How configure Intel Corporation Ethernet Connection X552 chip to 10GBaseT mode or 10GSFP+ mode

[jkrrcs]

I have one Intel Xeon-based SBC with X552 chip. By default chip is configured as X552 10 GbE Backplane (10GKR mode). How can I configure  X552 chip to 10GBaseT mode or 10GSFP+ mode or can I get any driver for the same. Is there any option change the firmware/NVM configuration to get this interface?

[IntelSupport]

Hello Jkrrcs,

Greetings for the day!

Thank you for posting in Intel Ethernet Communities.

We sincerely apologize for any delay that may have occurred in our response. We have acknowledged your inquiry regarding the procedure to change the configuration of the Intel Corporation Ethernet Connection X552 chip from its default X552 10 GbE Backplane (10GKR mode) to either 10GBaseT mode or 10GSFP+ mode. To provide you with appropriate assistance, kindly provide us the following information:

1.    Kindly share the server board details.

2.    Could you please share the nic details.

3.    Could you please share the details of O.S and version you are using?

Please don’t hesitate to contact us for any further assistance. 

Thank you for using intel product and services.

Best Regards,

Vijay n

Intel customer support.

[jkrrcs]

1.    server board details. - VX305C - 3U VPX INTEL® XEON® PROCESSOR SINGLE BOARD COMPUTER

Datasheet Link

2.    Could you please share the nic details. X552 ethernet Chip onboard to SBC

3.    Could you please share the details of O.S and the version you are using? Windows 10 Pro and RHEL 7.x

[IntelSupport]

Hello jkrrcs,

Thank you for confirming the server details. We understand that the server that you are using is ‘VX305C - 3U VPX INTEL® XEON® PROCESSOR SINGLE BOARD COMPUTER’ which is a Blade Server from Kontron.

As per the datasheet for Kontron VX305C Blade Server, we understand that the onboard network adapter is Intel® Ethernet Controller I210 - https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/products/details/ethernet/gigabit-controllers/i210-controllers.html

The information provided in the data sheet does not include any reference to the Intel X552 Adapter. Could you please provide clarification on this matter?

According to the product information page for the Intel Ethernet Controller I210, it indicates that there are five different models available for this controller. However, the datasheet for the Kontron VX305C Blade Server does not specify which model of the Intel Ethernet Controller I210 is used in this server.

To provide accurate confirmation, I would need to check further on this and verify the specific model of the Intel Ethernet Controller I210 used in the Kontron VX305C Blade Server.

Could you please verify the host Operating System installed on the server? Is it Windows 10 Pro? Additionally, could you confirm whether you have RHEL installed on a Virtual Machine? Please provide the precise version of RHEL OS you are using, as you mentioned it as RHEL 7.x.

Please don’t hesitate to contact us for any further assistance.

Thank you for using intel product and services.

Best Regards,

Vijay n

Intel customer support.

[jkrrcs]

Dear Vijay,

I am confirming X552 ethernet chip is installed in the SBC (It may not be mentioned in the datasheet). 

Please check the attachments for the driver and Device info.

We have Dual Boot SSD with Windows 10 Pro & RHEL 7.4. Driver for any of one these OS will be sufficient for now.

[IntelSupport]

Hello jkrrcs,

Greetings for the day!

At the moment, we are actively working towards finding an appropriate resolution for your issue, and we will provide you with an update as soon as we can.

Please don’t hesitate to contact us for any further assistance. 

Thank you for using intel product and services.

Best Regards,

Vijay n

Intel customer support.

[IntelSupport]

Hello jkrrcs,

I hope you're having a great day!

Thank you for providing the response and the requested details. Based on the data sheet you shared for the VX305C, we have determined that it utilizes the I210 controller network adapter. Regarding your inquiry about converting the x552 controller from its current 10GBKR mode (which is designed for internal data transfer) to either a switch for 10GBaseT mode or 10GSFP+ mode for network operations, we recommend reaching out to the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) of the motherboard for better support regarding switching issue. We kindly request that you contact the OEM for further support and guidance.

Please don’t hesitate to contact us for any further assistance. 

Thank you for using intel product and services.

 Best Regards,

Vijay n

Intel customer support.

[jkrrcs]

• Can you please provide me with a datasheet for X552 Phy?
• Since X552 is an Intel product. Why is Intel not able to provide support for how to change 10GBKR mode to either a switch for 10GBaseT mode or 10GSFP+ mode for network operation? It is interfaced with an Intel Xeon D processor only

[IntelSupport]

Hello Jkrrcs,

Greetings for the day!

After reviewing the product data sheet for the VX305C you have shared, we have identified that the integrated ethernet network port for the server is I210. However, the data sheet does not specify the network port X552 on ethernet port. Please note that the X552 controller is primarily used for internal data communication within the server's backplane or blade enclosure chassis.

Regarding customization and support for the client's requirements, it would be best to consult the OEM involved in the product's design and development (Kontron). The OEM should be able to provide customized drivers or offer assistance based on the client's specific needs. As Intel chipsets are used in the server, Intel will be not obtained architecture data sheets and personalized information about the client customized motherboard.

