ADAMLink modem

[timepilot]

Is there any practical use for the ADAMLink modem today?  Can it be used to communicate with any modern devices or for any other originally-unintended purpose?

[ed1475]

It can still be used to connect to dial-up  BBS's like it was originally intended.  There are about 30 dial-up BBS's in the US & Canada.

 

It can also dial-up the Level 29 website which is also a BBS, read/post messages  and use it's gateway to twitter to send tweets.

 

Here's a video I made last year dialed-up to the Level 29 website and posting a tweet.

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__uqiuDH9pE

 

 

 

Edited June 25, 2021 by ed1475

[timepilot]

1 hour ago, ed1475 said:

It can still be used to connect to dial-up  BBS's like it was originally intended.  There are about 30 dial-up BBS's in the US & Canada.

 

It can also dial-up the Level 29 website which is also a BBS, read/post messages  and use it's gateway to twitter to send tweets.

 

Here's a video I made last year dialed-up to the Level 29 website and posting a tweet.

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__uqiuDH9pE

 

 

 

Thank you.  Just to clarify, there is no way to connect that modem to a modern router?

[ed1475]

7 minutes ago, timepilot said:

Thank you.  Just to clarify, there is no way to connect that modem to a modern router?

Correct. The ADAMLink modem can't connect to a modern router.

 

For using a modern router, the ADAM can use the Wimodem232 with a serial card like the EVE SP-1 or the new MIB238 card that was sold on the ADAM Facebook page.

 

 

[timepilot]

9 minutes ago, ed1475 said:

Correct. The ADAMLink modem can't connect to a modern router.

 

For using a modern router, the ADAM can use the Wimodem232 with a serial card like the EVE SP-1 or the new MIB238 card that was sold on the ADAM Facebook page.

 

 

Thank you.

[rietveld]

12 hours ago, Milli Vee said:

You can open it up and do a little modification to make it a 1200 baud serial port. Then you could take an ESP8266 along with the software called Z-Modem (not zmodem this https://github.com/bozimmerman/Zimodem) that turns it into a 1200 baud telnet AT compatible wifi modem - use a max232 for level translations and a few other chips to convert adams 5v to the 3.3 that the ESP wants and make it an internal 1200 baud wifi modem for the adam that can use Adam Link. As you can tell I thought this out and experimented then got bored with it.

 

 

i think the new MIB238 is a better choice if you are using a wifi modem.  Besides the adam link takes the slot away from the IDE hard drive card. 

[NIAD]

12 hours ago, rietveld said:

i think the new MIB238 is a better choice if you are using a wifi modem.  Besides the adam link takes the slot away from the IDE hard drive card. 

The MIB238 with a WiModem232 is a much better option than converting an AdamLink Modem. Not only do you have a setup that can provide up to a 19,200 baud rate, the MIB238 provides a dedicated Serial (Terminal) port for 80 column display with T-DOS and SmartBasic v1.x Rev. 20Y, a Parallel Port, a Boot Prom Socket and Memory Addressor for 256K and larger Memory Expander. However, it would be nice to see CP/M addressed as there are many that prefer it over T-DOS.

 

For those that like to tinker, the AdamLink mod is an option and if one has the IDE setup as well… all the more reason to have a second Memory Console.

[rietveld]

1 hour ago, Milli Vee said:

Well the original question was:

 

Is there any practical use for the ADAMLink modem today?  Can it be used to communicate with any modern devices or for any other originally-unintended purpose?

 

So I offered one

Here is a video of my Adam logging into a BBS using a stock AdamLink Modem

 

 

 

[rietveld]

i used my adam to sign into my own BBS that I am running on a 1986 Tandy Color Computer 3

[NIAD]

9 hours ago, Milli Vee said:

Well the original question was:

 

Is there any practical use for the ADAMLink modem today?  Can it be used to communicate with any modern devices or for any other originally-unintended purpose?

 

So I offered one

There was absolutely nothing wrong with your reply and as always I appreciated and found it very interesting to read… as I am sure many others have.

 

Unfortunately for most, the type of modification that you discuss is beyond our abilities… definitely for me and pretty sure for timepilot as well. However, it’s valuable information for someone that likes to tinker and has the skills needed.

 

So a practical use would be what ed1475 offered in Post #2 as well as what rietveld offered in Post #10.

 

On 6/25/2021 at 1:15 PM, timepilot said:

Thank you.  Just to clarify, there is no way to connect that modem to a modern router?

All rietveld and I did was reply to a follow up question by timepilot and detail what practical options are available.

Edited June 28, 2021 by NIAD

[timepilot]

23 hours ago, NIAD said:

There was absolutely nothing wrong with your reply and as always I appreciated and found it very interesting to read… as I am sure many others have.

 

Unfortunately for most, the type of modification that you discuss is beyond our abilities… definitely for me and pretty sure for timepilot as well. However, it’s valuable information for someone that likes to tinker and has the skills needed.

 

So a practical use would be what ed1475 offered in Post #2 as well as what rietveld offered in Post #10.

 

All rietveld and I did was reply to a follow up question by timepilot and detail what practical options are available.

I am very grateful for all of the responses!  Although I am such a pathetic incompetent with hardware mods that Milli's suggestion is absolutely beyond my ability, I very much appreciate it anyway and one never knows whether someone else reading might be able to implement it.

 

How does the multi-function card connect to a monitor to display 80-column?  While displaying 80-column video, does the card display only black and white graphics?  I did not realize that SmartBASIC was compatible with an 80-column display.

