#FujiNet wants to come to the Amstrad CPC!

[tschak909]

#FujiNet is a network adapter for #retrocomputing and #retrogaming platforms.

We exist for many platforms. We want to go to many more.

If u can, please let these other communities know we exist; we want to work with them!

Website: https://fujinet.online/

[Prodatron]

Hi @tschak909 , you probably remember this thread:

https://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/amstrad-cpc-hardware/fujinet-for-the-cpc/

I always like new hardware for the CPC, (especially if it's compatible to existing ones, haha) or if it is not too difficult to write a new driver.

Regarding Fujinet, I really like it with my Atari 800.

On the CPC we have one project by @abalore which at least has one similiar feature of the FujiNet...
https://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/news-events/amsteam-wip-game-streaming-service-for-the-amstrad-cpc/
...loading software from the Internet and execute it.

As FujiNet includes Wifi I could imagine to have a network driver for SymbOS. But first someone would have to make an adapter for the CPC.

[tschak909]

We want people to come in and help bring up a version of FujiNet for the CPC. We have some designs for bus based systems which are progressing, and could really benefit from the additional eyeballs.

Our discord is here: https://discord.gg/2Ce9guX

-Thom

[genesis8]

I concur with Prodatron, the more hardware expansion, the merrier. It's the users finally who choose if they want them or not.

But honestly there are interesting features in the FujiNet expansion, like network with other computers, not only CPC or the printing with modern printers.

[abalore]

We want people to come in and help bring up a version of FujiNet for the CPC. We have some designs for bus based systems which are progressing, and could really benefit from the additional eyeballs.

Our discord is here: https://discord.gg/2Ce9guX

-Thom

Why don't connect it to a RS232 port connected to the CPC?

[tschak909]

While there is an RS232 version, this is not just a dinky little WiFi MODEM. 

It's a multi-peripheral, providing virtual disk, printer, modem, and networking facilities, and should be integrated with the target system using the best method possible. For the CPC? That seems to be the bus.

-Thom

[overange]

@abalore , why not join the team and contribute to the development effort? 
With your expertise in the device you designed, I'm sure the community would deeply appreciate your involvement. I must say, the Fujinet devices are truly impressive, and the work the Fujinet team has done across various retro communities is nothing short of outstanding.
Honestly, if there are any CPC software or hardware enthusiasts looking to try something new, I highly recommend getting involved. The Atari Fujinet community is fantastic—everyone is incredibly helpful, and they've developed some impressive online tools specifically for the Atari Fujinet versions.

@tschak909 with the development of the Atari 2600 FUJINET PLUSCART Cartridge, do you think there is an opportunity to create a FUJINET for the Amstrad GX4000 Console in a cartridge? It would have a massive support and uptake, if it was achievable.

[tschak909]

A generic bus interface presents an opportunity to be able to bring FujiNet to anything with a card-edge, including all game consoles. We have several approaches being experimented with.

-Thom

[tschak909]

sigh.

-Thom

[eto]

Not sure if I am the only one but I don't fully get it what it can do and what it would mean to adapt it to the CPC.

I have the impression the website is only useful if you already know a lot about what it is and what it can do. I browsed several minutes on the website and still don't know what I should use it for. But I know how many platforms are supported, how to upgrade it, where to buy... but in the end there is only a single sentence that gives some vague information about it's purpose: FujiNet is a multi-peripheral emulator and WiFi network device for vintage computers.

What does it do except for providing networking? And what is so special about the networking that other adapters don't provide? Is there e.g. a framework that allows for easy connection between (different) computers? Or is it still DIY? What is meant with "multi-peripheral emulator"? 

[tschak909]

The three major pieces:

* Virtual disk, read/write software and data disk images attached either via local storage (SD) or via Internet/Network
* Virtual Printer, emulates a variety of printers, and rasterizes the result into PDF, to print to a modern printer.
* Network Adapter:

The network adapter is unique, in that presents a much simpler interface to the computer to establish network connections, as well as provide protocol adapters to do all the heavy lifting of the modern (and often complex) protocols. It supports JSON and XML parsing on the device, which has RAM many times larger than the computer it's connected to, and the host computer can simply query for the bits of data it needs. Combine all of this together, and you get everything you need for a machine like the CPC to talk to modern Internet services and to do so, even from BASIC.

e.g. here's an example program to grab the latest Mastodon post from a server, in Atari BASIC:

Code Select Expand

0 DIM A$(256)
1 TRAP 91
2 POKE 756,204
10 OPEN #1,12,0,"N:HTTPS://OLDBYTES.SPACE/api/v1/timelines/public?limit=1"
20 XIO 252,#1,12,1,"N:"
30 XIO ASC("P"),#1,12,0,"N:"
40 XIO ASC("Q"),#1,12,3,"N:/0/account/display_name"
50 INPUT #1,A$:? A$
60 XIO ASC("Q"),#1,12,3,"N:/0/created_at"
70 INPUT #1,A$:? A$
80 XIO ASC("Q"),#1,12,3,"N:/0/content"
90 GET #1,A:? CHR$(A);:GOTO 90
91 CLOSE #1:? :?
100 POKE 18,0:POKE 19,0:POKE 20,0
110 IF PEEK(19)<30 THEN 110
120 GOTO 1
For the Atari, the network device is exposed as just another operating system device in the system, and this is what we try to follow for each and every target: Try to find the best way to integrate these virtual devices into the target system so that they feel like any other device in the system, while providing a whole host of services that you just can't get when you just shove an Ethernet chip onto a card and be done with it.

