1. Not old. Vintage. :)

I'm going to build a WEFAX interface

Discussion in 'SIG: Atari 8-Bit Hardware' started by M.D.Baker, Jan 17, 2021.

  1. by Graham
    Graham

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    It's a shame they didn't supply the Cable with the printer! most frustrating, Likwewise with the Fujinet adapter, I did look on the github project pages, but didn't find any software to download, only how to setup, on how to use the source code to create your own program to upload to it. I wonder if it loads up a bootstrap Boot loader. and uses that
    strange as the ES32 chips do have a way of boot loading already. perhaps I was just looking in the wrong place.
    Amazes me they can send it out seemingly untested if there is no software on it.
    I think you are suffering from too many new toys and not enough time to play with them all :D:D
    Shame about tomorrow, not sure how he did it but Al did join on his phone at some point.
    by the way I think most webcams have a built in microphone. most O.S. recognise these without any additional drivers certainly windoze and Linux seems o.k
    Anyway I'll let you get back to eBay for your missing cables and webcam :D
     
    Last edited: Jan 20, 2021
  2. by M.D.Baker
    M.D.Baker

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    @Graham There is this site too for Fujinet ( https://fujinet.online/download/ ). but once you get it up and running, you go to a site on your Atari using Fujinet, where you download any programs for it. That's one of the main points of Fujinet, is you don't download off your PC and get them onto your Atari, but you get on-line with your Atari and download directly to Fujinet. The article about the weather report program I posted on the previous page tells/shows you how.
     
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  3. by Graham
    Graham

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    Nice one thats what I was looking for :D:D:D
     
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  4. by M.D.Baker
    M.D.Baker

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    Not mine, they must be too old.
     
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  5. by Graham
    Graham

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    Thats a shame :( So what O.S are you using then Matt ?
     
  6. by M.D.Baker
    M.D.Baker

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    No problem, I had to ask on AA for the links myself. But there are already a few programs for Fujinet and more in development, plus you can visit BBS's and IRC channels, etc. right off the bat.

    There's a lot more info about it in a Fujinet sub-forum under the 8-bit forum on AA: https://atariage.com/forums/forum/346-fujinet-sio-network-adapter/
     
  7. by M.D.Baker
    M.D.Baker

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    I still use Windows 7 on my PC, but the mic and camera I have are from around Windows XP era, I might not even be able to get drivers for them working under Windows 7 once I find them, I may have to buy new stuff, or finally get around to getting my old XP PC up and running. It was a state-of-the-art custom built 32-bit gamer's PC back in the day. But I know I could still probably get on-line and chat with you guys with it...I think...I was using it still for internet up until 5 years ago when I got a 5 year old 64-bit PC.

    20210120_162429.jpg 20210120_162443.jpg
     
  8. by Graham
    Graham

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    Yep that was a good move I'd just searched online found the Github site and assumed that was it, It had software but only the source code and how to compile . Thanks for the heads up :D:D

    I think you will find that current webcam's will be recognised without additional drivers, but going back to early Win XP some of the webcams available at the time did need special drivers. practically anything you get nowdays won't need any bar those in the O.S so likely work with both of your PC's I still use a win XP and Win 7 computers although I don't give them access to the internet directly, I share programs etc, by downloading using Win 10 or Linux, and that gets stored on a hard drive attached to a Raspberry Pi That is then used with each laptop (as they are) But I'm a bit hmm 'Funny' about what connects with several different wifi signal's that are very restrictive.
    All my home wifi is commercial grade, with a proper unit as a firewall, another to control access to the networks, and several switches one is POE to power the access points I use, these are dual band, as well as supporting multiple networks. each requires two Gigabyte Ethernet cables to run at top speed. That along with a Synlogy NAS an Apple Airport and a Raspberry Pi NAS for the two older machines as well. It's well well over the top, but I was working commercially from home, and just upgraded bit by bit so its all current (had to double up the ethernet cables to the access points tho)

    Going back to your older gaming machine, I suspect that Kicad would run pretty well on that due to its graphics capablity. Have you ever thought of using and learning Linux, for older machines it tends to run much better than the original windows.. :cool:
     
  9. by M.D.Baker
    M.D.Baker

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    Yes, actually, for many years now I've been meaning to properly partition my hard drives on all my PC's to have several versions of Windows and Linux too. And actually, I did once know how to use Linux, way back in the 90's I learned Linux in a college computer class and then after college I worked for a company out in Southern California were we used Linux machines to duplicate the old style back-up tapes (for get what they were called now) for the latest changes in parts catalogs for car dealerships and mechanic shops. But it's been 25 years and I've forgotten most of it, I'm sure, for the most part, though I could probably relearn relatively easily since it was similar to Command line DOS's like MS-DOS and Atari SpartaDOS (which I still use) in the searching directory/sub-directory/file tree aspect, that much I remember.

