Intel PCI User Manual
Introduction
Software Developer’s Manual
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Introduction
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1.1
Scope
This document serves as a software developer’s manual for 82546GB/EB, 82545GM/EM,
82544GC/EI, 82541(PI/GI/EI), 82541ER, 82547GI/EI, and 82540EP/EM Gigabit Ethernet
Controllers. Throughout this manual references are made to the PCI/PCI-X Family of Gigabit
Controllers. Throughout this manual references are made to the PCI/PCI-X Family of Gigabit
Ethernet Controllers or Ethernet controllers. Unless specifically noted, these references apply to all
the Ethernet controllers listed above.
1.2
Overview
The PCI/PCI-X Family of Gigabit Ethernet Controllers are highly integrated, high-performance
Ethernet LAN devices for 1000 Mb/s, 100 Mb/s and 10 Mb/s data rates. They are optimized for
LAN on Motherboard (LOM) designs, enterprise networking, and Internet appliances that use the
LAN on Motherboard (LOM) designs, enterprise networking, and Internet appliances that use the
Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) and PCI-X bus.
Note: The 82541xx and 82540EP/EM do not support the PCI-X bus.
The 82547GI(EI) connects to the motherboard chipset through a Communications Streaming
Architecture (CSA) port. CSA is designed for low memory latency and higher performance than a
comparable PCI interface.
comparable PCI interface.
The remaining Ethernet controllers provide a 32-/64-bit, 33/66 MHz direct interface to the PCI
Local Bus Specification (revision 2.2 or 2.3), as well as the emerging PCI-X extension to the PCI
Local Bus (revision 1.0a).
The Ethernet controllers provide an interface to the host processor by using on-chip command and
status registers and a shared host memory area, set up mainly during initialization. The controllers
status registers and a shared host memory area, set up mainly during initialization. The controllers
provide a highly optimized architecture to deliver high performance and PCI/CSA/PCI-X bus
efficiency. By implementing hardware acceleration capabilities, the controllers enable offloading
various tasks such as TCP/UDP/IP checksum calculations from the host processor. They also
various tasks such as TCP/UDP/IP checksum calculations from the host processor. They also
minimize I/O accesses and interrupts required to manage the Ethernet controllers and provide a
highly configurable design that can be used effectively in various environments.
The PCI/PCI-X Family of Gigabit Ethernet Controllers handle all IEEE 802.3 receive and transmit
MAC functions. They contain fully integrated physical-layer circuitry for 1000 Base-T, 100 Base-
MAC functions. They contain fully integrated physical-layer circuitry for 1000 Base-T, 100 Base-
TX, and 10 Base-T applications (IEEE 802.3, 802.3u, and 802.3ab) as well as on-chip Serializer/
Deserializer (SerDes)
Deserializer (SerDes)
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functionality that fully complies with IEEE 802.3z PCS.
1. The 82541xx, 82547GI/EI, and 82540EP/EM do not support any SerDes functionality.