9fans archive / 2000 / 10 / 43 /    prev next

From: Dennis Ritchie <dmr@bel...>
Subject: Re: [9fans] Datakit info ? - off topic
Date: Fri, 6 Oct 2000 10:12:16 GMT


steve.simon@sne... wrote:
> 
> I'am building a very lightweight protocol for inter CPU comms in a
> multiprocessor embedded system. What I have heard of Datakit and its Media
> Access protocols is interesting and I would like to learn more.
> 
> I send this here as I read 9fans, and also I reckon that somone listening will be
> able to help very easily.
> 
> Anyone have any pointers to papers (preferably online) on Datakit
> implementation?

I looked around amongst my own stuff for Datakit material, but didn't
find the papers describing the MAC through transport protocols.
They are quite interesting and innovative in a variety of ways,
and the resulting product seems to have made a fair amount of money
over the years, but it's been distinctly musty for a while. For better or worse,
the approach is basically that of ATM: small fixed-length packets with
nonce virtual-circuit addressing in each packet, hardware-switched.
One unusual approach was use of a 9-bit datapath in most of the hardware
(making a distinction between control and data bytes).

If you're really interested, follow up privately.

	Dennis