WiFi Support

Note

WARNING!!! This document page is for software that is in development and is NOT ready to be used by end users.

  • This page

  • The firmware that runs on Teensy 4.1

  • The software in the AUXROMs

  • The firmware running on the ESP32 module

  • The HTML served by the ESP32 module

are all in current development. Do NOT try following the procedures on this page if this warning is visible as you may permanently screw up your EBTKS WiFi support. Be patient, you will be notified by email when the WiFi services are ready to be used.

Requirements for WiFi connectivity

  1. To utilize the EBTKS WiFi services, you will need a local network (LAN) that includes a WiFi router. This is usually either part of your home’s internet connection hardware, as part of your cable/satellite/DSL/Dial-up Modem, or it is a stand alone Wifi router or access point connected to your internet modem via Ethernet. You will need the SSID (colloquially, the WiFi name) and the WiFi password

  2. A Computer/Laptop/Smartphone that has WiFi connectivity for configuration

  3. A Computer/Laptop that has LAN connectivity (via WiFi OR Ethernet) and runs at least one common internet browser for EBTKS access (Firefox, Safari, Chrome, Internet explorer, Edge)

  4. A series 80 computer with an EBTKS installed

WiFi Overview

WiFi Modes

The Wifi functionality on EBTKS is implemented with an ESP32 WROOM32-D module which can be seen in the back right corner of the board next to LED1. It has a square metal cover. Internally in has a dual core Xtensa ® 32-bir LX6 RISC CPU, a blizard of peripherals, 448 kB of ROM, 520 kB of RAM, WiFi and Bluetooth radios, and an integrated PCB antenna. Currently, EBTKS only makes use of the WiFi capability, and the CPU resources needed to support WiFi.

Mode 1

As shipped, the WiFi module is configured as a WiFi access point, broadcasting an SSID of “EBTKS_AP”.

Mode 2

Giving the WiFi module access to your local WiFi router. You will need a Computer/Laptop/Smartphone that has WiFi connectivity, and the WiFi router’s SSID and password

Mode 3

WiFi module is now seen as a URL by other local devices on your home WiFi network. The URL for EBTKS is http://esp32_ebtks.local/

Mode 4

Connected. You have opened a browser on your desk top or laptop computer, and entered the URL in Mode 3 into the address bar.

Getting from Mode 1 to Mode 4

The following example is using my iPhone, but the procedure will be very similar on any other device that can connect to WiFi and select the name (SSID) of the WiFi router. The text below refers to the areas marked with red text or ovals. Your Series 80 computer with an EBTKS installed should be turned on throughout this process.

_images/wifi_setup_001.png


Select the settings for your WiFi capable device.

_images/wifi_setup_002.png


Select the WiFi settings section. FLIPNET6_5G happens to be my normal WiFi router on my local LAN

_images/wifi_setup_003.png


You device should show your current SSID connection (in my case FLIPNET6_5G), and in the Networks section it shows other SSIDs that are also active in your location. The rest of this procedure assumes that you see the default SSID for EBTKS: EBTKS_AP

Select EBTKS_AP, so that you can connect to it rather than your normal WiFi router.

_images/wifi_setup_004.png


You will be prompted for a super secret password to EBTKS_AP.

It is literally “password”

_images/wifi_setup_005.png


After entering the super secret password to EBTKS_AP, join the “EBTKS network”.

Your device will now be connected to EBTKS, and you will be disconnected from the internet, since you have just disconnected from your normal WiFi router.

_images/wifi_setup_007.png


EBTKS will now present its WiFi management page. You may optionally select (1) “Info” , and you will see a view similar to the next image on this web page. If you skip (1), and instead select (2) “Configure WiFi”, just skip the next image and continue at the following one.

_images/wifi_setup_008.png


This is the optional Info view that shows the status of your EBTKS WiFi access port. There is nothing you need to do on this page. When you have finished reviewing the information, select “Cancel” and you will be taken back to the previous view. Then select (2) “Configure WiFi”

_images/wifi_setup_009.png


This is the EBTKS WiFi Configuration page. You will see EBTKS_AP and “Log In” at the top of the page, and the rest of the page is all the SSIDs that are detected. Select the SSID for your Local WiFi router. (note, I have a dual mode WiFi routers, which presents as FLIPNET6_5G for 5 GHz operation, and also as FLIPNET6 for 2.4 GHz operation. EBTKS can only detect the 2.4 GHz SSID.) Select the SSID of your WiFi Router.

Note: As far as I know, any router that supports 5 GHz also supports 2.4 GHz, often with very similar names.

_images/wifi_setup_010.png


This step is where you tell EBTKS the SSID and password for your WiFi Router. You have already selected the SSID.

_images/wifi_setup_011.png


Now enter the password for your WiFi router. After entering it, select save. The information wil be saved in the EBTKS ESP32 WiFi module. This completes the configuration of the EBTKS WiFi Module.

You now need to go back to the Wifi configuration for your device. If you have been successful with the above process, you should navigate to the SSID selection screen for your device (third image on this page), and EBTKS_AP should NOT appear. Now select your normal Wifi router to reconnect to your local LAN.

Enable remote screen mirroring

For HP85A/B

To enable WiFi services on your EBTKS, the CONFIG.TXT must have the following settings, near the beginning of the file. Check the CONFIG.TXT file on your Micro SD Card, and make edits as needed to the “screenEmu” and “CRTRemote” fields. Both must be set to “true”.

{
  "machineName": "HP85A",
  "CRTVerbose": true,
  "ram16k": true,
  "screenEmu": true,
  "CRTRemote": true,
  "tape": {
    "enable": true,
    "filepath": "/tapes/tape1.tap"
  },

For HP86A/B and HP87A/XM

(at the time of writing this documentation, screen mirroring does not yet work for these systems. The firmware update function should work.)

Set “screenEmu” to true and “CRTRemote” to false.

{
  "machineName": "HP87",
  "CRTVerbose": true,
  "ram16k": true,
  "screenEmu": true,
  "CRTRemote": false,
  "tape": {
    "enable": true,
    "filepath": "/tapes/tape1.tap"
  },

Connect your Browser to EBTKS

In your browser on a computer connected to your LAN (does not need to be connected via WiFi, Ethernet should also work) enter the following into the address bar:

http://esp32_ebtks.local/