112 lines
4.6 KiB
Groff
112 lines
4.6 KiB
Groff
|
.\" $NetBSD: pcweasel.4,v 1.1 2000/11/04 18:51:59 thorpej Exp $
|
||
|
|
.\"
|
||
|
|
.\" Copyright (c) 2000 Zembu Labs, Inc.
|
||
|
|
.\" All rights reserved.
|
||
|
|
.\"
|
||
|
|
.\" Author: Jason R. Thorpe <thorpej@zembu.com>
|
||
|
|
.\"
|
||
|
|
.\" Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
|
||
|
|
.\" modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions
|
||
|
|
.\" are met:
|
||
|
|
.\" 1. Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright
|
||
|
|
.\" notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.
|
||
|
|
.\" 2. Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright
|
||
|
|
.\" notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the
|
||
|
|
.\" documentation and/or other materials provided with the distribution.
|
||
|
|
.\" 3. All advertising materials mentioning features or use of this software
|
||
|
|
.\" must display the following acknowledgement:
|
||
|
|
.\" This product includes software developed by Zembu Labs, Inc.
|
||
|
|
.\" 4. Neither the name of Zembu Labs nor the names of its employees may
|
||
|
|
.\" be used to endorse or promote products derived from this software
|
||
|
|
.\" without specific prior written permission.
|
||
|
|
.\"
|
||
|
|
.\" THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY ZEMBU LABS, INC. ``AS IS'' AND ANY EXPRESS
|
||
|
|
.\" OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WAR-
|
||
|
|
.\" RANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE DIS-
|
||
|
|
.\" CLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL ZEMBU LABS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT,
|
||
|
|
.\" INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT
|
||
|
|
.\" NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE,
|
||
|
|
.\" DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY
|
||
|
|
.\" THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT
|
||
|
|
.\" (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF
|
||
|
|
.\" THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
|
||
|
|
.\"
|
||
|
|
.Dd October 19, 2000
|
||
|
|
.Dt PCWEASEL 4
|
||
|
|
.Os
|
||
|
|
.Sh NAME
|
||
|
|
.Nm pcweasel
|
||
|
|
.Nd Support for the PC-Weasel serial console board
|
||
|
|
.Sh SYNOPSIS
|
||
|
|
.Cd "pseudo-device pcweasel"
|
||
|
|
.Pp
|
||
|
|
Note that the appropriate display device must also be enabled. See
|
||
|
|
.Xr pcdisplay 4
|
||
|
|
for more information.
|
||
|
|
.Sh DESCRIPTION
|
||
|
|
The PC-Weasel is a serial console board for use primarily on
|
||
|
|
Intel-based PC-class systems. It addresses a problem that
|
||
|
|
nearly everone who has deployed a PC-class server has experienced:
|
||
|
|
the total lack of remote management capability on PC-class hardware.
|
||
|
|
.Pp
|
||
|
|
In addition to serial console support, the PC-Weasel provides the
|
||
|
|
ability to remotely reset the system (by means of a hardware reset
|
||
|
|
signal), and provides a watchdog timer function.
|
||
|
|
.Pp
|
||
|
|
The PC-Weasel works by emulating the original IBM Monochrome
|
||
|
|
Display Adapter (MDA). Writes to the display's character
|
||
|
|
cells are translated into ANSI terminal sequences which are
|
||
|
|
then sent out the PC-Weasel's serial port. Incoming characters
|
||
|
|
are translated into PC keyboard scan codes and then fed (by means
|
||
|
|
of a cable) into the system's keyboard controller. The system
|
||
|
|
believes it is using a display console. This is particularly
|
||
|
|
important in the event that one needs access to BIOS configuration
|
||
|
|
menus.
|
||
|
|
.Pp
|
||
|
|
The PC-Weasel also includes a ST16550 serial port, which may
|
||
|
|
be configured as any one of the system's serial ports. Typical
|
||
|
|
usage is to configure the port as
|
||
|
|
.Em com0
|
||
|
|
at ISA I/O address 0x3f8. When the PC-Weasel detects activity
|
||
|
|
on the ST16550, the serial port is automatically connected to
|
||
|
|
the ST16550 so that the serial port may be used as normal. When
|
||
|
|
the PC-Weasel detects activity on the internal UART used for MDA
|
||
|
|
emulation, the serial port is automatically reconnected to the
|
||
|
|
emulation UART. This allows the boot program and kernel to be
|
||
|
|
configured to use the serial port directly (which is more efficient
|
||
|
|
than using the MDA emulation mode), yet allows the MDA emulation
|
||
|
|
to be reestablished as soon as the kernel loses control of the
|
||
|
|
system.
|
||
|
|
.Pp
|
||
|
|
The
|
||
|
|
.Nm
|
||
|
|
driver provides support for the additional features present on
|
||
|
|
the PC-Weasel. At the moment, this includes support for the
|
||
|
|
watchdog timer function. Use of the
|
||
|
|
.Nm
|
||
|
|
driver is not required in order for the system to function with
|
||
|
|
a PC-Weasel installed so long as only the MDA emulation and
|
||
|
|
ST16550 serial port functionality is required.
|
||
|
|
.Sh SEE ALSO
|
||
|
|
.Xr pcdisplay 4 ,
|
||
|
|
.Xr wdogctl 8
|
||
|
|
.Sh HISTORY
|
||
|
|
The
|
||
|
|
.Nm
|
||
|
|
driver first appeared in
|
||
|
|
.Nx 1.5.1 .
|
||
|
|
.Sh AUTHOR
|
||
|
|
The PC-Weasel was invented by Herb Peyerl and Jonathan Levine
|
||
|
|
at Canada Connect Corporation. It is now produced by Middle
|
||
|
|
Digital, Inc., http://www.realweasel.com/
|
||
|
|
.Pp
|
||
|
|
The
|
||
|
|
.Nm
|
||
|
|
driver was written by
|
||
|
|
.An Jason R. Thorpe
|
||
|
|
.Aq thorpej@zembu.com ,
|
||
|
|
and contributed by Zembu Labs, Inc.
|
||
|
|
Herb Peyerl of Middle Digital, Inc.
|
||
|
|
provided several firmware updates during the
|
||
|
|
development of the driver.
|