The implementation of a LAN

The subject of this thesis concerns the development of a Local Area Network (LAN) for the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at the University of Cape Town. Motivation for this project was as a result of the ever increasing demands placed on the department's micro-computer training facilities by larger student intakes. The original training system consisted of a PDP 11/23 mini-computer connected via 9600 baud asynchronous links to 11 U.C.T. built micro-computers. This network topology was limiting in three ways: 1. It was slow because of the 9600 baud links and because the PDP was doing a large proportion of the processing.2. High-leve 1 software development tools for the PDP were too expensive and would over-load the computer. Because the micro-computers have no operating system but only an "in-house" monitor program which is not able to support any high-level language utility, all high-level software tools would have to be individually developed for this particular environment. 3. Switching was impractical. Because the PDP was the hub of the network all communication between computers had. to pass through it. This switching would lead to a greater processing load on the PDP, thus further degrading its performance. A two pronged attack was used to overcome these weaknesses: firstly, by designing a high-speed (1 Mbps) LAN to provide communications between a PDP 11/23 and up to 30 U.C.T. built micro-computers, faster inter-computer communication as well as switching and resource sharing was facilitated. Secondly, by customizing an operating system for the micro-computers, standard high-level software development tools could be used on these computers, consequently reducing the PDP's processing load.

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

Department of Electrical Engineering

Year dc:date.issued

1988

Author dc:creator

• McGrath, Quintin Peter

Advisors dc:contributor.advisor

• Bradlow, H S
• Ventura, M J

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/11427/8323

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/8323