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<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="utf-8">
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
<style type="text/css">
@import url('../css/main.css');
</style>
<title>ASUS KGPE-D16 server/workstation board</title>
</head>
<body>
<div class="section">
<h1 id="pagetop">ASUS KGPE-D16 server/workstation board</h1>
<p>
This is a server board using AMD hardware (Fam10h <b>and Fam15h</b> CPUs available). It can also be used
for building a high-powered workstation. Powered by libreboot. The coreboot port was done by
Timothy Pearson of <a href="https://raptorengineeringinc.com/">Raptor Engineering Inc.</a> and,
working with Timothy (and sponsoring the work) merged into libreboot.
</p>
<p>
<b>Memory initialization is still problematic, for some modules. We recommend avoiding Kingston modules.</b>
</p>
<p>
Flashing instructions can be found at <a href="../install/#flashrom">../install/#flashrom</a>
- note that external flashing is required (e.g. BBB), if the proprietary (ASUS) firmware is currently installed.
If you already have libreboot, by default it is possible to re-flash using software running in GNU/Linux
on the KGPE-D16, without using external hardware.
</p>
<p>
<a href="./">Back to previous index</a>.
</p>
</div>
<div class="section">
<h1 id="cpu-compatibility">CPU compatibility</h1>
<p>
<strong>Use Opteron 6200 series (works without microcode updates, including hw virt).</strong>
6300 series needs microcode updates, so avoid those CPUs. 6100 series is too old, and mostly untested.
</p>
</div>
<div class="section">
<h1 id="boardstatus">Board status (compatibility)</h1>
<p>
See <a href="https://raptorengineeringinc.com/coreboot/kgpe-d16-status.php">https://raptorengineeringinc.com/coreboot/kgpe-d16-status.php</a>.
</p>
</div>
<div class="section">
<h1 id="formfactor">Form factor</h1>
<p>
These boards use the SSI EEB 3.61 form factor; make sure
that your case supports this. This form factor is similar
to E-ATX in that the size is identical, but the position of
the screws are different.
</p>
</div>
<div class="section">
<h1 id="ipmi">IPMI iKVM module add-on</h1>
<p>
Don't use it. It uses proprietary firmware and adds a backdoor (remote out-of-band management chip,
similar to the <a href="http://libreboot.org/faq/#intelme">Intel Management Engine</a>. Fortunately,
the firmware is unsigned (possibly to replace) and physically separate from the mainboard since it's
on the add-on module, which you don't have to install.
</p>
</div>
<div class="section">
<h1 id="flashchips">Flash chips</h1>
<p>
2MiB flash chips are included by default, on these boards. It's on a P-DIP 8 slot (SPI chip).
The flash chip can be upgraded to higher sizes: 4MiB, 8MiB or 16MiB. With at least 8MiB,
you could feasibly fit a compressed linux+initramfs image (BusyBox+Linux system) into CBFS
and boot that, loading it into memory.
</p>
<p>
Libreboot has configs for 2, 4, 8 and 16 MiB flash chip sizes (default flash chip is 2MiB).
</p>
<p>
<b>
DO NOT hot-swap the chip with your bare hands. Use a P-DIP 8
chip extractor. These can be found online.
See <a href="http://www.coreboot.org/Developer_Manual/Tools#Chip_removal_tools">http://www.coreboot.org/Developer_Manual/Tools#Chip_removal_tools</a>
</b>
</p>
</div>
<div class="section">
<h1 id="graphics">Native graphics initialization</h1>
<p>
Only text-mode is known to work, but linux(kernel) can initialize
the framebuffer display (if it has KMS - kernel mode setting).
</p>
</div>
<div class="section">
<h1 id="issues">Current issues</h1>
<ul>
<li>LRDIMM memory modules are currently incompatible</li>
<li>
SAS (via PIKE 2008 module) requires non-free option ROM (and SeaBIOS) to boot from it
(theoretically possible to replace, but you can put a kernel in CBFS or on SATA
and use that to boot GNU, which can be on a SAS drive. The linux kernel can use
those SAS drives (via PIKE module) without an option ROM).
