IDE on MBX board

IDE on MBX board

[Sorin Balea]

Hello all

I've noticed that the MBX board has an IDE port. Has anyone been able to
use it, let's say with a hard disk? Any tips regarding this problem?

Regards

Sorin

** Sent via the linuxppc-embedded mail list. See http://lists.linuxppc.org/

Re: IDE on MBX board

[Neil Blackwood]

Sorin,

Set the following during configuration

CONFIG_PCI
CONFIG_BLK_DEV_IDE
CONFIG_BLK_DEV_IDEDISK
CONFIG_BLK_DEV_IDEPCI
CONFIG_BLK_DEV_SL82C105

I have used this with MBX821 . It at least seems to see the disk during
boot.
I haven't tried partitioning it yet. It only seems to work on 2.2.5. Every
kernel later seems broken

                Neil Blackwood

----- Original Message -----
From: Sorin Balea <sorin@nitechinc.com>
To: <linuxppc-embedded@lists.linuxppc.org>
Sent: 19 November 1999 14:31
Subject: IDE on MBX board


>
> Hello all
>
> I've noticed that the MBX board has an IDE port. Has anyone been able to
> use it, let's say with a hard disk? Any tips regarding this problem?
>
> Regards
>
> Sorin
>
>


** Sent via the linuxppc-embedded mail list. See http://lists.linuxppc.org/

Re: IDE on MBX board

[Sorin Balea]

On Mon, 22 Nov 1999, you wrote:
> The IDE has assumed knowledge of PC-style addresses and behavior.  To
> use things like ATA Flash cards in the PCMCIA of the 8xx, I break the
> generic IDE interface.  On the 8xx, it is also sensitive to the interrupt
> controller.  Cort and I are always going back and forth about how to
> use the internal interrupt controller in combination with the external
> 8259.  I want things that are more generic to other 8xx boards, and to
> get IDE to work you have to make assumptions unique to the MBX.
> 
> I understand it would be nice to have the IDE working on the MBX, but
> all of the products I have worked with use ATA flash....nothing has
> ever used an IDE drive through a PCI/AT bus adapter.  This is why code
> I tend to check in will allow PCMCIA ATA Flash and not the more complex
> external IDE.....it represents products in the field.

So from what i understand, the IDE on MBX board is done by the W83C553F 
chip which i suppose it's not present on other boards, am i right? 
If nobody minds, i'd like to give it a shot at making it work, even if it's
MBX specific... i could really use a hard drive on my board

So, any hints about where to begin?
Right now i'm using 2.2.13. It seems to initialize the IDE interface, but the
drive is not detected.
I'm thinking about using 2.3.28, it seems to have more support for this kind of
stuff, but it's a mess when it comes to building the kernel...

Cheers
Sorin

** Sent via the linuxppc-embedded mail list. See http://lists.linuxppc.org/

Re: IDE on MBX board

[Dan Malek]

Sorin Balea wrote:
> 
> Hello all
> 
> I've noticed that the MBX board has an IDE port. Has anyone been able to
> use it, let's say with a hard disk? Any tips regarding this problem?


Well......Cort had it working once, I tend to break and fix it at
various times.  I think right now it is broken......

The IDE has assumed knowledge of PC-style addresses and behavior.  To
use things like ATA Flash cards in the PCMCIA of the 8xx, I break the
generic IDE interface.  On the 8xx, it is also sensitive to the interrupt
controller.  Cort and I are always going back and forth about how to
use the internal interrupt controller in combination with the external
8259.  I want things that are more generic to other 8xx boards, and to
get IDE to work you have to make assumptions unique to the MBX.

I understand it would be nice to have the IDE working on the MBX, but
all of the products I have worked with use ATA flash....nothing has
ever used an IDE drive through a PCI/AT bus adapter.  This is why code
I tend to check in will allow PCMCIA ATA Flash and not the more complex
external IDE.....it represents products in the field.



