NTP server / External (no "www") time base for PC / DCF77

[Charles Linquis]

I started using Lantronix years ago, because I bought their development kit first and also because of the small size of the XPort. I built up this complex scheme of writing the setup records over the serial port (since the customer dictated that setup NOT be allowed over Ethernet). The first board (18F8720 + XPort) started out as telnet only, but I just kept adding capability. First UDP then SNMP. The SNMP part was the hardest, because - while the most devices claim to support SNMP, they mean that the device itself terminates the SNMP request. That doesn't work for me, because I needed to support SNMP reading *MY* sensors. So the XPort has to become a UDP tunnel and I have to process the SNMP packets and OIDs in my code - not trivial! I also must send SNMP traps upon errors.

Later on, I needed SNMP and SSH/SSL simultaneously, so I used the Lantronix MatchPort AR. It handles the encryption. But setting up that device is not easy either - it uses XML records!

The biggest challenge was finding devices that allowed relatively easy configuration and setup over the SERIAL port, and yet blocked all attempts to configure through Ethernet (and would't even respond to pings). Military protocols demand that. All the serial<->Lan people want to impress me with the easy setup over Ethernet using a GUI. I tell them that is the exact opposite of what I need!

Like so many other cases - I'm so far down the road with Lantronix, it would be hard to switch now.

[dhouston]

Like so many other cases - I'm so far down the road with Lantronix, it would be hard to switch now.

Understood. I wasn't trying to convert you, anyway. But, for people just starting with this, looking at WizNET (http://www.wiznet.co.kr/en/), ConnectOne (http://www.connectone.com/default.asp) and Tibbo (http://tibbo.com/) is a good idea if only to get an idea of the various choices available.

PS: I also used the XPort but it was my second route. My first was with BasCom AVR.

[gadelhas]

Thank you Charles!

[LGabrielson]

Charles,

Thanks for your code post. I was considering a Netburner 'PINK' module, but you've got me looking at the Lantronix Pro again. I have to admit that I'm really in the dark when doing an ethernet project!! If I'm primarily interested in sending emails and (in the future) acquiring the time, and serving up a simple web page to give input to a PIC project, what Lantronix evaluation board should I buy? I'm equally unexperienced in Linux and 'Evolution' OS's, but need to buy an eval board just to have a ready-built platform in which to experiment sending and receiving serially from my PIC to the Lantronix. With really NO experience, except for PIC's and PBP, which eval board from Lantronix would you buy?

Thanks for your opinion, and best regards,
Len G.

[LGabrielson]

I've decided to give Lantronix Matchport module a try. Onward.

[dhouston]

IIRC, Roving Network's RN-XV http://www.rovingnetworks.com/products/RN_XV WiFly module automatically contacts an NTP server and updates its onboard RTC every 4 hours. It's also quite inexpensive ($35) and connects via serial.

[dhouston]

My memory is a bit cloudy. (I've been in/out of hospital 7 times in past 3 months which wreaks havoc on continuity.) You supply the RN-XV an IP for a SNTP server and it can be configured to get the time at power-up and every 0-??? minutes afterwards.

See the User Manual which you can d/l from http://www.rovingnetworks.com/resources/show/product:1