[vortex] Error with 3c59x , Kernel 2.4.20

[Alexandre Aufrere]

Well, i don't know if it's the right place. I've seen other such post in the 
archives, but no answer was given.

Under big load, my card dies out, with the following stack:

 NETDEV WATCHDOG: eth0: transmit timed out
 eth0: transmit timed out, tx_status 00 status e000.
   diagnostics: net 0cc0 media 88c0 dma 005000a1.
   Flags; bus-master 1, dirty 365971(3) current 365987(3)
   Transmit list 0eee92c0 vs. ceee92c0.
   0: @ceee9200  length 80000093 status 00000093
   1: @ceee9240  length 8000001e status 8000001e
   2: @ceee9280  length 80000080 status 80000080
   3: @ceee92c0  length 800005c2 status 000005c2
   4: @ceee9300  length 80000095 status 00000095
   5: @ceee9340  length 80000536 status 00000536
   6: @ceee9380  length 8000007c status 0000007c
   7: @ceee93c0  length 80000536 status 00000536
   8: @ceee9400  length 80000032 status 00000032
   9: @ceee9440  length 80000095 status 00000095
   10: @ceee9480  length 80000080 status 00000080
   11: @ceee94c0  length 80000080 status 00000080
   12: @ceee9500  length 80000080 status 00000080
   13: @ceee9540  length 80000536 status 00000536
   14: @ceee9580  length 80000080 status 00000080
   15: @ceee95c0  length 80000080 status 00000080

It's quite sudden, and did not happen "before".
Restarting the if (ifdown eth0 && ifup eth0) solves the problem... till it 
crashes again.

lspci -v for my ethernet adapter:

00:0f.0 Ethernet controller: 3Com Corporation 3c900 10BaseT [Boomerang]
        Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 64, IRQ 5
        I/O ports at d800 [size=64]
        Expansion ROM at cffe0000 [disabled] [size=64K]

kernel boot message for the adapter:

3c59x: Donald Becker and others. www.scyld.com/network/vortex.html
00:0f.0: 3Com PCI 3c900 Boomerang 10baseT at 0xd800. Vers LK1.1.16

cat /proc/interrupts , in case it helps :

  0:     118991          XT-PIC  timer
  1:         40          XT-PIC  keyboard
  2:          0          XT-PIC  cascade
  5:      11197          XT-PIC  usb-ohci, eth0, Ensoniq AudioPCI, bttv
  8:          1          XT-PIC  rtc
 10:          0          XT-PIC  usb-ohci
 11:          4          XT-PIC  eth1
 12:      12721          XT-PIC  PS/2 Mouse
 14:      11545          XT-PIC  ide0
 15:      52032          XT-PIC  ide1

(eth0 is the 3Com at stake, and eth1 an unused integrated SiS900).

vortex-diag -a in normal condition (i'll provide in "dead" condition a bit 
later, if necessary):

vortex-diag.c:v2.05 5/15/2001 Donald Becker (becker@scyld.com)
 http://www.scyld.com/diag/index.html
Index #1: Found a 3c900 Boomerang 10baseT adapter at 0xd800.
The Vortex chip may be active, so FIFO registers will not be read.
To see all register values use the '-f' flag.
Initial window 7, registers values by window:
  Window 0: 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 00bf ffff 0000.
  Window 1: FIFO FIFO 0000 2000 8000 00ff 13fc 2000.
  Window 2: 6000 4a97 ccfa 0000 0000 0000 06c6 4000.
  Window 3: 02d8 0103 0000 0000 e108 0bff 13ff 6000.
  Window 4: 0000 00d0 0000 0cc0 0000 88c0 0000 8000.
  Window 5: 1ffc fffc 06c6 0600 0007 06ce 06c6 a000.
  Window 6: 0000 0000 0000 9500 0000 2e78 2a06 c000.
  Window 7: 2548 0eef 0000 0000 8000 00ff 500c e000.
Vortex chip registers at 0xd800
  0xD810: **FIFO** 00000000 00008000 *STATUS*
  0xD820: 00000021 00000000 0dfd2282 0600002c
  0xD830: 00000000 0000bdff 0eef20a0 00000000
 Indication enable is 06c6, interrupt enable is 06ce.
 No interrupt sources are pending.
 Transceiver/media interfaces available:  10baseT.
Transceiver type in use:  10baseT.
 MAC settings: half-duplex.
Maximum packet size is 0.
 Station address set to 00:60:97:4a:fa:cc.
 Configuration options 06c6.

To finish, no option is passed to the module through /etc/modules.conf , and 
the ethernet adapter is connected only to an Alcatel ADSL modem.

Thanx in advance for your help,

Alexandre