Upload announcement
===================

The initial release of the High level Processor Interconnection Control (HPIC)
protocol has been uploaded to the internet and is freely avaible.

What is HPIC?
The High level Processor Interconnection Control protocol inserts a data
link layer into the communication between your host PC and a network of
Mini Boards. The advantage of HPIC over simpler protocols is that incoming
data will be processed only if it was correctly received.
This implementation makes heavy use of the 68HC11 interrupt system, so that
protocol processing doesn't lock the system with unnecessary busy polling.

Restrictions of version 1.0:
This HPIC release only supports a serial connection between a host PC and
one Mini Board. I have got very restrictive access to a second (or third)
Mini Board, so I don't expect a multiprocessor version be avaible earlier
first half of january. The assembler source is written towards the restricted
memory resources of the Mini Board. Anyway a port to the 6.270 board or any
other device with a 68HC11 series microcontroller shouldn't be that difficult.

FTP resource:
Server: ftp.cherupakha.media.mit.edu    /pub/incoming/bart/hpic/hpic.lha

The archive contains: readme.txt    This document
                      hpic.doc      The programmers interface to HPIC
                      hpic.asm      The assembler source

The material in this archive is copyrighted. Look at the header of hpic.asm
for detailes.

For further information send email to:
2bartel@rzdspc1.informatik.uni-hamburg.de (prefered)
bart@geo2.geowiss.uni-hamburg.de