Re: [Etherboot-users] RE: Realtek 8139D support

[Marty C. <md...@et...>]

On Jun 21, 2005, at 11:41 PM, Steve Marfisi wrote:
> Hi Marty - I'm not a programmer, - and not sure if this has anything  
> to do with the 8139D issues with etherboot, but I do know that Realtek  
>  dropped flash ROM support completely in the 8139D. Not only is the  
> flash read/write registers interface gone, but also the pins. There is  
> no way to flash any flash chip in the socket. Realtek says that the  
> 8139D does not support write enable, so you can't flash the ROM  
> directly. You need an EPROM writer to burn the content.
> Steve Marfisi
> emBoot Inc.

Thanks for the information, Steve.

That's interesting.  I just downloaded the data sheet for the rtl8139D  
from:

      
http://www.realtek.com.tw/downloads/downloads1-3.aspx? 
spec=True&compamodel=RTL8139D(L)

And will take a look at the registers, and compare them to the  
RTL8139A/B/C.

In this particular case, since he's only trying to read his  
EPROM/EEPROM, he may have different issues.

The RTL8139 spec does still list as a first page feature:

     * Up to 128K byte Boot ROM interface for both EPROM
       and Flash memory is supported

So, even if they removed the programming interface from the chip, it  
should read the ROM.

I think it might have to do with the speed of the ROM, or some other  
factor we do not yet know.

I did recently try to flash and EEPROM on an RTL8139D board using  
Realtek's RTFLASH utility, and it didn't work, so your explanation  
sounds interesting.

Thanks,

Marty

-- 
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    Name: Marty Connor
US Mail: Entity Cyber, Inc.; P.O. Box 391827;
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