LAN interface/control project

Dear All,

I could be involved in a new project as hw engineer. The main issue is to 
interface/connect some kind of control machines via LAN. I think remote log 
and fw upgrade could be requested too.

I've got hardware design skills, mainly from industrial controls and sensors 
area and I've got firmware design knowledge too, mainly from teamworking on 
energy conversion devices.
At the moment I think that the project is 30% hw and 70% shared between 
uC-firmw and PC-softw.

I feel confident with the hw part... but I was never asked to design a LAN 
interface (neither hw nor sw), and I'm actualy not confident with 
ETHERNET/TCP-IP protocols, so I need to close the gap, starting from 
(re)studying the matter. Even if I'm not expeted to develop the firmware 
(not all, anyway) I would like to be able to interface with sw and fw 
engineers.
Can anybody direct my to some "incremental" readings, from the basic to 
security issue regarding remote controls over internet ?

Thanks in advance, and Merry Christmas.

sibern

On Sat, 23 Dec 2006 12:52:30 +0100, "sibern"
<artt.removeallbetweendots.@iol.it> wrote:

>Dear All,
>
>I could be involved in a new project as hw engineer. The main issue is to 
>interface/connect some kind of control machines via LAN. I think remote log 
>and fw upgrade could be requested too.
>
>I've got hardware design skills, mainly from industrial controls and sensors 
>area and I've got firmware design knowledge too, mainly from teamworking on 
>energy conversion devices.
>At the moment I think that the project is 30% hw and 70% shared between 
>uC-firmw and PC-softw.
>
>I feel confident with the hw part... but I was never asked to design a LAN 
>interface (neither hw nor sw), and I'm actualy not confident with 
>ETHERNET/TCP-IP protocols, so I need to close the gap, starting from 
>(re)studying the matter. Even if I'm not expeted to develop the firmware 
>(not all, anyway) I would like to be able to interface with sw and fw 
>engineers.
>Can anybody direct my to some "incremental" readings, from the basic to 
>security issue regarding remote controls over internet ?
>
>Thanks in advance, and Merry Christmas.
>

If you are only going to build a limited number of these devices, then
using a module with TCP/IP embedded makes a lot of sense.
You can get the Digi Connect modules from digikey for 50$ per unit in
singles. http://www.digi.com.
One probably need quantities in excess of a few 1000 a month before
it makes it wothwhile to develop one's own TCP/IP stack.

Regards
  Anton Erasmus

Anton Erasmus wrote:
> On Sat, 23 Dec 2006 12:52:30 +0100, "sibern"
> <artt.removeallbetweendots.@iol.it> wrote:
> 
> 
>>Dear All,
>>
>>I could be involved in a new project as hw engineer. The main issue is to 
>>interface/connect some kind of control machines via LAN. I think remote log 
>>and fw upgrade could be requested too.
>>
>>I've got hardware design skills, mainly from industrial controls and sensors 
>>area and I've got firmware design knowledge too, mainly from teamworking on 
>>energy conversion devices.
>>At the moment I think that the project is 30% hw and 70% shared between 
>>uC-firmw and PC-softw.
>>
>>I feel confident with the hw part... but I was never asked to design a LAN 
>>interface (neither hw nor sw), and I'm actualy not confident with 
>>ETHERNET/TCP-IP protocols, so I need to close the gap, starting from 
>>(re)studying the matter. Even if I'm not expeted to develop the firmware 
>>(not all, anyway) I would like to be able to interface with sw and fw 
>>engineers.
>>Can anybody direct my to some "incremental" readings, from the basic to 
>>security issue regarding remote controls over internet ?
>>
>>Thanks in advance, and Merry Christmas.
>>
> 
> 
> If you are only going to build a limited number of these devices, then
> using a module with TCP/IP embedded makes a lot of sense.
> You can get the Digi Connect modules from digikey for 50$ per unit in
> singles. http://www.digi.com.
> One probably need quantities in excess of a few 1000 a month before
> it makes it wothwhile to develop one's own TCP/IP stack.
> 
> Regards
>   Anton Erasmus

I agree with your assessment but there are so many TCP/IP stacks already 
written, both commercial and open source, that it is not worthwhile to 
write your own TCP/IP stack.

The RFCs, or Requests For Comments, are essentially the specs for 
TCP/IP. See http://www.faqs.org/rfcs/rfc-index.html for a list of 
internet RFCs. RFC 1180 is a TCP/IP tutorial.

Paul Bosselaers