wood@drift.dec.com (John F. Wood) (11/01/90)
I am looking for networking software to allow an IBM PC to connect to
several (1-30) remote micro-controllers using a single serial port. The
software needs to allow for individual messages to be sent from and received
by the PC. I will need to write the compatible software for the
micro-controllers (which currently use Intel 8051 microprocessors), so the
protocol specs must be provided with the PC software.
While I can (and have) implemented simple software to do some of this, I
would like to find software that has already implemented error checking in
all (or most) of its various forms, as well as the multiple remote support.
The communications can either be done via polling the remotes, or by a
collision detect scheme similar to that employed by Ethernet. The
electrical connection will be RS-485 which allows multiple devices on a
single line.
I've seen several network packages which implement file transfer and remote
device support between PCs, but I'm not familiar with any that allow
programmers to send individual messages. The PC needs to be able to act as
a central control facility, data storage device, and master scheduler for
the remotes, through my programming.
FYI, the application is adding intelligence to a house with distributed
controllers interfaced to many different sub-systems.
Any ideas?
Thanks,
John
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John F. Wood | EIS Engineering
Digital Equipment Corporation | ARPAnet: wood@acesmk.enet.dec.com
Continental Blvd. | EASYnet: ACESMK::WOOD
MKO2-1/J12 | Usenet : ...!decwrl!acesmk!wood
Merrimack, NH 03054 | AT&T : (603) 884-4686
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Disclaimer: Views expressed herein are my own and do not necessarily
reflect those of my employer.
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