[U-Boot-Users] Ethernet and detecting MAC addresses

[Dave Peverley <dpeverley@mpc-data.co.uk>]

Wolfgang Denk wrote:
>>AFAICT from the source I'm using (1.0.2) none of the ethernet drivers
>>bother with detecting their own MAC address (if available) and rather 
> Please explain what you mean by ".drivers...their own MAC address".
Apologies for the lazy way I posed the question - if you would like 
I will rephrase in a more verbose manner utilising technically correct 
terms, but given that you answered the question I was asking anyway, 
do you really want me to?

> Some ethernet devices may have persistent storage for a MAC  address,
> but most of them (especially those in embedded processors) don't.
Ok, I agree, but the boards I am developing on, do and I would like to 
support it...

> It is intentional and necessary be design, because there simple _is_
> _no_ stored MAC address anywhere around.
At the least I know that all the omap boards (1510 Inn, 1610 Inn, 1610 H2,
and the new one I'm wworking on) all have stored addresses and are supported
by u-boot, hence my question....

> Read the README, which documents what is beind done now,  and  follow
> the  existing  design rules (see section "Note for Redundant Ethernet
> Interfaces").
Thanks, that helps.

Marius Groeger Wrote :
> Actually the smc91111.c driver does something of the sort. See the
> function get_rom_mac(). This is a very simplistic approach and it is
> also invisible to the overall uboot structure. Maybe you can live with
> such an approach?
If thats whats being done for the driver and has been accepted into CVS 
then that sounds like an excellent place to start :-) Thanks!

> Many embedded boards, however, will store their MAC address simply 
> in the global environment, so that's probably the reason why you 
> don't find what you're looking for.
Sure I noticed that hence asking the question. I know its not necessary,
but is a big convenience to not have to individually programme every 
installed boards u-boot with a ficticious unique address when theres one
availiable in ROM....!

Best Wishes,

Dave Peverley

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             Dave Peverley, Software Engineer, MPC Data Limited.
Phone : [+44] (0) 1225 868 228              Web : http://www.mpc-data.co.uk