82801FB Datasheet, PDF (113/786 Pages) Intel Corporation – Intel I/O Controller Hub 6 (ICH6) Family

Functional Description
Read ICH6 Status (PM and Link State)
The TCO controller is capable of reading the ICH6 power state and link status. Following a status
change, the ICH6 asserts LINKALERT# and then the TCO can read its new power state.
Set Force TCO Mode
The TCO controller put the ICH6 into the Force TCO mode. The ICH6 is set back to the nominal
operation following a PCIRST#. Following the transition from nominal mode to a TCO mode, the
ICH6 aborts transmission and reception and loses its memory structures. The TCO may configure
the ICH6 before it starts transmission and reception if required.
Warning: The Force TCO is a destructive command. It causes the ICH6 to lose its memory structures, and
during the Force TCO mode the ICH6 ignores any PCI accesses. Therefore, it is highly
recommended to use this command by the TCO controller at system emergency only.
5.4
Alert Standard Format (ASF)
The ASF controller collects information from various components in the system (including the
processor, chipset, BIOS, and sensors on the motherboard) and sends this information via the LAN
controller to a remote server running a management console. The controller also accepts
commands back from the management console and drives the execution of those commands on the
local system.
The ASF controller is responsible for monitoring sensor devices and sending packets through the
LAN controller SMBus (System Management Bus) interface. These ASF controller alerting
capabilities include system health information (such as BIOS messages, POST alerts, operating
system failure notifications, and heartbeat signals) to indicate the system is accessible to the server.
Also included are environmental notification (e.g., thermal, voltage and fan alerts) that send
proactive warnings that something is wrong with the hardware. The packets are used as Alert
(S.O.S.) packets or as “heartbeat” status packets. In addition, asset security is provided by
messages (e.g., “cover tamper” and “processor missing”) that notify of potential system break-ins
and processor or memory theft.
The ASF controller is also responsible for receiving and responding to RMCP (Remote
Management and Control Protocol) packets. RMCP packets are used to perform various system
APM commands (e.g., reset, power-up, power-cycle, and power-down). RMCP can also be used to
ping the system to ensure that it is on the network and running correctly and for capability
reporting. A major advantage of ASF is that it provides these services during the time that software
is unable to do so (e.g., during a low-power state, during boot-up, or during an operating system
hang) but are not precluded from running in the working state.
The ASF controller communicates to the system and the LAN controller logic through the SMBus
connections. The first SMBus connects to the host SMBus controller (within the ICH6) and any
SMBus platform sensors. The SMBus host is accessible by the system software, including software
running on the operating system and the BIOS. Note that the host side bus may require isolation if
there are non-auxiliary devices that can pull down the bus when un-powered. The second SMBus
connects to the LAN controller. This second SMBus is used to provide a transmit/receive network
interface.
The stimulus for causing the ASF controller to send packets can be either internal or external to the
ASF controller. External stimuli are link status changes or polling data from SMBus sensor
devices; internal events come from, among others, a set of timers or an event caused by software.
Intel^® I/O Controller Hub 6 (ICH6) Family Datasheet
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