Talk:Econet

Linux

There is support for the Econet protocol in the Linux kernel.

This is not pertinent information for this page. It should be listed elsewhere

Eadric 19:54, 20 January 2006 (UTC)

I'd disagree, support for this protocol on non-acorn systems certainly belongs in this article. Plugwash 21:33, 25 February 2006 (UTC)

Find a better way to say it in the article. Right now it's just a throw away statement. Perhaps there should be a longer paragraph about support on non-acorn systems. Eadric 07:46, 7 March 2006 (UTC)

Still in use

Is Econet still in use nowadays? Are the devices still available? Maybe this item should be implemented as well.

I am not aware of Econet being in use now, except in the homes of enthusiasts. There remains the remote possibility of some sort of embedded system using Econetted Beebs, but it's increasingly unlikely. The hardware is, to my knowledge, no longer manufactured. You can waste a lot of time searching eBay, or - astonishingly - you can discover that CJE Micros actually still sells some of the hardware![1] HeyRick1973 (talk) 23:39, 28 October 2009 (UTC)

I think it is more likly to be found as a legacy in some places. It was designed to be fitted cheaply to sites that had more than one Acorn computer (or at least one with cards and mau's for the others or just a Econet fileserver), with cheap audio plugs and cheap telephone or at a push with multi-way speaker cableing. So it was very common when most education places from nursaries to Universities where buying them (core market infant to college's) and so you find units in lecture room's sidestore rooms ready for someone to ask for them, sometimes and if systems using Risc-os still are about the chances of finding someone with a fileserver in a place with low demand means they could be out there in use use still some of the parts are available and the cables and plugs are still made for other purposes, and technical support is still available for it if you know where to look.

So in conclusion it probably is but mainly were it is yet to be replaced by Ethernet. Technicaly it is from anetwork engineering point of view similar to [co-ax] Ethernet but a little downgraded in comparison to improve reliability with lower tolerance/specification cableing (designed for purpose). It's core limit is that only directly talks to 256 stations before you need a bridge that used to look a bit expensive (compared to the cheap cabling) (but then Ethernet 10base2 is similar in reality with a lot of traffic) and then I think it talks to a limit of 256 of these networks.

In reality it can do more in a point to gateway way like ethernet when both just carry the link layer of either OSI 7-layer or TCP-IP network. So the only true limit is the low speed expectations of those early design choices but even then that could be improved if you tried playing clock boosts and highspeed trunking between end multiplexers like ethernet did with base T Who uses Ethernet 10base2 now anyway. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 163.1.62.137 (talk) 20:45, 10 June 2013 (UTC)

D Connector

In response to a citation request re: the 15-pin connector, I've added a brief explanation and a reference to a page describing the interface. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 82.144.226.36 (talk) 23:49, 27 January 2009 (UTC)

New Sections

I've added three new sections regarding network services, comparison with modern systems and the 'dying' days of Econet. I'd welcome any cleanup or cite/link suggestions, as they're currently a bit thin on these. —Preceding unsigned comment added by WikiPhu (talk • contribs) 23:00, 3 February 2009 (UTC)

I've removed the commercial link to http://www.beebshop.co.uk added in this section, but left it here for you.Chaotic Doire (talk) 13:12, 28 August 2010 (UTC)

Is the quoted Risc-PC referanced date correct?

I'm thinking it is about 2 or three years early can ref to check this and a ref to show acorns offical policy or marketing stratagy in relation to the new NIC system. I dont remember a problem sourceing econet nic's and Risc-PC compatible podules from the point of first release. It's likely that people didn't see them being fitted by default to most customers as networking was customer optional extra (mainly because it was less clearcut what (now given a simpler way to get more choice) they'd whant to choose) 163.1.51.93 (talk) 17:27, 15 August 2014 (UTC)

Status in Australia

"and quickly overtook the Apple II as the computer of choice in private schools" - is there any data to support this assertion?

