Using partitions in (Arcnet) device drivers?

[Ian Caddy]

Hi All,

We are in the process of putting an arcnet device driver into our RTEMS 
BSP for the Coldfire 5307.

By the end of it, we hope to have the Arcnet device driver supporting 
both the legacy packet interface of an existing product but at the same 
time putting a layer in so we can use IP over the Arcnet also.

Our Arcnet is configured to only have 256 byte packets, and we need 
somewhere to put them when they are received.

We have two options available to us, the first is to get the number of 
buffers required off the heap and then manage them ourselves.

The second option is to create partition for the buffers and then let 
RTEMs manage the buffers for us.

We are working on the 4.5.0 release of RTEMs and I did a quick search 
through the tree and no-one in the RTEMs system seems to use any 
partitions.  There are some used in the tests.

Is there some reason why partitions have not been used, as it looks like 
exactly what we need for this device driver?

Also, just a note on the SMC91C111 Ethernet port we were doing.  It is 
complete now with DMA and working well, but I have been dragged off it 
for some time.  I still haven't managed to move it into the libchip area 
but it is still on my list of things to do.  I just need to make sure 
the Arcnet is running also and then I will get back to it.

regards,


Ian Caddy

-- 

ianc at microsol.iinet.net.au
Microsol (Aust) Pty Ltd

Phone: (+61) 08 9473 6600
Fax:   (+61) 08 9473 6699