3Com_3c509

3Com 3c509

Ethernet network card line

3Com 3c509 is a line of Ethernet IEEE 802.3 network cards for the ISA, EISA, MCA and PCMCIA computer buses.^[1] It was designed by 3Com and put on the market in 1992, followed by the improved version 3c509B in 1994.^[1]^[2]

This article may require copy editing for grammar, style, cohesion, tone, or spelling. (April 2024)

Features

The 3Com 3c5x9 family of network controllers has various interface combinations of computer bus including ISA, EISA, MCA and PCMCIA. For network connection, 10BASE-2, AUI and 10BASE-T are used.

More information Physical card configurations, Adapter number ...

Physical card configurations

Combinations for Etherlink III ^[1]
Adapter number	Bus	Network	Connector
3C509-TPO	ISA	10BASE-T	8P8C
3C509B-TPO	ISA	10BASE-T	8P8C
3C509-TP	ISA	10BASE-T, AUI	8P8C, DA-15
3C509B-TP	ISA	10BASE-T, AUI	8P8C, DA-15
3C509B-TPC	ISA	10BASE-T, 10BASE2	8P8C, BNC
3C509-Coax	ISA	AUI, 10BASE2	DA-15, BNC
3C509B-Coax	ISA	AUI, 10BASE2	DA-15, BNC
3C509-Combo	ISA	10BASE-T, AUI, 10BASE2	8P8C, DA-15, BNC
3C509B-Combo	ISA	10BASE-T, AUI, 10BASE2	8P8C, DA-15, BNC
3C579	EISA	AUI, 10BASE2	DA-15, BNC
3C579-TP	EISA	10BASE-T, AUI	8P8C, DA-15
3C529	MCA	AUI, 10BASE2	DA-15, BNC
3C529-TP	MCA	10BASE-T, AUI	8P8C, DA-15
3C589-TP	PCMCIA	10BASE-T	8P8C
3C589B-TP	PCMCIA	10BASE-T	8P8C
3C589-Combo	PCMCIA	10BASE-T, 10BASE2	8P8C, BNC
3C589B-Combo	PCMCIA	10BASE-T, 10BASE2	8P8C, BNC

B = On ISA and PCMCIA adapter numbers indicates that these adapters are part of the second generation of the Parallel Tasking EtherLink III technology.^[1]

The DIP-28 (U1) EPROM for network booting may be 8, 16 or 32 KB in size.^[1] This means EPROMs of type 64, 128, 256 kbit (2^10) are compatible, like the 27C256.

Boot ROM address is located between 0xC0000 - 0xDE000.^[1]

Teardown example, the 3c509B-Combo

The Etherlink III 3C509B-Combo is registered with the FCC ID DF63C509B. The main components on the card is Y1: crystal oscillator 20 MHz, U50: coaxial transceiver interface DP8392, U4: main controller 3Com 9513S (or 9545S etc.), U6: 8 kB 70 ns CMOS static RAM, U1: DIP-28 27C256 style EPROM for boot code, U3: 1024 bit 5V CMOS Serial EEPROM (configuration).

More information Detailed teardown ...

Detailed teardown
3C509B-Combo 1994 ASSY 03-0021-001 REV-A 3C509B-Combo 1996 ASSY 03-0021-004 REV-B Label: Etherlink III (C) 1994 3C509B-C ALL RIGHTS RESERVED ASSY 03-0021-001 REV-A FCC ID: DF63C509B Barcode: EA=0020AFDCC34C SN=6AHDCC34C MADE IN U.S.A. R = Resistor C = Capacitor L = Inductance Q = Transistor CR = Transistor FL = Transformer T = Transformer U = Integrated circuit J = Jumper or connector VR F FL70: Pulse transformer bel9509 A 0556-3873-03 * HIPOTTED Y1: 20 MHz crystal 20.000M 652DA U50: P9512BR DP8392CN Coaxial Transceiver Interface T50: Pulse transformer, pinout: 2x8 VALOR ST7033 x00: Pulse transformer VALOR PT0018 CHINA M 9449 C U4: Plastic package 33x33 pins Parallel Tasking TM 3Com 40-0130-002 9513S 22050553 AT&T 40-01302 Another chip with the same function: 40-0130-003 9545S 48324401 AT&T 40-01303 U6: 8192 x 8-bit 70 ns CMOS static RAM HY 6264A LJ-70 9509B KOREA Another chip with the same function: CY6264-70OSC (photo) U1: Boot ROM DIP-28 EPROM 8, 16, or 32 KB (27/28C256) for boot code. U3: 256 Bit/1K 5.0V CMOS Serial EEPROM B 52AH 93C46 M8 Q41: N-Channel Logic level Power MOSFET 60V, 11A, 107 mΩ (using ASSY 03-0021-004 due to obscured view) F3055L 96 45 (H)H VR41: 3-Terminal 0.5 A Negative Voltage Regulator (-5V) in D2PAK KA79 M05 ASSY 03-0021-004 REV-B has written on it: U.S. Patents: U.S. patent 5,307,459

Detailed teardown

3C509B-Combo 1994 ASSY 03-0021-001 REV-A
3C509B-Combo 1996 ASSY 03-0021-004 REV-B

Label:

 Etherlink III
(C) 1994 3C509B-C
 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
 ASSY 03-0021-001 REV-A
 FCC ID: DF63C509B

Barcode:

 EA=0020AFDCC34C
 SN=6AHDCC34C
 MADE IN U.S.A.