    I also learned to use the old Lynx networks back then and spent a lot of time in those old chat rooms texting back and forth with students from other colleges. It was also the dawn of the Internet and learned to use it with the old Netscape browser...God I miss Netscape. Long before Ubuntu of course.

    Actually, I bought that old PC of mine used, and it came with Ubuntu and Linux OS on it, but I was so confused by the early Ubuntu, and I wanted to turn it back into the MS-DOS/Windows gaming system it was originally designed for, so I just re-initialized and re-formatted the HDD for Windows, since I didn't feel like learning Ubuntu at the time either.
     
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  10. by M.D.Baker
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  11. by Graham
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    Thanks Again for the links Matt. :D:D
    Hmm pre internet I'd found BBS's and unfortunatly for my phone bill some I phoned were in the states, One around the Michigan area I dialed in very regularly, and still have on the original fanfold printer paper some of the bit I downloaded, I did in fact contact Claus on AA as much of the content for memory upgrades etc, had his name attached.. He also knew of John Nagy a guy in the Michigan area Atari group whom I used to send magazines published in the U.K to., John sent me the gourps monthly magazines they produced.
    I well remember Netscape Navigator and the beginings of our connected world .. I used windows 286 on an AT class computer and moved with the time s through Win 3.10 then the networked version Win 3.11 at which point NN above was added, these thankfully PC's at work. My first was a self built 386SX at 25MHz certainly had DOS not sure what version of windows remember using this with a Sony TV as a monitor, the ones with the trinitron Clyinder tubes not the convexed ones of most companies. I did used Win 95 98 98SE Win NT win 2000 XP, 7 and now 10.
    But I also worked on Amdhal think thats right clones of the IBM 3/90 I did have my own Data General Eclispe 9000 main frame, disassembled and moved to a room in the loft and re assembled .. So not everthing was Atari.

    I have had a look at the ESP & ES modules I have and two are compatiable with the latest release of fujinet, I've the CP2102 and a pair of 7407 chips. so not very much more than that needed.
    I've a little to much to deal with to have a play with it at the moment, and need to send off Circuit boards to be made up and made sence to me to save on the postage costs buy ordering now and done with. I've an 800XL thats taking up a lot of time trying to find the instability it has, It's been stripped back of most of it's upgrades and annoyingly still plays up ... just not all the time.. I've made up a video lead for my new Oric Atmos, but I've not got as far as checking the Drives I have of Andy's once that's working o.k likely with a drive change, I'll need to find an alternative to load from. And although frustrated by it Back to my ZEGS system sfter that
     
    Last edited: Jan 21, 2021
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  12. by M.D.Baker
    M.D.Baker

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    Good luck with building your Fujinet, I will do that with my second Fujinet for my 1200XL at some point, and probably install it in my old 1030 modem case. I'll probably leave the old modem PCB in there, but cut all the traces going to the SIO ports and PSU port and connect the Fujinet up to them. But I'm glad I went with buying a ready-made Fujinet from The Brewing Academy as it's all basically ready to go. I connected to my wi-fi hot-spot on my smart phone (which is what I used for internet for my PC and Xbox 360 & One already.

    There are only satellite services out where I live right now, and I got sick of my slow-arse Hughesnet service and cancelled it and upgraded my phone service for hot-spot instead. It's been a lot more reliable and faster than the Hughesnet Satellite internet by a long shot! How sad is that on Hughesnet's part? I'll go back to satellite service as soon as the new Starlink network is up and running. I put myself on the beta testing release for it once they have satellites up over my part of the world. Though I don't know if I'll be accepted, so may have to wait until it's out of beta testing in year or two.

    But so far everything with my Fujinet its working great accept for plugging it into my PC to use the flasher update and it says it's unrecognized device and shuts down. I asked in the Fujinet sub-forum in the 8-bit section on AA and it's a known issue with the V1 Fujinet's and it looks like I have to bridge two pins on the USB UART chip on the board. So I'm currently browsing through the very long 'Bug report' thread I was told to look at to see about it. Because instead of the arsehole just telling me what pins and be done with it, he said I had to go look at the bug report thread (twelve pages long) I guess he has a stick up his arse because I posted about the issue in a new thread instead of looking through the long arse bug report thread in the first place. Talk about a dick-ish move! (one of the main guys on the project and he started the bug report thread).:facepalm: (tschak909) I think it's Thom Cherry...whatever who did the first video on the link I posted.:banghead:
     
  13. by M.D.Baker
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    Somebody else came along thankfully and just told me the pins that needed to be bridged, however, apparently my Fujinet is a newer hardware version and that's not require(already done for me at The Brewing Academy). My dumb-ass just forgot to install a needed driver (I forgot and was thinking it didn't need one).

