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Dissolve resolved analyses into standalone device docs; open-questions.md keeps only the four live problems; discard NIC-timestamp length path (BCM ECD is proven) and Aquantia length trivia (30m part, oracle-only)

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flamingcow
2026-08-12 21:30:16 -07:00
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## Committed tree
AF_PACKET raw sockets everywhere (`sock.go`); flow-director steering; per-packet-MAC-rx-stamped rate buckets (`SO_TIMESTAMPING` cmsg, `rx_filter=ALL` as a hard host check — open-questions.md §2 for what that demands of the NIC); read-time-stamped NIC-counter rates; hardware-timestamped length probes (`probe.go`); framebuffer UI; harness.
AF_PACKET raw sockets everywhere (`sock.go`); flow-director steering; per-packet-MAC-rx-stamped rate buckets (`SO_TIMESTAMPING` cmsg, `rx_filter=ALL` as a hard host check — nics/README.md for what that demands of the NIC); read-time-stamped NIC-counter rates; hardware-timestamped length probes (`probe.go`); framebuffer UI; harness.
## Stashes
@@ -27,20 +27,20 @@ AF_PACKET raw sockets everywhere (`sock.go`); flow-director steering; per-packet
| Item | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| X520-DA2 | **Installed** in the single PCIe slot (E810 out); PCIe 5 GT/s ×8 | Port 0 `enp1s0f0` = new Wiitek (SN WAMZ012606X039U); port 1 `enp1s0f1` = FS (SN S2433774168); cable linked at 10G. Stock ixgbe needs `allow_unsupported_sfp=1` — the *FS* trips qualification (hardware.md) |
| ConnectX-5 | **Ordered** (dual SFP28, PCIe x8) — the product NIC candidate | mlx5 is the one driver meeting the full requirement set: stamps every packet, shared PHC across ports, native ETHER_FLOW steering. Open: MCIA diagnostics questions (open-questions.md §6). Arrival notes: ports may ship in InfiniBand mode (`mlxconfig set LINK_TYPE_P1=2 LINK_TYPE_P2=2`); SFP+ drops into SFP28 cages at 10G; check `mlx5_ib` vs channel changes (the irdma lesson) |
| ConnectX-5 | **Ordered** (dual SFP28, PCIe x8) — the product NIC candidate | mlx5 is the one driver meeting the full requirement set: stamps every packet, shared PHC across ports, native ETHER_FLOW steering. Open: MCIA diagnostics questions (nics/connectx-5/). Arrival notes: ports may ship in InfiniBand mode (`mlxconfig set LINK_TYPE_P1=2 LINK_TYPE_P2=2`); SFP+ drops into SFP28 cages at 10G; check `mlx5_ib` vs channel changes (the irdma lesson) |
| Replacement Wiiteks | Arrived; one in X520 port 0 | Originals bricked by register exploration — modules/wiitek/ trap first |
| FS SFP-10G-T-100 ×2 | In hand; one in X520 port 1 | BCM84891L, documented, robust |
| Fibergaga SFP-10G-T-30M | In hand | Aquantia, RollBall, the documented oracle |
| 10Gtek | In hand | Claims SFP-10G-SR, still copper RJ45; filler, not in the test set |
| E810 | Out of the box | Patched ice + `sff_i2c` remains useful only if it returns for read-side work |
**The X520 is disqualified as the product NIC — measurement, not a narrow gap.** Rate bucketing requires all-packet exact hardware RX timestamps (a cable tester measures the receive when it is misbehaving, so per-frame arrival times are the requirement; aggregate counters/rates are honest only in steady state and see nothing). The 82599 has one serial PTP-only latch and no all-packet path — TYPE_ALL is inert and TSIP does not exist (confirmed on hardware, open-questions.md §2). Per-queue counters were explored and **rejected** — a rate is not timestamps. The X520 is a diagnostics / BCM-framing card only; the ConnectX-5 is the product NIC.
