Risc PC/A7000
Ethernet Card
July 1995
Acorn Universal Networking (AUN), Acorn's networking strategy for the 1990s and beyond, aims to place Acorn computers at the heart of whole-site networks, using a standard cable type: Ethernet. Such a network can support a mixture of Acorn and non-Acorn computers, such as PCs and Apple Macs. AUN will support data interchange via this kind of connectivity as networking requirements change and grow. As part of this strategy, a simple, compact Ethernet Card has been developed for the Acorn Risc PC, and this is the only additional hardware you need to connect your Risc PC to an Ethernet network. The Risc PC Ethernet Card Printed Circuit Board (PCB) measures 84 mm x 75 mm (and 18 mm thick), and just plugs into a dedicated socket on the main computer PCB. It conforms to ISO/IEC 8802.3, and provides a 10Base2 (commonly known as thin Ethernet) interface via a BNC connector on the back panel of the computer and a 10BaseT unshielded twisted pair (commonly known as category 5) interface. Interface auto-sensing is provided to enable simple plug and play oriented installation and network drivers are provided on ROM (read only memory). It does not take up any of the expansion card slots, leaving them free for other uses. The card is available in two forms, with different firmware: a standard version for use with Acorn TCP/IP and Level 4 networking and as part of an Acorn Access+ pack for simple disc, CD-ROM and printer-sharing networks. The Access+ version is only required for Risc PC600 computers as the software is included in system ROM for Risc PC700 and A7000 models.
TCP/IP has been adopted by the majority of computer manufacturers as the de facto standard for connecting into heterogeneous networks/systems (UNIX and non-UNIX). Users in the Acorn community now benefit from this connectivity with Acorn's TCP/IP Protocol Suite (Release 2) which provides VT220 emulation, NFS and Internet access, and support for a wide range of proprietary and off-the-shelf network peripherals. You can easily connect your Acorn Risc PC into an existing campus TCP/IP network. Support for TCP/IP is also provided as firmware along with the Risc PC700 and A7000 computers. The standard Ethernet Card can support Level 4, Acorn Access+, NetBEUI, IPX/SPX, TCP/IP and Apple Macintosh protocols simultaneously, enabling co-existence between Acorn, PC, Apple and UNIX based computers.
The following table shows the specification of the Risc PC Ethernet Card:
