[68038] in North American Network Operators' Group
Re: First Post! Annoying Debate at Work.
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Roland Perry)
Sun Feb 29 07:57:10 2004
Date: Sun, 29 Feb 2004 12:55:00 +0000
To: nanog@merit.edu
From: Roland Perry <nanog@internetpolicyagency.com>
In-Reply-To: <995D16CF41467B41BD5B411D8E370ADB013D2722@scn-server-ex.scnet.com>
Errors-To: owner-nanog-outgoing@merit.edu
> USB in this scenario would be synonymous with PCI, in regards
>to the type of technology that interfaces with the cpu.
Yes.
>3) Just because a device has two physical mediums of
>connectivity, dosent make it a ?converter?. My coworkers argue that a
>USB Ethernet adapter is an ?Ethernet to USB Converter?.
Perhaps they are being confused by the existence of things like
USB/Serial and USB/Parallel "converters" (I have one of the former here,
for when I need to plug my GPS receiver into my laptop), but in fact
these are "adapters", just like the PCI/Serial and PCI/Parallel cards
you might buy to fit in a PCI slot [although most PCs have this
functionality on the motherboard, so extra cards are unnecessary].
Another way of telling that they are adapters (even the USB/Serial one)
rather than converters, is that that they need Windows Drivers, which
are added by the standard plug-n-pray system when you first attach that
device to the PC. A genuine converter (like 9-25 pin serial) doesn't
need a driver.
> If this is
>true, then the following could be said:
>
> a. A PCI Ethernet Adapter is a ?converter? because it
>?converts? Ethernet to PCI.
You are on the right track here - both the PCI and USB items are
"adapters". Neither are "converters".
> c. Lastly ( I love this one ), An integrated Ethernet
>adapter on a motherboard is a ?converter? because it ?converts?
>ethernet to uhh ?? processor? Riiiiight?
It's a few years since I designed a PC, but I think you'll find that
motherboard adapters like are actually connected to the PCI bus, but
internally across the PCB, rather than via a separable connector (and at
early stages in their evolution using the exact same chip soldered to
the motherboard as would have been on the plug-in card).
--
Roland Perry
