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From: "Rodney W. Grimes" <rgrimes@gndrsh.aac.dev.com>
Message-Id: <199505092105.OAA05528@gndrsh.aac.dev.com>
Subject: Re: A question of downloading device drivers
To: brian@MediaCity.Com (Brian Litzinger)
Date: Tue, 9 May 1995 14:05:35 -0700 (PDT)
Cc: freebsd-hackers@FreeBSD.org
In-Reply-To: <m0s8vkH-000rdMC@easynet.com> from "Brian Litzinger" at May 9, 95 01:19:05 pm
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> 
> I'm about to implement downloading the microcode for the talisman
> MPEG decoder rather than relying on it being in an EPROM on the card.
> 
> I'm looking for any guidance, examples, etc, on a right way to do
> this.
> 
> I could 
> 
>     include the microcode as a giant static array in the device driver 8-(

Please no, this is what the aic7770 (aha2940 and friends) had to do, but
then you could not get the file from disk easily if you where booting from
this type of adapter.
 
>     download the microcode via a write to a special device

This or the next one..
> 
>     download the microcode via an set of ioctls.

This has been the historical BSD method of doing it.  Look on the
4.4BSD Lite code, there are some programs there to set up the
Excelan EXOS 105 network cards that need to have software down
loaded to them.

> 
>     do a mixture of the above.
> 
>     Use something I haven't thought of, but you have.
> 
> Any pointers would be appreciated.
> 
> Brian Litzinger
> brian@easynet.com
> 
> 
> 


-- 
Rod Grimes                                      rgrimes@gndrsh.aac.dev.com
Accurate Automation Company                   Custom computers for FreeBSD