Re: [ECOS] Re: RedBoot "set MAC address" API?

[Andre-John Mas <ajmas at sympatico dot ca>]

On 6-Nov-06, at 05:41 , Nick Garnett wrote:

>  Grant Edwards <grante@visi.com> writes:
>
>> I've never seen an Ethernet chip with a non-volatile MAC.
>
> Many MACs have an interface for a serial EEPROM from which they fetch
> the MAC address and other initialization data automatically on
> reset. The manufacturer usually installs the MAC address. Admittedly
> this is more common for PCI MAC cards that in embedded devices, but
> I've seen it on development boards too.

This is the approach that we use in our development. Then again this is
mainly because our card is actually part of a larger system. It is the
other circuitry that remembers the MAC address, so if we have to swap
out our control card the system's MAC address stays the same.

There are certainly plenty of alternative solutions, such as reserving a
fixed address for the value that can be set during production,
though the advantage of having a separate chip with the MAC address
is that it is not affected by wiping your flash, and truth be told I am
not sure there is much need to change the MAC address once in the
field.

Andre

Attachment: replyAll
Description: null

-- 
Before posting, please read the FAQ: http://ecos.sourceware.org/fom/ecos
and search the list archive: http://ecos.sourceware.org/ml/ecos-discuss