My experience of educational computing in schools was failrly wide at the time and I never heard of a school using them in NSW/ I was aware of their existance in the UK and hoping to see them here. Rwerkh (talk) 10:19, 2 April 2013 (UTC)

This was the period when state education departments began to call tenders to control the purchase of computers by state schools. Private schools could buy what they liked. The first BBCs sold to schools in NSW was to St Joseph’s Marist Brothers at Hunters Hill. The state tender was announced a few months later. Most states adopted BBCs only. Victoria approved Apple as well. NSW also approved the Microbee. It was rubbish but locally-produced rubbish. Rob Napier (talk) 02:38, 3 August 2024 (UTC)

=

I don't know to much about Australian use. I got the impression that some of the first contributers to the page where (in all good faith) writing from there own memories about the topic. Econet like meny things didn't recieve a lot of publicity so I guess the contributer probably developed this view form their possibly resticted viewpoint. It's a vaild viewpoint but if others have a wider more comprehensive view then some contextual clarification would not be unwarnted. I found myself at odds about some of the statements about the protocols age and the systems it applied to so I made the effort to add the machine-type table and some more positive views to the so called latter-days section at the end. Today I found the latest place to download PRM's and so expanded and updated the entries on Machine-types and port tables (I'd originaly copied details from a 1989 edition, this refered to HTML version is still Acorn (ie. likely to writen be pre-1999) though it could have updates I've not checked yet) The castle list cited as a external ref next to ports, may have more but again I not done any check for that.163.1.110.149 (talk) 20:16, 8 May 2014 (UTC)

Books on Econet

The article claims that Econet had no supporting documentation and only one book was ever published on the subject. This page lists a great many Econet publications: http://www.8bs.com/othrdnld/manuals/econet.shtml — Preceding unsigned comment added by 94.173.181.159 (talk) 20:22, 23 September 2013 (UTC)

November 2014

I've rewritten a lot of this article to try to conform better to the WP style and to improve the formatting, links and references. I'm not claiming to be an Econet expert so have not made any significant technical changes, but I have removed/rewritten a lot of stuff that seemed to be vague handwaving as opposed to sourced encyclopedic material. Feel free to add anything back if anyone feels that it really does belong here. Threefoursixninefour (talk) 20:33, 26 November 2014 (UTC)

Origins

The original design and development of econet was done in late 1980 in the 10 days leading up to the Compec exhibition. Much of the design work took place in the Eraina Cosmopolitan Taverna in Free School Lane not far from Acorn's office at 4a Market Hill in Cambridge. DIN plugs were used because they were readily available from University Audio which was just across the road.

Econet was demonstrated at the Compec Exhibition, held in the Grand Hall of London's Olympia from November 4-6 1980 (date from Practical Computing, November 1980 ). There was no publicity or marketing material for it at that time.

As far as I know, none of this history was ever recorded in anything that can be found online and I am going by my memory having been one of the five people who did most of the work nearly 40 years ago. Paul Bond and I (who both worked for Topexpress Ltd at the time) did most of the original software and three of Acorn's engineers whose names I do not remember did most of the hardware work.

Since there are no sources for any of this I am not going to add any of it to the main page but will leave it here for the benefit of anyone who may wish to know.

Owenrees (talk) 21:31, 21 May 2020 (UTC)

edited Owenrees (talk) 22:51, 3 November 2020 (UTC)

References

Abbreviation

Article states 'Econet' was short for economy network. This is not correct. It stood for Educational and College Network.

— Preceding unsigned comment added by Andygrace (talk • contribs) 21:44, 9 January 2016 (UTC)

The name "Educational and College Network" may have been invented later but the name "econet" was used by the original developers and was derived from either or both of "economy network" or "ecology network". At that time what is now the Green Party was called the Ecology Party and had green badges with "eco" on them. One of the original developers wore one.

Owenrees (talk) 21:31, 21 May 2020 (UTC)

External links modified

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