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From: bdale@col.hp.com (Bdale Garbee)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.nsc.32k
Subject: Re: ET532
Message-ID: <9105021601.AA27533@hpcsbg.col.hp.com>
Date: 2 May 91 16:01:24 GMT
Article-I.D.: hpcsbg.9105021601.AA27533
Sender: news@daver.bungi.com
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> As I see it, there is little likelihood of a complete ET532 being
> constructed for under $800.  That's a lot of money for an ethernet
> board.  (And why does it need all those serial ports and memory?)

The board was not originally intended, as I understand it, to be primarily an
Ethernet board.  Dave and George originally designed the pc532 to solve their
own problem of needing a bleepingly large number of serial ports that could
handle real speed without dropping bits.

I've mumbled from time to time that the world needs a card that has a simple
but effective processor core with SCSI to build neat widgets around, like an
Ether interface, a floppy controller, maybe even an SMD interface for the 3
Fuji Eagles sitting on my basement floor (anyone want to buy one or more?  :-).

I have a design partially on paper for a V40 core that would work well, and I
now have a design partially on paper for a 68000 core that would work well.  It
will be some time before I can spare enough personal cycles to get either one
to the point of a complete design and/or proto.  If someone else is interested
in the "build a simple but capable core processor/SCSI to use for neat stuff"
idea, I am more than willing to talk about my ideas, and/or work with someone
else who has more time to spare... I'm swamped at my day job, and working on
a small piece of contract work, and trying to get the tower up in the back
yard, and... you get the picture.

I've got access to excellant software tools for both processors.  Some I can
share, some I can't.  The V40 is an Intel 80x86 type part with lots of onboard
I/O, the 68000 core I envision would have fewer wizzies, but be easier to write
code for and have the potential for lots more memory... both processors are
pretty cheap.

> But I wonder what the design criteria for the board were.

Something very different than what I personally think most pc532 owners want.
But, the design is done, George does totally awesome work, and if the group
decides to build et532's, I'll try to find the cash to play too...

Bdale