Using This Guide

Purpose

This 4538 Hardware Reference Manual is designed for software developers in Interphase customer organizations who intend to develop embedded software and/or host drivers for the 4538 T1/E1/J1 communications controller.

The 4538 is delivered with an Interphase Boot Firmware located in the FLASH memory. This firmware initializes and configures the 4538 hardware at each boot. It also includes built-in self tests and a monitor. Software developers can decide to keep the Interphase Boot Firmware and develop an operational firmware that will start after the completion of this Interphase Boot Firmware. This solution is recommended for the following reasons:

PowerQUICC II and 4538 initial hardware configuration code is already developed and validated by Interphase in the boot firmware.

Interphase Boot Firmware provides several ways to download and execute developer’s operational firmware.

Interphase Boot Firmware can be used during the life of the product for operational firmware updates and field unit tests.

However, if the software developers decide to re-develop their own Boot Firmware, this manual describes in detail the 4538 Hardware and provides information relative to its initialization and configuration.

NOTES

To install the 4538 Communications Controller in your CompactPCI Machine, please refer to the 4538 Board Installation and Maintenance Guide. Different cautions and warnings are described to avoid damage to your communications controller.

All the booting process and software elements composing the Interphase Boot Firmware are described in the 4538 Built-In Self test and Monitor Users Guide. Refer to this document when using Boot Firmware.

Audience

This guide was written assuming that readers have extensive knowledge of the C programming language and of methods for developing and installing software drivers.

4538 Hardware Reference Manual

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