Uzenet

[L4rry]

Also, is there already some demo code for Uzenet that can do HTTP requests? Telnet is really easy of course but I would like to do HTTP GET.

The Telnet code was actually only recently introduced in the Uzenet demo by uze. Before that commit, the demo was using HTTP GET commands to ping a web server for the time. Just checkout a version before that change and you should be good to go.

This is the 'Work on UzenetDemo' commit that uze applied that added telnet and removed HTTP calls:

https://github.com/Uzebox/uzebox/commit ... 88c6ac79e3

[nicksen782]

I should have said that telnet is a simple protocol. Not to imply that it is simple to implement.

Code: Select all

typedef struct {
	unsigned char verb;
	char* host;
	unsigned int port;
	char* url;
	char* content;
} HttpRequest;

typedef struct {
	unsigned int responseCode;
	char* content;
} HttpResponse;

So, the property "content" has the response from the HttpGet function? How do you know how big the response will be and if it will fit in RAM? I would think that in addition to knowing this, you could also store the response text in SPIRAM.

Looks like int len=WaitforIPD(); will provide a length. ReceiveHtmlBody is given a reference to "content" and also that length. ReceiveHtmlBody gets the response and puts it in response->content. Looks like that function would need to be modified to work with SPIRAM.

I just need to figure out how to parse the returned content. What about disconnections? HttpGet("uzebox.org",80,"/uzenet/time.php",&resp); Seems that happens the one time and then just timestamps are compared. Do you remain connected or was that line just a connect/get/disconnect sort of thing?

[L4rry]

This might come in handy for anyone wishing to develop custom firmware for the ESP8266. It's an open source game engine running on the ESP8266.

https://hackaday.com/2019/03/11/esp8266 ... ce-engine/

[rv6502]

I'm ordering a bunch of 128KB SPI RAM (23LC1024-I/P-ND‎) and could only find ESP-12S modules ( https://www.digikey.ca/products/en/rf-i ... 72?k=esp12 ) that's the revision that was available. Would those work?

And there's 3 more components that look like the power regulation for the ESP-12 modules marked C17, IC3, and C22. (Uzebox V1.3.1)
(altho there is a 3.3V regulator already for the SD card ?)

I'm sorry I can't find what exact parts numbers those are supposed to be (lots of posts and revisions, I may have missed it, sorry.)

[uze6666]

Hi!

could only find ESP-12S modules ( https://www.digikey.ca/products/en/rf-i ... 72?k=esp12 ) that's the revision that was available. Would those work?

Technically, I've read they are compatible and should work, though I didn't test them myself. Anyway theses prices are crazy on Digikey, you can get ESP-12F on AliExpress for 2$ shipped. If you still want Digikey, these looks like ESP-12F and are available: https://www.digikey.ca/product-detail/ ... ND/5761206.

I still have on my todo list to document the uzenet interface! In the mean time here's the BOM:

IC3 : MCP1700-3302E regulator.
C17, C22: 1uF (ie.: Digikey 493-1099-ND)


Btw for the regulator, yes it's a second one. The problem was that it's rated for 250ma and when I did some back of the envelope calculations, the limit was very close if the SD was reading and the module was transmitting at the same time. So to avoid risking dropouts I just played safe an added a second one. (making boards were much more expensive back then!!) Now, with JLCPB I can make 5 for 2$! I'm planning a new minor rev where I will correct all the annoying things from the past like too small pads and I'll probably remove that second regulator too since it's not even on the Portable anyway.

[uze6666]

Being on the topic of Uzenet, I've been spending some time lately working on my "Uzebox computer" thing. It was held back for a while because my 80x25 mode could not do inverse video, which seemed like essential for all kind of terminal applications. You see, due to the size of 'codetiles' it was not possible to duplicate the tileset to have an inverse one, was taking more than 64K.

Well, after all those years I managed to hack an attribute bit to allow 2 sets of BG/FG colors allowing among other things inverse video per character. Coupled with a free public telnet host I found that offers Lynx/Elinks/Link, I can finally browse the web in all it's text-mode glory...and all from the confort of my little Uzebox.

[CunningFellow]

Submit it to Hack A Day Retro Edition I guess.

[rv6502]

thanks for the part numbers.

Anyway theses prices are crazy on Digikey, you can get ESP-12F on AliExpress for 2$ shipped.

yeaaaa but that sometimes involves waiting 2~3 months.
If I was buying 30 I'd go the Aliexpress route but for 1 or 2 I'm willing to throw an extra $12 if I can play with it sooner

I'm planning a new minor rev where I will correct all the annoying things from the past like too small pads and I'll probably remove that second regulator too since it's not even on the Portable anyway.

Soooo, I could just add a cap on the 3.3V side to help and bodge-wire to the SD card's supply?

I guess the SD card needs more power when writing and that's rather rare. The regulator can likely handle the little spikes.
I'm streaming audio off the SD card and it's not even warm.

[uze6666]

I guess the SD card needs more power when writing and that's rather rare. The regulator can likely handle the little spikes.
I'm streaming audio off the SD card and it's not even warm.

I've dig out some measurement made for the portable and got:

• Idle in Uzeamp: 95mA(avg)
• Playing in Uzeamp: 135mA(max)
• ESP8266 TX consumes 120ma according to spec

So yeah, if doing both SD reading and wifi TX at once, you're pretty much topping the MCP1700 spec (which is internally limited to 250ma according to spec. I think that's why I put that second one...to avoid potentially annoying transmission bugs. Until more testing is done, I think I will leave it there.

Submit it to Hack A Day Retro Edition I guess.

Yeeaaaa I guess I could...but it's not ready for prime time yet.

[uze6666]

Just had to post this because...yeah...I'm a geek and I find it just so awesome..browsing the Uzebox forums on the Uzebox!

uzebox_elinks_forums_1.jpg (211.66 KiB) Viewed 12025 times

And it just works fine. Kudos to the Phpbb devs!

I've been working on my Telnet client on an incremental basis on and off for many months to make it work fine with a bunch of cool free sites. Eventually you'll be able to to play Telehack (and do Basic programs), chess, rogue, browse the web, watch stars wars ascii and probably access most Telnet bbs still alive.