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From: nigel@minster.UUCP (nigel)
Newsgroups: net.micro.atari16
Subject: Re: ATARI NETWORK, PRINTER DRIVERS
Message-ID: <786@minster.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 22-May-86 18:08:54 EDT
Article-I.D.: minster.786
Posted: Thu May 22 18:08:54 1986
Date-Received: Sun, 25-May-86 17:31:13 EDT
References: <860519-051622-1172@Xerox>
Reply-To: nigel@minster.UUCP (nigel)
Organization: University of York, England
Lines: 36

In article <860519-051622-1172@Xerox> "John_A._Davidson:ROCH0846:Xerox.ns"@XEROX.COM.UUCP writes:
>
>	In the last newsletter I received from the Atari Group in Rochester.
>(A.C.O.R.N.)  it mentioned that:
>	" Software Punch of Liverpool, U.K. is working on an
>Ethernet-compatable networkk of cables that allow ST computers to share
>information."
>
>	What protocol levels they intend to support I have no idea.  
>	{John}

Aha. They are working on 5 different levels - last count! Or at least
that's what they told me on the 'phone. Paraphrasing and deciphering the
sales literature, I concluded this: the whole system is called AtariNet,
with two levels known as PunchNet (19200 baud RS232 - i.e. ULC (Ultra Low
Cost) CSMA-CD), and MegaNet (40Mbit optical fibre link). What are the other
3 levels you ask? One is Ethernet compatible (I guess this means 10Mbit
data rate and very little other similarity), another is 1Mbit, and the last
was quoted on the 'phone as 560MBit....... All the networks can be connected
to an Atari, and the latter used as a bridge between them. They use their
own protocols, and FEPs for high data rates (a 6809 board was quoted for
the 'Ethernet' system). PunchNet and MegaNet are supposedly available, but
something about the brochure makes me uneasy.

I hope they come up with something, but what would be really nice is a simple
Ethernet box, which doesn't impose a protocol, so I can connect my AtariBox
to the Ether using whatever protocol we go for locally.


	Nigel Roles (...!mcvax!ukc!minster!nigel)
	Department of Computer Science
	University of York

PS I note that your quote from A.C.O.R.N. incorrectly spells "compatible" in
just the same way the letter I have from Software Punch - I wonder if they
are by any chance related?