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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!akgua!mcnc!decvax!decwrl!rhea!cyclps!brown
From: brown@cyclps.DEC (Doug Brown)
Newsgroups: net.lan
Subject: low speed LANs
Message-ID: <7583@decwrl.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 2-May-84 10:58:23 EDT
Article-I.D.: decwrl.7583
Posted: Wed May  2 10:58:23 1984
Date-Received: Fri, 4-May-84 02:19:40 EDT
Organization: DEC Engineering Network
Lines: 29

  I've been pondering on a project that I was thinking of building
and would like to have your opinions on its viability.
  What I have in mind is a low speed local area network device for device
control and communications.  Below are the proposed characteristics:
  max speed 19.2 K
  Max nodes 255
  max area 16
  max local objects 16
  max message size 255 bytes
  max local devices 8
  price ~$250 for controller

  IT would be a single board that is highly configurable.  Consisting of 
a line modulator (coax, modem, twisted pair depending on speed), a dedicated
processor with rom control program and a device interface buss.
  The main use would be for hooking up a series of devices in a small local
area with one controlling computer.  Scenarios could be a small business, 
house hold or manufacturing plant.
  Devices for the controller would be swithes, serial lines, a/d, d/a.
  Custom user programs up to 4K in size can be accomodated.
  Hooking the whole thing up would be by tagged modules (a simpleton with a 
screw driver should be able to do it for the very low speeds).
  A simple software interface for custom devices.

  What do you think?  Would it be worth while?

  .--.				... decvax!decwrl!rhea!cyclps!brown
  |db|					From the depths of DEC land.
  `--'					2500+ nodes and counting...