Re: MiDI driver for MiNT-net?

["J.D.Coleman" <J.D.Coleman@newcastle.ac.uk>]

> Don't use the through on the gateway machine. Use IN/OUT. That way each
> packet makes one traversal of the ring, and if a ring machine _after_ the
> target puts out a packet for it, it's the gateway's responsibility to
> route the packet back onto the ring for the target.

Will this work in the generic case?  One of the machines on the ring will
have to nominate itself as the master and control the ring traffic.  I
still don't think that the IP level and the ring (link/MAC) level should be
the same - passing a ring packet up to the IP level just to send it back
isn't exactly useful, especially as when IP routes a packet down the same
interface it will send a redirect too.  I think having a single machine
controlling the ring traffic will just add to the amount of superfluous
traffic.  Bearing in mind that midi is low bandwidth, I think the aim would
be to reduce any extra delay/packets.

If all machines on the ring use a copy in->out approach then any machine
can be a gateway.  Alternatively, the ring could just be an isolated net.
I'd be more inclined to go for something like a SYSEX-based link layer
with an ARP-type mechanism.  I'm just not sure how you would add packets
to the ring whilst making best use of bandwidth, and with no wastage.

J

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