Overview

This topic describes the Standard Network Interface and the additional hardware and software you will require.

Introduction

The Standard Network Interface (PCSNI) provides a device-independent network interface for PCi applications. It can be used with Northgate PC Ethernet LAN Cards to connect to a Northgate S-LAN local area network or to UNIX hosts by using TCP/IP.

PC connected to host via network

SNI network layers PCSNI consists of a Windows DLL (Dynamic Link Library) that provides an interface to the Windows Sockets library (WinSock). This allows you to connect to any UNIX system that is capable of running the Telnet daemon (telnetd), to systems running Northgate UNIX-Connect version 1.3 Rev F or later, and to Windows systems with Reality 8.0 or later.

To use PCSNI, you will require a suitable LAN card. TCP/IP Transport and Windows Sockets software is supplied with Windows.

PCSNI can only be used from Windows PCi applications (for example, RealLink for Windows). The dynamic link library WINSNI.DLL provides the interface between these and the Windows Sockets DLL as shown in the diagram.