Subject: Re: PCI <-> PCMCIA bridge
To: Masanori Kanaoka <kanaoka@ann.hi-ho.ne.jp>
From: Chris Jones <chris@cjones.org>
List: port-i386
Date: 07/15/2002 13:20:55
Masanori Kanaoka wrote:

>        From: Chris Jones <chris@cjones.org>
> $ I just bought a "desktop wireless adapter," which appears to be a 
> $ PCI-PCMCIA (or PCI-cardbus) bridge.  Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to 
> $ work.  The kernel identifies wi0, but can't get its MAC address, so it 
> $ doesn't attach it.  I *don't* see any pcic0 identified, though.
> 
> Maybe that card seems PCI-cardbus bridge,I think.

> If possible,Would you show dmesg messages ?

After I experimented a little bit, I think it's not a PCI-cardbus 
bridge.  Here's my dmesg output.  First, I booted with the PCI card 
installed, but no wireless card in the PCMCIA slot:

NetBSD 1.6_BETA4 (LEGOLAS) #0: Fri Jul 12 17:09:04 MDT 2002
...
wi0 at pci0 dev 11 function 0: Eumitcom WL11000P PCI WaveLAN/IEEE 802.11 
(rev. 0x02)
wi0: interrupting at irq 10
wi0:could not get mac address, attach failed
wi0: failed to attach controller


Then, I booted with the PCI card installed, and the wireless card in the 
slot.  But the dmesg output was identical.

So I think this card isn't really a bridge at all, but some 
special-purpose card designed to work with a specific wireless card.

Another interesting thing:  When I first installed this card, my BIOS 
complained.  It said something very similar to, "PCI card in slot 2 
shares IRQ with Promise IDE controller; make sure it supports IRQ 
sharing."  But I don't have a Promise IDE controller; my IDE controller is:

pciide0 at pci0 dev 4 function 1: VIA Technologies VT82C686A (Apollo 
KX133) ATA66 controller

Chris

-- 
------------------------------------------------- chris@cjones.org
Chris Jones                                       Mad scientist at large
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