Path: utzoo!utgpu!attcan!uunet!husc6!ukma!mailrus!cornell!batcomputer!braner
From: braner@batcomputer.tn.cornell.edu (Moshe Braner)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Re: Networking, ST's and Spectre 128
Summary: when there's a will there's a way
Message-ID: <6424@batcomputer.tn.cornell.edu>
Date: 29 Sep 88 01:02:24 GMT
References:  <3602@druhi.ATT.COM>
Reply-To: braner@tcgould.tn.cornell.edu (Moshe Braner)
Organization: Cornell Theory Center, Cornell University, Ithaca NY
Lines: 26

[claims the ST cannot connect to Appletalk through the cartridge port
since it has no capablity to interrupt the CPU...]

I am not trying to defend the *stupid* design of the cartridge port in
the ST (when it could easily have been a full expansion slot), BUT:

A device there that would connect the ST to Appletalk (or any other
network of similar speed) could have some reasonable amount of RAM so
that it could buffer incoming (and outgoing) data.  The CPU could
poll it every once in a while, often enough to prevent overflow
of the buffer, and do a quick transfer of the data into the CPU's
RAM if there is anything in the buffer.  Outgoing data could be
deposited in the buffer and then sent at the network speed by the
controller on the cartridge.  Sort of like pseudo DMA :-)
Of course this method means more hardware on the cartridge, meaning
higher cost.  But not THAT much.  The pure-software solution used
in the Mac (typical of Apple) has its own disadvantages too, as
the previous poster indicated.

A solution using the DMA port is of course more elegant.

What's new in the field of ST networking through the MIDI ports?

- Moshe Braner

(In 39 years we'll see the promise-LAN, so hang in there :-)