#zimodem — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #zimodem, aggregated by home.social.
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+++ Sysop News +++ Sysop News +++
So I'm still investigating the connectivity issues I witnessed with #rc2014bbs and here are my current findings:
1.) while the telnet listener of the #Zimodem firmware is no longer open on port 2014, the #wifi of the #esp8266 itself is still active and the reserved ip is responding to ping requests.
2.) once the firmware gets reset via ATZ it sometimes restarts /re-opens the listener on port 2014
3.) the listener dies a few hours after initial powerup of the system
4.) my memory may be failing me but those issues began somewhere around autumn last year when I updated the firmware to version 3.7.1
As a result of these findings, I have reverted the firmware on the esp8266 to Zimodem version 3.6.5. It's not an official release - I checked it out using the corresponding commit hash.
The BBS was powered up with that version yesterday at 09:00 am and it is still running about 24 hours later, which was never the case with the 3.7.1 version of the firmware. I've also noticed a few other glitches not being present with the 3.6.5 version.
It is still a little too soon to call the problem solved, but there's movement here.
Also keep in mind that RC-BOX BBS (the world's first and - currently - only #rc2014 based #bbs) is using a wifi connection so other sources of influence may also have an effect on connectivity (although they never were *that* worse before 3.7.1).
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My #Amstrad #ppc640 has an old-style 25 pin #rs232 port. Unfortunately yesterday I couldn't source a #db9 to #db25 #serial adapter, so I had to...ehm...improvise 😅
It seems that only Rx, Tx and ground are needed for it to work!
#retrocomputing #wifimodem #zimodem -
At the end, all will fit in this enclosure (there was an adsl filter inside). I made some holes for the usb and the reset button. The front hole contained two rj11 sockets, I cut the central divisor and obtained a hole the perfect size for the #uart to #rs232 #db9 connector.
Most of my #retrocomputing gear has the old #db25 connector, so I'll need an adapter anyway...
#zimodem #wifi #modem #hayes -
Every time I do some project "for fun" (= not for work) I try to learn something new, in that way i can say the time needed is not wasted.
So, this time I decided to try #wirewrapping . This is a very simple circuit, with no board, so it's a very very simple case, but I tried and I liked it!
Here a photo while connecting the #esp8266 (already flashed with #zimodem and configured to connect to my wifi) with the #UART to #RS232 adapter. -
Hang on... this is bonkers! Booting an IBM PC compatible pc mounting a drive via the #serialport ! Something like the modern computers #netboot !
https://youtu.be/g7ScyiO19Pg?si=OcAB5Qsfl4xOykZ0
He uses the #xtide #opensource #bios (https://www.xtideuniversalbios.org/) and a null modem cable to a windows computer. Unfortunately it seems the disk #emulator app is available only for Windows, but I imagine it could be implemented in a #serial #wifi #modem firmware (like #zimodem or #theoldnet 's). Imagine having a #samba share on your #NAS and telling the wifi modem to mount an image on that, then turn on the old pc and boot it from your NAS via WIFI... awesome!!!
#retrocomputing #tandy #pc -
Hang on... this is bonkers! Booting an IBM PC compatible pc mounting a drive via the #serialport ! Something like the modern computers #netboot !
https://youtu.be/g7ScyiO19Pg?si=OcAB5Qsfl4xOykZ0
He uses the #xtide #opensource #bios (https://www.xtideuniversalbios.org/) and a null modem cable to a windows computer. Unfortunately it seems the disk #emulator app is available only for Windows, but I imagine it could be implemented in a #serial #wifi #modem firmware (like #zimodem or #theoldnet 's). Imagine having a #samba share on your #NAS and telling the wifi modem to mount an image on that, then turn on the old pc and boot it from your NAS via WIFI... awesome!!!
#retrocomputing #tandy #pc -
I'm going to build a #wifi #serial #modem for my #amstrad PPC640. Something like #theoldnet 's wifi modem, but I'll use #zimodem on an #esp8266 , because it worked ok with my #commodore64 and now I have some experience with it...
