SIO Wifi modem with esp8266

[mr-atari]

Thanks, It seems to be online again.

 

Looking for the "plato-diet-fixed-keys" on github, can't find that one.

Anybody an idea where to find the source of this atr-file?

 

I have made a hacked/patched version for myself of this disk, having the source to manipulate would be easier.

TTY mode, capitol letters dominant.

PLATO-mode, lower case dominant.

No colors in the background.

No Xon/Xoff send from plato to the server (does not work).

Both modes, control-return sends out LF ($0A).

So return and control-return sends out CR/LF.

Just what I needed to control the ESP that needs CR/LF to accept commands.

 

This version I will show at the Abbuc-JHV. :-)
​

Thanks,

Sijmen.

Edited October 16, 2018 by mr-atari

[Kyle22]

Yeah, back up again. It turns out then when he pulled my cable, he also pulled his and (for some reason) couldn't remember how to fix it. He had to call me for help

 

Look for an upcoming Detailed post about this on the Board.

 

Doc reported this in post 1218, BTW. http://atariage.com/forums/topic/174831-atari-8-bit-related-bbss/page-49?do=findComment&comment=4134438

[+Stephen]

Yeah, back up again. It turns out then when he pulled my cable, he also pulled his and (for some reason) couldn't remember how to fix it. He had to call me for help

 

Look for an upcoming Detailed post about this on the Board.

 

Doc reported this in post 1218, BTW. http://atariage.com/forums/topic/174831-atari-8-bit-related-bbss/page-49?do=findComment&comment=4134438

Will sign up hopefully tomorrow. Having some stability issues with the Atari this evening.

[tschak909]

@Mr-atari, I never released the diet-fixed-keys, because it was never intended to be an official release. I was trying to squeeze the program down as much as I could, removing critical program features.

 

I have attached its work folder here. Needs CC65 to build.

 

Please do not use this to base any code off of, as this was never intended for public release in any form. There is an official Atari release, and honestly, I am completely confused as to why you are having to make total backflips to use it, as nobody else I am working with seems to have the issues you're having...

 

-Thom

platoterm8.zip

[mr-atari]

This diet-build is 4k less in size then current and suites my needs for now.

 

I have a meeting next weekend and want to get online to show plato.

All other builds did not work for me, sorry.

 

And the graphic engine looks much better, but I already said that too many times I guess.

Also, I run this copy of LiteDOS, leaving almost 8k free more memory :-)

 

But, thank you very much for the source, I won't release my hacked atr.

[+JAC!]

Looked great at the JHV today!

[tschak909]

Thank you, Sijmen for showing it.

 

-Thom

[mr-atari]

:-)

[+slx]

I finally managed to read through most of this thread by the time my ESP and adapter boards arrived from China.

 

Am I summarizing correctly when stating that this already works with the RVerter circuit by Manterola and Stefan Both but should work with a direct SIO connect as well (but no one has made a recipe for that yet)?

 

While the circuit for the SIO2RVerter WiFi does not look complicated, the SIO connectors are hard to come by (Best has a limit of one per customer and I know of no other source), but if I understand correctly, this could also be mounted inside an Atari and soldered to the internal SIO connector.

 

Any help to sort this out (or just a summary of the status quo) is welcome!

[Stefan Both]

:-)

I spotted Sandra

 

 

Stefan

Edited November 24, 2018 by Stefan Both

[manterola]

I finally managed to read through most of this thread by the time my ESP and adapter boards arrived from China.

 

Am I summarizing correctly when stating that this already works with the RVerter circuit by Manterola and Stefan Both but should work with a direct SIO connect as well (but no one has made a recipe for that yet)?

 

While the circuit for the SIO2RVerter WiFi does not look complicated, the SIO connectors are hard to come by (Best has a limit of one per customer and I know of no other source), but if I understand correctly, this could also be mounted inside an Atari and soldered to the internal SIO connector.

 

Any help to sort this out (or just a summary of the status quo) is welcome!

I got an Atari 1010 Recorder for that same reason: SIO connector are difficult to find. Finally I put the esp-01 inside an 1030 Modem (the modem still function along with the esp-01).