**The X520 is disqualified as the product NIC — measurement, not a narrow gap.** Rate bucketing requires all-packet exact hardware RX timestamps (a cable tester measures the receive when it is misbehaving, so per-frame arrival times are the requirement; aggregate counters/rates are honest only in steady state and see nothing). The 82599 has one serial PTP-only latch and no all-packet path — TYPE_ALL is inert and TSIP does not exist (confirmed on hardware, nics/x520/). Per-queue counters were explored and **rejected** — a rate is not timestamps. The X520 is a diagnostics / BCM-framing card only; the ConnectX-5 is the product NIC.
## X520 diagnostics path — validated on hardware
In `~/work/` alongside the phydiag artifacts, ready to fold into the repo's `kernel/`:
- **Patched ixgbe** (`~/work/ixgbe-sff/`): `ixgbe_i2c_raw_write`/`ixgbe_i2c_raw_read` in `ixgbe_phy.c` (arbitrary START…STOP transactions from the existing bit-bang primitives, swfw-bracketed) + `sff_i2c` debugfs file (`w <addr8> <bytes…>` / `r <addr8> <n>` / `x <waddr> <raddr> <delay_us> <n> <wbytes…>` single-hold compound). One real bug found on hardware: multi-byte reads returned only byte 0 — the master's ACK left SDA driven low and nothing released it (stock 82599 paths never clock in more than one byte, so the missing release was invisible). `raw_read` now releases SDA after each ACK, mirroring stock's own release block. The patch also carries: **ETQF steering** (ETHER_FLOW ntuple inserts mapped onto ETQF/ETQS slots in `ixgbe_ethtool.c`, restore-on-up/clear-on-close hooked, FCoE slot-2 write moved behind its enable guard); **`reg_ops` read-returns-value** and a **`ts_bench`** debugfs command (in-kernel latch poll/re-arm for the §2 pokes). `load-ixgbe` rebuilds + swaps the module, passing `allow_unsupported_sfp=1`.
- **Patched ixgbe** (`~/work/ixgbe-sff/`): `ixgbe_i2c_raw_write`/`ixgbe_i2c_raw_read` in `ixgbe_phy.c` (arbitrary START…STOP transactions from the existing bit-bang primitives, swfw-bracketed) + `sff_i2c` debugfs file (`w <addr8> <bytes…>` / `r <addr8> <n>` / `x <waddr> <raddr> <delay_us> <n> <wbytes…>` single-hold compound). One real bug found on hardware: multi-byte reads returned only byte 0 — the master's ACK left SDA driven low and nothing released it (stock 82599 paths never clock in more than one byte, so the missing release was invisible). `raw_read` now releases SDA after each ACK, mirroring stock's own release block. The patch also carries: **ETQF steering** (ETHER_FLOW ntuple inserts mapped onto ETQF/ETQS slots in `ixgbe_ethtool.c`, restore-on-up/clear-on-close hooked, FCoE slot-2 write moved behind its enable guard); **`reg_ops` read-returns-value** and a **`ts_bench`** debugfs command (in-kernel latch poll/re-arm for the timestamp bench pokes). `load-ixgbe` rebuilds + swaps the module, passing `allow_unsupported_sfp=1`.
- **Bench tools** (`~/work/phydiag-work/`): `etqfbench/` (Go; proves ETQF steering + the fdir-can't-steer-raw-L2 negative), `x520poke/` (Go; drives `reg_ops`/`ts_bench` for the timestamp/counter pokes), `compound_test.py` (proves the `x` compound op against the FS BCM).
- **BCM client** (`~/work/phydiag-work/bcm_ixgbe.py`): proven end-to-end on the FS — EEPROM, PHY ID 0x3590:5081, handler STATUS, per-pair SNR ≈ [32, 27.5, 30, 27.6] dB via `CMD_GET_SNR = 0x8030` invoked bare. Code-table trap and stale-DATA1 trap: modules/fs/.
- **Exploration probes** (`bcm_explore.py`, `bcm_eee_off.py`): full GET sweep + the AutogrEEEn force-off recipe (results: modules/fs/).
@@ -52,11 +52,11 @@ In `~/work/` alongside the phydiag artifacts, ready to fold into the repo's `ker
2. ~~FS/BCM proven: SMI transport, sanity reads, command handler (temp, voltage, per-pair SNR), config sweep, EEE forced off.~~ Done. The IEEE-register SNR path is dead on the BCM — the command handler is the source.
