# RTLPlayground A Playground for Firmware development for advanced user of RTL8372/RTL8373 based 2.5GBit Switches. For each hardware configuration of these devices, there is usually a managed and an umanaged version sold, with mostly identical hardware. The aim is to provide management features also for unmanaged devices with additional features such as Management VLAN, dhcp servers, multi-language support, IPv6 and TLS-encrypted web-pages. At present, however only the following features are provided: - A modern web-interface with mouse-over to display further information - A serial console interface to configure all features - IGMP to configure Multicast streaming - Port configuration showing detailed informtion about own and Link-partner advertised Speed settins and configuration of these settings on the local side - Per-port configuration of frame sizes (MTUs) for Jumbo-Frame support or limiting MTUs for particular devices - EEE (Energy Efficient Ethernet) can be configured per-port. Detailed information is provided for support offered by the link partner and the EEE status of a port. - VLAN configuration - SFP information is displayed on the inserted modules, the current sensor values such as temperatures, RX and TX power are displayed in the CLI and as mouse-over on the web - Mirror configuration - Link Aggregation Groups can be set up - Detailed information on port packet statistics - Configuration saved to flash via the web-interface - Firmware updates via the web - Installation as a firmware upgrade from the original web-interface GUI While the firmware provides already considerable improvements over the original managed firmware, the firmware still lacks support for STP and the proprietary loop prevention protocols as well as DHCP. If you need these features, do not install the playground on your managed devices. In any case, installation is strongly discouraged unless you can at least make a backup of the original flash content via a SOIC clamp such as also used for BIOS backups and can re-install that firmware in case something is wrong. For this no soldering skills are necessary. The firmware supports all hardware featues of devices with - 4 2.5GBit ports + 2 SFP+ ports - 5 2.5GBIT + 1 SFP+ port - 8 2.5GBit + 1 SFP+ port Devices sold usually have a fairly common design, however there may be differences in the LED configuration (switches have LEDs with different colours and use types of LEDs). The list of tested devices can be found in [Supported devices](doc/supported_devices.md). To do meaningful development you will need to use a serial console, so soldering skills are required. Flashing must be done via a SOIC-8 PatchClamp or by soldering a socket for the flash chip. If you don't want to open your device, you can use the project's code to learn about the devices by looking at the image using e.g. Ghidra. If you want to contribute to the design of the web-interface or get a feeling for the interface first, a standalone device simulator is provided, which runs entirely under Linux as a local webserver. ## (0) Compiling Requirements Install the following particular build requisites (Debian 12/13), note that Ubuntu 24.04 still has an older version of sdcc, but you will need sdcc version 4.5 for the code to compile: ``` sudo apt install make gcc sdcc xxd python-is-python3 libjson-c-dev ```
If using Docker (click to expand) A Dockerfile is provided for a reproducible build environment: ``` docker build -t rtlplayground-dev . ``` Build the firmware (replace MACHINE with your target, e.g. `DEFAULT_8C_1SFP`): ``` docker run --rm -v $(pwd):/workspace rtlplayground-dev make MACHINE=DEFAULT_8C_1SFP ``` The resulting `.bin` file appears in `output/` on your host. Build host tools only: ``` docker run --rm -v $(pwd):/workspace rtlplayground-dev make -C tools ``` Run the web-interface simulator locally: ``` docker run --rm -p 8080:8080 -v $(pwd):/workspace rtlplayground-dev \ tools/output/httpd_sim /workspace/html ``` Edit `machine.h` or `config.txt` on your host, then re-run `make` — the source directory is mounted into the container, so changes take effect immediately. To build for a different machine, pass `MACHINE=...`.
## (1) Compiling for direct chip flashing AND upgrading an existing RTLPlayground running device Edit machine.h with an editor like vi or nano. Select the correct machine the firmware should build for. > [!TIP] > You can write configuration parameters in config.txt (see below) in order your switch to get > straight at the first boot, a correct IP configuration. Now, building the firmware image should work: ``` make ``` Note, that the image generated ends in .bin, not .img, in order to make IMSProg happy. image location is stored in `RTLPlayground/output/rtlplayground_version_machine.bin` for example ``` rtlplayground-v0.1.0-12c98ba-dirty-LIANGUO_ZX_SWTGW215AS.bin ``` > [!CAUTION] > This image can be flashed directly to the chip OR through the firmware update/upgrade > interface of RTLPlaygound interface ## (2) Compiling for OEM running device with management options (web upgrade) Managed switches can be updated from the existing original firmware using a SPECIFIC upgrade image. You first need to build the firmware for direct chip flashing : See below (1) Then ``` cd installer make ``` image location is stored in `RTLPlayground/installer/output/rtlplayground_oem_upgrade.bin` > [!CAUTION] > This image must ONLY be used for original OEM firmware web interface firmware upgrade. > You do not need this image if you