Re: Back to the Ethernet adapter thread!

[mkelsey@spam-net.eecs.wsu.edu]

In article <35113212.602741029@roch-news>,
	wsmith@NOSPAM.ctron.com (Will Smith) writes:
> On Thu, 19 Mar 1998 02:20:18 GMT, themaples@worldnet.att.net (Bruce
> Maples) wrote:
> 
>|>-- Deciding which protocols to use? (I would assume AppleTalk, but
>|>then you've got to get AppleTalk running on the PC side as well.)
> 
> i nominate IP and IPX support, with more attention given to IP....
> <g>
> 
>|>-- Working out speed issues?
> 
> i think our biggest enemy here is the system's bus...  we'd need a
> good buffer on the card.

That would surely mean having a buffer on the Apple II interface card.
I am curious though what limitations we would face, would it even be
possible to interface the II with something like an SMC 16-bit card,
a Cabletron DNI E2100, or would we be stuck with an 8-bit WD80xx type
card?

It seems like (logically) it would be easiest to use the 8-bit WD80xx
line.

>|>I'm showing that I've never written a network driver, I'm sure, but it
>|>seems to me that the issue is larger than just finding edge
>|>connectors.
> 
> join the club-- neither have i.  once we manage a physical device with
> known specs, i'm sure we could find SOMEBODY, but all this effort will
> still cost something....  TANSTAAFL...  <shrug>

Perhaps the best start would be to analyze some source code from Linux.
I haven't written any kind of network software for the II, but I have
added mouse support to some games and written game editors here and 
there.  I wouldn't think it would be any more difficult than writing
a RAM driver for ProDOS, but, it surely would be in the best interest
to develop some type of standard software interface, thereby allowing
for neato things like web browsing, ftp and telnet.

> good ones at that...  :)

IMHO, the whole project is a good thought!

-- 
	-/\/\ichael-

replyto: mkelsey at eecs.wsu.edu