it a SIO2Wifi adapter?

Sorry, I should have answered your questions first.

 

Yes, it is a Sio2WiFi adapter, but without the need of a

RS232 Chip. We talked about the "need" of level shifting

earlier in this thread. Ttl - > RS232 - > RS232 - > TTl

 

So, it is just the 74LS00 part of the RVerter.

Manterola figured ot, what I was to afraid to try.

The motor line is operating the 74ls00 and

keeps the ESP chip 'off' the line as long as the

RVerter (bobverter) driver did not tell him

the opposite.

 

Stefan

Edited June 6, 2018 by Stefan Both

[manterola]

Hey dropcheck,

greets manterola,

 

my drawing doesn't seem so clear, than I was hoping

 

I already have two of these plugs from a totally damaged

1027 so, that's not tbe problem.

The left plug is on top of the PCB, while the right

one is mounted upside down, on the backside of the PCB.

 

That is why I still hope, my drawing is o. K.

 

I already have a esp8266 12e WiFi. It IS 5V tolerant,

however I'll use a level shifter and a Oled 64x128.

The Wifi board has a build in 3.3v level shifter.

I can use it for the lv site of the level shifter as well as

for the OLed.

The switch however, I just forgot... :-(

There is no need for me to build it as small as possible,

so I use a slightly bigger case.

 

So the plan was, to connect the rxtr lines of the

esp (via level shifer), with the pads marked Rx Tx

on my drawing. Or do I have to cross the lines?

 

Stefan

They are already crossed... Din to TX and Dout to RX

[Stefan Both]

Thanks!!!

 

The first try went wrong [ashamed].

Don't know why, but somehow the

layout is mirrored...

Next try soon...

 

Stefan

[Dropcheck]

Thanks!!!

 

The first try went wrong [ashamed].

Don't know why, but somehow the

layout is mirrored...

Next try soon...

 

Stefan

 

Yes the upside down SIO connector is mirrored. The SIO connectors have to be on same side. ie top or bottom

 

 

Here's a slightly larger board with the SIO connectors on the same side on top.

 

 

 

Edited June 7, 2018 by Dropcheck