Perusing the TDA4VM docs indicates that it has an 8-port ethernet switch embedded in the processor? Even more interesting it appears each port supports 2.5Gb…
Further to this, the u-boot docs indicate there is firmware that can run on R5 (Main domain) for this. Yet, in above datasheet it also mentions another 8-port switch in Safety MCU domain? Is this same switch that both domains share? Or are they unique to each domain?
Obviously the BB-AI64 layout doesn’t make use of these, but would they be accessible via a shield? If and when we can all figure out how to get R5 firmware running in Safety MCU, it would be very interesting to have 1 Eth port for Main domain and another for Safety MCU…
Further it appears the “Safety MCU Domain” either has access to this switch or has its own ethernet switch
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From more investigation there is an application note on TI website that goes into more detail about this:
Enabling MAC2MAC: https://www.ti.com/lit/pdf/sprad07
Where is says:
… the SoC comes with integrated CPSW9G and CPSW2G interfaces. CPSW is the abbreviation of Common Platform Ethernet Switch. From DRA829/TDA4 architecture, CPSW9G is in Main domain, and CPSW2G is in MCU domain. CPSW9G has 9 ports: 8 are physical ports, and one is a software port interfacing with the CPU core. Similarly, CPSW2G has two ports: one for the CPU core, and the other a physical port.
Therefore it appears that Main domain could support full 8x switch ports, while the Safety MCU could have a single port available. So certainly it appears you could have a “management network” which the Safety MCU communicated on, while the Main domain used its own separate network…
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