Linux* Base Driver for the Attansic(R) L1 Gigabit Ethernet Adapter
==========================================================================

Contents
========

- In This Release
- Building and Installation
- Command Line Parameters
- Additional Configurations
- Known Issues
- Support

In This Release
===============

This file describes the Linux* Base Driver for the Attansic(R) L1 Gigabit 
Ethernet Adapter, version 1.0.x. This driver supports the 2.4.x and 2.6.x kernels.

This driver is only supported as a loadable module at this time. Attansic is not 
supplying patches against the kernel source to allow for static linking of 
the driver. For questions related to hardware requirements, refer to the 
documentation supplied with your Attansic(R) adapter. All hardware 
requirements listed apply to use with Linux.

Building and Installation
=========================

To build a binary RPM* package of this driver, run 'rpmbuild -tb 
<filename.tar.gz>'. Replace <filename.tar.gz> with the specific filename of 
the driver.

NOTE: For the build to work properly, the currently running kernel MUST match 
      the version and configuration of the installed kernel sources. If you 
      have just recompiled the kernel reboot the system now.

      RPM functionality has only been tested in Red Hat distributions.

1. Move the base driver tar file to the directory of your choice. For example,
   use /home/username/atl1 or /usr/local/src/atl1.

2. Untar/unzip archive:

     tar zxf atl1-x.x.x.tar.gz

3. Change to the driver src directory:

     cd atl1-x.x.x/src/

4. Compile the driver module:

     make install

   The binary will be installed as:

     /lib/modules/<KERNEL VERSION>/kernel/drivers/net/atl1.[k]o

   The install locations listed above are the default locations. They might 
   not be correct for certain Linux distributions. For more information, 
   see the ldistrib.txt file included in the driver tar.

5. Install the module:

     insmod atl1 <parameter>=<value>

6. Assign an IP address to the interface by entering the following, where
   x is the interface number:

     ifconfig ethx <IP_address>

7. Verify that the interface works. Enter the following, where <IP_address>
   is the IP address for another machine on the same subnet as the interface 
   that is being tested:

     ping  <IP_address>	

Command Line Parameters
=======================

If the driver is built as a module, the  following optional parameters are 
used by entering them on the command line with the modprobe or insmod command
using this syntax:

     modprobe atl1 [<option>=<VAL1>,<VAL2>,...]

     insmod atl1 [<option>=<VAL1>,<VAL2>,...] 

For example, with two L001 PCIE adapters, entering:

     insmod atl1 TxDescriptors=80,128

loads the atl1 driver with 80 TX descriptors for the first adapter and 128 TX 
descriptors for the second adapter.

The default value for each parameter is generally the recommended setting,
unless otherwise noted.

    NOTES: A descriptor describes a data buffer and attributes related to the 
           data buffer. This information is accessed by the hardware.

MediaType
Valid Range: 0-5
		0    - auto-negotiate at all supported speeds
		1    - only link at 1000Mbps Full Duplex
		2    - only link at 100Mbps Full Duplex
		3    - only link at 100Mbps Half Duplex
		4    - only link at 10Mbps Full Duplex
		5    - only link at 10Mbps Half Duplex
Default Value: 0
    MediaType forces the line speed/duplex to the specified value in 
    megabits per second(Mbps). If this parameter is not specified or is set 
    to 0 and the link partner is set to auto-negotiate, the board will 
    auto-detect the correct speed. 

IntModTimer
Valid Range: 50-65000
Default Value: 100
    This value represents the minmum interval between interrupts controller 
    generated. 

RxDescriptors
Valid Range: 128-2047 
            
Default Value: 256
    This value is the number of RFD/RRD descriptors allocated by the driver. 
    Increasing this value allows the driver to buffer more incoming packets. 
    A receive buffer is also allocated for each descriptor and can be either 
    2048, 4096, or 8192 bytes, depending on the MTU setting. 
    The maximum MTU size is 8192.

    NOTE: MTU designates the frame size. It only needs to be set for Jumbo 
          Frames.
    NOTE: Depending on the available system resources, the request for a
    higher number of receive descriptors may be denied.  In this case,
    use a lower number.

