ESP32-TERM

Features

• ESP32 Module
  • UART interface
  • Keyboard/Mouse interface
  • Drives VGA video
  • Runs FabGL ANSI/VT Terminal firmware
• "Typical" Serial Terminal Connectors
  • Connectors down long side of the card
  • 6-bit VGA color
  • PS-2 DIN keyboard connector
  • PS-2 DIN mouse connector
  • Audio jack (stereo connector but mono output on both channels)
  • DE-9 female Serial connector
  • 5V DC on USB-B
• "Special" connectors
  • Connectors down the short side
  • Use with cards like SIMPLE-68008 which have FTDI connections
  • FTDI connector - 6-pin
  • 5V connector
• Programmable LED on P14
• 145x95mm size
  • 135x85mm hole mounting spacing
  • Can mount between 150x100mm (4"x6") clear acrylic sheets
• (4) 4-40 mounting holes

ESP-32 Module

• Uses the ESP32 DevKit ESP32-WROOM GPIO Pinout
• On board Blue LED = Arduino Pin 2
• There are various modules out there with different pinouts, but this card uses this one

ESP-32 Module Pinout

"Chip" on the module

ESP32 Pin Usage

• GPIO Pin Assignment

Module Features

• Architecture: Xtensa Dual-Core 32-bit LX6
• CPU frequency: up to 240MHz
• Total RAM available: 528KB (part of it reserved for system)
• BootROM: 448KB
• Internal FlashROM: none
• External FlashROM: code and data, via SPI Flash; usual size 4MB
• GPIO: 34 (GPIOs are multiplexed with other functions, including external FlashROM, UART, etc.)
• UART: 3 RX/TX UART (no hardware handshaking), one TX-only UART
• SPI: 4 SPI interfaces (one used for FlashROM)
• I2C: 2 I2C (bitbang implementation available on any pins)
• I2S: 2
• ADC: 12-bit SAR ADC up to 18 channels
• DAC: 2 8-bit DACs
• RMT: 8 channels allowing accurate pulse transmit/receive
• Programming: using BootROM bootloader from UART - due to external FlashROM and always-available BootROM bootloader, the ESP32 is not brickable

Connectors

P1 - VGA

• DB-15HD connector
• 64-colors
• ESP32 pins

  HSync => GPIO23
  VSync => GPIO15
  R0    => GPIO22
  R1    => GPIO21
  G0    => GPIO19
  G1    => GPIO18
  B0    => GPIO5
  B1    => GPIO4

VGA - Resistor Selection

• ESP32 has a 3.3V driver which can drive more than 10 mA
• Ideal case drive current
  • 0.7V (full scale VGA level) into 75 Ohms = 9.33 mA
  • 2/3 of the current or 6.16 mA comes from the lower value resistor (digital most significant bit)
  • 1/3 of the current or 3.08 mA comes from the higher value resistor (digital least significant bit)
• R-2R values
  • Ideal resistor values are 417.9 ohms and 835.7 ohms
  • Standard value 1% resistors
  • 1% standard values are 422 (Mouser), 845 (Mouser) Ohms
    • Get closest values
    • 0V, 0.228V, 0.460V, 0.693V
• Voltage steps are:

• Current steps are:

Video DAC LTSpice Simulation

• Video DAC Simulation files
• Video is 2:2:2 - R:G:B

Summing Video Resistor DAC

• Best values (1%)
  • 422, 845
  • 470, 820 are close/standard values
• 0.7V into 75 Ohm VGA load
• 3.3V drive
• ESP32 has 40 mA drive
  • Uses 8 mA (max)
• Output in 4 equal voltage steps

P2 - PS/2 Keyboard

• Purple DIN 6 connector
• 5V power to the keyboard
• ESP32 pins

  KBDAT   => GPIO32
  KBCLK   => GPIO33

P3 - PS/2 Mouse

• Green DIN 6 connector
• 5V power to the keyboard
• ESP32 pins

  MSEDAT   => GPIO27
  MSECLK   => GPIO26

P4 - Audio Out

• Mono output wired on both pins of stereo 3.5mm Jack
• Line level outputs
  • Requirs amplification
• ESP32 pins