You can do something similar: find the cheapest Atari device you can get (with pass-thru sio connectors) like 1030, 1010, 1020 and install esp-01 inside. Install the esp-01 inside the Atari computer itself is also a good idea (together with switch to turn it off). With the diode and 74ls00 the Esp module will share the sio bus without problems with other devices. The direct connection also works perfectly, but you need to disconnect the module when not in use.

Edited November 24, 2018 by manterola

[+slx]

I got an Atari 1010 Recorder for that same reason: SIO connector are difficult to find. Finally I put the esp-01 inside an 1030 Modem (the modem still function along with the esp-01).

You can do something similar: find the cheapest Atari device you can get (with pass-thru sio connectors) like 1030, 1010, 1020 and install esp-01 inside. Install the esp-01 inside the Atari computer itself is also a good idea (together with switch to turn it off). With the diode and 74ls00 the Esp module will share the sio bus without problems with other devices. The direct connection also works perfectly, but you need to disconnect the module when not in use.

I just bought a 1030 for 15USD Even if its bigger than required for the ESP, it looks cool.

Are there instructions for the switch, 74LS00 and diode? A good picture of your installation would be great.

[manterola]

I just bought a 1030 for 15USD Even if its bigger than required for the ESP, it looks cool.

Are there instructions for the switch, 74LS00 and diode? A good picture of your installation would be great.

Great! I hope it came with power supply, if not you can get a TP-M for AT&T answering machine, and change the connector from barrel to 3.5 mm jack.

I put the module with the interfacing circuit inside the 1030 and I just connected the 5VDC and GROUND available in the 1030 internal circuit, so the switch of the 1030 turns on both the modem and the esp module. Check this post with some pictures, you can see where I got 5V and Ground, as well as Din, Dout and motor-ctrl.

http://atariage.com/forums/topic/262518-sio-wifi-modem-with-esp8266/page-7?do=findComment&comment=4091557

 

For detailed information, check the excellent document that Dropcheck put together. It includes explanations, diagrams and pictures:

http://atariage.com/forums/topic/262518-sio-wifi-modem-with-esp8266/page-16?do=findComment&comment=4113223

[+slx]

Great! I hope it came with power supply, if not you can get a TP-M for AT&T answering machine, and change the connector from barrel to 3.5 mm jack.

I put the module with the interfacing circuit inside the 1030 and I just connected the 5VDC and GROUND available in the 1030 internal circuit, so the switch of the 1030 turns on both the modem and the esp module. Check this post with some pictures, you can see where I got 5V and Ground, as well as Din, Dout and motor-ctrl.

Thanks for the vectors. Ill need to dig through my PSU box as it was not included in the auction but as I live in Europe I try to let sellers keep US PSUs anyway (some even agree to sell them separately and offset the proceeds against shipping).

 

Would it theoretically be possible to adapt Zimodem to not interfere with other SIO devices? (Not that I am an Arduino wizard but my son tinkers with it and sometimes needs a challenge to break him away from YouTube.)

[mr-atari]

I finally managed to read through most of this thread by the time my ESP and adapter boards arrived from China.

 

Am I summarizing correctly when stating that this already works with the RVerter circuit by Manterola and Stefan Both but should work with a direct SIO connect as well (but no one has made a recipe for that yet)?

 

While the circuit for the SIO2RVerter WiFi does not look complicated, the SIO connectors are hard to come by (Best has a limit of one per customer and I know of no other source), but if I understand correctly, this could also be mounted inside an Atari and soldered to the internal SIO connector.

 

Any help to sort this out (or just a summary of the status quo) is welcome!

 

This is my Rverter compatible direct SIO setup.

 

I also wrote a tool that gets the ESP out of the box down to 1200 baud.

LiteOFTB.XEX

Edited November 27, 2018 by mr-atari

[+slx]

 

This is my Rverter compatible direct SIO setup.

 

I also wrote a tool that gets the ESP out of the box down to 1200 baud.

 

Thanks, parts ordered. While it would be more elegant to adapt Zimodem to ignore commands for other devices and behave like a perfect R: device this seems easier

[manterola]

 

Thanks, parts ordered. While it would be more elegant to adapt Zimodem to ignore commands for other devices and behave like a perfect R: device this seems easier

Ok now I undestand your question, but I am not sure how to answer. I guess there are two different parts in the answer: from the hardware point of view, we need the diode and 5v matching levels to make the module work (make it compatible with sio bus). for example, drain current to ground to signal a logical zero.