TxDescriptors
Valid Range: 64-1023

Default Value: 512
    This value is the number of transmit descriptors allocated by the driver.
    Increasing this value allows the driver to queue more transmits. 

    NOTE: Depending on the available system resources, the request for a
    higher number of transmit descriptors may be denied.  In this case,
    use a lower number.

FlashVendor
Valid Range: 0-2

Default Value: 0
    This value standards on vendor of spi flash used by the adapter.
    0 for Atmel, 1 for SST, 2 for ST
    

Additional Configurations
=========================

  Configuring the Driver on Different Distributions
  -------------------------------------------------

  Configuring a network driver to load properly when the system is started is
  distribution dependent. Typically, the configuration process involves adding
  an alias line to /etc/modules.conf as well as editing other system startup 
  scripts and/or configuration files. Many popular Linux distributions ship 
  with tools to make these changes for you. To learn the proper way to 
  configure a network device for your system, refer to your distribution 
  documentation. If during this process you are asked for the driver or module 
  name, the name for the Linux Base Driver for the Attansic L1 is atl1
  
  As an example, if you install the atl1 driver for two L1 adapters 
  (eth0 and eth1) and set the speed and duplex to 10full and 100half, add the 
  following to modules.conf:

       alias eth0 atl1
       alias eth1 atl1
       options atl1 Speed=10,100 Duplex=2,1

  Viewing Link Messages
  ---------------------

  Link messages will not be displayed to the console if the distribution is 
  restricting system messages. In order to see network driver link messages 
  on your console, set dmesg to eight by entering the following:

       dmesg -n 8

  NOTE: This setting is not saved across reboots.

  Jumbo Frames
  ------------

  The driver supports Jumbo Frames . Jumbo Frames support is enabled by 
  changing the MTU to a value larger than the default of 1500. Use the 
  ifconfig command to increase the MTU size. For example:

       ifconfig eth<x> mtu 3000 up

  NOTE: This setting is not saved across reboots. The setting change can be 
  made permanent by adding:

       MTU=3000

  to the file /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/ifcfg-eth<x>, with Red Hat
  distributions, for example.  Other distributions may store this setting in a
  different location.

  NOTE: MTU designates the frame size. To enable Jumbo Frames, increase the MTU 
  size on the interface beyond 1500.


Known Issues
============

NOTE: For distribution-specific information, see the ldistrib.txt file 
      included in the driver tar.

  Driver Compilation
  ------------------

  When trying to compile the driver by running make install, the following
  error may occur: 

      "Linux kernel source not configured - missing version.h"

  To solve this issue, create the version.h file by going to the Linux source 
  tree and entering:

      make include/linux/version.h.

  Jumbo Frames System Requirement
  -------------------------------

  Memory allocation failures have been observed on Linux systems with 64 MB 
  of RAM or less that are running Jumbo Frames. If you are using Jumbo 
  Frames, your system may require more than the advertised minimum 
  requirement of 64 MB of system memory.

  Performance Degradation with Jumbo Frames
  -----------------------------------------

  Degradation in throughput performance may be observed in some Jumbo frames 
  environments. If this is observed, increasing the application's socket buffer 
  size and/or increasing the /proc/sys/net/ipv4/tcp_*mem entry values may help. 
  See the specific application manual and /usr/src/linux*/Documentation/
  networking/ip-sysctl.txt for more details.


Support
=======

For general information, go to the Attansic support website at:

    http://support.attansic.com

If an issue is identified with the released source code on the supported
kernel with a supported adapter, email the specific information related to 
the issue to xiong_huang@attansic.com

License
=======

This software program is released under the terms of a license agreement 
between you ('Licensee') and Attansic. Do not use or load this software or any 
associated materials (collectively, the 'Software') until you have carefully 
read the full terms and conditions of the LICENSE located in this software 
package. By loading or using the Software, you agree to the terms of this 
Agreement. If you do not agree with the terms of this Agreement, do not 
install or use the Software.

* Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others.