ASUS M4A78-EM - Revision history

Juhe: /* Known issues */

2010-12-08T19:32:51Z

‎Known issues

Juhe: PCI cards

2010-12-08T19:26:38Z

PCI cards

Juhe: Add build instructions after support added to trunk.

2010-12-08T17:28:22Z

Add build instructions after support added to trunk.

Juhe: FILO tested

2010-11-30T19:30:02Z

FILO tested

Juhe: More boot test results.

2010-11-28T18:36:25Z

More boot test results.

Juhe: Created page with "This HOWTO explains how to use coreboot on the '''[http://www.asus.com/product.aspx?P_ID=0KyowHKUFAQqH2DO ASUS M4A78-EM]''' board. == Status == {{Status| |CPU_status = OK |CPU..."

2010-11-28T11:49:17Z

Created page with "This HOWTO explains how to use coreboot on the '''[http://www.asus.com/product.aspx?P_ID=0KyowHKUFAQqH2DO ASUS M4A78-EM]''' board. == Status == {{Status| |CPU_status = OK |CPU..."

New page

This HOWTO explains how to use coreboot on the '''[http://www.asus.com/product.aspx?P_ID=0KyowHKUFAQqH2DO ASUS M4A78-EM]''' board.

== Status ==

{{Status|

|CPU_status = OK
|CPU_comments = Tested: AMD Sempron 140.
|CPU_L1_status = OK
|CPU_L1_comments = -
|CPU_L2_status = OK
|CPU_L2_comments = -
|CPU_L3_status = N/A
|CPU_multiple_status = N/A
|CPU_multicore_status = Untested
|CPU_virt_status = Untested
|CPU_virt_comments = -

|RAM_EDO_status = N/A
|RAM_SDRAM_status = N/A
|RAM_SODIMM_status = N/A
|RAM_DDR_status = N/A
|RAM_DDR_comments = N/A
|RAM_DDR2_status = OK
|RAM_DDR2_comments = 1G tested
|RAM_DDR3_status = N/A
|RAM_dualchannel_status = Untested
|RAM_ecc_status = Untested
|RAM_ecc_comments =

|IDE_status = Untested
|IDE_comments = -
|IDE_25_status = N/A
|IDE_CF_status = Untested
|IDE_CF_comments =
|CDROM_DVD_status = Untested
|CDROM_DVD_comments =
|SATA_status = OK
|SATA_comments = Tested: SATA port 1.
|USB_status = Untested
|USB_comments =
|Onboard_VGA_status = OK
|Onboard_VGA_comments = Tested: DVI. Untested: HDMI, analog VGA.
|Onboard_ethernet_status = OK
|Onboard_audio_status = Untested
|Onboard_audio_comments = -
|Onboard_modem_status = N/A
|Onboard_firewire_status = N/A
|Smartcard_status = N/A
|Onboard_CF_status = N/A
|Onboard_PCMCIA_status = N/A

|ISA_cards_status = N/A
|AMR_cards_status = N/A
|PCI_cards_status = Untested
|PCI_cards_comments = -
|Mini_PCI_cards_status = N/A
|PCIX_cards_status = N/A
|AGP_cards_status = N/A
|PCIE_x1_status = Untested
|PCIE_x1_comments =
|PCIE_x2_status = N/A
|PCIE_x4_status = N/A
|PCIE_x8_status = N/A
|PCIE_x16_status = Untested
|PCIE_x16_comments =
|PCIE_x32_status = N/A
|HTX_status = N/A

|Floppy_status = N/A
|Floppy_comments = There is no floppy connector at all.
|COM1_status = OK
|COM1_comments = COM1 is only pin header on board. DB-9 serial connector is available, but not included with board.
|COM2_status = N/A
|PP_status = Untested
|PP_comments = No connector, pin header on board only.
|PS2_keyboard_status = OK
|PS2_keyboard_comments =
|PS2_mouse_status = N/A
|PS2_mouse_comments =
|Game_port_status = N/A
|IR_status = N/A
|Speaker_status = Untested
|DiskOnChip_status = N/A

|Sensors_status = Untested
|Sensors_comments =
|Watchdog_status = Untested
|CAN_bus_status = N/A
|CPUfreq_status = Untested
|CPUfreq_comments =
|Powersave_status = Untested
|ACPI_status = Untested
|ACPI_comments = -
|Reboot_status = No
|Poweroff_status = No
|LEDs_status =
|LEDs_comments =
|HPET_status =
|HPET_comments =
|RNG_status = Untested
|WakeOnModem_status = Untested
|WakeOnLAN_status =
|WakeOnKeyboard_status = Untested
|WakeOnMouse_status = Untested
|Flashrom_status = OK
|Flashrom_comments =

}}

== Building coreboot ==

See the [[Build HOWTO]] for general information on how to build coreboot.

This board is very similar to [[ASUS M4A785-M]]. The major differences are

* Chipset is AMD 780G and SB700 (instead of 785G and SB710).
* On-board VGA is ATI Radeon HD3200 (instead of HD4200), PCI id 1002:9610 (instead of 1002:9710), and
* One of the six SATA ports is eSATA.

Configuring and building Coreboot for the M4A785-M seemed to work quite well. (Tested on Coreboot SVN revision 6128.)

