Project Name: Commodore 64 wifi board
Project Owner: ZGCS
Project Start: 2024
Project Status: Ongoing
DESCRIPTION
If you ask, how to connect a Commodore 64 to the network, well, by nowdays standards, you can't.
For example it can't handle TCP/IP.
Originally, wired telphone modems existed for the Commodore 64, capable of 300 - 2400 baud. (This modem is capable of 9600 baud, using Daniel Dallmann's hack: https://www.c64-wiki.com/wiki/UP9600)
Back than, you could connect to BBS (Bulletin board system) by dialing the telephone number of the BBS you was to visit.
The host could have possibly been anyones computer, even your neghbours that was also using a modem. (The host computer could even pick up the phone automatically.)
After you got connected, dependent on the given BBS, you could access different kind of contents.
You could read, send messages, chat, upload/download files and even play games. Also there are "PETSCII arts" etc.
(BBS sites are fully character based, not graphical.)
Basically we can say that this was the predecessor of the internet.
There are BBS sites running today.
Many new but also some since the 80s!
Most of them are reachable trough the internet. (You don't have to "dial in" in the "old way")
This Wifi modem was made for this exact task.
It handles the tunnel, TCP/IP and all that is needed for the Commodore 64 to be able to get connected and communicate.
The C64 in a way is "thinking" that is connected using an old wired modem that is using a copper wire to transmit.
In reality the bits are not going trough a telepon cable, but this wifi modem is communicating with the Commodore exactly if it was.
Dialing in is preatty much alike as it was in the old days. The difference is that you are not typing in a phone number, but an url or IP address instead, that the C64 passes to the Wifi modem and the modem will know exactly what to do with it.
It will open the tunnel and after that exactly the same kind of dataflow is going trough like in the old days. (Basically characters following each other)
This modem is 100% essembled and ready to use.
To connect it to your Wifi you need to use a terminal program, for example CCGMS.
At arrival, the modem is configured to 1200 baud so you need to configure your terminal program also to 1200 baud.
By typing in the at+config command you can connect it to your wifi AP.
Can also edit your modems internal phonebook. (Also some other settings are here, like echo, CTS/RTS etc.)
You can change the baud rate the modem is using by typing in: ATB9600 (9600 is the baud rate)
If you want this to be permanent you can save it by typing in AT&W
So it will start at 9600 baud next time.
To get connected, you need to type for example; atd theoldnet.com:6400
Or if is already in you phonebook you can reference it with a number that can also be a fake phonenumber like: atd "phonebook entry ID" --> atd 1 for example or atd 5086504873
Some termnal programs are having their own phonebook, that is of course also usable.
There are many other settings, that you can read here Thanks to Mr. Bo Zimmerman: https://github.com/bozimmerman/Zimodem
First version
