LOR Staff Posted July 30, 2019 Share Posted July 30, 2019 The user Ben Eater on YouTube makes excellent videos on how computers work at their basic level, how networking works, etc. I love his series on building your own computer from scratch. By scratch I don't mean by buying a power supply, motherboard, etc. I mean from LOGIC GATES and physical wire. I know what accumulators, program counters, and registers are (intimately!) His videos showed how they actually work on the hardware level. I knew what they did - now I know what they are. This led me to his other videos, and a set he has on Networking. His videos take you from the lowest levels of computer communications, all the way up to IP. They are easy to follow as each video builds on the previous ones. You are not going to be a network engineer when you are done with them , but they will give you some insight as to how everything fits together. Some of the concepts are very technical but he does a good job of explaining them. For example, one of the topics he goes into detail is about having an accurate clock at both the sender and receiver of information (data framing). He then goes on to explain how clock and data signals are combined in something called 'Manchester Encoding'. You'll NEVER EVER have to know how to 'Manchester Encode' ANYThING in your life, but seeing how it is done gives you the tools to understand how other encoding is done. He is not going to teach you how to assign a static IP address, how to turn off adapters, or anything like that. Instead, you will come away with the knowledge of WHY you need to set a particular address, or WHY a packet doesn't make it to your PixCon when you have 2 adapters active without routing metrics/tables, or why your ISP just shut down your connection because you were leaking E1.31 packets onto the internet. I suggest setting aside approximately 2 hours and watching the entire 13 video series from start to finish in one sitting. Remember that the idea is not to become a network expert, but to get a general understanding WHY things work the way they do. Don't get hung up on the details, just learn the how the parts all stack together. This is the first video in the series. The entire playlist is linked above. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LOR Staff Posted July 31, 2019 Author Share Posted July 31, 2019 I'm interested if anyone has watched these (or one) and what they thought... Doing these things for a living means that I could be wrong in thinking he is explaining things in a down-to-earth, easy-to-understand manor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
orchidman Posted August 1, 2019 Share Posted August 1, 2019 Just my 2 cents 🤓 I watched all 13. My question is how it relates to LOR networking of the LOR or E1.31 networks? With my background I can make the basic jump from IP/TCP to LOR/E1.31 but I wonder how many others can make that jump. The youtube vids were very technical, interesting and informative, well worth my time, but was hoping for just a little more insight into the technical way LOR handles networking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LOR Staff Posted August 1, 2019 Author Share Posted August 1, 2019 Thanks for the reply! For me, understanding how E1.31 works starts with a foundation of understanding of how networking happens. E1.31 sits at the top of the osi model, and these videos build from the bottom. It was my thought that a good foundation could help. Knowing why a packet does what it does could help with why you can't configure your controller. Thanks for giving them a watch ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orville Posted August 8, 2019 Share Posted August 8, 2019 (edited) Just saw this thread and watched the 1st one {in your post above}, plan on watching all 13, but it's about time for me to hit the bed shortly. But will definitely be giving these a watch. Thanks for the link and info on these, I believe these will be well worth watching! P.S. Got both links bookmarked for later watching! Edited August 8, 2019 by Orville Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
a31ford Posted November 7, 2020 Share Posted November 7, 2020 On 7/31/2019 at 8:52 PM, orchidman said: Just my 2 cents 🤓 I watched all 13. My question is how it relates to LOR networking of the LOR or E1.31 networks? With my background I can make the basic jump from IP/TCP to LOR/E1.31 but I wonder how many others can make that jump. The youtube vids were very technical, interesting and informative, well worth my time, but was hoping for just a little more insight into the technical way LOR handles networking. Orchaidman: FYI, (DevMike if stepping on toes, please advise) LOR uses the RS-485 Serial protocol system, they opted for Cat5 cable and ends because they where 1) easy for the user to get parts for custom cables, and 2) the board connectors are "off the shelf". 3) the twisted pair in cat5 is the perfect mate to RS485. RS-485, like I said, is a Serial communication system HOWEVER, it is very different from the common RS-232 (On most older computers). RS-232 uses a multi wire control system to deliver and receive data, Tx/Rx CTS, RTS, Ground, and V+ (5v) many people discard the CTS and RTS, and use only the basic 4 wires, BUT, RS-232 has a limit of cable length of a mere 150 feet (thereabouts), where as RS-485 (with correct cable termination resistors (120 ohm, each end) can EASILY do 4000 feet ! on twisted pair !!! There in lies the HUGE difference in the two RS standards. RS-485 uses common mode "DIFFERENTIAL PAIR" (2 wires), it can be used on normal 4 wire telephone cord, BUT, if it is NOT twisted pair, (the silver cord with the wires side by side is a good example of NOT twisted pair) it gets "spastic" around 200 feet, the twisted pair in Cat5 cable is the other half of the robust and very reliable communication system of RS-485. Rather than using the 232 standard of dots and dashes on a 5 volt signal level, 485 uses 12 volt differential signalling BETWEEN the pair (the out/in of the system uses a floating reference and the two wires swap voltages to indicate digital data. because the twisted pair acts as a common mode filter system, the entire cable "ACTS" as if it was a shielded cable (when you twist the wires, they form a pseudo-shield for the opposite wire in the pair) RS-485 is used in Industry for huge machine sensors and control, for data loggers & time keeping system. In cars the "CANABUS" data system is a 2 wire RS-485 system (even though the industry does NOT want people to know that). RS-485 is one of the most robust signal transfer methods I have seen or dealt with in my 50+ years in electronics. Greg Manning Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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