Peter Best's Page
Updated 02/10/2004
Many of you have contacted me indicating that you would like to know more about the Packet Whacker and how it relates to the RTL8019AS-based Easy Ethernet products. I could write a ton of words here to attempt to explain the concepts, but the best way to get the skinny on the Packet Whacker and embedded Ethernet in general is to buy Fred's book. It assumes that you know absolutely nothing about Ethernet and explains all of the code that makes the Easy Ethernet devices go in excruciating detail..
The Easy Ethernet code and full schematic diagrams can only be had if you purchase an Easy Ethernet device (an encrypted link at the bottom of your receipt), or if you buy Fred's book, which contains a CDROM filled with ALL of the EDTP Ethernet code and schematics for ALL of the EDTP Ethernet products. As Fred's book rolls out, we at EDTP will dedicate a part of the web site to support the book. The support page will consist of updates to the content of Fred's book.
Basically, the Easy Ethernet devices incorporate the Packet Whacker (Easy Ethernet W and Easy Ethernet AVR), the NICki (Easy Ethernet CS8900A) and the NICholas (Easy Ethernet W/ASIX and Easy Ethernet AVR/ASIX) stand-alone Ethernet devices. All Easy Ethernet devices consist of an on-board microcontroller (AVR or PIC), a regulated power supply, a microcontroller programming interface, an Ethernet Engine IC (ASIX 88796L or Realtek RTL8019AS), an addressable 8-bit latch (74HCT573), a programmable RS-232 interface (SP233ACT) and a microcontroller-based i2C interface. Please feel free to call or write us for more indepth information about any of the EDTP devices offered on this web site.
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Here's a collection of the files in Peter's Nuts and Volts Easy Ethernet article. If you want the original code and stuff that was printed in the magazine, download the "Original Easy Ethernet Package". If you're new to Ethernet or the PIC, we recommend you take in the code and graphics of the Nuts and Volts article before moving on. All of the magazine code works and the magazine schematics are correct. You can still blink that LED using the information and code in the Nuts and Volts article just like Peter said you could. Use only the latest REVC Packet Whacker files with the kits you purchase from EDTP Electronics. There are a few "bugs" in the old REVB schematics that are in the Packet Whacker dowload package. Bottom line.. If you need help or are confused, just send me a note or give me a call.
If you don't want to assemble the Easy Ethernet device described in the Nuts and Volts article from scratch, you can purchase the EDTP Easy Ethernet W from EDTP, which is the same circuitry as the original Easy Ethernet device in Nuts and Volts with the addition of a 74HCT573 output-only data latch. When you purchase your Easy Ethernet W, you will get a download link at the bottom of your receipt that allows you to download the schematic, source code and assembly instructions (if you ordered a kit version) for your Easy Ethernet W device.
All of the Easy Ethernet code was written using Custom Computer Services PIC C Compiler. You can contact the Custom Computer Services web site from the link on the EDTP home page. If you don't see the code you need, send Pete a note and we'll email it to you. A link to Pete's email box can be found near the end of this text.
Although the Packet Whacker has not changed electronically, it has undergone some physical changes. The individual LEDs on the original Rev B Whackers have been eliminated and are now included in the LAN magnetics assembly on the current Rev C Whackers. You can get all of the latest Packet Whacker information by downloading the "Packet Whacker Package". Rev B Whackers are no longer being shipped. If you order a Packet Whacker you will receive a Rev C version. All of the original Packet Whacker code and schematics you see in the magazine article work just fine with the new Rev C Packet Whackers.
There's also a new version of the EDTP Electronics Internet Test Panel, which was seen as the "EDTP Ethernet Development Board Test Panel" in the magazine article. The new Internet Test Panel can be downloaded from the links below or you can get it from the EDTP Web Cam page. The new Internet Test Panel works with all of the Packet Whacker code in the Nuts and Volts magazine article.
Once you get familiar with the basics of the Packet Whacker, you'll find that the same Packet Whacker techniques used in Pete's Easy Ethernet article can be applied to all of the RTL8091AS-based products on the EDTP web site. The "Realtek RTL8019AS Package" contains lots of hard to find detail about the RTL8019AS Ethernet Engine IC. You'll find the datasheets and explanations in the "Realtek RTL8019AS Package" download very useful.
For those of you who want to experiment with the PIC bootloader, you'll also need a copy of Tera Term Pro, which is a free download. You can get Tera Term Pro from the links below.
The idea is to make Ethernet with a PIC as easy to implement as possible. If you run into a brick wall, send Pete a note peterbest@cfl.rr.com and we'll try our best to get you going. Be sure to take a look at the Links and Downloads page for more Ethernet code examples. Also, try out the real-time Packet Whacker web cam page. The LED you control in Pete's article has been replaced by a full-blown Telnet interface that allows you to see the message you send to the Internet-connected Packet Whacker here at EDTP.
Original Nuts and Volts Easy Ethernet Package