Frequently Asked Questions
Hardware
Q: does the board comply to CE regulations (EMC)?
A: Yes it does. In June 2012 extensive EMC tests have been performed on
the SPEC with a digital I/O (FMCDIO5chTTLa) card. These tests have been
made by AT4 wireless, a testing
laboratory accredited by the Spanish National Accreditation Body (ENAC
-Entidad Nacional de Acreditación) to perform the tests indicated in the
Certificate No. 51/LE 203.
The test report is publicly
available and shows that the card has passed the most restrictive EMC
tests of each class (domestic and industrial) successfully:
- EM Radiated Emission: Class B (Domestic) EN 55022 (2006) / A1 (2007)
- EM Immunity (Industrial): EN 61000-4-3 (2006) / A1 (2008) / A2 (2010), EN 61000-4-4 (2004) / A1 (2010) / Corr (2010), EN 61000-4-6 (2009), EN 61000-4-2 (2009), EN 61000-4-8 (2010).
Q: What are the differences between V1-0, V1-1 and V2-0?
A: V1-0 and V1-1 have different output buffers (SN74LS125 vs SN74LVT125) caused by a mistake in the PCB library and resulting in poor output pulse rise time and inability to drive 50 ohm loads in V1-0. V2-0 has improved I/O protection circuit which works also when the card is not powered. V1-0/V1-1 PCB designs are identical, in order to identify the version, check the types of buffers soldered (IC2, IC5).
Q: My card seems to be missing IPMI FRU information in the EEPROM. Can it be fixed?
A: Many cards miss that information, as it was not supported by the DIO PTS (Production Test System). A temporary procedure to fix this issue goes as follows:
- Make sure you're using the latest master of the SVEC/SPEC drivers.
- Download the eeprom-dio.bin file from the Files section.
- Load the SPEC/SVEC driver and the golden bitstream
- Program the EEPROM with the command (as root):
cat eeprom-dio.bin > /sys/bus/fmc/devices/fmc-XXXX/eeprom
- Reload the driver. Now it should enumerate the card correctly:
svec svec.0: mezzanine 0
Manufacturer: CERN
Product name: FmcDIO5chTTLa
Tomasz Wlostowski - 1 July 2014