Not bad for a rush job.   Posted by: Robert Clemens on Friday, November 30, 2001

Well it's 2001 and I found code that I had
written 8 years ago on this site, thought
it could use a bit of an explanation at least.
Basically this code was used to control a Philips
PCF8584 i2c-bus controller on a ISA interface
card for the PC(design still available)
in a DOS environment (remember DOS...).
It basically just monitors bus messages and
configures ACCESS.bus devices on power up
and hot-plugging.
The timer routine is where the ACCESS.bus
configeration process is handled.
The rest of the stuff handles interrupts, user
input, message display, etc, the usual stuff.
Since 1993, it's been ported to C to run in
embedded linux platforms to replace RS485 multi-
drop solutions. Very cool, it actually works.
There are working systems in the field.
A companion design is a ACCESS.bus to RS232/485
convertor based on a 87654 microcontroller.
I think it's to bad that USB took away the
main reason that A.b was created, the ability to
daisy chain devices without having to use hubs,
etc, blame the idiot from Compaq. There's more
to the story but not enough room here to say it.
If anyone wants to know more, email me.

Robert Clemens

rwclemens@home.com
(or if Excite actualy pulls the plug)
rwcx@yahoo.com

p.s. I forgot to mention that I was part of the
team at DEC that developed ACCESS.bus