Linux/AM4376: Ethernet switching

Avner Flesch

Intellectual 385 points

Part Number: AM4376

Tool/software: Linux

Hi,

I am trying to figure out if this chip will satisfy my requirements:

I need to have switch between 2 ports GbE and the CPU - Is it supported by hardware?

Or do I need to use Linux bridge to do it by software?

In case the only alternative is software does one 1GB core will be enough to support 1GB traffic even when the packet size is small?

Thanks

Avner

over 8 years ago

0 Biser Gatchev-XID over 8 years ago

TI__Guru**** 393215 points

Hi,

Yes, the AM437x 3PSW is a 3-port switch gigabit ethernet subsystem. It provides ethernet packet communication and can be configured as an ethernet switch. It provides the gigabit media independent interface (GMII),reduced gigabit media independent interface (RGMII), reduced media independent interface (RMII), the management data input output (MDIO) for physical layer device (PHY) management. As a Layer 2 switch, this device is capable of supporting all higher layers and various protocols, such as IPV4, IPV6, and 802.3x, in software.

0 Avner Flesch over 8 years ago in reply to Biser Gatchev-XID

Intellectual 385 points

Thanks!
That was very helpfull
Is the switch you descibes is native in the chip or it built with the PRU-ICSS

Thanks again

0 Biser Gatchev-XID over 8 years ago in reply to Avner Flesch

TI__Guru**** 393215 points

This is a hardware subsystem in the AM437x device. You will find detailed description in section 15 of the AM437x Technical Reference Manual Rev. G.

0 Avner Flesch over 8 years ago in reply to Biser Gatchev-XID

Intellectual 385 points

I hope this is my last question:
Does the switch support bridging too?

Thanks

Avner

0 Schuyler Patton over 8 years ago in reply to Avner Flesch

TI__Mastermind 40730 points

In short the switch does not support bridge mode. Outside of flow control it does not have the ability to send out BPDU packets necessary to support bridging. The switch does the ability to enabled in a dual mac configuration as two independent network interfaces. In this case the packets would be pushed to the network stack or higher where the bridging would processed.

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Linux/AM4376: Ethernet switching