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Forum Index : Microcontroller and PC projects : Maximite Ethernet - First Pictures
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| rhamer Senior Member  Joined: 06/06/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 174 |
Folks, Below is a picture of the first Maximite Ethernet interface. 
However, there is one big short term gotcha. Until the Maximite supports serial comms it cant talk to the ethernet interface. Having said that the unit does have a conventional serial port on it as well to allow development with a PC instead of the Maximmite, so the keen people could get started with that. So how does it work? Essentially it is a serial to IP converter (and back again) It does have some other tricks like an inbuilt Web server, SMTP for email alerts and 3 GPIO pins. From the Maximites point of view it's just talking serial data in and out one of its ports, which gets converted to IP (TCP or UDP) by the interface. This in turn can be sent/received by a PC. If you run the virtual Comm Port software the data will appear on that virtual comm port. For the more adventurous, you can open a socket directly to the interface and communicate that way. It is also possible to load custom web pages into the interface and interact that way, via a web browser. I'm still testing it at this point, but so far it is looking good. Regards Rohan Rohan Hamer HAMFIELD Software & Hardware Solutions Makers of the Maximite Expander. http://www.hamfield.com.au |
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sparkey Senior Member Joined: 15/06/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 819 |
put me down for one rohan spark lokks veryy interesting and how muchb are they going to be and when will you have your first run ready ..i`m stooked about this.. regards sparkey always on the look out foir some new hardwhare....regards technicians do it with least resistance |
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stuarts Senior Member Joined: 15/06/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 199 |
Rohan, I was considering using an I2C UART to provide serial comms, I wonder if that is the solution as there aren't a TX pin and an RX pin both available in the expansion connector. Stuart Time is nature's way of keeping everything from happening all at once. |
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| sparkey Senior Member Joined: 15/06/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 819 |
if you have nothing to start with then all the ideas in the world aint gunna help thanks to people who can actull create something out of nothing its an inspireation technicians do it with least resistance |
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| sparkey Senior Member Joined: 15/06/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 819 |
i would alsolike to add that i have an idea that a general purpose regulated mini power supply would be an added bonus for the ever expanding maxi produts..regards sparkey technicians do it with least resistance |
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| rhamer Senior Member Joined: 06/06/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 174 |
The hardware is ready now, but I'm not going to sell it until I can actually test it with the Maximite. And that can't happen until Geoff does the serial comms. And that cant happen till he gets back from tearing around the outback. So if someone could pergaps go and get him..... 
I will however be taking orders shortly. I havent worked out the price yet. Cheers Rohan Rohan Hamer HAMFIELD Software & Hardware Solutions Makers of the Maximite Expander. http://www.hamfield.com.au |
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| rhamer Senior Member Joined: 06/06/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 174 |
You could do that, but that is not how i'm doing it. I really don't want to give away the specifics at this point, sorry. Regards Rohan Rohan Hamer HAMFIELD Software & Hardware Solutions Makers of the Maximite Expander. http://www.hamfield.com.au |
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| rhamer Senior Member Joined: 06/06/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 174 |
Well start a new topic and explain what it is you are looking for, you never know, there might already be something in the pipeline... 
Cheers Rohan Rohan Hamer HAMFIELD Software & Hardware Solutions Makers of the Maximite Expander. http://www.hamfield.com.au |
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elproducts Senior Member Joined: 19/06/2011 Location: United StatesPosts: 282 |
Can't you just "bit-bang" RS232 out a digital port to test it out or is Maximite too slow? What baud rate would it need? www.elproducts.com |
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| stuarts Senior Member Joined: 15/06/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 199 |
I doubt the Maximite is too slow. We managed to do it with much slower processors many years ago. I think Geoff has some reservations about trying to do it in software and bitbanging it with all the other things that go on inside Maximite Basic. Thats something that only Geoff or someone that understands the internals of Maximite Basic can really answer. Stuart Time is nature's way of keeping everything from happening all at once. |
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VK6MRG Guru  Joined: 08/06/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 347 |
Looks good Rohan. It will be interesting to be able to access the Maximite via a web browser. 
Its easier to ask forgiveness than to seek permission! ............VK6MRG.............VK3MGR............ |
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James_From_Canb Senior Member Joined: 19/06/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 265 |
Agree, and I'll be interested to see if the support code uses up much of our available memory space, which is currently 1,000 or so lines of code. My mind is aglow with whirling, transient nodes of thought careening through a cosmic vapor of invention. Hedley Lamarr, Blazing Saddles (1974) |
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| VK6MRG Guru Joined: 08/06/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 347 |
In relation to the 1000 lines of code.... Does it matter how long the lines are? Probibly not, comes down to file size rather than programm length?! Its easier to ask forgiveness than to seek permission! ............VK6MRG.............VK3MGR............ |
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| rhamer Senior Member Joined: 06/06/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 174 |
In fact it won't use up any. All the Web server functions are generated on my board. Just to be clear, this thing is no IIS, the web pages are basic HTML, with java to access the hardware. So don't think you are going to be doing anything too fancy with it. The driving force was to provide 2 way communications with the Maximite to something else like a PC via Ethernet. Regards Rohan Rohan Hamer HAMFIELD Software & Hardware Solutions Makers of the Maximite Expander. http://www.hamfield.com.au |
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| sparkey Senior Member Joined: 15/06/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 819 |
rohan could you please emil me when they r ready for generral supply thank you ...regards sparkey technicians do it with least resistance |
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| rhamer Senior Member Joined: 06/06/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 174 |
Sure, but it won't be until Geoff has done his bit. In the mean time, exactly what do you want to do with it, just to be sure you won't be disappointed when you can't watch movies or something. Cheers Rohan Rohan Hamer HAMFIELD Software & Hardware Solutions Makers of the Maximite Expander. http://www.hamfield.com.au |
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| sparkey Senior Member Joined: 15/06/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 819 |
i like to keep my self occupied i cannot work these days so im pretty stricken to home life but well new hard whare to me is a joy....funny hay some things i just have to have at one stage i had a collection of over 2-00 computers ranging from xts to p4 dual cores and just about any thing inbetween....regards oh i also want that second channel expander board when there ready and i woul also like two straight 26 pin male sockets well the ones with pins...regards and thanks ... technicians do it with least resistance |
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| sparkey Senior Member Joined: 15/06/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 819 |
rohan i see you have a four pot hob this would suit one of my applications i think its one of your latest relase um i have tried to telephone yor company but with much regreat i could not get through this is very un fortunate as i wish to do buiss with u via over the phone credit card any reply will bee appreaciated,,, thank yoy technicians do it with least resistance |
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| rhamer Senior Member Joined: 06/06/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 174 |
Hi sparkey, I am not contactable via phone because I have a day job. Hamfield is my after hours business. You can buy using the web site and credit card without the need to setup a PayPal account. You still use the PayPal buy button, but it will allow you to enter your credit card details directly, without having to setup an account. BTW I am always contactable via email from my web site, as I check it every few hours. Regards Rohan Rohan Hamer HAMFIELD Software & Hardware Solutions Makers of the Maximite Expander. http://www.hamfield.com.au |
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haiqu Senior Member Joined: 30/07/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 152 |
Nice idea, but with that Lantronix module running at $45 a pop it won't be cheap enough for hobbyists. I've used them, they're a good fast solution for prototyping, however production boards use something else. Rob unzip, strip, touch, finger, grep, mount, fsck, more, yes, fsck, fsck, fsck, umount, sleep |
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