Now from the software point of view, I believe (I might be wrong) an esp8266 can be programmed to work similar to an (im)pefect Atari 850 R: device.

Now, with rverter R: handler, the motor signal is used to lift the serial device from the sio bus (it is actually very simple, just one 74ls00). I guess it is a good compromise, since it works and it is very simple to implement.

The thing I would love to see is to add more functionality to the esp8266, for example:

- React to D1: boot commands at power up to load the default DOS and/or terminal program and R: handler.

- Relay printer commands and documents (to P:) to a real printer in the local network.

- Have other virtual drives (like D2: for example) redirected to Samba network drive

- Have some mechanism to download software (without leaving the Atari keyboard), at request from some place (like pigwa, mushca or atarionline). Kind of a Atari App store system.

In other words, the ultimate SIO/networking device.

[_The Doctor__]

Since the program works, making it to select all the standard baud rates should be cake..

[+slx]

I read through a lot of stuff about the R: handler but most of it is a bit above my level of low-level machine stuff. If I understood what I read correctly, the "normal" mode of using serial communications through the R: handler for fast connections is a kind of "streaming" mode where everything is pushed onto the SIO bus as it arrives from the RS-232 until the SIO command line is activated. So it wouldn't be possible to do anything else with the serial bus at the same time, e.g. storing a "downloaded" file to disk. So if the Atari could not "swallow" all the data it would need to use the command signal instead of RTS?

[_The Doctor__]

I read through a lot of stuff about the R: handler but most of it is a bit above my level of low-level machine stuff. If I understood what I read correctly, the "normal" mode of using serial communications through the R: handler for fast connections is a kind of "streaming" mode where everything is pushed onto the SIO bus as it arrives from the RS-232 until the SIO command line is activated. So it wouldn't be possible to do anything else with the serial bus at the same time, e.g. storing a "downloaded" file to disk. So if the Atari could not "swallow" all the data it would need to use the command signal instead of RTS?

motor control needs to feed both the isolation chip input AND the flow control line on hardware flow control devices...

[mr-atari]

The ESP has no hardware flow-control, so the motor-control only controls the IO-pass-through.

Motor control ON and the data connection to/from ESP is active.

Remember you need the adapter/breakout-board to work with the ESP on 5v TTL-level.

So only 4 terminals, RX, TX, Vcc, Gnd.

 

With the motor control OFF, the atari can do IO to other devices, yes.

 

You need to close R: first, to disable the ESP-IO, do your IO, then open R: again for modem access.

 

The trick here is to send Xoff first, wait for the server to stop sending data, then close R:.

Now you can do all the IO you want to other devices.

Then open R: again, and first send out Xon, this so the server knows you are ready again for data.

 

All I mention above, should be handled by the lower-level software controlling your Atari.

 

Be aware, that some servers can ignore Xoff, so you loose data in the meantime. (Plato does this, don't ask me why...)

 

Beside that, no issues with ESP.

Just stick to 1200 baud and you are in the clear of possible data-overrun-errors.

Having WiFi on the Atari is just wonderful :-)

[Mr Robot]

I stumbled across this today, I wonder if it is maybe an option?

 

https://www.pine64.org/?page_id=917

[mr-atari]

I build this today :-)

Schematics included.

 

My ESP8266-WiFi in a SIO-plug project.
Parts needed: ESP8266, 3.3v reg, 10uF, 2x0.1uF, dual LED, 2x100 and 1.5k resistors, 74LS04, diode, SIO-plug

Does it fit... uhhhh... yes
Does it work... yes
Does it look awesome... Oh hell, yes
Do I want to make more... No

 

Enjoy

[manterola]

This looks awesome!. Congrats. By the way, could you upload the latest version of your tool to send commands at high baud rate?. I got lost in that long thread and I could not find it

[Dropcheck]

I build this today :-)

Schematics included.

 

My ESP8266-WiFi in a SIO-plug project.

Parts needed: ESP8266, 3.3v reg, 10uF, 2x0.1uF, dual LED, 2x100 and 1.5k resistors, 74LS04, diode, SIO-plug

Does it fit... uhhhh... yes

Does it work... yes

Does it look awesome... Oh hell, yes

Do I want to make more... No

 

Enjoy

 

That makes my eyes hurt just looking at how tight the quarters are for soldering that together.