Tag: ESP32

  • DIY Retro PC with Solar Charging and Long Battery Life – Runs Doom

    DIY Retro PC with Solar Charging and Long Battery Life – Runs Doom

    Key Takeaways

    1. The Evertop PC is an open-source project that combines vintage 80s components and a highly efficient E-ink display for extended battery life.
    2. It emulates an IBM XT clone using an 80186 processor, supporting DOS and other retro operating systems from that era.
    3. The system features a 5.83-inch E-Ink display, which consumes no power when not refreshing, contributing to its impressive battery life.
    4. Equipped with a 10,000 mAh battery, the Evertop can run for 200 to 500 hours, and supports solar charging for additional power.
    5. Connectivity options include PS/2 ports, ethernet, USB, serial connections, and video output through various graphics adapters, with a simplified Evertop Mini version in development.

    It’s clear that many people around the world would happily sacrifice some raw power for extended battery life. The Evertop PC, an innovative open-source initiative, elevates battery longevity by incorporating vintage 80s components alongside a highly efficient E-ink display.

    Open-Source and Retro Appeal

    This project is open-source and accessible to anyone interested. Fans of retro computing are sure to appreciate this clone of the IBM XT. According to the creator, @ericjenott, this system can emulate a genuine IBM XT clone featuring an 80186 processor and an impressive megabyte of memory, all thanks to the ESP32 controller. As expected, the selection of operating systems is limited to what was available during that time, which includes DOS, Minix, and a few others. Most DOS software from the 80s is supported, provided they are compatible with the IBM XT.

    Impressive Display and Battery Life

    At the top, there’s a 5.83-inch display that offers a resolution of 648 x 480. Because it’s an E-Ink screen, it doesn’t consume any power when it’s not refreshing. Storage is managed by a 256 GB SD card, which is adequately fast for the hardware involved. Thanks to its enormous 10,000 mAh battery and energy-efficient components, this system can achieve remarkable runtimes—anywhere from 200 to 500 hours, depending on usage. Additionally, solar charging support allows for 50 hours of operation from just one hour of charging.

    Connectivity Options

    Regarding connectivity, the Evertop includes a good selection of ports, such as PS/2 for mouse and keyboard, an ethernet port, USB for file transfers, and serial connections (9-pin RS232 and TTL). Video output is facilitated by CGA (Color Graphics Adapter), MCGA, Hercules, along with partial EGA and VGA support, though there may be limitations on resolution and color depth. There’s also a simplified version with fewer ports called the Evertop Mini currently in development. Overall, for those who love retro computing, the Evertop looks like an exciting project to engage with.

    Source:
    Link

    DIY Retro PC with Solar Charging and Long Battery Life - Runs Doom
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  • Rust-Based Open-Source WiFi Stack Now Available for ESP32

    Rust-Based Open-Source WiFi Stack Now Available for ESP32

    An experimental open-source WiFi stack has been introduced for the ESP32. This project, named Ferris on Air (FoA), is created in async rust and serves as a proof-of-concept 802.11 stack. It aims to enable various interfaces using Embassy, a rust framework for embedded devices. The ultimate goal of this framework is to provide the ESP32 with features such as mesh networking and AirDrop. Although these features are thrilling, they were previously unattainable.

    The Challenge of Closed-Sourced Modules

    The ESP32 is mainly open-source, but its WiFi and Bluetooth modules are not, likely due to a hardware NDA that Espressif, the company behind the ESP32, is under. Thankfully, Espressif has agreed that the team could legally reverse engineer these modules and share the results under an Apache license. However, the process of reverse engineering is quite complex.

    The Reverse Engineering Journey

    To unlock the WiFi module, the team utilized Ghidra, a reverse engineering tool from the NSA, to study its code structure, logic, and function names—information that Espressif generously left in the code. This allowed the team to understand the roles of each hardware register that controls the WiFi Module. By combining physical and emulated ESP32 hardware analysis, they successfully reverse-engineered the WiFi module. Interestingly, the team had to create a DIY Faraday cage to separate the WiFi signals from the ESP32. For this, they constructed a wooden cube lined with conductive fabric, a fiberoptic cable to transmit signals to the ESP32, and a car battery to power the whole system.

    Future Developments

    Ferris on Air is still at the beginning of its journey but is rapidly developing and adding new features. More information about the reverse engineering process and additional project details can be found below.

    Check out Frosty314159 on GitHub and 38C3 for further insights.

    Source: Link

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  • KV4P HT Ham Radio App Adds Exciting New Features for Android

    KV4P HT Ham Radio App Adds Exciting New Features for Android

    For those unfamiliar with the kv4p HT project, this open-source initiative offers a clear and straightforward set of guidelines that allows you to turn $35 worth of parts into a fully functional Android-based ham radio transceiver. This plug-and-play radio also comes with a supportive Android application that lets you access essential features of the project, like:

    New Features in the kv4p HT App

    Now upgraded to version 1.2.3, the kv4p HT app has introduced several enhancements for user convenience. Along with various bug fixes, users can now utilize the Android application to flash or update the firmware on their kv4p HT setup, eliminating the need for a computer. Furthermore, the app allows for adjustments to tuning and frequencies, including:

    Updates to the Quickstart Guide

    The quickstart guide on the kv4p HT website has been refreshed for those embarking on their first radio-building experience. There’s a revised list of hardware options along with a new 3D printable case that accommodates a newer connector type required for the ESP32, which serves as the core of the build. Moreover, as the project expands, it seems that some build components are running low on stock, so users should frequently check the site for updates regarding any changes to the building process or to provide any feedback they wish to share with the developer. For more information, please visit the resources provided below.

    kv4p.com

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