On 1/10/02 at 4:53 AM Dexter wrote: >On Wed, 9 Jan 2002, ZN wrote:
>> I was thinking about a SMSC 91C96 - works with 8 and 16 bit busses, has >> more buffer memory, and most important: it's 99.9% software compatible >> with the 10/100 non-PCI 91C111 (the only non-PCI 'all-in-one' 10/100 I >> know of) > >I've used the SMC91C94, and I've checked out the spec sheets but can't >pinpoint any vital differences. I can't really tell you off the top of my head, but I really did an in-depth analysis. I was really looking at the 91C96 which is basically a 91C94 with 2K more buffer and full duplex capability. The larger buffer and the way the 91C96 more or less manages it automatically is a great bonus. I looked at something capable of holding two received and one ready to transmit ethernet frame. A large buffer is quite handy for something like SMSQ/E because it means less interrupts generated for given data flow. Although SMSQ/E is very good with interrupt overhead, with high data rates, the overhead can happen on a lower granularity level - waiting for the slow IO device to respond to a bus cycle, for instance. I do have a quastion: where did you get 91C94 samples and at which price? I'm not even going to write the quotes I got for a few samples... > If they're very similar, an FDC37C655 could provide parallel, serialx2, > IDEx2, irda, with a couple of MAX232's, four 74HCT245's and a 74HCT245. > But, that would cost way more than the multifunction cards they're > already buying... ;) Look at the 87C307 from national semi. Although it implements stuff that is certainly not required on a Q40/60, I'm using that on the GF because: 1) It also has a RTC and CMOS RAM, and PS/2 keyboard and mouse 2) It is cheaper than competing products. I got samples from NS for $7.50 a piece, and I've had it quoted for as low as $4 for 100. Oh, yes - fruits of experience: DO NOT use HCT anything for IDE unless you inted to: a) Have extremely short cables to the drive b) include termination resistors The better alternative would be something like a 74LVHCR16245, or it's 5V equivalent. It's one chip, comes in SOP case (extremely small) and does all 16 bits, AND has series resistive termination built in! Two more plus a CF socket adds hot-swappable CF card capability... >> On the GoldFire it's an 8-bit implementation to ease routing. >One thing I always ask, and ask too late... Please provide a compact >alternative to the ISA socket, because the length of the connector forces >a practical minimum size on any board designer, and size costs... No ISA or anything like it on the GF, except locally. It includes a PC87C307, an AD1816, a 91C96 (or possibly 91C111?). That more or less covers all the necessary ISA components. It essentially uses the same lines as the QL bus but has specially generated write and read signals to be ISA compatible. The reason for this is that the connectors take up the largest percentage of board area! Along with a bunch of peripheral connectors, there is a DIN 64 like on the QL, and a sicro-cinch 100 pin mezzanine for Aurora II. Most pasive components are on the solder side of the PCB and the CPLD is hiding under the SODIMM - all on a 100x160mm PCBneed I say more :-) >Also, I noticed the 68060's are available in a variety of packages now. >What's the preference? The one that costs the least - and have you looked at the prices? Just for fun I had avnet quote me a 68LC060, when the person on the other end said $355 in quantity, I laughed my head off, she must have thought it was a prank call... At one time I was also looking at a 68040V, only to find it was about 260$ a piece... Nasta
