Re: Ethernet card- alternatives?

[derek@slab.slip.uiuc.edu (Derek Taubert)]

In article <2cb866$4e0@male.EBay.Sun.COM> keithhar@eb5ts4.EBay.Sun.COM (Keith  
Hargrove) writes:

> There is these parallel to Ethernet cards for the pc for about $200
> I do not know if the parallel port needs to be bi-directional or not.
> But a parallel card for a apple is very simple.

None of the adapters I have looked at require bi-directional ports.  The
problem this causes is that you have to spend a heck of a lot of time
re-arranging bits from the status lines in order to get your actual data.  This
is fine on a 33MHz machine with ample power to spend 10 instructions
re-arranging things, but not on the IIgs.  Performance would probably not be
able to exceed that of LocalTalk, if even match up to it.

> There are 8 bit pc Ethernet cards all over for next to nothing.
> How hard would it be to make a apple slot to pc slot adapter
> I do not know very many details about the pc bus. 
> If one was made this could be veary useful 
> Ethernet, VGA, and pc disks.
> the software could be a headache but once it was done for certion
> common pc cards it would be great.

Well, now you've gone and given away both my ideas...  :-p

I have a design worked up to allow ISA cards to be used on the IIgs, so I know
it is possible.  The trouble is that it requires a direct connection to the
processor socket (it _might_ work with the memory expansion slot).  I guess
it's time for me to prototype this sucker...

--
Derek Taubert                   |  Ask me about TCP/IP for the Apple IIgs!
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