Econet in all its guises • Re: PiBridge 2.1-dev pushed to github

Given that you've tried without the SJ Research terminator plug, it's unlikely to be the issue. However, you shouldn't really mix the SJ Research style terminators with the Pi generated clock (or the Simon Inns style clock). Those SJ Research terminators are designed to work with the SJ Research clock, which generates an elevated 'phantom' voltage required to power the terminators. The PiEconetBridge doesn't generate the elevated voltage required to power the data line terminators, so any far end termination requires it's own 5v supply.

Righto - in that case I can dig out the BeebMaster clock box if needed, and turn off the clock on the bridge.

Normally, the termination on the bridge alone is sufficient to get a reliable network. However, if you have a long a cable run to the far end devices, then you may require additional termination at the far end. If required, the data line termination can be powered with a remote 5v supply.

The cable run is literally sat on a tabletop - the cable from the bridge to the socket box is perhaps a metre long, and the cable to the RISC PC is one of the Acorn standard ones so possibly about two metres.

Alternatively, if you use one of my 11 port hubs (which has built in terminating resistors) at the far end and connect the bridge and hub via CAT5 cabling, then the hub will receive a 5v feed from the bridge (via some of the extra cores on the CAT5 cable), and this supply can be used to power the hub.

Alas my bridge only has the DIN sockets, but it looks like I could desolder one and replace it with an RJ45 jack if I wanted to go that route. I'd need to pick up an 11-port hub though - and it sounds like I'd need some other parts (CAT5 to DIN adapters and terminators) to make that work

Thanks
Phil.

Statistics: Posted by philpem — Sat May 25, 2024 12:07 am

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