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Cisco 12006 and Cisco 12406 Router Installation and Configuration Guide
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Chapter 5 Field Diagnostics for the Cisco 12000 Series Router
FPGA Overview
While diagnostics are running, the line card being tested is controlled by the
diagnostic software. Diagnostics take the line card under test offline. The
diagnostics affect just the line card being tested; the rest of the line cards remain
online and continue to pass traffic normally. Diagnostics do not affect system
performance.
Diagnostic testing stops when all the tests are completed, when testing is
terminated by the user, or by default when an error is encountered. If multiple
cards are specified for the test cycle, the diagnostics stop testing a card when it
fails a test, but continue testing the remaining cards.
When testing is finished, a pass or fail message displays on the console, as well
as on the alphanumeric LED display on the card being tested.
FPGA Overview
Some Cisco 12000 Series Router line cards store hardware information as
software code in the form of a field-programmable gate array (FPGA). This code
is permanently placed on Flash memory directly on the line card. Occasionally,
this Flash memory code needs to be updated with a different FPGA code for
feature enhancements or code improvements.
Some FPGA images are bundled within the Cisco IOS image and are updated
along with a new release and do not require Flash memory storage. These FPGAs
are likely to be those that are being developed and expanded within Cisco IOS
feature sets. Others that are unlikely to undergo change are permanently stored in
the Flash memory of the line card. Upon booting the line card, Cisco IOS may use
an image bundled within itself, or it may access and use the FPGA image stored
in Flash memory on the line card.
When the FPGA code resides on Flash memory and the Cisco IOS code checks
the revision, you may be informed by the Cisco IOS boot process that an FPGA
upgrade is necessary.
