Telnet host

pilar · Joined: 30 Jan 2008 Posts: 197

Hi, I have the following problem:
I have a medical equipment which has to be set up but it has only an ethernet port. The configuration must be done using Telnet commands. Using a PC this is very simple, but I do not want to use a PC, I want to use a PIC to do this function (Telnet host). Someone might suggest how or what to use to do this.

bkamen · Posted: Mon Aug 16, 2010 11:03 pm

Why?

Why MUST you use a PIC for this?
_________________
Dazed and confused? I don't think so. Just "plain lost" will do. :D

pilar · Joined: 30 Jan 2008 Posts: 197

Ttelmah · Joined: 11 Mar 2010 Posts: 19569

Just because you can't use a conventional PC, doesn't make a PIC the next choice.
Seriously, consider something like a pocket-PC. Off the shelf. Telnet code already written, etc. etc.. You could have a system running in a day, versus a few weeks development time to even start doing a PIC version, with the costs of a prototype running to many dozens of times the cost of a pocket-PC.....

Best Wishes

andrewg · Posted: Tue Aug 17, 2010 8:40 am

I imagine that most pocket-PCs don't have an ethernet port. A netbook is probably the best pre-built option.

Regarding using a PIC, CCS have a TCP/IP library that supports the ENC28J60. Using a suitable MagJack will simplify construction, although there's no avoiding a custom PCB. It's relatively easy to write code to open a TCP stream (which is basically all Telnet is) and read/write. There are relevant examples with the library. You will need current CCS support to download the library.

You will need to use at least an 18F part with 64KB Flash (the TCP/IP library is relatively large). Also consider how you're going to obtain/configure the TCP/IP addresses, network mask, etc. You'll need a display and buttons at least. Although I guess you'll need that anyway to configure your device.
_________________
Andrew

bkamen · Posted: Tue Aug 17, 2010 8:43 am

pilar · Joined: 30 Jan 2008 Posts: 197

Thanks for your suggestions ...

bkamen · Posted: Tue Aug 17, 2010 10:57 am

No Problem...

and if you have a netbook (with linux or windows) you can easily automate setup writing in something like Expect (a scripting language) with your own easy port-23 connection.

Cheers,

-Ben
_________________
Dazed and confused? I don't think so. Just "plain lost" will do. :D