RP6502-PICO-W

RP6502 - Standalone Machine with Wireless

Introduction

The RP6502-PICO-W is the RP6502-PICO built with a Raspberry Pi Pico 2 W for the RIA, which the parts list specifies. The radio of the Pico 2 W adds Wi-Fi and Bluetooth LE. Keyboards, mice, and gamepads connect without a cable. The real-time clock is set from internet time servers. Over telnet, you can use the monitor and a running program from any computer on the network, and build and run a project from VS Code. A 6502 program can call a BBS through an emulated Hayes modem, or answer incoming calls as a BBS.

The other machines use the Bluetooth of their host. Networking is only on the RP6502-PICO-W today, and support for other machines is planned. Everything on the RP6502-PICO page applies here, and this page covers only the wireless features.

Wi-Fi Setup

The radio is configured from the monitor. Set the network name and the password, and the radio connects. The status command reports the state of the connection.

Command

Description

SET RF (0|1)

Turn all radios on (1, the default) or off (0) without disturbing any other setting.

SET RFCC (cc|-)

The two-letter code for the country the radio operates in, such as US or GB. The radio performs better when it is set than it does on the worldwide default, which - selects. Run help set rfcc to list the supported codes.

SET SSID (ssid|-)

The SSID is the Service Set Identifier, which is the name of the network the radio joins. Run help set ssid to scan for and list nearby networks, and use - to clear the name.

SET PASS (pass|-)

The password for the network. Use - to clear it.

Network Time Protocol (NTP)

The real-time clock synchronizes with internet time servers whenever Wi-Fi is connected. The status command reports what NTP is doing.

The clock keeps UTC. Set your time zone with SET TZ for local time, and run HELP SET TZ for guidance. Daylight Saving is applied automatically where the locale observes it.

Telnet Console

The console can be exposed over the network. A telnet client is then a console like any other, for the monitor and for a running 6502. The traffic is unencrypted, so anything typed or printed can be read along the way, including the key.

Command

Description

SET PORT (port|0)

The TCP port to listen on. The default is 23, the standard telnet port; 0 disables the telnet console.

SET KEY (key|-)

The passkey a client sends to connect. Use - to clear it.

The telnet console starts listening once KEY is set and PORT is non-zero.

Modem Emulation

The RP6502-PICO-W emulates a Hayes modem — the classic AT command set — for reaching BBSes (bulletin board systems). It places outgoing calls and answers incoming ones over either raw TCP or telnet. As with the telnet console, the connection is unencrypted.

Example AT commands:

  • ATA — Answer incoming call

  • ATDexample.com:23 — Dial a BBS by address

  • ATDS=0 — Dial phonebook entry (0-3)

  • +++ — Escape back to command mode

  • ATE1 — Set echo

  • ATH — Hang up

  • ATO — Return to call

  • ATQ0 — Set quieting

  • ATSxxx? — Query register number xxx

  • ATSxxx=yyy — Set register number xxx with value yyy

  • ATV1 — Set verbosity

  • ATX0 — Set progress messaging

  • ATZ — Load profile from flash

  • AT&F — Load factory profile

  • AT&V — View profile, stored profile, phonebook, and network

  • AT&W — Write profile to flash

  • AT&Z0=example.com:23 — Save phonebook entry (0-3) to flash

  • AT\L=23 and AT\L? — Listen port for ATA (0 disables)

  • AT\N0 or AT\N1 and AT\N? — Network mode: 0=raw TCP, 1=telnet

  • AT\T=ANSI and AT\T? — Terminal type advertised during telnet negotiation

  • AT+RFCC=US, AT+RFCC?, and AT+RFCC! — Access RIA setting RFCC

  • AT+SSID=your_ssid, AT+SSID?, and AT+SSID! — Access RIA setting SSID

  • AT+PASS=your_pass and AT+PASS? — Access RIA setting PASS

Each AT+ setting uses = to set, ? to query the current value, and ! to list (AT+SSID! scans for nearby networks, AT+RFCC! lists supported country codes). Lists word-wrap to 80 columns.

The modem is available as a set of special device names:

  • AT: is transient. It starts from factory defaults, has no phonebook, and AT&W has nothing to save.

  • AT0: through AT9: are ten independent profiles, each with its own flash-backed settings and four-slot phonebook (AT&Z0-AT&Z3).

When you open a numbered device, it loads its saved profile. AT&W writes the profile back, ATZ reloads it, and AT&F restores factory defaults. Up to four modem devices can be open and in use at once.

The AT+ commands (+RFCC, +SSID, +PASS) pass straight through to the global RIA settings and take effect immediately, no matter which modem device is open.

Bluetooth

The RP6502-PICO-W supports Bluetooth LE (BLE) keyboards, mice, and gamepads. Bluetooth Classic (BR/EDR) is not supported. BLE has been everywhere since Bluetooth 4.0 (June 2010), so compatible devices are easy to find, though the occasional oddball still turns up.

To add a device, run the monitor command set ble 2 to enter pairing mode; the LED on the RP6502-RIA-W blinks while it’s pairing. Put your device into its own pairing mode too. Check its manual, but it’s probably a button and some more blinking. When the blinking stops, the device is connected and bonded, so it reconnects automatically from then on.