Software Developer’s Manual v
Contents

Contents

1 Introduction .................................................................................................................. 1
1.1 Scope ....................................................................................................................1
1.2 Overview ...............................................................................................................1
1.3 Ethernet Controller Features ................................................................................. 2
1.3.1 PCI Features ........................................................................................ 2
1.3.2 CSA Features (82547GI/EI Only) .........................................................2
1.3.3 Network Side Features.........................................................................2
1.3.4 Host Offloading Features .....................................................................3
1.3.5 Additional Performance Features.........................................................4
1.3.6 Manageability Features (Not Applicable to the 82544GC/EI or
82541ER) .............................................................................................5
1.3.7 Additional Ethernet Controller Features ............................................... 5
1.3.8 Technology Features............................................................................ 5
1.4 Conventions ..........................................................................................................6
1.4.1 Register and Bit References ................................................................6
1.4.2 Byte and Bit Designations ....................................................................6
1.5 Related Documents............................................................................................... 6
1.6 Memory Alignment Terminology............................................................................6
2 Architectural Overview ............................................................................................7
2.1 Introduction............................................................................................................ 7
2.2 External Architecture .............................................................................................8
2.3 Microarchitecture.................................................................................................10
2.3.1 PCI/PCI-X Core Interface ...................................................................10
2.3.2 82547GI/EI CSA Interface ..................................................................11
2.3.3 DMA Engine and Data FIFO ..............................................................11
2.3.4 10/100/1000 Mb/s Receive and Transmit MAC Blocks ...................... 12
2.3.5 MII/GMII/TBI/Internal SerDes Interface Block .................................... 12
2.3.6 10/100/1000 Ethernet Transceiver (PHY) ..........................................13
2.3.7 EEPROM Interface.............................................................................13
2.3.8 FLASH Memory Interface................................................................... 14
2.4 DMA Addressing .................................................................................................14
2.5 Ethernet Addressing............................................................................................ 15
2.6 Interrupts .............................................................................................................16
2.7 Hardware Acceleration Capability .......................................................................17
2.7.1 Checksum Offloading .........................................................................17
2.7.2 TCP Segmentation .............................................................................17
2.8 Buffer and Descriptor Structure........................................................................... 17
3 Receive and Transmit Description.................................................................... 19
3.1 Introduction..........................................................................................................19
3.2 Packet Reception ................................................................................................19
3.2.1 Packet Address Filtering ....................................................................19
3.2.2 Receive Data Storage ........................................................................ 20
3.2.3 Receive Descriptor Format................................................................. 20
3.2.4 Receive Descriptor Fetching .............................................................. 25