NAME
ix —
Interlan Np100 10 Mb/s Ethernet
interface
SYNOPSIS
np0 at uba0 csr 166000 vector npintr
DESCRIPTION
NOTE: This driver has not been ported from
4.4BSD yet.
The
ix interface provides access to a 10 Mb/s Ethernet network
through an Interlan Np100 controller used as a link-layer interface.
This interface is unusual in that it requires loading firmware into the
controller before it may be used as a network interface. This is accomplished
by opening a character special device, and writing data to it. A program to
load the image is provided in
/usr/src/new/np100. The
sequence of commands would be:
# ./npload np.image [/dev/np<board #> if other than np00]
# sleep 10
# ifconfig ix0 ...
Each of the host's network addresses is specified at boot time with an
SIOCSIFADDR
ioctl(2). The
ix interface employs the address resolution protocol
described in
arp(4) to
dynamically map between Internet and Ethernet addresses on the local network.
The interface normally tries to use a “trailer” encapsulation to
minimize copying data on input and output. The use of trailers is negotiated
with ARP. This negotiation may be disabled, on a per-interface basis, by
setting the
IFF_NOTRAILERS
flag with an
SIOCSIFFLAGS
ioctl(2).
DIAGNOSTICS
- ix%d: Req failed, cmd %x, stat %x, ust
error %x,%x.
- The firmware in the controller refused to honor a request
from UNIX in initializing packet level
communications. The board may need to be reset and reloaded. Or, you may
not have allowed enough time between loading the board and issuing the
request to begin UNIX network operation.
- ix%d: can't initialize.
- The interface was unable to obtain UNIBUS resources
required for operation.
- ix%d: failed to reinitialize DLA
module.
- The interface got sick after attempting to reprogram its
physical Ethernet address. Try reloading the firmware. The attempt is made
only when this interfaces is not the first one configured for XNS.
- ix%d: can't handle af%d.
- The interface was handed a message with addresses
formatted in an unsuitable address family; the packet was dropped.
- ix%d: stray xmit interrupt,
npreq=%x.
- This may happen if the board is reloaded while network
processes are still running.
- ixrint: cqe error %x, %x, %x.
- This will result if an
ifconfig(8) request is
made at an inopportune time, such as not allowing enough time after
loading the firmware. After 100 such errors are logged, the
UNIX network driver will shut itself down,
saying:
- ixrint: shutting down unix
dla.
- The recourse is to reload the firmware and allow more
time.
SEE ALSO
arp(4),
inet(4),
netintro(4),
vax/vax/np(4)
HISTORY
The
ix driver appeared in
4.3BSD.