Intel I210 Ethernet Controller Startup Issues

[Ziga]

Hello
We are experiencing intermittent startup issues with the Intel Ethernet Controller I210 on some of our custom-designed PCBs. Occasionally, the I210 chip fails to initialize and enters an unresponsive state where communication is impossible.

During startup, we observed that the PCIe signals are in a High-Z state, and specifically, the PE_RST_N signal is HIGH.

Our current workaround involves pulling the PE_RST_N signal LOW during startup by connecting it to GND via a 10 kOhm resistor. The processor then pulls this signal HIGH once it begins operation. This modification has significantly improved the startup reliability.

We would like to inquire if this is an appropriate and recommended solution for the I210 controller. Additionally, could you please provide guidance on other potential causes or areas we should investigate for these intermittent startup failures?

We have attached the relevant schematic for your reference.

[MACM]

HI Ziga,

Greetings of the day.

Hope you are doing well.

Could you please share us the below details.

1) Please share us the system details.

2) Share us the error message.

3) Complete model name of the NIC card.

3) What is the Operating system.

Best Regards,

Mohammed Ali CM

Intel Customer Support

[Ziga]

Hello Mohammed,

Thank you for your response, and I appologize for late answer.

Here are the details you requested:

1. System Details: We are using the Intel Ethernet Controller I210 as an additional Ethernet port in a custom-designed PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) system. The processor on our controller is an iMX6 Solo.

2. Error Message: We do not receive any message form i210. The I210 chip simply fails to initialize and becomes unresponsive. 

3. Complete Model Name of the NIC card: The component code for the Intel Ethernet Controller is WGI210IT SLJXS.

4. Operating System: We are running Linux on our system.

We look forward to your further guidance on this matter.

Best Regards,

Ziga

[MACM]

Hello Ziga,

Thank you for contacting Intel.

This is the follow-up regarding the issue you reported to us.

We wanted to inquire whether you had the opportunity to share us the requested details.

Feel free to reply to this thread, and we'll be more than happy to assist you further.

Regards,

Mohammed Ali CM

Intel Customer Support

[MACM]

Hello Ziga,

Thank you for contacting Intel.

This is the final follow-up regarding the reported issue. We're committed to ensuring a swift resolution and would greatly appreciate any updates or additional information you can provide.

If we don't hear back from you soon, we'll assume the issue has been resolved and will proceed to close the case.

Please feel free to respond to this post at your earliest convenience.

Best regards,

Mohammed Ali CM

Intel Customer Support

[Ziga]

Hello Mohammed,

Thank you for your response, and I appologize for late answer.

Here are the details you requested:

1. System Details: We are using the Intel Ethernet Controller I210 as an additional Ethernet port in a custom-designed PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) system. The processor on our controller is an iMX6 Solo.

2. Error Message: We do not receive any message form i210. The I210 chip simply fails to initialize and becomes unresponsive. 

3. Complete Model Name of the NIC card: The component code for the Intel Ethernet Controller is WGI210IT SLJXS.

4. Operating System: We are running Linux on our system.

We look forward to your further guidance on this matter.

Best Regards,

Ziga