Not exactly answering your question but if you want an easy ethernet
interface one of these products might help:

http://www.digi.com/products/embeddedsolutions/digiconnectme.jsp
http://www.saelig.com/miva/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=ETH001&Category_Code=ETH

Cheers,
Zik

On 27/06/06, Josh Koffman <joshybear@gmail.com> wrote:
> Hi all. So I've been thinking about all sorts of little embedded
> Ethernet projects I want to do (someday when I am a better
> programmer), and one thing keeps jumping out at me: adressing. Sure,
> it's easy to configure a computer to access a network becuase it has a
> screen and a keyboard. The devices I want to build are to be tiny and
> won't have the space for all sorts of switches and an LCD (or the cost
> come to think of it). So how to recognize these devices across the
> network?
>
> Here are a few ideas I've had:
>
> 1. Hardcode everything. Not such a great option IMO, especially if the
> units are travelling between networks.
>
> 2. Have some sort of discovery program that runs as a PC application
> and allows you to configure the devices. Not a bad idea, but I can't
> program for PCs. Guess I'd have to find a partner. Also how to
> identify the individual units if they are geographically spread out? I
> guess manually writing down the MAC addresses would work but seems
> cumbersome. Can't "flash the LEDs" if you can't see the remote
> device...
>
> 3. Some sort of intelligent controller (ie PDA or custom built
> solution) that connected up to each individual device and allowed
> configuration. I like this idea, but I can't program for PDA.
>
> This isn't pressing, I don't think I will be working on these projects
> any time soon, but man those Xports are tempting. So what would you
> do?
>
> Josh
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