ESP8266-01
A Wi-Fi module and Real Time Clock (RTC) were optional additions to the full cased Spectrum Next at the time of the original Kickstarter. They can be added to development boards and units that don't already have them. Although the RTC requires soldering components to the board, but the Wi-Fi module is a push-fit component.
Hardware Requirements
Adding Wi-Fi to a board requires only a ESP8266 ESP-01 module. This supports 802.11 b/g/n at 2.5 Ghz including the WPA and WPA2 security protocols. The mounting point for the module is just behind the VGA port.
ESP modules have an updatable firmware. In general the standard firmware, should work out of the box with the Spectrum Next. If you're buying a module, check it has a standard firmware.
The Wi-Fi makes use of the on-board UART (Universal Asynchronous Receiver-Transmitter) of the Spectrum Next (you can use this without a WiFi module for serial connections as as well.)
Software Support
This information relates to TBBlue SD Distribution 2.00.26 and later (2019-01-27).
The distribution contains dot commands (including "UART") and the "TERMINALS.BAS" program for working with the Wi-Fi module.
.UART is a simple DOT command that works in NextZXOS (and ESXDOS) to allow you to talk to a connected device which could be a Wi-Fi module. Due to the limitations of the 512 byte hardware buffer ,it can only be used for small amounts of data and is mainly intended to allow diagnosis. It does include a simple CIPSEND mode that allows connections to be made with an ESP Wi-Fi module.
UART.DRV is an interrupt driven driver (NextZXOS only) which can provide a 16K software buffer which means much less incoming data is lost. There is both a simple demo IUDEMO and a terminal program (not a DOT command) that provides an alternative to .UART that can handle much more data. This is intended for users of the port without the Wi-Fi module really but can be used to setup the ESP.
The TERMINAL.BAS program is much better than .UART and you will have better results following through some of the examples below.
You can also begin to play with the real feature of the Internet Toolbox which is the ESPAT driver for BASIC (again NextZXOS only). It can be used with the BASIC ESPTERM program to chat over an IP link and the ESPHTTP sample program shows how a web page can be retrieved from BASIC (but not rendered.)
The Source code to the IRQ stub is provided to allow the ESPAT code to be used in games that take over the machine, providing a gaming API.
Be sure to check out NXTel the Viewdata (Prestel/Teletext) terminal that allows the Next to connect and get news pages from Viewdata servers already online.
.UART
Key mapping
| EDIT | SHIFT+1 - Cycle output mode |
| CAPS LOCK | SHIFT+2 - On/off toggle (on by default) |
| TRUE VIDEO | SHIFT+3 - Debug mode for CIPSEND on/off (silent) |
| INV VIDEO | SHIFT+4 - CIPSEND mode on/off also does an ATE0 |
| GRAPHICS | SHIFT+9 - Change BAUD rate |
| DELETE | SHIFT+0 |
| Exit Program | Symbol Shift and Space together. |
For further information, see "The Next on the Network" at SpecNext.com and in the TBBlue Distribution the file "\docs\extra-hw\wifi\WIFIand UARTReadME1st.txt"