Incorrect Channel information for Ethernet Interface channel on netRAPID 51

When using netRPAID 51 the Ethernet Interface shows incorrect Channel Information when retrieved via cifX Driver (Parallel host Interface), e.g. using cifX Test Application.
No firmware version, firmware date of firmware name are set. The Channel Error is present and strange values for Host COS Flags and Device COS flags will be shown.

But the correct Channel Information is shown when retrieved via SPM Driver (Serial host interface), e.g. via netHOST Device Test application.

The internal Dual-Port-Memory of netRAPID 51 has the size of 64kByte and is structured into 4 different channel to the host application (CH0, CH1, CH2, CH3).

Real-Time Ethernet data will be mapped into CH0 and the Ethernet Interface is mapped into CH1 of the internal Dual-Port-Memory.

netRAPID 51 has two different ways to be accessed from the host processor:

DPM mode: parallel access of the internal Dual-Port-Memory

In DPM mode netRAPID 51 has only an address range of 16KByte, and only CH0 can be accessed from the host.

Therefore only the Channel Information of CH0 is visible.

CH1 can not be read from the host and thus the Channel Information contains junk data.

SPM mode: serial access of the internal Dual-Port- Memory

In SPM mode, which is a serial access via SPI, the complete internal Dual-Port-Memory of netRPAID 51 can be accessed.

Therefore the Channel Information of CH0 and CH1 is visible.

Real-Time Ethernet Firmware, which supports an Ethernet Interface, has always both channel CH0 and CH1 activated and the firmware doesnt include a recognition, if the host is attached via parallel DPM mode or serial SPM mode.

The decribed behavior is classified as trivial, as netRPAID 51 will typically be integrated into the customer design using SPM mode.

If DPM mode is used the host application can only see CH0 and the junk data in CH1 has no affect to the application.