FujiNet
FujiNet
FujiNet is a modern hardware peripheral designed primarily to enhance the connectivity and functionality of 8-bit home computers. Initially developed for the Atari 8-bit computer line, FujiNet has since expanded to support other classic platforms, including the Apple II, Coleco ADAM, Commodore 64, Tandy Color Computer, and others. The device provides networking capabilities via Wi-Fi and emulates a wide range of legacy peripherals such as disk drives, modems, and printers.
History
FujiNet originated in late 2019 as a community-driven initiative aimed at building a network interface for the Atari 8-bit family via the SIO (Serial Input/Output) port. The project quickly evolved into a comprehensive SIO peripheral emulator, offering support for both virtual devices and Internet-based functions. Its name pays homage to the Japanese electronics manufacturer Fujitsu, though the project has no official affiliation.
Development is open-source and hosted primarily on GitHub, where the hardware schematics, firmware, and documentation are maintained by a growing community of contributors.
Hardware
The hardware is based on the ESP32-WROVER module, a powerful microcontroller with integrated Wi-Fi and Bluetooth capabilities. FujiNet includes a microSD card slot for local storage, and a custom-designed 3D-printed SIO plug/receptacle for physical interfacing with supported computers.
Multiple form factors have been developed to match different platforms and aesthetic styles (e.g., 400/800 and XL/XE form factors for Atari computers). As of version 1.5, hardware revisions are produced in small batches with files released under open licenses for home assembly.
Supported Platforms
FujiNet now supports the following platforms, in various stages of implementation:
- Atari 8-bit family – Complete and stable
- Coleco ADAM – Complete and stable
- Apple II & III – Near complete (supports both DISK II and SmartPort protocols)
- Commodore 64 – Functioning (in conjunction with “Meatloaf” project)
- Tandy Color Computer – In progress
- Atari Lynx – Limited, but complete
- RC2014 (Z80) – Software complete; hardware in development
- ZX Spectrum – Bus hardware nearing completion
Functional Overview
FujiNet emulates several standard devices for Atari systems and equivalents for other platforms. Each emulated device has a corresponding identifier:
| Device | Description | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| C: | Cassette Emulator | Working | Load/save .CAS files from SD or TNFS |
| D: | Disk Drive | Working | Supports .ATR, .ATX, .XEX from SD or TNFS |
| R: | Modem | Working | 850 modem emulation with BBS and terminal compatibility |
| P: | Printer | Working | Outputs to downloadable PDFs or HTML |
| N: | Network Device | In Progress | Handles TCP/UDP, Wi-Fi config, HTTP, NTP, etc. |
| Other | Misc. Devices | Varies | Bluetooth (SIO2BT), RTC, Text-to-Speech (SAM), MIDI |
FujiNet handles these virtual devices through the Central I/O (CIO) system of the Atari OS, allowing software written in most languages (including Atari BASIC) to utilize networked resources transparently.
Example BASIC Code
10 OPEN #1,12,0,"N:HTTP://WWW.GOOGLE.COM/"
20 DIM A$(1024):TRAP 100
30 INPUT #1,A$:PRINT A$:GOTO 30
100 CLOSE #1This example demonstrates loading content via HTTP directly from an Atari BASIC program.
Features
- Wi-Fi Configuration GUI directly accessible from host system
- TNFS protocol support for loading remote disk images
- Printer emulation, including classic Atari printers and PDF output
- Modem support for Telnet and legacy BBS connections
- Time sync with network time protocol (NTP)
- Bluetooth SIO bridge and MIDI multiplayer (MIDIMaze) experiments
- TLS/DTLS cryptographic support via offloading to ESP32
Development and Community
The FujiNet project is developed in the open, with firmware development now using PlatformIO instead of Arduino IDE. Community involvement spans Discord chat, AtariAge forums, GitHub repositories, and a growing collection of instructional videos on YouTube.
Official firmware, source files, and documentation are hosted at:
Reception and Legacy
FujiNet has been widely praised in the retrocomputing community for revitalizing legacy systems with modern capabilities. It is seen as a model of how hardware adapters can enable old systems to remain usable in a contemporary context without extensive modification. The project's open nature has inspired similar initiatives for other computing platforms.
See Also
References
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