-Thom

[tschak909]

The page in question has been amended:
https://fujinet.online/fujinet/

-Thom

[Prodatron]

What does it do except for providing networking? And what is so special about the networking that other adapters don't provide? Is there e.g. a framework that allows for easy connection between (different) computers? Or is it still DIY? What is meant with "multi-peripheral emulator"?

Due to the advices of my Atari 8bit friends I have one for my Atari 800.
The main thing which I am doing with the Atari 800 + Fujinet is to surf through software libraries online (or offline with the SD card), choose a program/disc image and then start it. The Atari then thinks, the Fujinet would be just a SIO disc drive and loads it. So I am using its floppy emulation, which has its content from the internet.

[tschak909]

The disk is the most visible, and arguably most used feature, but the network adapter imho is much more compelling.

-Thom

[dodogildo]

The main thing which I am doing with the Atari 800 + Fujinet is to surf through software libraries online (or offline with the SD card), choose a program/disc image and then start it. The Atari then thinks, the Fujinet would be just a SIO disc drive and loads it. So I am using its floppy emulation, which has its content from the internet.

Hmm, this is pretty much the same functionality as The Ultimate II+L (with Assembly64 integration) on C64. 

[tschak909]

The main thing which I am doing with the Atari 800 + Fujinet is to surf through software libraries online (or offline with the SD card), choose a program/disc image and then start it. The Atari then thinks, the Fujinet would be just a SIO disc drive and loads it. So I am using its floppy emulation, which has its content from the internet.

Hmm, this is pretty much the same functionality as The Ultimate II+L (with Assembly64 integration) on C64.

Again, the thing that sets us apart from all of the other solutions is the massive amount of protocol offloading, which isn't present in other solutions. It allows these computers to connect to modern endpoints and do useful things.

Seriously, it's like you guys aren't reading what I'm writing past the first few words, and it's very frustrating.

-Thom

[Prodatron]

Would love to have the Network Adapter anyway! A driver for the SymbOS Network Daemon would be great, then we would have a lot of network applications already available (IRC, eMail, Telnet, Wget etc.).
But that's SymbOS specific, most CPC guys are more interested in playing (old) games in a fast and comfortable way. So what I told before seems more important.

Does the Fujinet support SSH? If yes, it would be a revolution for 8bit machines, doing networking with todays internet.

[tschak909]

Yes! see:



for one example video.

And since this happens ON the FujiNet device, any FujiNet can do this.

So you get things like: https://media.invisioncic.com/r322239/monthly_2022_12/947115780_Screenshotfrom2022-12-1419-57-18.png.66c25376c429a2d7739f5d1733fb6c0d.png

-Thom

[GUNHED]

#FujiNet is a network adapter for #retrocomputing and #retrogaming platforms.

We exist for many platforms. We want to go to many more.

If u can, please let these other communities know we exist; we want to work with them!

Website: https://fujinet.online/

Thank you for your post! 

This seems to be very interesting! I there is a CPC hardware version (hopefully soon) than I'm eager to support it with FutureOS. 

[tschak909]

#FujiNet is a network adapter for #retrocomputing and #retrogaming platforms.

We exist for many platforms. We want to go to many more.

If u can, please let these other communities know we exist; we want to work with them!

Website: https://fujinet.online/

Thank you for your post! 

This seems to be very interesting! I there is a CPC hardware version (hopefully soon) than I'm eager to support it with FutureOS. 

Part of the reason I am reaching out is to find people who can help make this happen, particularly implementing the bus interface in hardware, and helping us find where we can best integrate into the existing system firmware and software.

-Thom

[overange]

There are plenty of skilled and talented individuals in this community, people we all recognise, who have the expertise to help drive things forward. 
It's unclear why they haven't gotten involved yet or why they choose not to or what they are afraid of, but their absence is definitely slowing the pace of innovation. 
With their support, they could introduce exciting new technologies and add-ons that would truly enhance and modernise these beloved Amstrad CPC computers.

[ZorrO]

Atari people just simply looking for an alliance with Amstradians in their war with Commodorians, and these net features are just an excuse to draw us in.

[tschak909]

Atari people just simply looking for an alliance with Amstradians in their war with Commodorians, and these net features are just an excuse to draw us in.

Very Funny.

But no, I'm genuinely trying to lay the groundwork for a platform that spans ALL of our systems. Something we can all use to do things together. There's a bigger picture here.

-Thom