The idea is having the esp emulate an #hayes modem on the #UART pins and convert it to rs232 using a #max3232 module.
I also will need to solder a 9 to 25 pin #rs232 adapter, because I absolutely don't remember where mine is (used last time a couple of home moves ago... 😅)
#dos #bbs #internet -
Now it's time for some BBSing... Right now is behaving correctly: no more spurious resets, and I'm using the #C64 to power it, very conveniently.
I'm using it along with the #KungFuFlash to load #CCGMS , so I'm probably driving the #commodore 's 5v line pretty hard... Until now, I only had a couple of missed boots from the KungFuFlash, probably due to an unstable voltage on turn on. Once it boots, btw, it seems pretty stable. The original power brick may not be having the best time of its life...
#BBS #zimodem #commodore64 #esp8266 -
I just tried the #zimodem #wifi modem for the #commodore I built. It works, but it was a bumpy ride... at first the #esp8266 was resetting continuously. I thought that the #commodore64 wasn't providing enough current, so I cut the 5v cable and connected to usb power, to no avail: it keeped resetting every now and then. Then i checked with the multimeter and there was a low resistance between the reset pin and ground. Cut that as well, but I got only garbled characters. At the end I noticed a comment in the page I used to download #ccgms 2021 saying it wasn't working on certain modems. They suggested trying the 2017 version and... it worked flawlessly!
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I built myself a tiny #wifi #modem for the #commodore64 . It uses an #esp8266 to emulate an #hayes modem using the #Zimodem firmware.
I made a couple of changes to the design found online, namely added a capacitor on the power rail (because the Commodore provides 100mAh but the ESP can have a higher transients up to 200mAh) and this one: https://www.valoroso.it/modifica-al-modem-wifi-per-commodore-64/
Now going to double-check every connection with the tester before trying it on the Commodore.
#commodore #c64 -
Milestone!!
This rather unspectacular screenshot shows my #FreeBSD desktop running #ArduinoIDE and #compiling #ESP8266 code (#Zimodem firmware). Serial communication also works, which is absolutely brilliant!
It's been quite a ride until I got it all to work. It's a combination of the steps documented here:
https://forums.freebsd.org/threads/a-guide-for-installing-esp8266-for-arduino-on-freebsd.78411/
with additional info (checkout of #espressif 2.7.4 codebase) from here:
https://imin.red/2021/05/12/compile-esp8266-esp32-arduino-code-with-gmake-on-freebsd/
but it also required me to set up #Linux compatibility (for the #xtensa compiler which is a Linux x86_64 binary) and modify arduino-builder before installing it from #ports
I'll write down my steps in the next days, until then - if you have any questions - please comment. Thank you!
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It's hot, I hate it - so I turn my attention the the #Intel 8251 #UART which is being used in the MT Telcom II #modem #cartridge for #MSX systems.
I've already converted the cartridge to make use of an #esp8266 with #Zimodem firmware and desoldered the relays etc. (see here: https://github.com/dromorobo/MSX-wifi)
I guess it shouldn't be too much of a hassle to adapt my existing #Forth #code to that chip - that way I could have a very, very simplistic terminal program similar to the one that is included in the cartridge firmware. But unlike the firmware one, the Forth code would offer the chance to add minimalistic terminal emulation and hardware #flowcontrol.
Sounds like a nice rabbit hole to fall into - not that anyone would need such a software. But I could do it and I wonder wether I should ...
#MSX
#WifiModem
#Terminal
#Software
#RetroComputing
#RetroCoding -
I'm looking to build a #zimodem or something similar using an #ESP8266 or #ESP32 for some throwback #BBS 'ing or perhaps connecting to a Linux system. For this, I was hoping that it would be easy to find an old dead #Hayes #SmartModem or something similar in solid, preferably metal box - but we're apparently not that sentimental and a little too efficient at recycling stuff in these parts 😢
For those digging the idea, and wanting to go ALL in, there's the Noisy Zimodem. Someone took the time to combine a Zimodem and a DAC for producing authentic modem sounds. If that doesn't take you back to the awesome #90s, I don't know what will.