40.6.3.3 Transmit Buffers

Frames to transmit are stored in one or more transmit buffers located in system memory. Transmit frames can be between 1 and 16384 bytes long, so it is possible to transmit frames longer than the maximum length specified in the IEEE 802.3 standard. It should be noted that zero length buffers are allowed and that the maximum number of buffers permitted for each transmit frame is 128.

The start location for each transmit buffer is stored in memory in a list of transmit buffer descriptors at a location pointed to by the transmit buffer queue pointer. The base address for this queue pointer is set in software using the Transmit Buffer Queue Base Address register.

Each list entry consists of two words.

The number of words in each buffer descriptor (BD) depends on the operating mode.

Each BD word is defined as 32 bits. The first two words (Word 0 and Word 1) are used for all BD modes.

In Extended Buffer Descriptor modes, two BD words are added for timestamp capture. Thus there are either two or four BD words in each BD entry depending on the operating mode, and every BD entry has the same number of words.

To summarize:

• Each descriptor is 64 bits wide when the descriptor timestamp Capture mode is disabled.
• Each descriptor is 128 bits wide when the descriptor timestamp Capture mode is enabled.

The first is the byte address of the transmit buffer and the second containing the transmit control and status. For the packet buffer DMA, the start location for each transmit buffer is a byte address, the bottom bits of the address being used to offset the start of the data from the data-word boundary (i.e., bits 2,1 and 0 are used to offset the address for 64-bit datapaths).

Frames can be transmitted with or without automatic CRC generation. If CRC is automatically generated, pad will also be automatically generated to take frames to a minimum length of 64 bytes. When CRC is not automatically generated (as defined in word 1 of the transmit buffer descriptor), the frame is assumed to be at least 64 bytes long and pad is not generated.

An entry in the transmit buffer descriptor list is described in the table below.

To transmit frames, the buffer descriptors must be initialized by writing an appropriate byte address to bits [31:0] in the first word of each descriptor list entry.

The second word of the transmit buffer descriptor is initialized with control information that indicates the length of the frame, whether or not the MAC is to append CRC and whether the buffer is the last buffer in the frame.

After transmission the status bits are written back to the second word of the first buffer along with the used bit. Bit 31 is the used bit which must be zero when the control word is read if transmission is to take place. It is written to one once the frame has been transmitted. Bits[29:20] indicate various transmit error conditions. Bit 30 is the wrap bit which can be set for any buffer within a frame. If no wrap bit is encountered the queue pointer continues to increment.

The Transmit Buffer Queue Base Address register can only be updated while transmission is disabled or halted; otherwise any attempted write will be ignored. When transmission is halted the transmit buffer queue pointer will maintain its value. Therefore when transmission is restarted the next descriptor read from the queue will be from immediately after the last successfully transmitted frame. while transmit is disabled (bit 3 of the Network Control register set low), the transmit buffer queue pointer resets to point to the address indicated by the Transmit Buffer Queue Base Address register. Note that disabling receive does not have the same effect on the receive buffer queue pointer.

Once the transmit queue is initialized, transmit is activated by writing to the transmit start bit (bit 9) of the Network Control register. Transmit is halted when a buffer descriptor with its used bit set is read, a transmit error occurs, or by writing to the transmit halt bit of the Network Control register. Transmission is suspended if a pause frame is received while the pause enable bit is set in the Network Configuration register. Rewriting the start bit while transmission is active is allowed. This is implemented with TXGO variable which is readable in the Transmit Status register at bit location 3. The TXGO variable is reset when:

• Transmit is disabled.
• A buffer descriptor with its ownership bit set is read.
• Bit 10, THALT, of the Network Control register is written.
• There is a transmit error such as too many retries or a transmit underrun.

To set TXGO, write TSTART to the bit 9 of the Network Control register. Transmit halt does not take effect until any ongoing transmit finishes.

If a used bit is read midway through transmission of a multi-buffer frame, this is treated as a transmit error. Transmission stops, GTXER is asserted and the FCS will be bad.

If transmission stops due to a transmit error or a used bit being read, transmission restarts from the first buffer descriptor of the frame being transmitted when the transmit start bit is rewritten.