Date   : Wed, 23 Nov 2005 15:30:34 +0000
From   : Theo Markettos <list-a_cloud9.bbc-micro@...>
Subject: Re: Cambridge ring interface

In article <43847750.4020903@...> you wrote:
> In the Electron, BBC and Master memory map the area between &FC30 and 
> &FC3F is reserved for the Cambridge Ring Interface. What was this 
> interface used for? From the sound of it I'd guess it's some sort of LAN 
> interface for a network used at Cambridge university.
> Has anyone ever seen one of these, and is there any documentation still 
> available?

I've not seen one as, though there are bits of Cambridge Ring hardware still
around the Computer Lab, they're not on public display (and I haven't looked
for them).

http://koo.corpus.cam.ac.uk/projects/earlyatm/ (Andy Hopper's server)
has details on the Cambridge Ring and Cambridge Fast Ring.  Basically they
were early research projects into what became ATM.  Andy Hopper, Steven
Temple and R.C.Williamson's book 'Local Area Network Design' contains more
details of the specifics, as does Steven Temple's thesis:
http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/TechReports/UCAM-CL-TR-52.html
The fast ring is described here:
http://portal.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=52013
(needs IEEE subscription for full text)

Theo
Student, University of Cambridge Computer Lab, speaking personally

[faking my From: header so I can post: please respect Reply-To for personal
replies]