I have a need to use the ethernet port for I/O connection to the outside world. I have no need to gain access to any networks, I just want to be able to send and recieve data to a PC. Think of this like a parallel port.

I have been reading all the posts in this section, but must admit I know nothing about ethernet connections. Is this something that can be done with 1 of the many chips referred to through this section of the forum?

I am sorry to sound vague, but I really don't even know what to ask to get started asking questions. I see there are serial to ethernet adaptors, can I assume this would act like a rs232 to USB adaptor? In other words the PC would think its talking to the network card, and the PIC would think its talking to the serial port? I don't want to send AT commands.

My device would be a slave, all comms would start from the PC. For instance the PC would send a read data command, and the PiC would respond with the packet of data. OR, the PC sends data, and the PIC grabs it and does what it needs to with it.

Here is a link to what I want to acheive:
http://wiki.linuxcnc.org/cgi-bin/emcinfo.pl?Etherlab

Thanks for reading this LOONNg post.