Need your opinion regarding GR8NET capabilities | MSX Resource Center (Pagina 44/58)

Van luppie

Paladin (869)

06-11-2017, 19:59

Sofa8Net, anyone?

Van Eugeny_Brychkov

Paragon (1232)

11-11-2017, 23:54

I think I should give some update here as several months have passed since last post.

Now GR8NET is stereo, but audio can be played through mono GR8NET;
Its Y8950 can dynamically configure into C0/C1 or C2/C3 ports, or deconfigure if there are two modules already initialized in the system;
It has TCP/IP UNAPI implemented;
With new FPGA firmware you can update contents of FPGA storage from the BASIC (no cable is needed, but would be good to have anyway just in case);
It has capability switching FPGA images so I was able to fit MP3 media player into another image, and images can be switched using NETRECFG command;
Respective changes to Z80 code were made; when in MP3 medial player mode there's additional "Online radio" browser entry. Station catalogue is online and can be found here;
URI structure was extended to version 1 having 63 chars for host name, command NETRESST allows following redirects.

Here's a video about MP3 player. I have Dutch Radio 10 playing right now for an hour or so :)

Here's the manual.

Van Grauw

Ascended (10767)

12-11-2017, 00:33

Really nice stuff! I should order a USB blaster to update my FPGA…

Van enribar

Paragon (1208)

13-11-2017, 00:21

Unfortunately, for a while my MSX will be far from the internet access point of my house...
So Eugeny can you test some URLs of Italian internet radios with the GR8NET and add them to your page?
Not all, but most will work, I think... Thankyou in advance.
http://ivmablog.blogspot.it/2017/01/elenco-url-radio-italian...
P.S.: is it possible to play the audio channel only of youtube videos?

Van Eugeny_Brychkov

Paragon (1232)

13-11-2017, 19:03

I created list of stations in Italian language, there were some I was not able to find properly playing streams for, so list is not that big as in that web page. While filling this list I found out that many media servers mishandle HEAD request method up to GR8NET responding with I/O error, and I had to slightly change the way how it handles redirect mechanism - now it performs GET request instead of HEAD and terminates data transfer if it follows. Not the elegant way, but that's the life... of media servers and their developers

Van enribar

Paragon (1208)

13-11-2017, 23:13

Thankyou very much I'll do tests

Van Wolverine_nl

Paragon (1160)

14-11-2017, 12:25

I am waiting for my usb blaster, but i saw i can do a netbrowse update already, probably the radiostations?

For those who want to quickly set something up without having to read the manual or remember the calls I am busy with a quick configuration program in basic.
When the first version, which contains the basics, is completed, I will put it online. (the basics meaning: Network setup (DHCP and fixed), Mapper Mode change (also to boot in correct mapper mode), viewing info, any requests which you think fall under the basics, let me know)

The GR8NET is a great thing, not only because of it's technical achievement, but also cause of the "figuring out" factor and fun factor is there.

Van Eugeny_Brychkov

Paragon (1232)

14-11-2017, 13:40

Thank you

Wolverine_nl wrote:

I am waiting for my usb blaster, but i saw i can do a netbrowse update already, probably the radiostations?

You should be able to browse, and play them through external MP3 cart; to play with GR8NET MP3 it needs to be reconfigured to MP3 media player using _NETRECFG, but support for this FPGA reconfig mechanism is only present in last published version of FPGA firmware, which can not be updated into location 0 with online update method (as factory image at location 0 is write protected from MSX side to avoid main config image corruption).

Wolverine_nl wrote:

I am busy with a quick configuration program in basic.

There are two commands

_NETCFG
_NETHELP

but probably your application will be more user-friendly.

enribar wrote:

P.S.: is it possible to play the audio channel only of youtube videos?

I did not try, and I do not think so. However if it is possible, or there's any Google API providing MP3 stream for its clips (audio without video), then it is worth trying!

Van Wolverine_nl

Paragon (1160)

14-11-2017, 14:56

Eugeny_Brychkov wrote:

You should be able to browse, and play them through external MP3 cart; to play with GR8NET MP3 it needs to be reconfigured to MP3 media player using _NETRECFG, but support for this FPGA reconfig mechanism is only present in last published version of FPGA firmware, which can not be updated into location 0 with online update method (as factory image at location 0 is write protected from MSX side to avoid main config image corruption).

I see the .bin file there which dates from 13-11-2017. This is a different update?
Also, I cannot find call netcfg in the manual. I want to try everything ofcourse

Van Eugeny_Brychkov

Paragon (1232)

14-11-2017, 15:07

Wolverine_nl wrote:

I see the .bin file there which dates from 13-11-2017. This is a different update?

_NETVER will tell you version you have in flash and FPGA (engine, image being currently configured), and you can compare it to the file date on the server.

Wolverine_nl wrote:

Also, I cannot find call netcfg in the manual. I want to try everything ofcourse

OMG, I forgot to put it in! It is there for quite some time already.