>On Sun, May 17, 2009 at 12:32 AM, solarwind <x.solarwind.x@gmail.com> 
>wrote:
>> After hours of research, I was unable to find a suitable realtime,
>> multi-master/peer-to-peer network protocol for RS485. So I made my
>> own.
...
>2. Whatever you do, partition it from your program using a very well
>defined programming interface (API) of functions (initialize network
>functions, run network task, read packet, write packet, etc).  This
>will enable you to A) rip out the network and drop in another network
>type without reprogramming your code and B) use your network code in
>any project.  This will be important as you go along, especially if
>you plan to incorporate other media (radio, powerline, etc)
>
>3. You say you haven't found a "suitable" network protocol but there
>is absolutely _nothing_ unique about the protocol you have designed.
>Reinventing the wheel is a fun pasttime, but is that really what you
>want to be spending your time on?  If so, great, keep going.  If not,
>take another hard look at existing solutions and incorporate one of
>them.  If you still find it lacking you can always rip it out and put
>your own in later.

In fact getting the project going by starting with an already existing 
protocol/transport layer will often show if the 'assumptions' that were made 
in deciding you really needed to design a new network system are actually 
valid. Hence doing the partitioning in the way that Adam suggests is valid, 
and carries on into the mail that Dr Skip sent just after Adams.

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