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Forum Index : Microcontroller and PC projects : Addressable PicoMites
| Author | Message | ||||
| PhenixRising Guru  Joined: 07/11/2023 Location: United KingdomPosts: 1170 |
Inspired by my success with multi-drop serial, was just thinking; so we can assign the console to a UART. What if we have a design that involves multiple PicoMites. We need a console connection to each one. I would like my console link to be via Bluetooth. Wouldn't it be cool if we had OPTION CONSOLE ADDRESS = n Only the corresponding device would be active on the multi-drop UART network. |
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CaptainBoing Guru Joined: 07/09/2016 Location: United KingdomPosts: 2147 |
Don't really know how things are in Pico-land, but what stops you simply attaching a bluetooth module (HC-05) to the console data pins? I think BlueTooth only allows a single connection at a time - might a version out here, but if so, you could use the connection to switch Picos(?) <Story time> many moons ago when I was fresh out of being an apprentice, I came up with a scheme for addressable multi-drop... each attached device had a module (I made four - controller and three serial devices for a masive fast Logabax printer, some other small printer and a paper tape punch/reader) that sat between the serial devices and the CPU (Cromemco Z2D) and route through the serial traffic if it had been selected as the recipient... The selection was by communicating out at a higher baudrate to the module... the traffic was seen as badly framed and so ignored by the slower devices so I could talk to the address modules and the serial devices along the same wires but at different speeds. My memory isn't what it is, but say I talked to the modules at 19200 and to the devices at 4800 or whatever. I wrote a bit of CP/M code to switch the recipient - UTFN.COM (until further notice) which took an address and selected it semi-permanantly so the addressing mechanism was transparent to everything else. It worked but didn't get used as much as you would expect. All docs and hardware consigned to the skip decades ago but might give you some ideas for your next step </Story time> h Edited 2025-05-17 01:22 by CaptainBoing |
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Mixtel90 Guru Joined: 05/10/2019 Location: United KingdomPosts: 7559 |
Erm... Try persuading Tera Term to access multiple devices by address on the same COM port. Once you can do that you are half way there. You only have to tweak all the MMBasic platforms then. :) Mick Zilog Inside! nascom.info for Nascom & Gemini Preliminary MMBasic docs & my PCB designs |
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| PhenixRising Guru Joined: 07/11/2023 Location: United KingdomPosts: 1170 |
I'm thinking more along the lines of sending a command to let which device is being talked to and the rest to ignore. |
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| PhenixRising Guru Joined: 07/11/2023 Location: United KingdomPosts: 1170 |
@Cap'n UNTFN That's what I'm talking  Address 255 = I'm broadcasting Edited 2025-05-17 02:16 by PhenixRising |
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| dddns Guru Joined: 20/09/2024 Location: GermanyPosts: 334 |
I have thought about a solution with a WebMite over telnet but I don't even know if telnet supports VT-100 link (just an interesting option for interfacing) Just been automating my linux box and found that upload via ascii and autosave works brilliant Edited 2025-05-17 03:00 by dddns |
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| PhenixRising Guru Joined: 07/11/2023 Location: United KingdomPosts: 1170 |
Yeah my first thought was to handle it in hardware and index through the devices. As you know, the BT connection is the same as wire but without the wire. If I was talking to PicoMite #1, set an output to redirect RX and TX to Picomite #2, etc. |
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| Mixtel90 Guru Joined: 05/10/2019 Location: United KingdomPosts: 7559 |
RP2040-zero and some relays to connect the appropriate device to the TX and RX lines. I'm pretty sure BT can't handle this itself. Edited 2025-05-17 03:04 by Mixtel90 Mick Zilog Inside! nascom.info for Nascom & Gemini Preliminary MMBasic docs & my PCB designs |
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| dddns Guru Joined: 20/09/2024 Location: GermanyPosts: 334 |
The WebMite would act as a proxy and runs a basic program that emulates VT-100 again and use print@ to display.The switching as proposed by Mixtel Edited 2025-05-17 03:15 by dddns |
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| PhenixRising Guru Joined: 07/11/2023 Location: United KingdomPosts: 1170 |
Anything WiFi is too darned clunky (slow response) Using a HC-05 or HC-06, the PicoMite simply reads/writes the COM port like it was wired. |
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| PhenixRising Guru Joined: 07/11/2023 Location: United KingdomPosts: 1170 |
Not using click-clacks and Bluetooth doesn't come into it. Just want to talk/listen to the device of choice. External solid state devices can handle it but it would be super slick if the PicoMite could be addressed. |
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| dddns Guru Joined: 20/09/2024 Location: GermanyPosts: 334 |
ok. it was just a suggestion and I'm not really aware what you want in the end. To replace the wire with BT would mean 10m range. The esps are anyway a solution and could be implemented but are not. That's why I only thought of PicoMite |
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| PhenixRising Guru Joined: 07/11/2023 Location: United KingdomPosts: 1170 |
Oh I use an Android device as a HMI for my industrial controls and couldn't be happier with Bluetooth. Never had an issue and it's cool to be able to walk around a machine and still be connected. I only use it for data input/output, however. The timing critical and safety logic is hard wired. Anything that requires the internet is handled on the Android device. |
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| dddns Guru Joined: 20/09/2024 Location: GermanyPosts: 334 |
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| Mixtel90 Guru Joined: 05/10/2019 Location: United KingdomPosts: 7559 |
But I *like* clicky relays.... :( You can't say the technology hasn't been well tested, with several million in comms circuits across the world. :) You can even get them in SMD packages so no dodgy sockets to bother about. What planet are you on? Can you imagine doing much on yer average LCD screen virtual keyboard? They are horrid. <Shakes head...> . Edited 2025-05-17 04:09 by Mixtel90 Mick Zilog Inside! nascom.info for Nascom & Gemini Preliminary MMBasic docs & my PCB designs |
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| dddns Guru Joined: 20/09/2024 Location: GermanyPosts: 334 |
should there be a chip doing serial multiplexing? |
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| Mixtel90 Guru Joined: 05/10/2019 Location: United KingdomPosts: 7559 |
Why overcomplicate it? Some simple relays. Only one COM port on the Zero. It only listens for a command that is simply ignored by the Picos. Then it switches the appropriate relay. All the Pico RX and TX lines will need pull-up resistors as they are going to be open-circuited when not selected. The master device will only ever connect to one at once. If you prefer to keep away from relays, use the Zero to select HC05s or something. As long as there is some sort of enable system, otherwise it's back to relays. Edited 2025-05-17 04:16 by Mixtel90 Mick Zilog Inside! nascom.info for Nascom & Gemini Preliminary MMBasic docs & my PCB designs |
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| dddns Guru Joined: 20/09/2024 Location: GermanyPosts: 334 |
You can do wonderful graphical machine monitors with it e.g. like they ever did with VT-100. If there is a chip which has an output select and one input, why is that complicated? But I'm with you but rather find something with mosfet |
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| PhenixRising Guru Joined: 07/11/2023 Location: United KingdomPosts: 1170 |
 This is 19" but they are available in all sizes. I also use Bluetooth keyboards with mine. Android is really cool. No messing around, up and running in no time. |
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