We kindly request that you reach out to the OEM for further assistance and support in addressing your specific requirements.

https://www.kontron.com/en/contact

Please don’t hesitate to contact us for any further assistance.

Thank you for using intel product and services.

Best Regards,

Vijay n

Intel customer support.

[IntelSupport]

Hello Jkrrcs,

Greetings for the day!

To properly analyze the issue, we kindly request the following information:

• Please confirm if the server is available for troubleshooting or it is currently in production.
• Could you kindly share a screenshot of the BIOS page or the Server Management Console page that indicates/shows the availability of the X552 chipset for Ethernet control operations?

Kindly provide us with the requested details to help us analyze the issue and assist you accordingly.

Thank you for choosing Intel products and services.

Best Regards,

Vinay Ronad

Intel Customer Support.

[jkrrcs]

• Please confirm if the server is available for troubleshooting or it is currently in production.

It is available for troubleshooting

• Could you kindly share a screenshot of the BIOS page or the Server Management Console page that indicates/shows the availability of the X552 chipset for Ethernet control operations?

Attached screenshots are from the Intel SBC device manager

We have found a driver for "Intel(R) Ethernet Connection X552 10 GbE SFP+". After installation, it is showing some errors. Screenshots are Attached.

[IntelSupport]

Hello Jkrrcs,

Greetings for the day!

We appreciate your contribution by sharing the snapshot and server availability for troubleshooting purposes. Based on our previous response, we kindly request the snapshot of the BIOS page that displays the correct chipset information, specifically the X552 chipset with the Ethernet Controller. It is difficult to verify the X552 chipset used for Ethernet operations in the server through the Windows device manager page. Sharing the snapshot of the BIOS page featuring the X552 chipset for Ethernet operations would greatly assist us in providing further assistance.

Please don’t hesitate to contact us for any further assistance.

Thank you for using intel product and services.

Best Regards,

Vijay n

Intel customer support.

[jkrrcs]

Dear Vijay,

PFA snapshots of the BIOS page featuring the X552 chipset for Ethernet

[IntelSupport]

Hello jkrrcs,

Greetings for the day!

 At the moment, we are actively working towards finding an appropriate resolution for your issue, and we will provide you with an update as soon as we can.

Please don’t hesitate to contact us for any further assistance. 

Thank you for using intel product and services.

Best Regards,

Vijay n

Intel customer support.

[IntelSupport]

Hello jkrrcs,

Greetings for the day!

The X552 is a component of the Broadwell-DE chipset, which can be explored further at this link: https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/products/platforms/details/broadwell-de.html .

It is important to note that the availability of backplane and SFP+ options is contingent upon the specific design of the server board. These two features utilize different schematics.

After analyzing the information provided on Kontron's website, it is evident that the board in question has been specifically engineered to support dual 10G Ethernet connections exclusively for the backplane.

Here are the specifications we found on Kontron's site:

Backplane Specifications:

• PCIe: P1 offers an x8 PCIe 3.0 slot with non-transparent capability, which can be configured as 1 x8, 2 x4, or 4 x2.
• SATA: P1 provides 2 SATA 6 Gb/s links, while an additional 2 SATA 6 Gb/s links are available on P2.
• USB: P1 includes 2 USB 2.0 ports and 1 USB 3.0 port. Furthermore, P2 features an extra USB 2.0 link.
• UART: P2 supports two serial lines (Rx, Tx only) that can be dynamically configured for RS-232 or RS-422/485.
• Ethernet: P1 supports two options: dual 10GBASE-KR or 1000BASE-KX. Additionally, there is a single 1000BASE-T Ethernet port on P1, and a second 1000BASE-T Ethernet port on P2. Both of these ports are front/rear switchable and have onboard magnetics.
• GPIO P1: The available GPIOs on P1 include GPIO1, GPIO2/Maskable reset, OpenVPX GDISCRETE1, and VBAT.
• GPIO P2: P2 supports SYSCON, as well as 2x multiplexed GPIO3/4 or SFI I2C.
• Video: As an optional feature, P2 provides a DVI port that includes an M.2 mezzanine for 2D graphics.

However, we couldn't find any indication of support for 10GBASE-T or SFP+ options in the available specifications.

Considering the aforementioned information, we suggest contacting Kontron directly to inquire about the availability of a 10GBASE-T or SFP+ model for your specific requirements. They will be able to provide you with the most accurate and up-to-date information regarding the available options.

Please don’t hesitate to contact us for any further assistance.

Thank you for using intel product and services.

Best Regards,

Vijay n

Intel customer support.

[IntelSupport]

Hello Jkrrcs,

I hope this message finds you well. I am just sending a follow up if you have any questions from the previous post. If so, please let us know.

Please don’t hesitate to contact us for any further assistance.

Thank you for using intel product and services.

Best Regards,

Vijay n

Intel customer support.

[IntelSupport]

Hello jkrrcs,

Greetings for the day!

We would like to inform you that we are closing this request as no response has been received from our previous follow-ups. Please don't hesitate to ask any further questions in the future. Feel free to start a new conversation, as this thread will no longer be monitored.

Best regards,  

Vijay N

Intel Customer Support.