<dribbling@thekeyboard.com> (dribbling@thekeyboard.com) writes:

>   NJW> I'm not talking about the conventional ISA PnP
>      > framework. The plain 3c509 cards have a mechanisim
>      > that allows the OS to find the cards, their IO
>      > adresss, and their IRQ.
> 
> That sounds useful, how does it work?

The 3c509 cards all share a particular I/O port and have a magic
sequence that activates cards in a system, one at a time, avoiding
conflict. The actual mechanisim *is* reminiscient of the ISA
Plug-and-Play isolation sequence. See sys/dev/ic/if_ep_isa.c and
elink.c for details.

> A properly documented machine should have both the I/O
> address and IRQ line of the NIC recorded somewhere, but
> since we don't live in that perfect world the approach you
> describe sounds really useful.  Even if your machine is
> properly documented, you don't have to pick up the manual!

Properly documented? In the PC world? Pardon me while I cackle
maniacially for a few weeks.

        - Nathan