[U-Boot-Users] tftp timeout

[Jerry Van Baren <gerald.vanbaren@smiths-aerospace.com>]

Andre Puschmann wrote:
> hallo,
> i know this newsgroup already talked about this subject and of course i
> read this stuff but there are still some questions ..
> 
> i am currently trying to download a kernel image via tftp from a
> tftp-server on my hostpc which is connected through a ethernet-switch.
> but i always get timeouts .. look at this:
> 
> <log>
> Load address: 0x20800000
> Loading: *\0x08#######T ##################################T
> ###################T ####T ##T #
> \0x09 ###T #T #########T ########T #############T ##T #############T
> ########T #############T
> \0x09 #####T ###T ######T #######T #######T #############T ##T
> ##############T ###########
> \0x09 ###########
> done
> </log>
> 
> i mean .. the transfer is ok .. but it takes ages :-)
> 
> 
> it looks like this if i connect my board directly to my hostpc.
> 
> <log>
> Load address: 0x20800000
> Loading: *\0x08T
> #################################################################
> \0x09 #################################################################
> \0x09 #################################################################
> \0x09 ###########
> done
> </log>
> 
> 
> does anybody got the same issues?
> i mean there is no huge traffic on the net and my local tftp client 
> loads the 1MB kernel-image in seconds.
> i am using u-boot-1.1.1 and i also tried u-boot-1.1.4!
> 
> regards
> andre

My guess is that you have a full duplex/half duplex problem.  Verify 
that your board/u-boot is setting your ethernet to the proper duplex 
(full/half).  I'm guessing your board is half duplex but your switch is 
full (typical of a switch ;-).

The switch sends traffic to your board while your board is 
transmitting... that is a collision (late collision at that) to your 
board but is OK to the switch.  This doesn't happen nearly as much with 
your PC since you have a dedicated link without much asynchronous traffic.

This is a FAQ type problem where the software (u-boot/linux) needs to 
poll the PHY chip for duplex and then (re)configure the MAC chip 
(separate or built into the CPU) to match.  If the poll isn't happening 
or has a bug, you have a problem.

gvb