Steps to burn MAC, FW and do loopback test

Preparation

Host Requirements

• OS Version: Burn MAC & FW in Ubuntu 16.04

• Required Tools

  • Broadcom NIC Driver (download from Broadcom website)

    • https://www.broadcom.com/products/ethernet-connectivity/network-adapters/p210tp

  • MAC/FW burn tool: bnxtmt-lite-227.0.115.0-x86_64.k406 ( get from Broadcom agency )

  • FW package / MAC burn bin file: BCM957416A4160C.pkg ( get from Broadcom website )

    • https://www.broadcom.com/products/ethernet-connectivity/network-adapters/p210tp

• PCIe slots (speed) : Gen3.0 x4

• If you want to upload log, it need install "crul" first.

apt install -y curl

Burn MAC first and then burn FW

If not, we would install other driver which might not make MAC burned smoothly

1. Steps to Burn MAC

• Step 1 : Compile 'bnxtmt-lite' (Broadcom production tool)

# To use “make” on the selected untarred file.
cd bnxtmt-lite-227.0.115.0-x86_64.k406
sudo make

# if you could not use "make", please follow the installation
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install make

• Step 2 : Unload the 'bnxt_en' driver if it's installed

# Remove Linux driver command.
sudo rmmod bnxt_en

• Step 3 : Erase the flash for MAC burn

# Blank the board to be ready for burning MAC.
cd bnxtmt-lite-227.0.115.0-x86_64.k406
sudo ./load.sh -sysop -no_swap -none -blank

• Step 4 : Flash the NVRAM image and burn MAC

For the MAC address, we can modify sample.mac and sample.mpf to change MAC address

# go to bnxtmt-lite-227.0.115.0-x86_64.k406/samples_input
# modify sample.mac

# first line would be the MAC address (vendor ID)
# second line would be the serial number
# it would automatically generate 2 MAC address

# modify sample.mpf
# bacause there are 2 ethernet port, so set the value = 2

entries = 2
stride = 2

After checking the MAC address, we can run below command to burn MAC.

# Make sure to update required FW and sample files in the below command 
# They are available in the 'bnxtmtlite' package
# If you want to change MAC address, please modify sample.mac file and copy BCM957416A4160C.pkg
# to bnxtmt-lite-227.0.115.0-x86_64.k406 folder.

cd bnxtmt-lite-227.0.115.0-x86_64.k406
sudo ./load.sh -sysop -none -no_swap -fnvm BCM957416A4160C.pkg -fmac samples_input/sample.mac -mac_prof samples_input/sample.mpf -noreset -sn4 samples_input/sample.sn4 -vpd -noidcheck -gen1 -devnrev samples_input/sample.devnrev -log test.log

# and you would see the MAC address in the log

Show the success of burning MAC procedure

We will burn MAC with the upper one first and then burn the lower one.

2. Steps to Burn FW

• Step 1 : Install Niccli ( Broadcom NIC command line tool)

# Untar and go to the Broadcom NIC driver folder
# Go to the niccli folder to compile sliff and niccli to install niccli
cd Linux/sliff
sudo dpkg -i sliff-dkms_229.0.150.0_all.deb

# if you do not get dpkg tool
# please use following command:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install dpkg
sudo apt --fix-broken install

# after you installed sliff, please go to the other folder to install niccli

cd Linux/Linux_x86_64/
sudo dpkg -i niccli_229.0.150.0-1_x86_64.deb

# and then you can call "niccli" tool if the installation is successfull!

• Step 2 : Burn the FW

# please get the correct FW pkg from your sales representative BCM957416A4160C.pkg
# and put the FW file into the niccli/Linux_x86_64 folder and do the upgrade FW pkg command

cd bnxtmt-lite-227.0.115.0-x86_64.k406
sudo niccli -i 1 install BCM957416A4160C.pkg

# for the first time, please do:
sudo niccli -i 1 install -rescue -force BCM957416A4160C.pkg

• Step 3 : Do the cold boot (unplug the power cable and plug in)

shutdown now
# and then unplug the power cable
# after the cold boot you would get the FW updated and you can use niccli to check it

• Step 4 : Check the MAC and FW are installed well

After checking the MAC and FW are installed well, we have finished burning MAC and FW

sudo niccli

# and then you can check the MAC address, FW version

you can check NIC info by niccli tool (MAC address and FW)

3. Loopback Test

• Physically connection: we need to connect between two ports of the controller with a compliant UTP cable. ( if not, we should get a fail test result )

one port connect to the other to do the loopback test

• Type the command to do the external loopback test (socket-based)

cd bnxtmt-lite-227.0.115.0-x86_64.k406
sudo ./load.sh -sysop -no_swap -none -T C3

Loopback test PASS

FAQ

Q: Can we burn the MAC multiple times?

A: No, we only could burn MAC once. If the MAC address is wrong, we should re-flash the flash on the board and re-do the MAC burn process.

Q: Can we burn the FW multiple times?

A: Yes, we could burn/update the FW several times with the above FW update procedure.

( Please add command "-rescue -force" for the first time when you burn FW. )