RTL8019AS

Hello,

    I have been working on getting my RTL8019AS based board to
remember what MAC address I was giving it before I realized that the
8019AS does not have internal PROM and I would be forced to use an
external EEPROM just to store the MAC. I have been reading the
RTL8019AS data sheet along with the corresponding 'software
developer's guide' and I am a little confused on how to program the
EEPROM (9346). I know I want to program bytes 04H-09H on the 9346 with
my 6 octets, and the data sheet says I can program the chip through my
ISA bus, and the 8019AS. I kind of think its silly having a board that
you can set almost anything with jumpers but requires an external
EEPROM to store the MAC address (I have to read these datasheets
closer!). Any help anyone can give would be much appreciated.

Thanks,
Matt

Matt wrote:
> Hello,
> 
>     I have been working on getting my RTL8019AS based board to
> remember what MAC address I was giving it before I realized that the
> 8019AS does not have internal PROM and I would be forced to use an
> external EEPROM just to store the MAC. I have been reading the
> RTL8019AS data sheet along with the corresponding 'software
> developer's guide' and I am a little confused on how to program the
> EEPROM (9346). I know I want to program bytes 04H-09H on the 9346 with
> my 6 octets, and the data sheet says I can program the chip through my
> ISA bus, and the 8019AS. I kind of think its silly having a board that
> you can set almost anything with jumpers but requires an external
> EEPROM to store the MAC address (I have to read these datasheets
> closer!). Any help anyone can give would be much appreciated.

It's been a few years since I've mucked with
the part, but I seem to recall that you can
program the chip MAC registers without an EEPROM
installed.  One issue is that the EEPROM has
the base I/O address in it so you'll have to
know what the default base address is.

Having the MAC registers in EEPROM is not such
a bad idea.  It allows a company to preprogram
serialized EEPROMS then install them at build
time with no logistical issues.

I think you have to bit-bang the EEPROM pins
through the 8019AS registers to actually do the
programming.

On Aug 7, 9:21 pm, Jim Stewart <jstew...@jkmicro.com> wrote:
> Matt wrote:
> > Hello,
>
> >     I have been working on getting my RTL8019AS based board to
> > remember what MAC address I was giving it before I realized that the
> > 8019AS does not have internal PROM and I would be forced to use an
> > external EEPROM just to store the MAC. I have been reading the
> > RTL8019AS data sheet along with the corresponding 'software
> > developer's guide' and I am a little confused on how to program the
> > EEPROM (9346). I know I want to program bytes 04H-09H on the 9346 with
> > my 6 octets, and the data sheet says I can program the chip through my
> > ISA bus, and the 8019AS. I kind of think its silly having a board that
> > you can set almost anything with jumpers but requires an external
> > EEPROM to store the MAC address (I have to read these datasheets
> > closer!). Any help anyone can give would be much appreciated.
>
> It's been a few years since I've mucked with
> the part, but I seem to recall that you can
> program the chip MAC registers without an EEPROM
> installed.  One issue is that the EEPROM has
> the base I/O address in it so you'll have to
> know what the default base address is.
>
> Having the MAC registers in EEPROM is not such
> a bad idea.  It allows a company to preprogram
> serialized EEPROMS then install them at build
> time with no logistical issues.
>
> I think you have to bit-bang the EEPROM pins
> through the 8019AS registers to actually do the
> programming.

Ick. Time to start reading the chips data sheet and figuring out the
data structure :)  Thanks for the reply Jim.

Matt wrote:
> On Aug 7, 9:21 pm, Jim Stewart <jstew...@jkmicro.com> wrote:
> 
>>Matt wrote:
>>
>>>Hello,
>>
>>>    I have been working on getting my RTL8019AS based board to
>>>remember what MAC address I was giving it before I realized that the
>>>8019AS does not have internal PROM and I would be forced to use an
>>>external EEPROM just to store the MAC. I have been reading the
>>>RTL8019AS data sheet along with the corresponding 'software
>>>developer's guide' and I am a little confused on how to program the

Where did you get the "software developer's guide" ???


>>>EEPROM (9346). I know I want to program bytes 04H-09H on the 9346 with
>>>my 6 octets, and the data sheet says I can program the chip through my
>>>ISA bus, and the 8019AS. I kind of think its silly having a board that
>>>you can set almost anything with jumpers but requires an external
>>>EEPROM to store the MAC address (I have to read these datasheets
>>>closer!). Any help anyone can give would be much appreciated.
>>
>>It's been a few years since I've mucked with
>>the part, but I seem to recall that you can
>>program the chip MAC registers without an EEPROM
>>installed.  One issue is that the EEPROM has
>>the base I/O address in it so you'll have to
>>know what the default base address is.
>>
>>Having the MAC registers in EEPROM is not such
>>a bad idea.  It allows a company to preprogram
>>serialized EEPROMS then install them at build
>>time with no logistical issues.
>>
>>I think you have to bit-bang the EEPROM pins
>>through the 8019AS registers to actually do the
>>programming.
> 
> 
> Ick. Time to start reading the chips data sheet and figuring out the
> data structure :)  Thanks for the reply Jim.
> 

On Aug 8, 8:33 am, Donald <Don...@dontdoithere.com> wrote:
> Matt wrote:
> > On Aug 7, 9:21 pm, Jim Stewart <jstew...@jkmicro.com> wrote:
>
> >>Matt wrote:
>
> >>>Hello,
>
> >>>    I have been working on getting my RTL8019AS based board to
> >>>remember what MAC address I was giving it before I realized that the
> >>>8019AS does not have internal PROM and I would be forced to use an
> >>>external EEPROM just to store the MAC. I have been reading the
> >>>RTL8019AS data sheet along with the corresponding 'software
> >>>developer's guide' and I am a little confused on how to program the
>
> Where did you get the "software developer's guide" ???
>
>
>
> >>>EEPROM (9346). I know I want to program bytes 04H-09H on the 9346 with
> >>>my 6 octets, and the data sheet says I can program the chip through my
> >>>ISA bus, and the 8019AS. I kind of think its silly having a board that
> >>>you can set almost anything with jumpers but requires an external
> >>>EEPROM to store the MAC address (I have to read these datasheets
> >>>closer!). Any help anyone can give would be much appreciated.
>
> >>It's been a few years since I've mucked with
> >>the part, but I seem to recall that you can
> >>program the chip MAC registers without an EEPROM
> >>installed.  One issue is that the EEPROM has
> >>the base I/O address in it so you'll have to
> >>know what the default base address is.
>
> >>Having the MAC registers in EEPROM is not such
> >>a bad idea.  It allows a company to preprogram
> >>serialized EEPROMS then install them at build
> >>time with no logistical issues.
>
> >>I think you have to bit-bang the EEPROM pins
> >>through the 8019AS registers to actually do the
> >>programming.
>
> > Ick. Time to start reading the chips data sheet and figuring out the
> > data structure :)  Thanks for the reply Jim.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

It was sent to me via email from RealTek support. The actual guide is
titled: "RTL8019AS-LF Software Developer's Guide" It gives a couple
good psudo code examples but most of it can be found on the datasheet.