Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!ucsd!sdd.hp.com!mips!daver!bungi.com!news
Newsgroups: comp.sys.nsc.32k
Subject: Re: ETH532 ???
Message-ID: <9011241747.AA12259@virtech.UUCP>
Date: 24 Nov 90 17:47:53 GMT
References: <<9011190815.AA22290@wombat.bungi.COM>>
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Here's my 2 cents:
> [In the message entitled "ETH532 ???" on Nov 19, 20:23, david@marvin.jpl.oz.au writes:]
> > 
> The ET532 - Ethernet 532 is a plug in card for the PC532. It connects via
> the expansion SCSI bus. It also has a 50 pin scsi header and power supply
> connector for stand alone use (i.e. via a different SCSI based machine).
> 
> 32GX32/32532-20MHz
> 1 or 4 Mbytes of DRAM (via fast page 256Kx4 or 1Mx4 dips)
> 1 Boot EPROM
> 1 1024bit EEPROM (for ethernet address etc)
> It has 16 serial ports (rs232 buffers are on a daughter card).
> 1 DP8490 SCSI interface
> 1 8 bit expansion connector (for other stuff)
> 1 Ethernet interface using the NSC DP8390 etc chipset. Supports thick
>  ethernet and cheapernet (thin coax).
> 
> The board is designed and routed. It has never been built. All that is
> required is a reasonable number of people to want it (reduce the PCB NRE etc)
> and it is ready to fab. The design is based upon the PC532 and an ethernet
> design I've already done - so even though it would be a prototype run I have
> very high confidence in the design. Maybe a cut and jump or two though...
> 
George, this seems like a lot of hardware.  IMHO all we really need is a 
very simple, cheap ethernet interface so we can run Amoeba and connect with
other systems running Minix.  Having a second 532 will increase the cost and
introduce all kinds of interprocessor communication delays, etc.

Now I can see a need for 16 port serial boards, etc.  However, for myself,
I'd prefer a simple design for these too, and I'd prefer they be on a separate
board from the ethernet.

One place I would like to see a second CPU would be on a graphics board.
Ideally this would be a simple board with a CG16 and the RGP chipset.  Les
Wilson at National can give a simple schematic for an X-terminal coprocessor
board.  I would be more than happy :-D to assist with the serious (ahem)
software development.

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