[LinuxBIOS] Support for recent chipset and powerful desktop CPU

Segher Boessenkool segher at kernel.crashing.org
Thu Nov 30 05:16:52 CET 2006


>> I'm asking because obviously I don't know the answer, but can't a  
>> serial
>> port on a PCI card be used? Wouldn't that be simpler than through-USB
>> debugging?
>
> yeah, but how do you debug the PCI bringup code if PCI is not up to
> drive the card in the PCI slot ... assuming there *is* a PCI slot.
> That's the problem. The USB debug capability is supposed to work even
> when almost nothing is work.

EHCI debug port requires PCI to be set up (at least
partially) -- it requires a BAR.

> Serial ports are no longer that way.
>
> "Progress!"

Yeah.  It's time that all CPU manufacturers see the
light and attach the "system I/O" (serial, I2C, SPI,
some GPIOs, flash) directly to the CPU.

>> If not, well I'll find a new board, but I like the fact that this  
>> board is
>> already passively cooled (a requirement, or at least a strong  
>> plus, in our
>> product), is quite cheap and from a reputable company.
>
> we have to solve this. So, let's solve it.

Yep.  It's going to be a pain though, for the reasons
you outlined yourself already.


Segher





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