	-- Dan

** Sent via the linuxppc-embedded mail list. See http://lists.linuxppc.org/

Re: IDE on MBX board

[Dan Malek]

Neil Blackwood wrote:


> I have used this with MBX821 . It at least seems to see the disk during
> boot.
> I haven't tried partitioning it yet. It only seems to work on 2.2.5. Every
> kernel later seems broken

That's a good point.....To follow up on my last message, if you want
to try IDE on MBX, use a 2.2.x kernel that I have not updated :-).  That
is, use the stuff in the CVS tree, not something I have as a tar
image on ppc.kernel.org.

I really do want to get this correct.  It is likely to happen when
I finish the pcmcia-cs for the 8xx, as that will use the standard IDE
(with appropriate 8xx modifications) for the ATA Flash.


	-- Dan

** Sent via the linuxppc-embedded mail list. See http://lists.linuxppc.org/

Re: IDE on MBX board

[Cort Dougan]

Would you mind using the stock 2.2.x from Linus?  Right now the current
patch level is 2.2.14pre7 from Alan.  It'll be easier to merge your patches
in for me if you work with that tree.

The problem I was having in the MBX IDE was much the same as you're seeing
now.  I couldn't find the drive.  One of the big problems was tracking down
the interrupt routing for IDE on the MBX.  If you check to see if you're
getting any interrupts at all on the 8259 that may give you a good place to
start.

I don't have an IDE drive for my MBX anymore but would like to have it
working again.  Let me know if you want to work together on it.

} That's a good point.....To follow up on my last message, if you want
} to try IDE on MBX, use a 2.2.x kernel that I have not updated :-).  That
} is, use the stuff in the CVS tree, not something I have as a tar
} image on ppc.kernel.org.
} 
} I really do want to get this correct.  It is likely to happen when
} I finish the pcmcia-cs for the 8xx, as that will use the standard IDE
} (with appropriate 8xx modifications) for the ATA Flash.

** Sent via the linuxppc-embedded mail list. See http://lists.linuxppc.org/

Re: IDE on MBX board

[Dan Malek]

Sorin Balea wrote:

> So from what i understand, the IDE on MBX board is done by the W83C553F
> chip which i suppose it's not present on other boards, am i right?


Well, that part just appears as a standard PC-style IDE controller,
and the standard Linux port will support that.  It's everything
between the 8xx and that part, the QSpan PCI Bridge, the 8259
interrupt controller, and the integrated features inside the 8xx
that are the challenge.  If you look at the MBX as "just" a i486
PC board, and ignore all of the internal 8xx features, these things
work just fine.  The trouble is, on one hand you want to leverage
all of the internal 8xx features, and on the other you want this
external.....well....crap.  The 8xx MBX just doesn't represent
the kind of board people use for building products (those I have
helped develop).  The added cost of the PCI and PC-style I/O
aren't necessary for embedded designs suitable for the 8xx.
This is further complicated by Linux assuming an exclusive
PC-style environment (8259 interrupt controller, PCI, ISA, 165xx
serial, PCI Ethernet, etc.), and currently prevents some internal
8xx devices to co-exist with external PC stuff.

> If nobody minds, i'd like to give it a shot at making it work,

Just pick a "stock" 2.2.x and it is likely to work.  Just choose
the proper configuration options.  Just don't configure everything,
or you get a big mess.



	-- Dan

** Sent via the linuxppc-embedded mail list. See http://lists.linuxppc.org/

Re: IDE on MBX board

[Dan Malek]

Cort Dougan wrote:


> .........  One of the big problems was tracking down
> the interrupt routing for IDE on the MBX.  If you check to see if you're
> getting any interrupts at all on the 8259 that may give you a good place to
> start.
> 
> I don't have an IDE drive for my MBX anymore but would like to have it
> working again.  Let me know if you want to work together on it.

I have a couple of projects over the next month or so (if the hardware
arrives :-) that include some kind of IDE disk interface.  They are not
PCI/ISA devices, rather unique hardware interfaces to the bus. I
also have the 8240/Sandpoint to finish, which currently has a similar
interrupt routing problem you mention above (integrated interrupt
controller with external 8259).  I also want the pcmcia-cs running
on the 8xx, which means we have to make IDE work there (and I think it
is still broken on the PowerBooks :-).

It appears there are enough of us to get it working, so let's just
keep in touch and post the progress.


	-- Dan

** Sent via the linuxppc-embedded mail list. See http://lists.linuxppc.org/