  AUD   => GPIO25

P5 - RS-232

• On-board TTL to RS-232 converter
  • Swings +/- 10V
• DB-9 Female
• DCE wiring

DCE - RS-232 Connections

• This card has a DCE connector
  • The DCE (peripheral) has the female DB-9 connector
• The DTE (Host CPU) has the male DB-9 connector

• ESP-32 pins

  RX2    => GPIO34
  TX2    => GPIO2
  RTS    => GPIO13
  CTS    => GPIO35

P6 - 5V Power (USB)

• USB-B connector
• Power only (no data)
• Power can be sent out on J1 to external Processor card (like SIMPLE-68008 card)

J1 - 5V Power Header

• 2z3 right angle header
• Can be used for power in or out of the card
  • Only one power source can be used with the card

J2 - FTDI Power in/out Header

• 1x2 right angle header
• Don't install jumper if an external FTDI interface with 5V power out is used

J3 - FTDI Header

• 1x6 right angle header
• Most recent (2020-02) ANSI terminal uses pin 34 for Rx
• Pinout

1. GND
2. RTS (from ESP32)
3. 5V (Power in if J2 is installed)
4. RX (to ESP32)
5. TX (from ESP32)
6. CTS (to ESP32)

• ESP32 pins

  RX2    => GPIO34
  TX2    => GPIO2
  RTS    => GPIO13
  CTS    => I35

Connections to SIMPLE-68008 Card

• 1:1 connection to SIMPLE-68008 Card

ESP32-TERM			SIMPLE-68008
Pin	Signal		Pin	Signal
1	GND		1	GND
2	RTS (out)		2	CTS (in)
3	+5V		3	+5V
4	RX (in)		4	TX (out)
5	TX (out)		5	RX (in)
6	CTS (in)		6	RTS (out)

Connect to FTDI card

• Set FTDI jumper to 5V (image below shows jumper set to 5V)

J4 - Serial Source Selection Header

• 2x3 header
• Select either RS-232 connector or FTDI connector
• Silkscreen shows the appropriate side
  • Both left for TTL level signals (via FTDI connection)
  • Both right for RS-232 level signals

Software

FabGL Arduino library

Installing the released library

Using Latest FabGL builds

• Fabrizio does a nice job of keeping his Arduino libraries up to date but if you want a bleeding edge experience, you can download his code from GitHub. Note, he's in active development so things often change.

Here's how I did it

1. Install drivers via Arduino from the Library Manager. These are not the latest files. Space Invaders should run but not have sound (as of now because it's the older version).
2. Move the FabGL from the Arduino libraries file folder to the desktop.
3. Copy the FabGL from the GitHub download to the Arduino files folder (where you removed the other folder).

Examples will now be the latest.

1. Compile/download/test the new files. You know it works if you now get sound from Space Invaders.
2. Save as where you would normally save your Arduino sketches.

Arduino Programming

• Installing the ESP32 Board in Arduino IDE (Windows, Mac OS X, Linux)
• Board : "DOIT ESP32 DEVKIT V1"
  • Used Board : ESP32 Dev Module with Tools > Partition Scheme > Huge APP option to run VIC-20 (2022-09)
• DOIT module does not have PSRAM
  • Can't run PC Emulator without PSRAM
• If you try to upload a new sketch to your ESP32 and you get this error message “A fatal error occurred: Failed to connect to ESP32: Timed out… Connecting…“. It means that your ESP32 is not in flashing/uploading mode.
• Press the “Upload” button in the Arduino IDE to upload your sketch
• After you see the “Connecting….” message in your Arduino IDE, release the finger from the “BOOT” button:

Mechanicals

Assembly Sheet

• ESP32-VGA Interactive BOM