Up-to-date [[Flashrom]] should be able to detect, read, and write the BIOS ROM. The chip is 8 Mbit cFeon EN25F80. It is in DIP-8 package and installed in a socket, so it can be changed without soldering. The ROM is accessed via the SPI protocol. I also tested a Macronix MX25L8005 chip as a substitute, and it worked fine.

== Known issues ==

* No success in loading OS yet.

=== RAM ===

* 1 GB RAM (1 x Kingston KVR800D2N5/1G) - Boots

== [[Payloads]] ==

* [[SeaBIOS]] version 0.6.1 works and loads Grub2 bootloader from SATA disk.
** ...but then Grub2 crashes and shuts down power.
* [[Coreinfo]] works.

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:30, 30 November 2010
Line 143:		Line 143:
	** Both as standalone payload or loaded from SeaBIOS		** Both as standalone payload or loaded from SeaBIOS
	** Both serial port and VGA+PS2 keyboard work.		** Both serial port and VGA+PS2 keyboard work.
		+	* [[FILO]] works ok.
		+	** Booting Linux from SATA still fails with "Decompressing Linux ... Out of memory while allocating output buffer."

@@ Line 142: / Line 142: @@
 == Known issues ==
+*  Disable configuration option "Chipset" -> "Run non-VGA option ROMs" if there are PCI cards with BIOS. PCI card BIOS may need (Sea)BIOS services to run, and crash if invoked from Coreboot directly.
 === RAM ===
 * 1 GB RAM (1 x Kingston KVR800D2N5/1G) - Boots
 == [[Payloads]] ==

@@ Line 54: / Line 54: @@
 |ISA_cards_status = N/A
 |AMR_cards_status = N/A
-|PCI_cards_status = Untested
+|PCI_cards_status = Unknown
-|PCI_cards_comments = -
+|PCI_cards_comments = Recognized, but operation unstable
 |Mini_PCI_cards_status = N/A
 |PCIX_cards_status = N/A

@@ Line 29: / Line 29: @@
 |RAM_ecc_comments =
-|IDE_status = Ok
+|IDE_status = OK
 |IDE_comments = Tested: CD/DVD-RW
 |IDE_25_status = N/A
 |IDE_CF_status = Untested
 |IDE_CF_comments =
-|CDROM_DVD_status = Ok
+|CDROM_DVD_status = OK
 |CDROM_DVD_comments =
 |SATA_status = OK
 |SATA_comments = Tested: SATA port 1.
-|USB_status = Untested
+|SCSI_status = N/A
-|USB_comments =
+|USB_status = OK
 |Onboard_VGA_status = OK
-|Onboard_VGA_comments = Tested: DVI. Untested: HDMI, analog VGA.
+|Onboard_VGA_comments = Tested: DVI and analog VGA. Untested: HDMI.
 |Onboard_ethernet_status = OK
 |Onboard_audio_status = Untested
@@ Line 84: / Line 85: @@
 |DiskOnChip_status = N/A
-|Sensors_status = Untested
+|Sensors_status = OK
-|Sensors_comments =
+|Sensors_comments = Single temperature reported.
 |Watchdog_status = Untested
 |CAN_bus_status = N/A
-|CPUfreq_status = Untested
+|CPUfreq_status = OK
-|CPUfreq_comments =
+|CPUfreq_comments = Powernow-K8 works.
 |Powersave_status = Untested
 |ACPI_status = Untested
@@ Line 95: / Line 96: @@
 |Reboot_status = No
 |Poweroff_status = No
-|LEDs_status =
+|LEDs_status = N/A
 |LEDs_comments =
-|HPET_status =
+|HPET_status = No
-|HPET_comments =
+|HPET_comments = Linux detects, but disables HPET.
 |RNG_status = Untested
 |WakeOnModem_status = Untested
@@ Line 119: / Line 120: @@
 * One of the six SATA ports is eSATA.
-Configuring and building Coreboot for the M4A785-M seemed to work quite well. (Tested on Coreboot SVN revision 6128.)
+There is now (tested on revision 6151) support for M4A78-EM in Coreboot.
-Up-to-date [[Flashrom]] should be able to detect, read, and write the BIOS ROM. The chip is 8 Mbit cFeon EN25F80. It is in DIP-8 package and installed in a socket, so it can be changed without soldering. The ROM is accessed via the SPI protocol. I also tested a Macronix MX25L8005 chip as a substitute, and it worked fine.
+Get the Coreboot sources and build tools. Download or build a SeaBIOS binary.
 == Known issues ==
-* Only FreeDOS has been successfully booted.
 === RAM ===
@@ Line 135: / Line 151: @@
 == [[Payloads]] ==
 * [[SeaBIOS]] version 0.6.1 works
-** SeaBIOS loads Grub2 bootloader from SATA disk, but then Grub2 crashes and shuts down power.
+** Can boot Debian Linux from SATA drive via Grub2.
-** SeaBIOS recognizes IDE CDROM and can boot from it:
-*** Debian "Squeeze" install CD results in freeze and blank screen
-*** FreeDOS LiveCD boots ok.
 * [[Coreinfo]] works.
 ** Both as standalone payload or loaded from SeaBIOS
 ** Both serial port and VGA+PS2 keyboard work.
 * [[FILO]] works ok.