ASIX ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
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AX88796 L 3-in-1 Local Bus Fast Ethernet Controller
4.2.5 Other Useful Operations
MEMORY DIAGNOSTICS
Memory diagnostics can be achieved by Remote Write/Read DMA operations. The following is a suggested step
for memory test and assume the AX88796 has been well initilized.
1. Issue the STOP command to the AX88796. This is accomplished be setting the STP bit in the AX88796's
Command Register. Writing 21H to the Command Register will stop the AX88796.
2. Wait for at least 1.5 ms. Since the AX88796 will complete any reception that is in progress, it is necessary to
time out for the maximum possible duration of an Ethernet reception. This action prevents buffer memory
from written data through Local DMA Write.
3. Write data pattern to MUT (memory under test) by Remote DMA write operation.
4. Read data pattern from MUT (memory under test) by Remote DMA read operation.
5. Compare the read data pattern with original write data pattern and check if it is equal.
6. Repeat step 3 to step 5 with various data pattern.
LOOPBACK DIAGNOSTICS
1. Issue the STOP command to the AX88796. This is accomplished be setting the STP bit in the AX88796's
Command Register. Writing 21H to the Command Register will stop the AX88796.
2. Wait for at least 1.5 ms. Since the AX88796 will complete any reception that is in progress, it is necessary to
time out for the maximum possible duration of an Ethernet reception. This action prevents buffer memory
from written data through Local DMA Write.
3. Place the AX88796 in mode 1 loopback. (MAC internal loopback) This can be accomplished by setting bits
D2 and D1, of the Transmit Configuration Register to ``0,1''.
4. Issue the START command to the AX88796. This can be accomplished by writing 22H to the Command
Register. This is necessary to activate the AX88796's Remote DMA channel.
5. Write data that want to transmit to transmit buffer by Remote DMA write operation.
6. Issue the TXP command to the AX88796. This can be accomplished by writing 26H to the Command
Register.
7. Read data current receive buffer by Remote DMA read operation.
8. Compare the received data with original transmit data and check if it is equal.
9. Repeat step 5 to step 8 for more packets test.