nanoPEB, nanoPEB wifi adapter and CF7+ were designed to bring the full experience of the TI-99/4a home computer into the 21st century and yet be affordable. This site offers the support programs and manuals needed to run either. As time progresses, articles and a FAQ will be added to help get the most out of both.

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Welcome to the nanoPEB, CF7+ and the  NEW nanoPEB Wifi Adapter Website!

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Our products

CF7+

http://www.nanopeb.com/images/IMG_0011

Features:

 

  • CPU RAM - 32K
  • Emulation of three floppy drives
  • Comes with 2gb Compact Flash (1gb available for storage) 
  • Parallel port - accepts standard "Centronics" cables
  • Holds 1200 virtual 400kb diskettes (called "volumes")  Original 99/4a diskette was only 90kb!)
  • Built-in BASIC commands  lets you format and mount volumes into the emulated disk drives.

nanoPEB V1

Features:

 

  • CPU RAM - 32K
  • Emulation of three floppy drives
  • Comes with 32mb Compact Flash (16mb available for storage) 
  • Virtual 400kb diskettes (called "volumes")  Original 99/4a diskette was only 90kb!
  • RS-232 Serial Port - uses standard DB-9 cables
  • Built-in BASIC commands  lets you format and mount volumes into the emulated disk drives.
http://www.nanopeb.com/images/nanoPEB

**NEW** nanoPEB Wifi Adapter

Features:

 

  • ESP8266 mounted on ESP-01
  • Implements standard AT+ commands
  • Plugs into nanoPEB serial port
  • Comes with 5v Y-cable so that no new power supply is needed
  • Access TCP or Web
  • Comes with utility software and a BASIC interface (examples included)
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Documentation

nanoPEB Wifi Adapter

 

Introduction

The nanoPEB Wi-Fi Adapter uses the ESP-01 module which implements the ESP8266. The ESP8266 is a low-cost Wi-Fi microchip with full TCP/IP stack and microcontroller capability produced by Espressif Systems.  This small module allows nanoPEB to connect to a Wi-Fi network and make simple TCP/IP connections using Hayes-style commands.

 

The ESP8266 is integrated with a 32-bit Tensilica processor, standard digital peripheral interfaces, antenna switches, RF balun, power amplifier, low noise receive amplifier, filters and power management modules.

 

The nanoPEB Wi-Fi Adapter includes a 5v, 2.1mm Y-cable so tha the adapter can share the existing nanoPEB power supply.  No new power supply neeed.  The adapter converts the 5v to 3.3v which necessesary since the ESP8266 is not 5v tolerant.

 

Installation

To setup the adapter, follow these steps:

  • Power off the nanoPEB and TI-99/4a console.
  • Disconnect the power supply from the nanoPEB
  • Plug the power supply into the Y-cable.
  • Plug one end of the Y-cable into the nanoPEB.
  • Plug the other end of the Y-cable into the Wi-Fi adapter (a blue LED will flicker, this is normal).
  • Plug the Wi-Fi Adapter into the nanoPEB serial port.  
  • Power on the nanoPEB, then the console.
  • The adapter is now ready for use.

 

ESP01/O

ESP01/O is a simple terminal emulator that can be loaded through an Editor-Assembler or Mini-Memory cartridge (Extended Basic in the works). It allows you to enter simple "AT" commands to the ESP8266.  

 

ATPLUS3/B and ESPLIB3/O 

These two files are loaded by BASIC or and allow the execution of AT+ commands.  ATPLUS/B loads ESPLIB3/O

 

Example: AT+GMR (shows ESP-01 firmware version)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another example: AT+CWLAP (shows available routers)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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SNTP/XB - sample Extended Basic program that gets date and time from the Web

 

