9fans archive / 2000 / 05 / 30 /    prev next

From: Nigel Roles ngr@sym...
Subject: [9fans] PCMCIA Ether cards?
Date: Thu, 4 May 2000 11:34:28 +0100

I imagine that this could be made to work without too much difficulty,
but not without some code changes.

The 3c589 driver locates the card, adjusts some settings
which are specific to the PCMCIA version, and then passes the parameters
to the normal 3com driver. Such changes include hard-wiring the interrupt
to 3, because it's only that pin coming out of the ethernet core which is
connected to the single interrupt line leading from the module to the
laptop across the pcmcia connector.

There are several varieties of the NE2000 already implemented, so the
generic driver is just sitting there waiting for a PCMCIA 'front-end'
to be done.

You mention that this chip is 10/100? I suspect this means it is a
RealTek 8029 derivative inside, since no self-respecting (?) ne2000s
are 100mbps.

FreeBSD has all these devices supported, so I suggest you check their
source.

-----Original Message-----
From: Steve Simon [mailto:steve@nos...]
Sent: 04 May 2000 10:53
To: 9fans@cse...
Subject: [9fans] PCMCIA Ether cards?


Hi,

The compatability list shows only the 3COM 3c589 PCMCIA card Ether card as
being the only one tested
with Plan9.

I have seen an add for cheap NE2000 10/100 bps PCMCIA cards, these are
supported as ISA cards I know,
however is it just a case of plug and go for the PCMCIA version, or a
simple S/W port to make one work?

Please excuse my ignorance of PCMCIA.

Thanks

-Steve