"Transmit timed out" with EtherExpress Pro100B

Rogier Wolff R.E.Wolff@BitWizard.nl
Tue Oct 6 12:00:35 1998


James Stevens wrote:
> Robert G. Brown wrote:
> > 
> > I personally think that it is a miracle that Don maintains basically all
> > the ethernet drivers in use in Linux today, and if he can only do so by
> > being conservative and by trying to share the largest amount possible of
> > internal code, then it is a small price to pay.
> > 
> > And let us not forget -- each and every one of us has the source.  If
> > there is a feature you would like to see added, or a bug you would like
> > to squash, feel free!  I've tried to help Don out in the past (sometimes
> > usefully, sometimes not:-) and I know he is very receptive to outside
> > contributions and bug fixes.  It's not like we're paying him for help so
> > we should feel entitled to receive it...although I personally plan to
> > buy him a beer the first chance I get!
> 
> Robert, you are absolutly right. I can not agree more, however, I don't
> have access to Intel documentation, and don't have a clue how to get it
> (I have asked). I'm just about at my wits end on this one and to me the
> EEPro-100 driver is useless.

Documentation is pretty easy. Call any intel representative and ask
them for the xxx57 datasheet (I forgot the number). They might want
you to sign an NDA. If that's the case, you won't be allowed to
photocopy the datasheet and send it over to one of the others.

If you don't feel safe writing the GPL code with an Intel NDA with
your signature on it, then you should contact Intel about that, and
get that cleared up. It seems that they are able to do that for
Donald.

Ask them for the errata sheet too. I seem to remember that Intel isn't
very easy about those: They normally want to wait until you say: "I've
spent two weeks full time debugging this, and I've come to the
conclusion that there is a bug in your silicon." They like to answer:
"Yup, you're right. That's erratum number 14, entered september 1997".

Getting intel to call you back is a hassle though. I've never gotten
the NDA thing finished, so I don't have the docs. 

If you don't want to go through the hassle, reading the driver
together with the 80586 (it's on the etherexpress 16 card) docs
allowed me to write the etherboot driver for the eepro100. 

The 80586 datasheet is not under NDA. Call an intel representative and
ask them for the datasheet.

> It is obviuosly somthing to do with the exact way the chip has been
> implemented in the unit I am trying to use, but I just don't know where
> to start.

No I don't think so. PCI chips, you just hook up to the PCI bus, and
they work. 

					Roger.

-- 
| Most people would die sooner than think....  |    R.E.Wolff@BitWizard.nl 
| in fact, most do.  -- Bertrand Russsell      |     phone: +31-15-2137555 
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