Difference between revisions of "PCI card firmware"

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UBC-produced firmware for the ARC-64 [[PCI card]].  [[MAS]] provides a linux kernel driver for this firmware.
 
== Download ==
 
== Download ==
  

Revision as of 17:27, 8 June 2012

Template:Hierarchy header UBC-produced firmware for the ARC-64 PCI card. MAS provides a linux kernel driver for this firmware.

Download

These S-record files should work with any reasonable EEPROM programmer:


The full source code is available in these archives (it will not compile unless you get the correct assembler and stuff):

The subversion tree can be obtained like this (you may not have access to this repository; contact UBC); 

svn checkout svn://e-mode.phas.ubc.ca/arc_pci

It is laid out roughly as follows: 

/trunk       main line of development
/releases    tagged versions of code 
/tools       debugging tools
/clash       stuff for making CLAS work with wine and linux
/docs        useful (though maybe not to you) notes

Firmware version notes

U0106 (2011-11-21): Recommended version

  • Backward compatible with U0104 and U0105.
  • Fixes bug introduced in U0105 that prevented handling of some PCI bus errors.
  • Introduction of command to update PCI burst size.

U0105 (2009-06-08)

  • Backward compatible with U0104.
  • Support for MCE STOP commands and commands-on-the-fly.
  • Accelerated MCE command code (along with Quiet-RP this increases commanding rate to ~6 kHz).
  • Quiet-RP simplifies the protocol for MCE reply handling.
  • Low-level improvements:
    • CON is done as PCI burst
    • Fibre-optic FIFO is emptied with timed read instead of polling.
    • Hand-shaking for interrupts instead of host command to clear INTA and HC3.
    • Non-interrupt context code disables interrupts when performing PCI transactions.
    • Host vector interrupts are otherwise enabled, so PC doesn't have to force with HNMI bit.
  • Bugs and fixes:
    • Some PCI bus arbitration conditions are mis-handled. This is fixed in U0106; alternately the commands below can be issued to patch active U0105 firmware. (The patch will not survive a power cycle.):
dsp_cmd -qx write P 0x053c 0xa7011
dsp_cmd -qx write P 0x0577 0xa7011

U0104: First version with non-realtime linux support

  • Implements quiet transfer mode! Remains backwards compatible with A1.4.
  • Fixes the 64k boundary crossing issue
  • Moves parameters that enter via interrupt out of registers and into variables
  • Version reporting tag-along to RDM command (sending 'VER' to RDM's vector address returns the code version).
  • Maximum burst length is reduced to 64 bytes, and is configurable.
  • Reset (RST) clears the fibre fifo

U0103: Oldest UBC release

  • Minor modifications of SCUBA2's A1.4 firmware, to improve PCI stability.
  • Not compatible with non-realtime systems.

Programming the ARC64 Flash memory

To program or upgrade the PCI card's firmware, it is necessary to remove the flash memory chip from the card and program it using a standard EEPROM programmer.

  1. Obviously you should turn off your computer and stuff first.
  2. The chip is a large DIP located at U5 on the PCI board. To remove the chip you may use one of the following (in increasing order of risk, and decreasing order of barbarism):
    1. telekinesis
    2. a chip removal tool
    3. needle-nose pliers
    4. a screw-driver
    5. thumb and finger
    6. fingers only
  3. The chip is a standard 256 Kbit electrically erasable Flash ROM. If you can't find the particular part in your EEPROM programmer software, try using one of these compatible parts:
    1. Fujitsu MBM28C256
    2. CSI (Catalyst) CAT28C256 L
    3. Anything else that has 28C256 in its name.
  4. The firmware we provide is compiled into a [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SREC_%28file_format%29 Motorola S-record format ] hex file. This is a standard format that your programmer software should be able to cope with.
  5. When placing the chip back in the board, the notch on the chip should be at the same end as the notch on the socket.

Other information

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