Thanks Kelly for your reply.
Below is a Snip from a reply on the WINIDE group, it looks like there
could have been a batch problem on the RCM3200's. I will contact
Zworld and keep this group updated.
Has anyone on this group ever forced the ASIX chip into a 10M mode via
software? If so would they be willing to share the code?
DC does not seem to have any API calls for forcing the Data rates /
Duplex mode. As you say "Shame on them"
Cheers
Martin Honeywill
PS Goodluck with the Procurve replacement plan ;-)
******** From WinIDE Group ******************
Thanks Mark
I appreciate the fast reply.
I Tried the Software fix, after checking what it was for in the Erata
for the ASIX chip. Unfortunatly this made no difference.
> The version of the ASIX lib code I have did not hold
the reset line
>long enough.
But I managed to find an old RCM3200 and ran my tests on that, and it
worked correctly. Therefore your description of a hardware batch fault
seems to be what we are experiencing.
How did you discover the fault? do you know if Zworld ever published
any info on it? I will contact Zworld to try and find the faulty Batch
numbers.
Meanwhile, if I can work out how the ASIX chip works I will try and
force it into 10M mode to see if this makes any difference.
Cheers
Martin Honeywill
--- In w..., "Mark Davis" wrote:
>
> Two possibly related issues that I know of with the RCM3200:
> First, a hardware problem:
>
> The first batch of RCM3200's we bought had a problem with the
Ethernet port. We had to ship all of our first ones back (50 or so?)
to have some capacitors and a resistor or two replaced with different
values. The values they originally used caused a problem with 100Mbit
switches where they would drop all kinds of packets and not negotiate
the connection properly. If you plug it in to a 10Mbit HUB (NOT a
switch), and it works fine, then this may very well be the problem (or
at least part of it).
>
> Unfortunately I don't know how to tell if you have one of the
affected boards (except to call ZWorld and ask if the lot # on your
board is one of the ones with the problem).
******** Enod of Snip from WinIDE Group ******************
--- In r..., "Kelly" wrote:
>
> --- In r..., "Martin Honeywill"
> wrote:
> >
> > Below is a posting I made on the Softools WinIDE group, I have
> > posted it here because I think the possible fault may apply to
> > DC as well as Softools as they or both based on the same TCPIP
> > stack.
>
> This looks like a problem with the auto-detect algorithms between
the
> ASIX mac and the hub/switch upstream. My company's oldr products that
> use an Intel i82563ET 10/100 mac will exhibit the same problem when
> they are connected to low-end NetGear switches and hubs.
>
> The only workaround I know for this is to disable able-detect and hard
> code in the speed and duplex setting for the link. If DC doesn't have
> API calls for this, shame on them. I've tried writing code on our
> appliance that detects when its 10/100 port has gone wacko, but its
> hard to detect solely by looking at the mac's registers.
>
> My company's IT setup uses quite a few of the larger NetGear switches,
> and it's not uncommon for a cascade of auto-detect storms to saturate
> our in-house backbone. When I'm the only guy around to fix this
> problem, I yank power cords from the switches with the most blinking
> lights on the front ;) They usually are fine after power comes back.
> Secretly, I hope that I break the switch so we can replace it with an
> HP ProCurve.
>
> Kelly
>