RE: Is is possible to receive a cheep SubVendorID?

[Dave New <NewD@esi.com>]

<snip>

>   There are a growing number of hard cores+FPGA and also PCI
> interface chips (e.g. Lucent OR3TP12, AMCC S5920s and Tundra parts) that
> make PCI interfacing to a bunch of 7400 NAND gates almost feasible.

Note that I said PCI interfacing *with* a bunch
of 7400 NAND gates.  In other words, implementing
the interface itself in SSI logic.  While it
might be an interesting (and complex) classroom
exercise, it has no practical value, as the unit
cost would be prohibitive.  And, of course, regular
7400 logic speed (to take a ridiculous supposition
and make it even more so 8-) is too slow for 33 MHz
PCI timing requirements, anyway.

>   While the FPGA software is expensive, one needn't own it,
> just have access to it at school or at work.

Access to expensive hardware/software tools in a
classroom situation is possibly a given condition,
depending on just how much of a budget a school
has for such things.

>   Consider some designer working at a big firm who cooks up a PCI
interface 
> for his garage door opener in his garage.

I don't believe I have to point out the danger of
using such tools at work, for what appears to
be a personal or even another company's project.
Ethics aside, your current employer would have some
choice words to say about using their resources for
outside work.  So, as far as I'm concerned, access
to such tools at work does not constitute low-cost
access for the midnight entrepreneur.  In fact, once
all the court costs are paid, it could be a very high
price option, indeed.

>   I tried to get a product ID from AMCC over two years ago... I never
> got one from them. Solidum systems eventually just paid our money and
> got our own. Ten minutes with the EEPROM programmer and we were done.

I have no personal experience with getting a Device ID from AMCC.  I
only noted that they had a postcard in their databook to apply for
one.  My company had already paid for a membership, since especially
in those days released PCI specifications where only available to members.
We ended up with our own Vendor ID.

>   We also stamp the AMD PCnet32 on our classification NIC with our
> sub-id so that we tell it from a stock PCnet32 card. (We have two
> targets on our NIC)

Good example of that kind of use.  Of course, a registered (with AMD)
Device ID would have done the trick as well (assuming the AMD chip
in question would support that usage).

Cheers,

-- DaveN