ALTERA_ATSE(4)

🦋 ALTERA_ATSE(4) 🦋

ok so like... this is a page from the Kernel Interfaces Manual bestie, and we're talking about the atse driver 💅 welcome to the group chat, grab a strawberry 🍓

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✨ NAME ✨

atse — the driver for the Altera Triple-Speed Ethernet MegaCore. that's it, that's the whole vibe 🎀

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🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

device atse
options ATSE_CFI_HACK

and now the part where you gotta talk to /boot/device.hints directly, like sliding into its DMs 💌:

hint.atse.0.at="nexus0"
hint.atse.0.maddr=0x7f007000
hint.atse.0.msize=0x540
hint.atse.0.rc_irq=1
hint.atse.0.rx_maddr=0x7f007500
hint.atse.0.rx_msize=0x8
hint.atse.0.rxc_maddr=0x7f007520
hint.atse.0.rxc_msize=0x20
hint.atse.0.tx_irq=2
hint.atse.0.tx_maddr=0x7f007400
hint.atse.0.tx_msize=0x8
hint.atse.0.txc_maddr=0x7f007420
hint.atse.0.txc_msize=0x20
hint.e1000phy.0.at="miibus0"
hint.e1000phy.0.phyno=0

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💖 DESCRIPTION 💖

the atse device driver provides support for the Altera Triple-Speed Ethernet MegaCore. short, sweet, iconic 👑

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🔥 HARDWARE 🔥

the current version of the atse driver supports the Ethernet MegaCore as described in version 11.1 of Altera's documentation — but ONLY when the device is configured with internal FIFOs. not me being picky but like... that's the deal fr fr 🫶

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🎀 MAC SELECTION 🎀

okay this part is lowkey the main character energy of the whole page, so pay attention bestie 😭

the default MAC address for each atse interface is derived from a value stored in cfi(4) flash. that value is managed by the atsectl(8) utility, so it's not just vibes — there's a whole tool for it ✨

only a single MAC address may be stored in flash. one. just one. no hoarding 💀

so here's the tea:

• if the address begins with the Altera prefix 00:07:ed and ends in 00, then up to 16 addresses will be derived from it by adding the unit number of the interface to the stored address. math slay 🧮
• for other prefixes, the address will be assigned to atse0 and random addresses will be used for other interfaces. sharing is not caring in this case 🙈
• if the stored address is invalid — for example all zero's, multicast, or the default address shipped on all DE4 boards (00:07:ed:ff:ed:15) — then a random address is generated when the device is attached. the driver just goes "nope" and improvises 💅

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👑 SEE ALSO 👑

• miibus(4)
• netintro(4)
• ifconfig(8)

Triple-Speed Ethernet MegaCore Function User Guide, Altera Corporation, November 2011. required reading, iykyk 📚

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🌈 HISTORY 🌈

the atse device driver first appeared in FreeBSD 10.0. a whole era ✨

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💜 AUTHORS 💜

the atse device driver and this manual page were developed by SRI International and the University of Cambridge Computer Laboratory under DARPA/AFRL contract (FA8750-10-C-0237) (“CTSRD”), as part of the DARPA CRASH research programme. this device driver was written by Bjoern A. Zeeb. absolute legend behavior 🫡

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⭐ BUGS ⭐

real talk, these are the limitations and you need to know them before you come for me okay 😤

• the atse driver only supports a single configuration of the MegaCore as installed on the Terasic Technologies Altera DE4 Development and Education Board. literally one fit, no other fits 💀
• only gigabit Ethernet speeds are currently supported. no slow lane, no fast lane, just the gigabit one 🚀

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and that's the whole page babes 🎀 this little gem came from Debian, dated May 21, 2014, and it's filed under ALTERA_ATSE(4) in the Kernel Interfaces Manual — go off, you're now an expert 🦋💖✨