R = Resistor C = Capacitor L = Inductance Q = Transistor CR = Transistor FL = Transformer T = Transformer U = Integrated circuit J = Jumper or connector VR F

FL70: Pulse transformer

 bel9509 A
 0556-3873-03
 * HIPOTTED

Y1: 20 MHz crystal

 20.000M
    652DA

U50:

 P9512BR
 DP8392CN
 Coaxial Transceiver Interface

T50: Pulse transformer, pinout: 2x8

 VALOR
 ST7033

x00: Pulse transformer

 VALOR
  PT0018
  CHINA M
  9449 C

U4: Plastic package 33x33 pins

 Parallel Tasking TM
 3Com
 40-0130-002
 9513S 22050553
 AT&T 40-01302

Another chip with the same function:

 40-0130-003
 9545S 48324401
 AT&T 40-01303

U6: 8192 x 8-bit 70 ns CMOS static RAM

 HY 6264A
 LJ-70
 9509B KOREA

Another chip with the same function:

 CY6264-70OSC (photo)

U1: Boot ROM

 DIP-28 EPROM
 8, 16, or 32 KB (27/28C256) for boot code.

U3: 256 Bit/1K 5.0V CMOS Serial EEPROM

 B 52AH
  93C46
  M8

Q41: N-Channel Logic level Power MOSFET 60V, 11A, 107 mΩ (using ASSY 03-0021-004 due to obscured view)

 F3055L
 96   45
(H)H

VR41: 3-Terminal 0.5 A Negative Voltage Regulator (-5V) in D2PAK

 KA79
 M05

ASSY 03-0021-004 REV-B has written on it: U.S. Patents: U.S. patent 5,307,459

Connector for the computer bus: ISA 16-bit

Connections for networking: 10BASE-T (8P8C), AUI (DA-15), 10BASE2 (BNC)

Driver setup

Some of the possible ISA I/O bases are 0x280, 0x300, 0x310, 0x320, 0x330, 0x340, 0x350. And IRQ 5, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12. The driver for OpenBSD,^[3] NetBSD and FreeBSD is "ep";^[4]^[5] for Linux it is "eth".^[6]^[7]

Patents

3c509B-C from 1996 specify the use of U.S. patent 5,307,459 with a priority date of 1992-07-28.

The patent describes a method where a data transfer counter triggers a threshold logic that generates an early indication or interrupt signal before the transfer is completed. The adapter also writes timing information into status registers such that a device driver can optimize for any latency.^[8]

Uses

PC/TCP Packet Driver for use with MS-DOS or PC DOS on X86
Amiga networking (Miami Network Interface MNI, gg2-3c509.mni)

References

[1]
"EtherLink III Parallel Tasking ISA, EISA, Micro Channel, and PCMCIA, Adapter Drivers Technical Reference, Members of the 3Com EtherLink III family of adapters" (PDF) (published 2011-08-29). August 1994. Retrieved 2016-04-06. (PDF)
[2]
"3Com 3C509B-TPO - WikiDevi". 2014-09-12. Retrieved 2016-04-06. (HTML)
[3]
"import from mindrot · kirei/flashboot@32e5b6b". GitHub. Retrieved 3 August 2017.
[4]
"FreeBSD 4.11-RELEASE #1" (TXT). Berklix.com. 2006-12-17. Retrieved 2017-08-04.
[5]
"cpu0: Intel 486DX (486-class)" (TXT). Fml.org. Retrieved 2017-08-04.
[6]
"LEAF Linux Embedded Appliance Framework / Mailing Lists". sourceforge.net. Retrieved 3 August 2017.
[7]
Threads, Gossamer. "Mailing List Archive: no interrupts to 3c509B". Gossamer-threads.com. Retrieved 3 August 2017.
[8]
U.S. patent 5,307,459

External links

jaapsch.net - 27C256 256K (32K x 8) CMOS EPROM
PIC18F452 and 3COM 3C509B Ethernet ISA card, Controlling an ISA 16-bit network card with a PIC18F452
Workaround to install NE2000 / 3C509 Non Plug&Play ISA Network Adapters (2002)

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