Sending an error???

Question

I am sending a lot of TCP packets with W5100S, whoever at random the receive side gets one bit wrong. Most packets are OK, just this error rarly. For example the send packet is: 53 4C 4B 47 5B BE 00 00 6F 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 1C 00 00 00 4F 3B A9 36 (last 4 bytes is CRC) But received packet is: 07:25:37.000 Wrong CRC got = 36A93B4F crc = 8BE5197B 07:25:37.000 Packet is 53 4C 4B 47 7B BE 00 00 6F 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 1C 00 00 00 4F 3B A9 36 here the 5’th byte sent was 7B instead of 5B ( one bit difference) This one bit error is random and can be anywhere in the packet. Any idea how to debug or resolve this? (I tried to use Wireshark, but could not set it correctly to hunt just these messages, where can I find simple instuction for doing that?) Thanks

Eugeny · Answer

There’s data checksum within IP packet, and if it is corrupt it must not appear in the RX buffer and chip sends retransmission of request or just discards the packet (depending on mode). I suspect you have issue reading data from the buffer. If error occurs, perform the test - read data from RX buffer several times and see if there will be the same issue in the same location all the times.

Eugeny · Answer

johanan: Its like the send() is putting wrong data in the buffer of the chip. Can’t figure this out. Really wireshark is your friend. You must run it on the computer in between of W5100s and the server (e.g. in network bridge mode) so that you can capture all the packets going through and see the data.

johanan · Answer

How does Wireshark work in this mode? do I need a PC with dual network interface? Thanks

Eugeny · Answer

johanan: do I need a PC with dual network interface? You need either dual interface in bridge mode (can be any interface by the way - e.g. one wired and another WiFi - whatever is convenient), or somehow set up router to duplicate all the traffic from the port of interest (depends on router/switch and its configuration).

johanan · Answer

Thanks, Will use a laptop with WiFi and Cable interface. your help is appreciated. Johanan

johanan · Answer

Before I connect a PC with Wireshark, I wrote a simple TCP server that just reads tcp on my local PC, and changed the W5100S software to just send these packets. My local serve counts all good and bad packets, the ratio is about 2 bad in 1000. There is no remote servers, no threads in embedded device, just sending tons of packages with CRC check. and I get 2%% errors. Is there a simple way to read the txBufeer on the chip, just before it is sent? I want to verify that data written in the buffer is correct before it is sent, if I find errors, then I can look into my SPI interface (even though it looks very OK).

johanan · Answer

And it is always one bit send as 1 when it should be 0. The W5100S is assembled on my own PCB module, I tested 3 different modules, it is the same. Its either some hardware issue in my board (I will run a few tests for voltage a pulse shapes), or a real problem with the W5100S chip.

johanan · Answer

As I am using only one socket, I set it to use the full 8K txbuffer: WIZCHIP_WRITE(TMSR, 3); WIZCHIP_WRITE(Sn_TXBUF_SIZE(0), 8); When I comment these lines and keep it as the 2K default, the problem is gone. Tested with 1 million packets, not even one bit wrong if txBuffer is 2K. Then I tested with 4K: WIZCHIP_WRITE(TMSR, 2); WIZCHIP_WRITE(Sn_TXBUF_SIZE(0), 4); Its working OK too. So it is just with setting of 8K Tx buffer that this problem exists. I wonder if using 8K for the TX buffer is not commanded, is there a problem in the chip? the API library? I can leave with this 4K buffer, but using 8K makes the connection faster, an I would like to know what is the problem. Thanks

johanan · Answer

I did not use WireShark. Whoever, I wrote a simple TCP lisnere server to run on my PC, on the local network. This server got the packets from the W5100S. I configured the embedded system with W5100S to send small packets of abut 40 bytes with CRC test, all packets are identical, same data and same CRC. The server counted all OK and all bad packets, each bad packet is printed on the consul. Now I let this setup run, and found about 2%% bad packets, since all packets are same, it was easy to find that one random bit 1 instead of 0, Then the only change I made is setting the TXbuf size to 2K and 4K. After that I transmitted millions of packets with no error at all. So there is only one conclusion, its a bug in the chip (or in the API IO lib), it is not reliable to use 8K buffer for socket with the W5100S. I think my test is very conclusive, whoever, I will look at the signals with an oscilloscope, may be I will see something (The first thing I did in this bug digging was to reduce SPI clock to a very low rate, just to make sure no pulse is distorted, but that did not change anything) Regards Johanan

johanan · Answer

Hi I am not sending 8K, I am sending short packets, see my detailed answer above. Regards

Eugeny · Answer

johanan: So there is only one conclusion, its a bug in the chip (or in the API IO lib), it is not reliable to use 8K buffer for socket with the W5100S. I think it must be easily preprodicible. Can you look into the packets and try finding the pattern in error, for example - occurs in specific position of the packet: the packet, if corrupt, does always have problem in the same byte/bit; occurs in specific position of the buffer: corrupt bit, if occurs, always appears in stream locations of multiples of 8192 (for example).

irina · Answer

I think the SPI data line included an noise. Please send us email your schematic included Gerber, layout file and We’ll check it . email: scott@wiznet.io, ekkim@wiznet.io

johanan · Answer

Well then. If it is an spi issue then how it is working ok with 4k, 2K and 1K buffer settings?I will send schematics to you next week as I will be out of office until Monday. Regards. Johanan.