</li>
<li>
IPMI iKVM module (optional add-on card) uses proprietary firmware. Since it's for
remote out-of-band management, it's theoretically a backdoor similar to the Intel
Management Engine. Fortunately, unlike the ME, this firmware is unsigned which
means that a free replacement is theoretically possible. For now, the libreboot project
recommends not installing the module. <a href="https://github.com/facebook/openbmc">This project</a>
might be interesting to derive from, for those who want to work on a free replacement.
In practise, out-of-band management isn't very useful anyway (or at the very least,
it's not a major inconvenience to not have it).
</li>
<li>Graphics: only text-mode works. See <a href="#graphics">#graphics</a></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="section">
<h2 id="specifications">Hardware specifications</h2>
<p>
The information here is adapted, from the ASUS website.
</p>
<h3>Processor / system bus</h3>
<ul>
<li>2 CPU sockets (G34 compatible)</li>
<li>HyperTransport™ Technology 3.0</li>
<li>
CPUs supported:
<ul>
<li>AMD Opteron 6100 series (Fam10h. No IOMMU support. <b>Not</b> recommended - old. View errata datasheet here: <a href="http://support.amd.com/TechDocs/41322_10h_Rev_Gd.pdf">http://support.amd.com/TechDocs/41322_10h_Rev_Gd.pdf</a>)</li>
<li>AMD Opteron 6200 series (Fam15h, with full IOMMU support in libreboot - <strong>highly recommended - fast, and works well without microcode updates, including virtualization</strong>)</li>
<li>AMD Opteron 6300 series (Fam15h, with full IOMMU support in libreboot. <b>AVOID LIKE THE PLAGUE - virtualization is broken without microcode updates.</b></li>
<li>
NOTE: 6300 series CPUs have buggy microcode built-in, and libreboot recommends avoiding the updates. The 6200 series CPUs have more reliable microcode.
Look at this errata datasheet: <a href="http://support.amd.com/TechDocs/48063_15h_Mod_00h-0Fh_Rev_Guide.pdf">http://support.amd.com/TechDocs/48063_15h_Mod_00h-0Fh_Rev_Guide.pdf</a>
(see Errata 734 - this is what kills the 6300 series)
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>6.4 GT/s per link (triple link)</li>
</ul>
<h3>Core logic</h3>
<ul>
<li>AMD SR5690</li>
<li>AMD SP5100</li>
</ul>
<h3>Memory compatibility (with libreboot)</h3>
<ul>
<li><b>Total Slots:</b> 16 (4-channel per CPU, 8 DIMM per CPU), ECC</li>
<li><b>Capacity:</b> Maximum up to 256GB RDIMM</li>
<li>
<b>Memory Type that is compatible:</b>
<ul>
<li>DDR3 1600/1333/1066/800 UDIMM*</li>
<li>DDR3 1600/1333/1066/800 RDIMM*</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>
<b>Compatible sizes per memory module:</b>
<ul>
<li>16GB, 8GB, 4GB, 3GB, 2GB, 1GB RDIMM</li>
<li>8GB, 4GB, 2GB, 1GB UDIMM</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Expansion slots</h3>
<ul>
<li><b>Total slot:</b> 6</li>
<li><b>Slot Location 1:</b> PCI 32bit/33MHz</li>
<li><b>Slot Location 2:</b> PCI-E x16 (Gen2 X8 Link)</li>
<li><b>Slot Location 3:</b> PCI-E x16 (Gen2 X16 Link), Auto switch to x8 link if slot 2 is occupied</li>
<li><b>Slot Location 4:</b> PCI-E x8 (Gen2 X4 Link)</li>
<li><b>Slot Location 5:</b> PCI-E x16 (Gen2 X16 Link)</li>
<li><b>Slot Location 6:</b> PCI-E x16 (Gen2 X16 Link), Auto turn off if slot 5 is occupied, For 1U FH/FL Card, MIO supported</li>
<li><b>Additional Slot 1:</b> PIKE slot (for SAS drives. See notes above)</li>
<li>Follow SSI Location#</li>
</ul>
<h3>Form factor</h3>
<ul>
<li>SSI EEB 3.61 (12"x13")</li>
</ul>
<h3>ASUS features</h3>
<ul>
<li>Fan Speed Control</li>
<li>Rack Ready (Rack and Pedestal dual use)</li>
</ul>
<h3>Storage</h3>
<ul>
<li>
<b>SATA controller:</b>
<ul>
