[vortex-bug] AUI connector with 3C905B-Combo, a workaround

[Moritz Franosch]

Bogdan Costescu <Bogdan.Costescu@IWR.Uni-Heidelberg.De> writes:

> On 9 Aug 2000, Moritz Franosch wrote:
> 
> > This is how to get the AUI connector to work with the 3Com
> > 3C905B-Combo EtherLink 10/100 PCI NIC.
> > 
> > Does the AUI connector work for anyone simply with 'modprobe 3c59x
> > options=1' (I get no answer to ping)?
> > 
> > Insert the module and select the 10baseT interface (!).
> > modprobe 3c59x options=0 
> > 
> > Load the driver again, this time with the right option
> > insmod 3c59x options=1
> 
> Do you mean that simply modprobe 3c59x options=1 does not work the first
> time and you have to pass first options=0 and then options=1 to make it
> work ?

Yes, all steps I have described in the workaround are necessary,
especially the (unsuccessful) ping. Loading and unloading the driver
with various options does not lead to successful pings.


> Anyway, the driver expects this card to work using the autonegotiation/MII
> interface. As the docs that I have do not mention this card, I have no
> ideea about the hardware configuration and if the autonegotiation part
> should automatically switch to the AUI port (I guess not!).

I think so, too, from what I read.


> In this case, IMHO you have 2 options:
> - pass options=1 every time the driver is started

This is exactly what does not work here.


> - use the DOS utility or vortex-diag to modify the default media (the
> media that will be selected at boot) to AUI; then the driver will use it.

You mean
vortex-diag -F AUI

I'll try this. But the problem is not that the wrong interface is
selected at boot time but that complicated steps are necessary to get
the card to work.

My /etc/modules.conf contains the lines
options 3c59x          options=1
pre-install 3c59x  insmod 3c59x options=0 ; /sbin/init.d/network start ; ping -c 1 -w 1 129.187.127.254 ; /sbin/init.d/network stop ; rmmod 3c59x


'vortex-diag -v' reports that I am currently using the 10base2
interface, which is wrong (should be AUI).

star2:# ./vortex-diag -v
vortex-diag.c:v2.02 7/1/2000 Donald Becker (becker@scyld.com)
 http://www.scyld.com/diag/index.html
Index #1: Found a 3c905B Cyclone 10/100/BNC adapter at 0xc800.
 Indication enable is 06c6, interrupt enable is 06de.
 No interrupt sources are pending.
 Transceiver/media interfaces available:  100baseTx 10baseT 10base2 AUI10baseFL.
Transceiver type in use:  10base2.
 MAC settings: half-duplex.
 Station address set to 00:01:02:2a:bb:a9.
 Configuration options 000a.
Parsing the EEPROM of a 3Com Vortex/Boomerang:
 3Com Node Address 00:01:02:2A:BB:A9 (used as a unique ID only).
 OEM Station address 00:01:02:2A:BB:A9 (used as the ethernet address).
 Manufacture date (MM/DD/YYYY) 1/26/2000, division H, product DG.
Options: none.
  Vortex format checksum is incorrect (00dc vs. 10b7).
  Cyclone format checksum is correct (0x89 vs. 0x89).
  Hurricane format checksum is correct (0x89 vs. 0x89).
 MII PHY found at address 24, status 780d.
 MII PHY 0 at #24 transceiver registers:
   2100 780d 0000 0000 01e1 0000 0000 0000
   0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000
   0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000
   0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000.
 Use '-a' or '-aa' to show device registers,
     '-e' to show EEPROM contents, -ee for parsed contents,
  or '-m' or '-mm' to show MII management registers.


Thank you for your reply,

Moritz