Drivers for FORE systems cards under FreeBSD

[Pragnesh Sampat]

> I asked Fore systems about this..
> (4 days ago)
> their response email (unfortunatly deleted) said 
> we would have to pay (I think) $10,000 (or was it 20?)
> and sign an NDA.
> 
> I wish they'd make up their mind!
> Poul and I have an ATM network with FORE aystems on it we could test against,
> but I doubt we're going to fork over 10K for it..
> 
> julian

The AALI is on our ftp server and a public document.  It does *not* require
an NDA.  What Jim Carlin (the email you are referring to) meant was for a
program we have for Independent Software Vendors (ISV).  ISV is a package
which has the source code to the driver in addition to the AALI (and some
other stuff) and requires an NDA.  There are vendors who buy this and
port/build a driver for their platform etc.  Jim just may not have been
aware that the AALI is a publicly available document.  I hope this is
clear.  Let me know otherwise.

-Pragnesh

> > 
> > 
> > I had originally mentioned this only to 2 people, which was Jordan
> > K. Hubbard and Paul Henning-Kemp, but since I have received a lot of
> > queries on this, I thought I might as well post it on the FreeBSD announce
> > groups. 
> > 
> > Included below is a posting done on the Linux-atm mailing group, by
> > Pragnesh Sampat. I have just adapted for FreeBSD.
> > 
> > RV
> > 
> > -------------------------- Announcement ----------------------------------
> > Note: This posting is somewhat commercial in nature.
> > 
> > FORE Systems is interested in enabling an ATM driver for FreeBSD.
> > 
> > For the unfamiliar, FORE Systems supports the widest range of
> > platforms/busses (EISA, PCI relevant to the PCs for example) for ATM
> > adapters for various standard physical media (OC3, Taxi, UTP).  Please see
> > below for more information about the company and for contact information.
> > 
> > Towards this end we are willing to make the ATM Adaptation Layer Interface
> > (AALI) specification available to the public via various information
> > servers (ftp, www etc.). 
> > 
> > 200 series adapter cards have an i960 processor to do the SAR.  This is
> > done by the firmware which is shipped with the software that goes with the
> > adapter.  The firmware is normally downloaded during boot and is mostly
> > transparent to the user.  ESA-200PC would come with the right firmware to
> > run on a PC.  The AALI is an interface to the firmware and will be needed
> > for driver development if a 200 series adapter will be used.
> > 
> > It would something like:
> > 
> > 
> > 		  IP
> > 		  |
> > 		Driver
> > 		  |
> > 		firmware
> > 		  |
> > 		200 series
> > 
> > 
> > The AALI is available from:
> > 	
> > ftp.fore.com:/pub/docs/
> > 
> > 	aali.readme
> > 	aali.ps
> > 
> > 
> > --Pragnesh
> > 
> > FORE Systems, Inc.
> > 	
> > Company and Contact Information:
> > 
> > FORE Systems is the worldwide leader in the design, development,
> > manufacture, and sale of high performance local area networking products
> > based on ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode) technology.  FORE offers the most
> > comprehensive ATM LAN product line available today including ForeRunner
> > switches, adapter cards, LAN access products, and video adapters,
> > ForeThought internetworking software, and ForeView network management
> > software.  FORE has delivered ATM solutions to over 500 customers including
> > Fortune 500 companies, telecommunications service providers, government
> > agencies, research institutions, and universities.  FORE Systems'
> > headquarters are located at 174 Thorn Hill Road, Warrendale, Pennsylvania
> > 15086.  
> > 
> > email: info at fore.com
> > Phone: (412) 772-6600
> > Fax  : (412) 772-6500
> > 
> > -------------------------- Announcement ----------------------------------
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
>