What PCI specs will I need?
Hello all,
Our company is being forced to buy modules in mini-PCI because nobody
will sell us the discrete componets we desire. So we are going to have to build an embedded computer to use them. I know we will need the basic specification, but I was wondering if we need to get the BIOS specification as well or does Linux handle it?
Many thanks in advance,
Conn
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Conn Clark
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Electronic Systems Technology Inc. www.esteem.com
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Ralph,
We are looking at three posible canidates for the CPU. They are the
IBM-405GP the Motorola MPC8250 and the Motorola MGT-5200 (if motorola decides to make it ). I haven't ever needed to design a PCI computer before so I don't know what the BIOS's duties are. I know I need to know capacitnces, impeadances, etc..... so the standard spec is a must to get I also know I need the mini-PCI spec. I just need to know if I need to get the BIOS spec as well or does linux or PPCboot take care of all of that.
Quoted 21 lines · Ralph Blach
Conn,
Have you looked at the IBM 405GP with an embedded pci controller? It can either be a host or client on a PCI bus.
Chip
Quoted 10 lines · Conn Clark
Hello all,
Our company is being forced to buy modules in mini-PCI because nobody
will sell us the discrete componets we desire. So we are going to have to build an embedded computer to use them. I know we will need the basic specification, but I was wondering if we need to get the BIOS specification as well or does Linux handle it?Many thanks in advance,
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Conn
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Conn Clark
Engineering Stooge [email protected]
Electronic Systems Technology Inc. www.esteem.com
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Quoted 7 lines · Ralph Blach
Conn,
The first thing to ask is what you want your bios to do? If you are making an adapter card,
it will be much different than if you are. Linux for mot and IBM have a pretty complete pci scan.
We will be building a small system that was two (mabey three) mini-PCI slots.
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IBM supplies an open bios that also scans the PCI and does some setup.
1)will you have fixed devices on your device. This makes pci setup much simpler.
2)pci is not that hard if you have a fixed number of devices. A generalized pci scan
is very difficult.
Our system will only contain devices we choose to stick in it, so mabey a complete scan isn't needed.
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Heres a books you can get from amazon.com
PCI System Architecture (4th Edition) -- by Tom Shanley, et al; Paperback PCI & PCI-X Hardware and Software (Architecture and Design) -- by Ed Solari; Hardcover
Do either of these books contain all of the electrical characteristic details ( such as impeadance, capacitiance, bus loading, etc) ?
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By the I work for IBM and have extensive experience with the 405. I have not worked with
the Mot parts but to fair, I have very good things about it.
The IBM 405GP is not out of the running yet. If they had one with PCI, an SPI, an I2c, two serial ports, and two 10/100Mbps ethernet ports it would have won hands down for our aplication.
Quoted 3 lines
You can get hardware questions answered about the 405 by contacting [email protected]
Thats handy.
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MontaVista does the linux for both.
Chip
Conn Clark wrote:
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Conn
Thanks for the input
Conn
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Conn Clark
Engineering Stooge [email protected]
Electronic Systems Technology Inc. www.esteem.com
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Hello Emanuel,
Quoted 8 lines · emanuel stiebler
Quoted 2 lines · Conn Clark
Hello all,
Please explain a little further what you're trying to do ...
We are building an 802.11 access point. We need to design a system with at least two mini-PCI type III slots. Our company specializes in industrial communications which for reliability sake requires a higher transmit power to swamp out any noise, microwave ovens, or idiots using bluetooth, it also gives us added range too. Most 802.11 systems put out about 100mWatts maximum (if you get a good one). Our current generation of products puts out 1W (the maximum allowed by law in the US and Canada). In our next generation product we are looking to do both 802.11a and 802.11b/g simultaniously, hence the need for two slots.
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Our company is being forced to buy modules in mini-PCI because nobody will sell us the discrete componets we desire.
What are the part you can't buy ?
Unfortunatly, we don't do high enough volume for the makers of the 802.11a and 802.11g part manufacturers (ALL of THEM) for them to sell us the chips directly and they are not going through distributers with the desired parts. They won't even give us data sheets (Damn lawyers!). The only way for us to obtain the parts is on modules made buy someone else on mini-PCI cards. (If you want to see one just go buy a regular 802.11a/b/b+/g PCI card and take the sheild off)
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What is mini-PCI ? Compact-PCI or CPCI, or CardBUS, or ?
Mini-PCI is a PCI spec for lap tops. Unlike cardbus it is very much like PCI as far as signals and such. Basicaly its just has a smaller connector and overall dimmensions and can't supply as much power or provide 12V.
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So we are going to have
to build an embedded computer to use them. I know we will need the basic specification, but I was wondering if we need to get the BIOS specification as well or does Linux handle it?There is no BIOS on PowerPCs, you can have a boot program like u-boot, which is doing a part of this job before linux gets booted
U-Boot is the BIOS but I'm not to clear on the responsibilities of what its supposed to do. Thats what I need to know. Does the PPC Linux Kernel take care of this or does U-boot have to. (Note: If U-Boot has to I may have to write it)
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Many thanks in advance,
Conn
cheers,
emanuelQuoted 1 line
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Many thanks.
Conn
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If you live at home long enough, your parents will move out.
(Warning they may try to sell their house out from under you.)
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Conn Clark
Engineering Stooge [email protected]
Electronic Systems Technology Inc. www.esteem.com
** Sent via the linuxppc-embedded mail list. See http://lists.linuxppc.org/