cwd@cuae2.UUCP (Chris Donahue) (03/10/86)
This is a reposting with some corrections and additions to att.micro,
att.3b and a new posting to net.micro.att.
[In response to an article by George Wilkin]
To order the 3B2 Developer books, call 1-800-432-6600 and have your American
Express or VISA handy!
305-496 AT&T 3B2 Computer Application Design Guide - explains how to build
an installable package for software and hardware features for
"simple admin".
305-131 AT&T 3B5/3B15 Computer Application Design Guide - see above.
305-491 AT&T 3B2 Computer CRASH Analysis Guide - how to tell why you
PANICed the system with your new hardware/software. Reference
manual.
305-493 AT&T 3B2 Computer Error Message Manaul - how to interpret the
error messages received from DGMON, SELF CONFIG, UNIX, etc.
305-492 AT&T 3B2 Computer Feature Card Interface Design Manaul - this is it!
How to build the necessary firmware and hardware interfaces to
implement the 3B2 bus spec. A basic CIO (Common I/O) primer in
some ways.
305-494 AT&T 3B2 Computer Off-Line Diagnostics Manual - how to understand
diagnostics and points you in the direction of how to write your
own.
305-495 AT&T 3B2 and 3B5 Computer Driver Design Guide - how to write
drivers to interface to your new hardware/firmware. Examples
of block and character devices are included.
(Must have a Sys. V Source License to order because of the
use of 2 actual 3B2 drivers as examples. Because these drivers
are getting old, perhaps this will change soon.)
These are basically the books required to do the job. As most people find,
they are not quite enough. VARs can call their regional support people
for assistance while internal AT&T customers usually go to the TM's
produced on 3B2 (if they can). There are other ways to get the knowledge
required which I will mention later.
A 3B2 Technical Reference Manual is coming some day as well as the 3B2, 3B5,
3B15 Assembly Language Manual. (Hopefully this summer).
I have supported VARs that want to design I/O cards for 3B2. It is not
as simple as designing a card for an MS-DOS PC. Each 3B2 I/O card is in
essence a single board computer - 80186, 256K Ram or so, Bus Interface
Circuits, and Application Circuits. It is a large task. Also, AT&T's
interface to the 3B2 bus, CIO, is not the only way to do it.
Two classes are available at Hickory Ridge to help bridge the knowledge gap.
One class centers on the actual hardware design while the other concentrates
on drivers, firmware, and diagnostics. They are the best way to get started.
The classes are relatively new and full of information if lacking in polish.
It is a considerable investment for a VAR to produce an I/O feature card to
AT&T specs. This has been a rather high
barrier of entry and why the vast majority of VARs don't want to tackle this.
We are doing things to help VARs in the future by supporting standards they
are familiar with.
OK! I am getting down off of my soap box now. Please don't send me a million
flames about how AT&T is so bad for designing its own bus for 3B2 and then
making it hard to develop things for it! We are trying as hard as we can to
make it easier and provide the knowledge and tools to those that are willing
to make the commitment.
Chris Donahue
AT&T Info. Sys.
Application Engineeringtg@sfmin.UUCP (T.Glinos) (03/12/86)
> [In response to an article by George Wilkin] > Is there any such documentation for the 3B20?