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Provide PCI slots to install additional network interfaces - Printable Version

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Answer - LIDONG - July-10th-2018

Hi,

Actually I want to add hot swapping feature on top of this netPI. I mean: if the device break down for some reasons, the network traffic will be bypassed.

Thus, I need PCI slots to connect some additional network interfaces (with hot swapping feature). Whether the netPI can provide such PCI slots?

Thanks.


Answer - Armin@netPI - July-10th-2018

Do you have concrete network interfaces in mind? Can you send a link to me to know which mPCIe cards you want to install please


Answer - LIDONG - July-11th-2018

Currently, I want to try this:
IntelĀ® PRO/1000 PT Quad Port Bypass Server Adapter
https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/ethernet-products/gigabit-server-adapters/pro-1000-pt-quad-port-bypass-server-adapter-brief.html
This NIC has 4 ports: 2 for normal operation. If there is a power failure and the device goes down, a relay flips and the NIC fails open, will automatically and physically connecting the other two Ethernet ports together.


Answer - Armin@netPI - July-11th-2018

Ok understood.

As you know netPI supports the BCM2837 CPU from Broadcom where you can download a specification from here: https://www.raspberrypi.org/documentation/hardware/raspberrypi/bcm2835/BCM2835-ARM-Peripherals.pdf

If you study this document in all details you will recognize that this CPU doesn't support PCIe at all. It has no connectivity for this interface from the processor side. So it is not possible to provide you a full featured mPCIe slot to plug in the Intel card you are referencing.