Anyone flashing Mellanox ConnectX-3 in qty?

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Biren78

Active Member
Jan 16, 2013
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Anyone here have a box or two that they've used for flash Mellanox ConnectX-3 from HP or IBM to stock? I'm finding myself about to do a dozen. Tooling seems like I'd have an easier time using Windows instead of Linux.

Can anyone give me some pointers on a flash box? I'd also like to hear if there's any issue with the motherboard like we all had at some time with flashing LSI cards.
 
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darkconz

Member
Jun 6, 2013
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I've flashed it in consumer Asus, Gigabyte boards and on SuperMicro/Intel boards. All worked and all were done in Windows Trial versions


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Marsh

Moderator
May 12, 2013
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I flashed 20 HP CX3 cards use these instructions

Put these lines in a batch file

Do these two lines once to create mlnx_firmware.bin
mlxburn -fw fw-ConnectX3-rel.mlx -conf MCX354A-FCB_A2-A5.ini -wrimage HP_mlnx_firmware.bin
mlxburn -fw fw-ConnectX3-rel.mlx -conf MCX354A-FCB_A2-A5.ini -wrimage fw-ConnectX3-rel-2_31_5050-MCX354A-FCB_A2-A5-56GbE_VPI.bin

echo Cross Flash HP card to use Mellanox CX3 firmware
pause

call flint -i HP_mlnx_firmware.bin verify
call flint -i HP_mlnx_firmware.bin query full

pause
call flint -d mt4099_pciconf0 -i HP_mlnx_firmware.bin -allow_psid_change burn

pause

You need to download and install WinMFT_x64_4_5_0_31.exe
You also need ConnectX3-rel-2_40_5000.tgz ( this is the version I used )
latter version is ConnectX3-rel-2_40_5030.tgz ( dated March 2017 )
 

Marsh

Moderator
May 12, 2013
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Check-CX3.bat

set DEV= mt4099_pciconf0
set LOGFILE=cx3.txt

mst status
call "C:\Program Files\Mellanox\WinMFT\flint" -d mt4099_pciconf0 query > %LOGFILE%
REM call "C:\Program Files\Mellanox\WinMFT\flint" -d mt4099_pci_cr0 query > %LOGFILE%

ibv_devinfo >> %LOGFILE%
ibv_devinfo
vstat >> %LOGFILE%
vstat

iblinkinfo >> %LOGFILE%
iblinkinfo

mlxconfig -d mt4099_pciconf0 query
mlxconfig -d mt4099_pciconf0 query >> %LOGFILE%

pause
 

labo

New Member
Jan 21, 2015
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Hello, can anyone post the INI file for the mod from QCBT to FCBT?
fw fw-ConnectX3-rel.mlx -conf MCX354A-FCB_A2-A5.ini
Thanks
 

Marsh

Moderator
May 12, 2013
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edit the ini file and add the following lines under the [IB] section:

port1_802_3ap_56kr4_enable = true

port1_802_3ap_56kr4_ability = true

port2_802_3ap_56kr4_enable = true

port2_802_3ap_56kr4_ability = true
 

labo

New Member
Jan 21, 2015
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Ok, thanks. But I see these already in my ini file.
This is what I want to do. I have cx3 mcx354A-qcbt and want to convert into cx3 mcx354A-fcbt.
So I can do 40GBe/56Gb Ethernet. Please help with directions. thanks in advance.
 

labo

New Member
Jan 21, 2015
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BTW, I flashed the latest MCX354A-FCB_A2-A5 firmware but the adapter still says qcbt instead of fcbt.
 

labo

New Member
Jan 21, 2015
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When you burn the firmware you have to use the paramter for changing the psid.
OK, thats the part I'm missing.
But I'm not seeing any examples, anywhere. Only thing I see is option --allow_psid_change
which I have used it while burning. Is there anything else needed?
 

i386

Well-Known Member
Mar 18, 2016
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The "allow_psid_change" parameter should do the trick.
Can you post the complete command you used to burn the firmware?
 

edrozenberg

New Member
Nov 26, 2017
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Anyone here have a box or two that they've used for flash Mellanox ConnectX-3 from HP or IBM to stock? I'm finding myself about to do a dozen. Tooling seems like I'd have an easier time using Windows instead of Linux.

Can anyone give me some pointers on a flash box? I'd also like to hear if there's any issue with the motherboard like we all had at some time with flashing LSI cards.
You're probably done by now :)

If by box you mean a PC for flashing cards, I'm personally looking at one of these for future flashing:
Supermicro | Products | SuperServers | Mini 1U | E300-8D
Supermicro | Products | SuperServers | Mini 1U | E300-9A

Only takes 1 PCIe card at a time, so requires power shutdown and boot for each card. Low-profile cards only (not full height cards). Many cards are low profile and come with a low profile bracket. Some cards are still full height though (such as a number of LSI SAS cards).