UTasker + MAC address

[SKumar]

Hi friends,

          I have built client/server application on codewarrior 6.3 using uTasker operation system on M52235 board.

          Now my problem is to assign MAC address to Ethernet port.

         In uTaskerCode Default MAC address is 00-00-00-00-00-00.

         Now how do i assign a MAC address to the Ethernet port of device. I cant assign a random MAC

         Address to port as all MAC addressess are unique and board has not provided with its MAC address.        

          How to proceed in this case.

         Thanks a lot.

Regards,

Sushil.

[mjbcswitzerland]

Hi Sushil

There are two issues here.
I will start with the practicalities of how to set the MAC in the uTasker project.

The default MAC address is 00:00:00:00:00:00 as you have pointed out. It is possible to communicate with this MAC address but obviously it has to be set for general use. This can be performed in several ways.
1. On the LAN configuration web page you can set and save the MAC address (it allows changing from the default address but once the address is non zero it will disable any further modifification).
2. Via serial interface you can change it in the LAN configuration menu. Again it only allows one change and save from the default zero value. eg. "MAC 00:11:22:33:44:55"
3. Via TELNET the same command works.

The MAC address is saved to the uTasker parameter system in FLASH where it can (normally) only be destroyed by deleting the FLASH with a BDM. It is also possible to store it in extrernal memory but the internal FLASH is practical in most projects. (There are general purpose routines available if you would like to use a different method).

Now to MAC addresses in general:
If you are using your own device behind a router and it is not visible to the 'outside world' you can in fact program any MAC address that you like because it is in a private area. It just has to be unique in this private area. (This is also valid for a device sitting in a Demiliterized Zone- DMZ)
If however you are selling a product or the device is sitting directly on the Internet then it must have a world wide unique MAC address which has to be purchased from IEEE. It is purchased either as a block (IAB) of 4k MAC addresses at a cost of about $500, or if you are going to produce a large number of pieces of equipment you can purchase a unique company OUI of 16Million for about $1'600 (plus $2'000 if you don't want the OUI to be registered on the public listing).

It is then your responsibility to manage the assignment of these addresses in your own products.

The registration page is at: http://standards.ieee.org/regauth/index.html

Best regards

Mark

www.uTasker.com

Message Edited by mjbcswitzerland on 2007-04-0308:20 PM

[mjbcswitzerland]

Hi again

I thought that I should point out a couple of things which may be of interest to hobby users.

For any one just wanting to make one or two pieces of equipment for hobby use it is a bit much to pay $500 for a bunch of MAC addresses and use just one or two of them. Unfortunately it is no allowed to sell the rest on to people in similar situation because a block must always remain with the individual or organisation purchasing it.

One trick which is often used is to find out what the MAC address is in an old NIC from an old PC which is being scrapped. This MAC address is then used in your own piece of equipment and the old NIC destroyed. You can then be sure that the MAC address is unique and can not distrurb when used for any imaginable application.

Regards

Mark

www.uTasker.com