    Anyway, everything is updated with the latest firmware, I have most things set up, and I even have the local weather report now!
    20210121_174400.jpg 20210121_155319.jpg 20210121_174228.jpg 20210121_175124.jpg

    My hardware profile and virtual devices at Fujinet!

    20210121_174420.jpg 20210121_174436.jpg
     
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  14. by Andy Barr
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    Looking SWEET AS, you lucky fella!

    Nice work, Matt - what a great addition to the utility of your Atari classic.

    Incredible, really.
     
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  15. by nysavant
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    Reading your comments and seeing those photo's Matt, have confirmed that I need to invest in a Fujinet at some point. And an AVG cart as well. There's so much great hardware out fo our 8bit machines these days.

    I don't know about you guys but I'm more enthused these days by the 8/16 bit scenes than anything on Windows pc's or Sony/Microsoft consoles.

    Although, a Raspberry Pi400 looks mighty tempting as well.....
     
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  16. by Graham
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    I agree, looking good Matt. maybe i'll have to put my XEGS to one side and breadboard a fujinet to try ..
    or maybe a Side 3 ??

    Pam got me one for Christmas and I've had a quick play with it, It appears to be a great little machine .
    Also got a case with a built in adaptor from USB to M.2 along with 256GB M.2 drive for a Pi 4 I already had, I use the Pi 4 as a NAS for my old operating systems, so they arn't live on the internet, but my upto date machines can dump files for them on to it, via a seperate network connection. ( coz I'm a bit of a security nut )
     
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  17. by nysavant
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    Graham, is there any electronics you don't have? :)

    Side3 or Side2 is also on my 'maybe' list.
    Interested to hear your opinions on the Pi400. I'm thinking of one with Pimiga on it. Also like the idea of having various SD cards ready to put in with full builds of arcade machines, the BBC, etc.
     
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  18. by Andy Barr
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    I hear yer, Al.

    Graham's next bit of kit, I hear, is this little project for contacting Oric users in Alpha Centauri:


    [​IMG]

    Graham's just waiting on the cabling and he'll be away shortly (most of this is already hidden under his desk!!)

    Graham - we're only jealous, mate - all I've got under my desk is fluff, dust and an old copy of Sinclair(ab)User.
     
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  19. by Graham
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    Well I do have some photo's of me and my fellow Princple engineer John Handy on a structure very similar, but it wasn't in my back garden, it was at B.T. Madley
    We were pictured on a 32M cassegrain dish made by Mitsubishi back in the mid 80's at the time it was still in use that was about 7-8 years ago. Andy your going to have to be careful what you say ... :p
     
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  20. by Andy Barr
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    Mate,
    It does not surprise me one little bit!
    Us lads marvel at the stuff you (and Matt for that matter) get involved with/have got involved with.
    Keeps the rest of us... wanting to know more(!)
     
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  21. by M.D.Baker
    M.D.Baker

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    I've decided I'm still going to go through with building a Wefax interface, because even with Weather.xex for Fujinet, there is still know satellite imagery, etc. and I still think it will be fun to get a shortwave radio for this and other things, and I just like to build kit like this. Fujinet weather.xex report can give me a quick look at the day and forecasts for ten days out just like my weather app on my phone (but a heck of a lot more fun to use since it's coming from my Atari!), and it's actually easier/quicker to look at the current conditions and forecasts from any major city in the world than on my phone as all I have to do is enter the city and country, e.g. London, UK and I get it nearly instantly, like I just did: London right now is 40.01 C, broken clouds, wind 6.91 m/s sw, dewpoint 36.46 C, visibility 10km, humidity 87%, clouds 75% and "feels like" temp 36.46 C! But no satellite maps/radar and other things I can get from WEFAX and print out. Though with WEFAX I'll only be able to get reports from any SSB shortwave signals my radio can pick up. So I think having both will be nice and a lot of fun.
     
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  22. by Andy Barr
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    DEFINITELY. It's another reason to lurve having an Atari, Matt.

    Go for it - every project a new adventure.
     
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  23. by Graham
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    I agree, I think that making up the interface and using it a great idea...
    I look forward to seeing it when your done ..
     
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  24. by Graham
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    Andy
    Guess what I found .. Just for you, unfortunately none of me but a couople with John Handy (green hardhat) It's a big ole barsteward.
    2013-04-12 11.35.56.jpg 2013-04-12 11.36.20.jpg 2013-04-12 11.37.15.jpg 2013-04-12 11.37.30.jpg 2013-04-12 11.56.38.jpg 2013-04-12 12.09.09.jpg 2013-04-12 12.21.02.jpg 2013-04-12 12.57.34.jpg 2013-04-12 13.06.55.jpg 2013-04-12 13.07.32.jpg
     
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  25. by Andy Barr
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    I lurve it, Graham - I just knew that you had had to have had a hand in one of these babies too!!
     
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