gkrishn@izzy.eng.clemson.edu (Krishnan Gopalan) (09/12/89)
We have with us a set of ethernet cards sent out by DEC. These cards are
marked DEPCA (which i guess is the name for the card). What we don't have is
any kind of information on these rascals. No documentation on how to make the
card go with an IBM PC. If anyone out there has any kind of information at all
kindly email me and I will post the summaries.
Thanks in advance.
Krishnan Gopalan Engineering Computer Operations,
Clemson University.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------jas@proteon.com ("John A. Shriver") (09/12/89)
The DEPCA is DEC's own PC Ethernet card. It uses a LANCE Ethernet chip, which is (by far) DEC's preferred Ethernet chip. The packet buffer is accessed via dual-port memory in the BIOS ROM area. It is a good board. Software support for the DEPCA is offered by DECnet-DOS and by "VAX/VMS Services for MS-DOS" (a/k/a PCSA). The former is a reasonably complete DECnet implementation for MS-DOS. The latter is the DECnet-DOS kernel, along with an implmentation of MS-NETWORKS (SMB) on top of the Session level. Most DEPCA's are sold bundled with the VAX/VMS Services software. (The server software is bundled with VAX/VMS.) Both of these packages provide a side door to share the interface with other protocols. It is documented in the VAXmate technical manuals. (The DEPCA is based on the design used in the VAXmate).
jbvb@VAX.FTP.COM (James Van Bokkelen) (09/12/89)
DEC's Vaxmate Tech Reference has some programming information on these cards, but I don't know of anybody except DEC that has written drivers for them. One major reason for this is that DEC supplies a Packet-Driver-like interface driver (called DLL) with PCSA and DECNet/DOS, which provides a common software interface for all cards supported by either DEC product. This is also specified in the Vaxmate Tech Ref. If you have either of the DEC products, their manuals will tell you how to install the DEPCA. At the moment, the only freeware or commercial TCP/IP I know of that supports the DLL interface is our PC/TCP. James B. VanBokkelen 26 Princess St., Wakefield, MA 01880 FTP Software Inc. voice: (617) 246-0900 fax: (617) 246-0901
ljm@TWG.COM (Leo J McLaughlin) (09/20/89)
>DEC's Vaxmate Tech Reference has some programming information on these cards, >but I don't know of anybody except DEC that has written drivers for them. >One major reason for this is that DEC supplies a Packet-Driver-like interface >driver (called DLL) with PCSA and DECNet/DOS, which provides a common software >interface for all cards supported by either DEC product. This is also >specified in the Vaxmate Tech Ref. If you have either of the DEC products, >their manuals will tell you how to install the DEPCA. >At the moment, the only freeware or commercial TCP/IP I know of that >supports the DLL interface is our PC/TCP. Actually, I was just about to send a similar reply -- now FTP software and Wollongong are the only TCP/IP products I know of with a DLL driver. DEC's PC card does come with an enormous box of documentation, however, the commands SCHPC and DLL are enough to get the DLL interface up. enjoy, leo j mclaughlin iii The Wollongong Group ljm@twg.com