<li>AMD SP5100</li>
<li>6 x SATA2 300MB/s</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>
<b>SAS/SATA Controller:</b>
<ul>
<li>ASUS PIKE2008 3Gbps 8-port SAS card included</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Networking</h3>
<ul>
<li>2 x Intel® 82574L + 1 x Mgmt LAN</li>
</ul>
<h3>Graphics</h3>
<ul>
<li>Aspeed AST2050 with 8MB VRAM</li>
</ul>
<h3>On board I/O</h3>
<ul>
<li>1 x PSU Power Connector (24-pin SSI power connector + 8-pin SSI 12V + 8-pin SSI 12V power connector)</li>
<li>1 x Management Connector , Onboard socket for management card</li>
<li>3 x USB pin header , Up to 6 Devices</li>
<li>1 x Internal A Type USB Port</li>
<li>8 x Fan Header , 4pin (3pin/4pin fan dual support)</li>
<li>2 x SMBus</li>
<li>1 x Serial Port Header</li>
<li>1 x TPM header</li>
<li>1 x PS/2 KB/MS port</li>
</ul>
<h3>Back I/O ports</h3>
<ul>
<li>1 x External Serial Port</li>
<li>2 x External USB Port</li>
<li>1 x VGA Port</li>
<li>2 x RJ-45</li>
<li>1 x PS/2 KB/Mouse</li>
</ul>
<h3>Environment</h3>
<ul>
<li><b>Operation temperature:</b> 10C ~ 35C</li>
<li><b>Non operation temperature:</b> -40C ~ 70C</li>
<li><b>Non operation humidity:</b> 20% ~ 90% ( Non condensing)</li>
</ul>
<h3>Monitoring</h3>
<ul>
<li>CPU temperatures</li>
<li>Fan speed (RPM)</li>
</ul>
<h3>Note:</h3>
<ul>
<li>* DDR3 1600 can only be supported with AMD Opteron 6300/6200 series processor</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="section">
<p>
Copyright © 2015 Leah Rowe <info@minifree.org><br/>
Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International license
or any later version published by Creative Commons;
A copy of the license can be found at <a href="../cc-by-sa-4.0.txt">../cc-by-sa-4.0.txt</a>
</p>
<p>
Updated versions of the license (when available) can be found at
<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/legalcode">https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/legalcode</a>
</p>
<p>
UNLESS OTHERWISE SEPARATELY UNDERTAKEN BY THE LICENSOR, TO THE
EXTENT POSSIBLE, THE LICENSOR OFFERS THE LICENSED MATERIAL AS-IS
AND AS-AVAILABLE, AND MAKES NO REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES OF
ANY KIND CONCERNING THE LICENSED MATERIAL, WHETHER EXPRESS,
IMPLIED, STATUTORY, OR OTHER. THIS INCLUDES, WITHOUT LIMITATION,
WARRANTIES OF TITLE, MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR
PURPOSE, NON-INFRINGEMENT, ABSENCE OF LATENT OR OTHER DEFECTS,
ACCURACY, OR THE PRESENCE OR ABSENCE OF ERRORS, WHETHER OR NOT
KNOWN OR DISCOVERABLE. WHERE DISCLAIMERS OF WARRANTIES ARE NOT
ALLOWED IN FULL OR IN PART, THIS DISCLAIMER MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.
</p>
<p>
TO THE EXTENT POSSIBLE, IN NO EVENT WILL THE LICENSOR BE LIABLE
TO YOU ON ANY LEGAL THEORY (INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION,
NEGLIGENCE) OR OTHERWISE FOR ANY DIRECT, SPECIAL, INDIRECT,
INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE, EXEMPLARY, OR OTHER LOSSES,
COSTS, EXPENSES, OR DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF THIS PUBLIC LICENSE OR
USE OF THE LICENSED MATERIAL, EVEN IF THE LICENSOR HAS BEEN
ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH LOSSES, COSTS, EXPENSES, OR
DAMAGES. WHERE A LIMITATION OF LIABILITY IS NOT ALLOWED IN FULL OR
IN PART, THIS LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.
</p>
<p>
The disclaimer of warranties and limitation of liability provided
above shall be interpreted in a manner that, to the extent
possible, most closely approximates an absolute disclaimer and
waiver of all liability.
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