Problems with X6-400M and 64-bit windows Server 2008 R2

PJH · Joined: 18 May 2011 Posts: 16

Hi. I'm using X6-400M card and facing some problems with software release 1.04 in 64-bit environment:

- Stream example application crashes the server when ADC stream is enabled.
- DAC stream does not crash the server but it is not working at all. (TX datarate in stream tab does not update)

I have older version of FPGA (1.00) that streams ADC data from the card but DAC stream is also NOT working..

We have tested card in 32-bit XP and both streams are working fine with 1.04 release.

Br,
Petri

bjackson · Joined: 12 Oct 2011 Posts: 178 Location: Simi Valley, CA

Hello,

I will acquire a card and test this issue for you so we can try to find a solution. Can you please tell me what version of the firmware you have? Did you test this in a regular Win7 64-bit environment? I'll will post again as soon as I test it.
Thanks,
Brian Jackson
Innovative Integration

PJH · Joined: 18 May 2011 Posts: 16

We have firmware version 1.02 and we are using Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2.

Also tried with 1.03 version with same results.

Br,
Petri

bjackson · Joined: 12 Oct 2011 Posts: 178 Location: Simi Valley, CA

For me it is working fine on Windows 7 64-bit. I will install Server 2008 64-bit on a machine and see if I have the problem there. It should be supported.

bjackson · Joined: 12 Oct 2011 Posts: 178 Location: Simi Valley, CA

Are you using the stock example software? If not, could you send me the applicationIo that you are using?

-Brian

PJH · Joined: 18 May 2011 Posts: 16

Yes, we are using stock example application (stream).

- Petri

bjackson · Joined: 12 Oct 2011 Posts: 178 Location: Simi Valley, CA

I still am not having problems in my tests. So, to confirm, is the board enumerating properly? When you have the DAC enabled, what exactly happens? Do you get a blue screen and immediate restart? Please send me your settings.ini file so I can ensure I am running everything exactly as you are.
Thanks,
Brian

PJH · Joined: 18 May 2011 Posts: 16

The board is enumerating properly.

We can open the board using the Stream.exe example (Configure tab).
We can read register values using controls on Debug tab.
Preconfiguration seems to succeed, when the preconfigure button is pressed on Stream tab.

With firmware version 1.02:
- If we set up input stream from ADC (enable adc channels) we get bluescreen right after we press start streaming on Stream tab.
- If we try to enable output stream to DAC and press start streaming on Stream tab the Tx block count: counts to 25 and TX Rate changes. Then nothing happens.
We can stop streaming and try again with the same results.

With firmware version 1.00:
- The input stream from ADC works correctly.
- The output stream to DAC does not work. This works exactly as with version 1.02.

We think the problem might be in DMA transfers to/from buffers in memory.

This is what we have discovered:
We have made custom FPGA firmware (based on your v.1.00) where we added Chip Scope right after PCIe interface.
When we try to stream to DAC there is no data coming from PCIe interface to deframer. The Stream.exe's Tx block count still counts to 25 and TX rate chages once.
Is this because the BusMaster DMA buffer is being filled? Anyway there is no data coming from PCIe interface.

We have also made a custom application that is not using Malibu libraries. The results are similar.

With firmware version 1.00:
We managed to read stream from ADC, but we cannot get DAC stream to work.

With firmware version 1.02:
We can stream from ADC if we only grant credit for a single velocia packet and wait for interrupt and then wait some time (sleep/print packet contents) before granting credit again.
If we grant credit right after we got an interrupt and have processed the packet we get bluescreen after some packets have been received.

We also made DMA buffer several times larger than we wrote to RingSizeIncoming register to see if the buffer is overrun, but this seems not to happen.
Or at least is not detected before bluescreen comes.

The stream to DAC is not working:
We noticed there are some debug registers that show the granted credit and physical pointer to outgoing DMA buffer.
If we grant credit to outgoing channel the debug register shows the granted credit and pointer to DMA buffer remains in the beginning of the buffer.
There is no interrupt or other signs of data flow. If we attach chip scope right after PCIe interface we get no data.
It seems that the board is not transferring any data from DMA buffer or there is some error in transfer.

We have tried this with two different X6-400M boards with the same results.

When BlueScreen happens HP proliant integrated management log viewer shows:
Uncorrectable PCI Express Error (Embedded device, Bus 128, Device 9, Function 0, Error status 0x00040000)
On Device manager this is Intel® 5520/5500/x58 I/O Hub PCI Express Root Port 9 - 3410 where the X6-400M is connected

- Petri

bjackson · Joined: 12 Oct 2011 Posts: 178 Location: Simi Valley, CA

Okay, I will run more tests. Did you say that everything works fine in 32-bit Windows? What Bus Master size are you choosing and what is your packet size? The packet size cannot be more than 1/4 of the busmaster size or you will have problems.

The few blocks that you see on the DAC side is just the buffer filling.

The only time I have seen blue screens is when the computer memory isn't allocating properly, but that usually occurs at enumeration. Did you try using our memDriver program to allocate your system memory? Please send me your settings.ini file so I can better replicate this problem.

Thanks,
Brian

PJH · Joined: 18 May 2011 Posts: 16

Hi,

Please find Settings.ini attached to this message. Both streams are working fine in 32-bit windows and we are using busmaster size 4MB/4MB. Also tested with 16MB/16MB with same results.
Is there anyway that we can help to solve this issue? Maybe ChipScope captures taken from PCIe interface core in both 32 and 64-bit environments might be helpful?

- Petri

bjackson · Joined: 12 Oct 2011 Posts: 178 Location: Simi Valley, CA

Thank you. Yes, ChipScope images would be helpful. Have you tried in Windows 7 64-bit with the same result, or just Server?

bjackson · Joined: 12 Oct 2011 Posts: 178 Location: Simi Valley, CA

Also, I do not see an attachment on your message.

PJH · Joined: 18 May 2011 Posts: 16

ok, i have to change .ini to .txt to get it through. Just server, We don't have possibility to test with windows 7.

- Petri

bjackson · Joined: 12 Oct 2011 Posts: 178 Location: Simi Valley, CA

I just ran an X6-400M with your settings.ini file on Windows server 2008 x64. I am not able to repeat your failure. I suspect there is an issue with the particular PC it is in. Were the tests you ran in 32-bit windows on the same machine as this one with Windows Server? If not, you should try duel booting Windows Server onto the machine where it was working and see if you still have the problem.

There are also some bios settings that could cause it to fail. You cannot overclock the PCIe slot, and you cannot have it in power-down mode.

PJH · Joined: 18 May 2011 Posts: 16

Hi,

Test in 32bit windows was on different machine.
We were lucky today to test card in 64-bit windows 7 (different machine) and it works fine.

As you say there might be some issue with Server and X6-400m card. We tried several PCI related BIOS settings to server without any success.

- Petri