Date   : Fri, 10 Jul 2009 19:27:35 +0100
From   : info@... (Sprow)
Subject: Master Ethernet upgrade

Hi,

> >  Please note: for electrical reasons this upgrade can only be fitted to a
> >  Master or Master Compact,
>
> Could some for external power connector be fashioned?

In theory you can make an external equivalent of the Master motherboard
connector - it's just a memory mapped byte wide interface. However, since
it's intended as Master/Compact only the ROM software uses the 6512
instruction set and Master service calls.

> Which ethernet chip have you used?

A Micrel KSZ8851.

> Also I presume you can mount shares to drivres ie 5.$ etc.

Yes. Though it's drive 0 as it happens (:0.$).

> Does file name / type conversion happen in software to inf files?

Yes.

> Can the device authenticate and connect to username / password protected 
> shares?

Yes.

> Is there any provison to share devices on the BBC side with the PC. 
> floppy, harddisk, other filesystems etc

No, the software as supplied includes an SMB client not a server. Writing a
server is left as an exercise for the reader!
Sprow.