[Avila] Intel Xscale B-1 Stepping Parts

[Chris Lang]

March 24, 2008

 

TO:   ALL AVILA NETWORK PLATFORM DEVELOPERS

FROM: GATEWORKS TECHNICAL SUPPORT

RE:   INTEL XSCALE B-1 STEPPING PARTS

 

This month, Gateworks will begin shipping Avila Network Platform
products using a new revision of the Intel XScale Processor.  This
revision is designated the IXP42X B-1 stepping.  

 

The revision of the processor can be identified by reading the package
marking. Intel has inserted an “A” into the part number just following
the “IXP425” or “IXP420”.  For example, an IXP425 533MHz Industrial Temp
part marked IXP425BDT would be marked IXP425ABDT if it were a B-1
stepping part.  Likewise, an IXP420/266MHz Commercial Temp part marked
IXP420BB is updated to IXP420ABB with the B-1 stepping.

 

Most software running on Avila products will need to be updated to
tolerate the B-1 stepping change.  The Intel supplied codelets that are
used in standard Redboot and Linux distributions will fail if they are
not modified to accept the new version reported by the coprocessors.
Those codelets are used in the Gateworks Avila board support packages.

 

Intel suggests a patch that removes the version dependency, and allows
code to run on B-1 or older processors.  The text is included below, and
we have provided a link to the Software Specification Update on the
Intel website at the end of this page.

 

Gateworks has a 0.6.1 BSP available for Avila products, which applies
the patch to the 0.6 BSP that has been shipping for some time.  The
following is a summary of software updates available on the Gateworks
website:

 

      * http://bsp.gateworks.com/0.6/             - BSP 0.6   Linux
        versions 2.4.31 and 2.6.15, Redboot version 2.02  IAL 1.4, 2.1
        Legacy BSP supporting non B-1 stepping parts only. 

 

      * http://bsp.gateworks.com/0.6.1/           - BSP 0.6.1  Linux
        versions 2.4.31 and 2.6.15, Redboot version 2.04,  Intel Access
        Library 1.4, 2.1 Includes support for B-1 stepping parts 

 

      * http://bsp.gateworks.com/0.7.1/             - BSP 0.7.1    Linux
        version 2.6.21, Redboot 2.04, Intel Access Library 2.4 Includes
        support for B-1 stepping parts. 

 

      * http://bsp.gateworks.com/GW16012%20FLASH/ - Flash Utilities.
        FLASH.EXE V2.4, and associated binaries.  Updated for B-1
        stepping parts. 

 

      * http://bsp.gateworks.com/GW16033%20GPS/   - GPS Support.
        Contains updated patches for the  GPS device. 

 

Please email Gateworks technical support at support at gateworks.com if we
can be of further assistance.

 

Gordon Edmonds

Gateworks Corporation

3026 S. Higuera Street

San Luis Obispo, CA 93401

805-781-2000

gedmonds at gateworks.com

 

 

 

B-1 stepping for Intel® IXP42X Product Line of Network Processors

Requires Minor Change to IxFeatureCtrl.c to Accommodate Updated

Product Revision ID

 

Reference #:00153342

Product: Intel® IXP400 Software

Version(s): 2.0, 2.1, 2.3

 

Description: The product revision field in the ID register of the System
Control Coprocessor (CP15) has been updated to reflect the B-1 stepping
of the IXP42X product line of network processors. Due to this, certain
portions of IXP400 Software codelets_ethAcc_test_DEPS:=ethAcc ethDB
ethMii qmgr npeMh npeDl featureCtrl hssAcc that still perform condition
checks on the product revision field will not recognize the new ID
value. 

 

Implication: The function that reads the ID register
ixFeatureCtrlProductIdRead() is located in src\featureCtrl
\IxFeatureCtrl.c. Examples of IXP400 software components that use this
function to read the ID register are:

 

- AtmdAcc

- CryptoAcc

- DmaAcc

- EthAcc

- EthDB

- HssAcc

- NpeDl

 

In customer software, problems may occur during initialization of IXP42X
components due to the ID register check not being able to recognize B-1
stepping.

 

Resolution: The following source files should be modified: 

 

ixp400_xscale_sw\src\featureCtrl\IxFeatureCtrl.c 

 

Open the source file mentioned above for editing. Search for the
function called ixFeatureCtrlProductIdRead(). Look for the line below
within the function. 

 

return (pdId);

 

Modify the return statement above to the following: 

 

return ((pdId&0xFFFFFFF0) +
((pdId&IX_FEATURE_CTRL_SILICON_STEPPING_MASK)?1:0));

 

The above modification to ixFeatureCtrlProductIdRead() will change the
definition of the function to recognize whether the IXP42X silicon is an
A-0 stepping or a subsequent B-stepping.

 

Note: Additional changes to customer software may be required if the
customer is using a method other than ixFeatureCtrlProductIdRead() to
read the ID register. For any

questions, please contact your local Intel technical representative.

 

The URL for Intel document is

http://downloadmirror.intel.com/df-support/12957/eng/IXP400-Software-SW_Spec_update-2_x.pdf

See Page 45.