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Date:      Thu, 22 Jul 1999 12:47:04 -0400 (EDT)
From:      Bill Paul <wpaul@skynet.ctr.columbia.edu>
To:        hackers@freebsd.org, hardware@freebsd.org
Subject:   Update on Adaptec AIC-6915 "starfire" driver
Message-ID:  <199907221647.MAA02834@skynet.ctr.columbia.edu>

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I haven't received any feedback yet on the Adaptec "Starfire" driver,
however I made a few updates that people should know about:

- I created a version of the driver for FreeBSD 2.2.x. You can find it
  at http://www.freebsd.org/~wpaul/Adaptec/2.2. Note: while I have
  verified that this code compiles, I have not been able to test it.
  There should not be any problems, but as always, Murphy's Law applies.

- I found a bug today which is that sf_stats_update() required splimp()
  protection. I use the indirect register access method which is done
  in two stages: first you set the indirect address register to the
  register offset that you want to play with, then you access it via
  the indirect data register. However sf_stats_update() was interruptible
  which means that it was possible for the interrupt handler to run
  in between the first and second stages, which caused the stats updater
  to modify incorrect register locations. This bug would manifest itself
  in the form of watchdog timeouts and the 'collisions' counter sometimes
  reporting wildly incorrect values.

  I corrected this problem and updated the driver sources for each
  FreeBSD version (including 2.2.x) and recompiled the KLD module for
  FreeBSD 4.0-current.

- The pre-compiled KLD module for FreeBSD 4.0-current now includes
  BPF support, since I have been told that there stubs that should
  allow BPF-enabled drivers to work even if BPF support isn't compiled
  into the kernel.

- I added a README at http://www.freebsd.org/~wpaul/Adaptec which
  explains how to install the driver on FreeBSD 2.2.x, 3.x and 4.0.

Also, a quick note about the Adaptec cards. I said previously that
the Duralink adapters were Adaptec's replacement for their older
DEC tulip-based cards. Adaptec still sells multiport adapters based
on the 21x4x chip, however I believe they use the 21143 now since
Intel discontinued production of the 21140 and supplies are drying
up. It is possible that Adaptec may stop production on the older cards 
though now that they have their own high performance chipset. The 
Duralink cards may also be preferable in some cases since they are
64-bit PCI devices.

Anyway: I would appreciate it if people could test the driver and
get back to me with some feedback. I hope to merge this into the
-current branch soon.

-Bill

-- 
=============================================================================
-Bill Paul            (212) 854-6020 | System Manager, Master of Unix-Fu
Work:         wpaul@ctr.columbia.edu | Center for Telecommunications Research
Home:  wpaul@skynet.ctr.columbia.edu | Columbia University, New York City
=============================================================================
 "It is not I who am crazy; it is I who am mad!" - Ren Hoek, "Space Madness"
=============================================================================


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