 

Is it fair to assume that the multi-function card is now permanently unavailable?  And would the multi-function card be completely incompatible with the MicroFox CF IDE HD that I have in Slot 1?

[NIAD]

6 minutes ago, timepilot said:

I very much appreciate it anyway and one never knows whether someone else reading might be able to implement it.

Exactly.

7 minutes ago, timepilot said:

How does the multi-function card connect to a monitor to display 80-column?  While displaying 80-column video, does the card display only black and white graphics?  I did not realize that SmartBASIC was compatible with an 80-column display.

The MIB238 installs in Slot #2. There are 2 serial ports provided:

 

- Serial Port #1 = DCE for connecting external modems, printers, etc.

- Serial Port #2 = DTE for connecting directly to the serial port of a terminal or another computer

 

I connect Serial Port #2 (ADAM serial cable connects to a 25-9pin adapter that connects to a USB-Serial Cable) to an old Win7 Laptop's USB Port and have two terminal programs (H19emu and Putty) that I like to use.

 

Depending on the terminal program you use in Windows will determine what color options are available. With H19emu, you can display tex

t in white, green or amber.

 

SmartBasic as Coleco supplied it is not capable of 80 column display... well, unless you want to create a super small font set akin to what Strategic Software did with their 64 column MultiWrite Word Processor.

 

Rich Drushel released the source code to his heavily upgraded and enhanced SmartBasic v1.x Rev. 20Y and fortunately someone compiled it so that we could all benefit. This version allows one to output to a Terminal or PC in 80 columns.

 

33 minutes ago, timepilot said:

Is it fair to assume that the multi-function card is now permanently unavailable?  And would the multi-function card be completely incompatible with the MicroFox CF IDE HD that I have in Slot 1?

You will have to send a PM to AtariAge member tekman to see if he has any MIB238 available.

 

The MIB238 and MicroFox CF IDE HD can be installed in the same system.

 

[timepilot]

49 minutes ago, NIAD said:

Exactly.

The MIB238 installs in Slot #2. There are 2 serial ports provided:

 

- Serial Port #1 = DCE for connecting external modems, printers, etc.

- Serial Port #2 = DTE for connecting directly to the serial port of a terminal or another computer

 

I connect Serial Port #2 (ADAM serial cable connects to a 25-9pin adapter that connects to a USB-Serial Cable) to an old Win7 Laptop's USB Port and have two terminal programs (H19emu and Putty) that I like to use.

 

Depending on the terminal program you use in Windows will determine what color options are available. With H19emu, you can display tex

t in white, green or amber.

 

SmartBasic as Coleco supplied it is not capable of 80 column display... well, unless you want to create a super small font set akin to what Strategic Software did with their 64 column MultiWrite Word Processor.

 

Rich Drushel released the source code to his heavily upgraded and enhanced SmartBasic v1.x Rev. 20Y and fortunately someone compiled it so that we could all benefit. This version allows one to output to a Terminal or PC in 80 columns.

 

You will have to send a PM to AtariAge member tekman to see if he has any MIB238 available.

 

The MIB238 and MicroFox CF IDE HD can be installed in the same system.

 

Thank you.  This will have to go on my wish list.  Still need to put a bunch of other upgrades in before getting to that one.  Is an HDMI F18A with some form of audio-out on the horizon for the ADAM?

[rietveld]

Here is a video i made showing the adam using the wifi modem and 80  col display via the MI B238 board that NIAD just talked about

 

 

Edited June 29, 2021 by rietveld

[rietveld]

You can also use this setup to send and receive modern email on the Coleco Adam

 

 

[NIAD]

8 hours ago, timepilot said:

Is an HDMI F18A with some form of audio-out on the horizon for the ADAM?

I haven’t followed the ongoings of Matt’s HDMI F18a, so you will have to check his website for all the latest.

[NIAD]

39 minutes ago, rietveld said:

Here is a video i made showing the adam using the wifi modem and 80  col display via the MI B238 board that NIAD just talked about

 

Hey rietveld… I was looking for your video that highlights how you connected the ADAM and the system you use for 80 column output to the same TV and use a switch box. Do you recall that one?

[rietveld]

32 minutes ago, NIAD said:

Hey rietveld… I was looking for your video that highlights how you connected the ADAM and the system you use for 80 column output to the same TV and use a switch box. Do you recall that one?

i can do a quick write up with pictures after work

 

[rietveld]

i am using a generic VGA switcher .   2 in and 1 out.

 

i have the VGA out connected to my monitor . The A input is connected to a laptop running h19 that is connected to the MIB238 and the B is connected to my RCA to VGA adapter.   I can use the same monitor by selecting A on the switcher for the h19 8. col or the B on the switcher for the standard composite out from the Adam 

 

[NIAD]

Thanks rietveld! So I assume that you are using powered speakers with this setup?

[rietveld]

1 hour ago, NIAD said:

Thanks rietveld! So I assume that you are using powered speakers with this setup?

Yes, but if you are lucky you could find an old PC monitor with them built in. 

[NIAD]

8 hours ago, rietveld said:

Yes, but if you are lucky you could find an old PC monitor with them built in. 

I have 3… 1 with built-in speakers and 2 without. Unfortunately, the one that matches the ADAM’s colors does not and is a big and heavy SOB, Viewsonic 19”.

[rietveld]

On 6/30/2021 at 12:54 AM, NIAD said:

I have 3… 1 with built-in speakers and 2 without. Unfortunately, the one that matches the ADAM’s colors does not and is a big and heavy SOB, Viewsonic 19”.

Just picked up a monitor with built in speakers