Tri-mode or gigebit ethernet support problem in ML403

[Grant Likely]

On 5/23/06, Ming Liu <eemingliu at hotmail.com> wrote:
> Hi Grant,
> I want to ask you a problem about the 1000M ethernet support. Now I am
> trying to integrate a linux (2.4 or 2.6) in my ML403 platform, with
> tri-mode ethernet support. And I have downloaded many versions of linux,
> including linuxppc_2_4_devel, MontaVista linux 3.1 Preview
> Kit(v2.4.20_mvl31-ml300), and linux-xilinx-26. Unfortunately, I didn't find
> any option in the menuconfig item Network Device Support->ethernet
> (1000Mbit) for me to enable the 1000M ethernet in all three versions.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but AFAIK non of the public trees
have a driver for the TEMAC.  Xilinx EDK 8.1 does include drivers for
the TEMAC and it *should* generate a working BSP for MontaVista Linux
3.1 (patched 2.4 kernel).  It should also work with the linuxppc-2.4
tree.

If you want it on a 2.6, you'll need to port the driver.  Regardless,
the Xilinx driver code is NOT GPL'd, so beware.

> So I have the following questions to ask.
>
> 1. With Xilinx Virtex 4 tri-mode ethernet MAC support, which version of
> Linux shall I use? I think I should choose a version with Xilinx On-chip
> Ethernet supported in the 1000M ethernet item in menuconfig.

Both Linux 2.4 and 2.6 are usable.  You've got some work to do to port
the driver in either case.

> 2. Assume that you can provide me a proper version. Shall I use Xilinx EDK
> to generate the BSP for my platform and copy the source code to overwrite
> the drivers in the original version. Then configure the kernel and enable
> 1000M ethernet (choose Xilinx on-chip ethernet). Then compile the
> kernel...... Are these steps correct?

The TEMAC and EMAC are totally different devices, and I haven't looked
to see if TEMAC driver uses the same API, but it is probably a good
starting point.

Cheers,
g.

-- 
Grant Likely, B.Sc. P.Eng.
Secret Lab Technologies Ltd.
grant.likely at secretlab.ca
(403) 399-0195