90 REM  GET TIME
100 CALL CLEAR
110 CALL INIT
120 CALL LOAD("DSK1.ESPLIB3/O")
130 CALL LINK("ESPINI")
140 PRINT "TIMEZONE IS OFFSET FROM UTC"
150 IF S$="Q" THEN 510
160 LINPUT "ENTER TIMEZONE HERE: ":S$
170 S$="AT+CIPSNTPCFG=1,"&S$
180 GOSUB 330
190 S$="AT+CIPSNTPTIME?"
200 GOSUB 330
210 PRINT
220 PRINT SEG$(S$,14,24)
230 PRINT
240 END
250 REM
260 REM
270 REM
280 REM
290 REM
300 REM
310 REM
320 REM
330 B=-20480
340 FOR I=0 TO LEN(S$)-1
350 CALL LOAD(B+2+I,ASC(SEG$(S$,I+1,1)))
360 NEXT I
370 CALL LOAD(B,LEN(S$)/256)
380 CALL LOAD(B+1,LEN(S$))
390 CALL LINK("ESPCMD")
400 CALL PEEK(B,L1,L2)
410 L=L1*256+L2-1
420 S$=""
430 FOR I=0 TO L
440 CALL PEEK(B+2+I,C)
450 IF C=13 THEN 490
460 IF C<>10 THEN 480
470 GOTO 490
480 S$=S$&CHR$(C)
490 NEXT I
500 RETURN
510 END
 

Downloads

ESP01/O   -  Tagged Object File  - Simple terminal emulator for ESP01 - Load Program with EA cartridge and run ESP01

ESPLIB3/O   -  Tagged Object File - Loadable by BASIC and allows BASIC programs to access ESP01.

ATPLUS3/B   -  Tagged Object File - Loadable by BASIC, It is Basic version of ESP01/O.

CFMGR Manual - Documents how to use the 99/4a  hosted file management utility. nanoPEB or CF7+

Users Manual -  Installation and other useful information. nanoPEB or CF7+

vol1.dsk - Diskette image will CFMGR and some useful programs. nanoPEB or CF7+

CompactFlash-to-PC - DOS utility to copy volumes from a Compact Flash to your PC. (Requires Compact Flash reader).

PC-to-CompactFlash - DOS utility to copy volumes from your PC to a Compact Flash. (Requires Compact Flash reader).

Contact

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malilonj@gmail.com

FAQ

I own a Mac and dsk2cf.exe and cf2dsk.exe are Windows programs.  How do I manage my CF7 or nanoPEB compact flash?

 

The Mac has a built-in command that will prepare the compact flash.  The technique for preparing a compact flash is similar to preparing a Raspberry Pi SD card.  You can read about it here: https://computers.tutsplus.com/articles/how-to-clone-raspberry-pi-sd-cards-using-the-command-line-in-os-x--mac-59911

 

These are the specific commands to be used.  Please note that /dev/sdc is an example location.  This might be different depending on your Mac configuration.

 

dsk2cf.exe equivalent

 

dd of=/dev/sdc count=1600 if=volume3.dsk seek=3200

 

This copies a file named volume3.dsk to the 3rd virtual diskette on the compact flash drive

where:

 

  • count is the size of a CF7 virtual diskette
  • skip selects the location on the compact flash drive (volume 1,2,3..n) 
  • 1600 is the block size of a virtual diskette

 

cf2dsk.exe equivalent:

 

dd if=/dev/sdc count=1600 of=volume2.dsk skip=1600

 

This copies the 2nd virtual diskette on the compact flash drive to a file named volume2.dsk

where:

  • count is the size of a CF7 virtual diskette
  • skip is select the location on the compact flash drive (volume 1,2,3..n) 
  • 1600 is the block size of a virtual diskette

 

What are the two jumpers for on the board holding the compact flash?

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(WiFi adapter)  Seems like all AT commands return TMO! After a long delay...

TMO is timeout. Try this:

1 - turn nanoPEB off and pull the adapter out of the nanoPEB
2 - unplug the power from the adapter
3 - plug the power back back in
4 - plug the adapter back into the nanoPEB

 

(WiFi adapter)  what are they actually good for?

I got your basic program and I can reproduce the "status" but that's pretty much it.. is there a doc on the AT syntax?

 

ExpressIf has the full documentation here: AT Commands 

There is a basic program that gets current time in this website. But you can find a lot of discussion on usage on Arduino websites.

Note that all commands have to be in upper-case.  Some commands are:
AT+GWMODE=3 //enables host and client mode
AT+CWLAP //lists available connection points
AT+CWJAP=<ssid>,<pwd> //connects to wifi
AT+CIPSNTPCFG=1,-6 // set SNTP timezone to CST (2nd parameter is offset from UTC)
AT+CIPSNTPTIME? // gets SNTP time for the configure timezone