[vortex] iomem allocation by network driver

Michael Wisse mwisse@hs-harz.de
Tue Apr 29 09:55:54 2003


Hi!

We have bought new computers with 3c905C  cards. The 3c59x driver 
detects the card as Tornado:  "PCI 3c905C Tornado at 0xcc00. Vers LK1.1.16"

In this computers plugs an ISA card, which needs ISA memory in the range 
of 0xd0000 to 0xdffff.  We found out in /proc/iomem, that unfortunatly 
the 3c905C network driver allocates iomemory in the range from 
000d0000-000d07ff,  which is marked as "Extension ROM" , so that the ISA 
cards don't work. Unfortunately there is no other range free below 
1MByte for the ISA card.  If  I unplug the NIC  and restart the 
computer, this range is free.  
If I use an older card (3c905B, detected by the driver as Cyclone), this 
memory range stays free, too,  and the ISA cards work.

Why does the driver for the newer card allocates memory in space below 1 
Mbyte? Can this be prevented?
Which memory range is meant by the driver message "at 0xcc00"?

Regards
Michael Wisse