[coreboot] [PATCH] Halt TCO timer on Intel 3100 chipset

[joe at smittys.pointclark.net]

Quoting joe at smittys.pointclark.net:

> Quoting Ed Swierk <eswierk at arastra.com>:
>
>> On Sat, Mar 29, 2008 at 6:38 AM,  <joe at smittys.pointclark.net> wrote:
>>>  This also happens with the i830. Luckly it is just one simple register
>>>  setting to disable it early in the process (auto.c).
>>>
>>>
>>>  /**
>>>   * We have to disable the TCO Timer system reboot feature
>>>   * or we get several reboots through out the boot processes.
>>>   */
>>>  static void disable_tco_timer(void)
>>>  {
>>>         device_t dev;
>>>         u8 reg8;
>>>
>>>         /* Set the LPC device statically. */
>>>         dev = PCI_DEV(0x0, 0x1f, 0x0);
>>>
>>>         /* Disable the TCO Timer system reboot feature. */
>>>         reg8 = pci_read_config8(dev, 0xd4);
>>>         reg8 |= (1 << 1);
>>>         pci_write_config8(dev, 0xd4, reg8);
>>>  }
>>>
>>>  My only question is your code seems a little more complicated? Does it
>>>  need to be that complicated? Otherwise it looks good.
>>>  Acked-by: Joseph Smith <joe at smittys.pointclark.net>
>>
>> The code you quoted above does not disable the TCO timer but rather
>> prevents rebooting after the second timeout by setting the NO_REBOOT
>> flag. My patch instead halts the TCO timer altogether, preventing both
>> the SMI after the first timeout and rebooting after the second
>> timeout, by setting the TCO_TMR_HALT flag in the TCO Control 1
>> register.
>>
>> The NO_REBOOT flag also exists on the Intel 3100 but in a different
>> place, at bit 5 of the GCS register at offset 0x3410 from memory BAR
>> RCBA on the LPC bridge. Either approach would work, and either one
>> requires mapping a memory or IO space to expose the register, so
>> there's no difference in complexity.
>>
>> Incidentally the TCO_TMR_HALT flag exists in the same place on a bunch
>> of Intel chipsets, including ICH3, ICH7 and 3100. So while my code is
>> a tad more complex, it's also more portable.
>>
> Hmm, I do like your approach alot better, it makes more sense. Thanks
> for the explination. Maybe there will be a patch coming for the
> i82801xx :-)
>
After thinking about it.....
What are the advantages of disabling the TCO timer (besides  
rebooting)? Doesn't the system need this to run properly? By setting  
the no reboot the timer is still running....does it need to be?


Thanks - Joe