3. Replacement Wiiteks: IEEE-standard registers only (modules/README.md safe set) unless/until a documented recipe exists for more; VCT templates are single-shot candidates on a sacrificial unit only.
4. Re-derive host tuning on ixgbe (coalescing/ring syntax differs).
5. ~~RX steering: program/verify the ETQF path (open-questions.md §1).~~ Done — the patched driver maps ETHER_FLOW onto ETQF slots; 7 streams → 7 queues proven on hardware (`~/work/phydiag-work/etqfbench`). `system.go` runs unchanged.
5. ~~RX steering: program/verify the ETQF path.~~ Done — the patched driver maps ETHER_FLOW onto ETQF slots; 7 streams → 7 queues proven on hardware (`~/work/phydiag-work/etqfbench`). `system.go` runs unchanged.
## RX flow-steering on ixgbe
**Solved on hardware.** cabletest fans RX across queues by steering raw ethertype 0x88b5+ to distinct queues (`system.go`, ETHTOOL_SRXCLSRLINS, ETHER_FLOW). Stock ixgbe's `ixgbe_flowspec_to_flow_type` accepts only TCP/UDP/SCTP-v4 and IPv4 — no ETHER_FLOW. The patched driver maps exact-ethertype ETHER_FLOW inserts onto ETQF/ETQS slots (`ixgbe_ethtool.c`), so `system.go` runs unchanged; 7 streams → 7 queues, unfiltered ethertypes → queue 0, verified (`~/work/phydiag-work/etqfbench`). Full analysis in open-questions.md §1.
**Solved on hardware.** cabletest fans RX across queues by steering raw ethertype 0x88b5+ to distinct queues (`system.go`, ETHTOOL_SRXCLSRLINS, ETHER_FLOW). Stock ixgbe's `ixgbe_flowspec_to_flow_type` accepts only TCP/UDP/SCTP-v4 and IPv4 — no ETHER_FLOW. The patched driver maps exact-ethertype ETHER_FLOW inserts onto ETQF/ETQS slots (`ixgbe_ethtool.c`), so `system.go` runs unchanged; 7 streams → 7 queues, unfiltered ethertypes → queue 0, verified (`~/work/phydiag-work/etqfbench`). Full analysis in nics/x520/.
- **ETQF/ETQS L2 EtherType queue filters — proven.** Dedicated ethertype→queue stage ahead of RSS/fdir; 8 slots, index 3 reserved for 1588; the FCoE slot-2 write was moved behind its enable guard so the default config leaves 7 free.
- **Flow Director flex-byte match — ruled out on hardware.** fdir classifies IPv4/IPv6 only; a flex-word rule on a raw 0x88b5 stream steers nothing (every frame to queue 0). `FDIRCTRL_FLEX_SHIFT = 0x6` (offset 12 = ethertype) only narrows an IP match.
@@ -65,5 +65,4 @@ In `~/work/` alongside the phydiag artifacts, ready to fold into the repo's `ker
## Open items
- **BCM ECD works** (recipe recovered from the OpenBCM SDK, validated on the FS — modules/fs/): per-pair lengths meter-accurate against a known ~45 m cable. Remaining work is characterizing the link blip the run causes (length is a between-runs operation until then). The FS ECD-chapter ask is now confirmation, not unblocking.
- **Pre-FEC verification** on the Aquantia — counters documented (modules/fibergaga/); needs the graded-noise correlation run (open-questions.md §5).
- **X710 PTP path-delay length measurement**: viable fallback for linked-cable length (PTP-latch timestamps both ports, same oscillator, short-cable calibration); scoped but unbuilt — the committed `probe.go` is the *filter-all* variant (raw-frame probes, needs all-packet rx stamping, E810-only); the X710/X520 variant means PTP-shaped probes. Superseded for the product if PHY DSP length pans out.
- **Pre-FEC verification** on the Aquantia — counters documented; needs the graded-noise correlation run (design: modules/fibergaga/).