[Gumstix-users] Problem with ethernet and AirSTORM on Tobi

[Ross B. <Ross@CheshireEng.com>]

I have been developing with an AirSTORM mounted on a Chestnut43 without
issues since I got a booting Linaro-ALIP image. All is going well. Now
it is time to move the prototype to the first-article packaging, which
involves replacing the Chestnut43 with a Tobi due to size constraints.

Since our final application is headless, we have no reason other than 
size to prefer one board over the other. From the schematics, there are 
no apparent differences in the design of the ethernet on the two boards.

However, mounted on the Tobi, it fails to finish configuring the wired 
network.

The smc911x controller is detected by U-Boot, and again by the kernel. 
The kernel loads smsc911x driver version 2008-10-21, which claims to 
have found both the chip and the PHY and even reports a MAC address for 
eth0. Later in the boot, the kernel stalls waiting for network 
configuration, and then prints the two failsafe status messages (and 
delays the full two minutes) before completing the boot without eth0 
configured.

At that point, saying "ifup eth0" is not helpful.

This is a showstopper for us, as the whole point of the box we are 
building is to provide a wired ethernet connection for an embedded 
system. Replacing the Tobi with Chestnut43 is a conceivable option, but 
will incur unplanned expenses and waste resources already committed on 
the assumption that the Tobi is a viable board.

I am hopeful that this is a software configuration issue that can be 
worked around at worst by generating a different boot image for the 
microSD card.

Any ideas?
-- 
Ross Berteig                               Ross@CheshireEng.com
Cheshire Engineering Corp.           http://www.CheshireEng.com/