Friday 29 January 2010

Reading the IPMI Spec

I'm currently trying to read the IPMI specification so that I can re-program a Serial EEPROM over I2C. I think I'm using an IPMB command to do so. I connect over the UART and login to the BMC using hyperterminal. Now our BMC code hasn't been finalised yet so it may or may not work. I'm hoping that I can figure out the commands as it would really save time and work if I could program the devices this way instead of removing the device, programming it using an external programmer and then soldering it back onto the board.

Unfortunately we don't have an in-circuit programmer as this would be very useful indeed. I figure that this way I learn how to access something and gain knowledge on a subject I have never touched before. Another notch in the belt as you may say.

What a great week!

In work terms, this has been a great week. I'm on top of my game on nearly everything I've done. I found a solution to one of our Infiniband issues we've been having trouble with all week. I've successfully reworked a number of boards back into good working health and I'm unofficially referred to as the Mellanox expert. I'm on a roll. Now if I could only fix this one last board before the weekend, it truly will have been a great week.

I haven't seemed to have any luck with writing to the Serial EEPROM over the BMC interface yet. Will have to figure that all out from the IPMI Specifications as to how to write the commands correctly into the device. I'd be happy just being able to read the device at the moment.

Unfortunately topping this week, next week is going to be a real challenge. I'll have to work extra hard.

Also this week, I've purchased two new books from Amazon.co.uk

So I hope to get my butt in gear and get learning Verilog and VHDL so I can finally read and understand the code they use here and I can debug the boards completely, looking at timing relationships and the signals as they bring up the board.