are already on RTLplayground firmware. > Unless you go back to the original OEM firmware, you would only flash this specific firmware > only once. Future upgrades of RTLPlayground will only need to follow (1) example of compilation console output ``` RTLPlayground/installer$ make mkdir -p output gcc updatebuilder.c -o output/updatebuilder sdas8051 -plosgff -o output/crtstart.rel crtstart.asm sdcc -mmcs51 --code-loc 0x1000 -o output/installer.rel -c installer.c sdcc -mmcs51 -Wl-bHOME=0x1100 -Wl-r -o output/rtlinstaller.ihx output/crtstart.rel output/installer.rel ./output/updatebuilder -i output/rtlinstaller.ihx -o output/rtlplayground_oem_upgrade.bin ../output/rtlplayground.bin Input file size: 524288 Bytes read: 524288 EOF Payload sum 1 is: 0x25100 Payload sum 2 is: 0x25100 Payload sum with header is: 0x264ec Payload sum is: 0xf8fe94 Header checksum is: 0x5a1 ``` ## (3) Sandbox Usage with Ghidra (optional) You can play with the image using ghidra or flash real Switch Hardware. For ghidra see this information about [Ghidra images](ghidra.md). ## (4) Installation through the Web interface (software way) Managed switches (OEM firmware of RTLplaygroud firmware) can be upgraded via the web interface. Unmanaged switch cannot be flashed this way (see 5). Go to "Firmware update" tab, select the correct file. > [!IMPORTANT] > If your device already runs RTLPlayground, you must upload the binary file /RTLPlayground/output/rtlplayground_Version_Machine.bin > If your device is OEM, you must upload the binary file /RTLPlayground/installer/outputrtlplayground_oem_upgrade.bin > [!CAUTION] > Check one more time that your device matches the machine type before flashing. > Be shure you have a backup of the original firmware before diving in RTLPlaygroung. Finally, push the Upload File Button and you're done ! ## (5) Flashing the ROM directly (hardware way, but also only way to rescue) This procedure is the only way to flash unmanaged switches, if the ROM chip is large enough. This is also the only way to unbrick your device if something went wroong. > [!IMPORTANT] > You need a SOIC-8 clip to flash the ROM chip directly onboard. > Alternatively you can de-solder the flash chip and install a SOIC adapter). > For flashing the chip directly, you must use the binary file /RTLPlayground/output/rtlplayground_Version_Machine.bin > [!CAUTION] > As you need to open your switch case, consider that the warranty is gone. - Disconnect power from switch. - Open the switch. - Attach the clip onto the flash chip (Red line on Pin 1, Pin 1 has a point marker). - Connect USB of flash programmer, the power LED on the switch will light up, check cabling if not. - Don't panic, mixing up GND and 3.3V usually does not destroy the switch. - Use IMSProg, Flashrom, or whatever Programmer to detect the chip. - MAKE A BACKUP (DUMP) OF THE EXISTING FIRMWARE ! - ERASE THE ROM (BLANK) ! - Load the firmware into IMSProg. - Flash is to the ROM chip. - Disconect the clip from the ROM chip. - You're done, ready for the first boot. ## (6) Connecting a serial interface (optional) You can connect a serial cable to the UART port found on all the devices, set 8N1 @ 115200 baud. ## (7) Power Up When you power up the switch, the device will perform some examples and provide a minimal console (if wired to a serial interface), the documentation of which can be found in the source code rtlplayground.c`. ## (8) The web-interface The web-interface can be reached under the [default 192.168.10.247](http://192.168.10.247) unless you specified an IP adress in the config.txt before compilation. > [!TIP] > The default password is `1234`. ## (9) The command line The command line is very rudimentary and mostly for testing purposes. The following is a boot-log with some examples: ``` Detecting CPU RTL8373 detected Starting up... Flash controller NIC reset rtl8372_init called RTL837X_REG_SDS_MODES: 0x00000bed phy_config_8224 called phy_config_8224 done rtl8224_phy_enable called rtl8224_phy_enable done rtl8372_init done A minimal prompt to explore the RTL8372: CPU detected: RTL8373 Clock register: 0x00001101 Register 0x7b20/RTL837X_REG_SDS_MODES: 0x00000bed Verifying PHY settings: Port State Link TxGood TxBad RxGood RxBad 1 On Down 0x00000000 0x00000000 0x00000000 0x00000000 2 On Down 0x00000000 0x00000000 0x00000000 0x00000000 3 On Down 0x00000000 0x00000000 0x00000000 0x00000000 4 On Down 0x00000000 0x00000000 0x00000000 0x00000000 5 On 2.5G 0x00000008 0x00000000 0x00000000 0x00000000 6 On Down 0x00000000 0x00000000 0x00000000 0x00000000 7 On Down 0x00000000 0x00000000 0x00000000 0x00000000 8 On Down 0x00000000 0x00000000 0x00000000 0x00000000 9 NO SFP Down 0x00000000 0x00000000 0x00000000 0x00000000 > port 5 1g CMD: port 5 1g PORT 04 1G > stat CMD: stat Port State Link TxGood TxBad RxGood RxBad 1 On Down 0x00000000 0x00000000 0x00000000 0x00000000 2 On Down 0x00000000 0x00000000 0x00000000 0x00000000 3 On Down 0x00000000 0x00000000 0x00000000 0x00000000 4 On Down 0x00000000 0x00000000 0x00000000 0x00000000 5 On 1000M 0x00000035 0x00000000 0x00000017 0x00000000 6 On Down 0x00000000 0x00000000 0x00000000 0x00000000 7 On Down 0x00000000 0x00000000 0x00000000 0x00000000 8 On Down 0x00000000 0x00000000 0x00000000 0x00000000 9 NO SFP Down 0x00000000 0x00000000 0x00000000 0x00000000 > Rate: 67 Encoding: 01 Lightron Inc. WSPXG-ES3LC-IHA 0000 > stat CMD: stat Port State Link TxGood TxBad RxGood RxBad 1 On Down 0x00000000 0x00000000 0x00000000 0x00000000 2 On Down 0x00000000 0x00000000 0x00000000 0x00000000 3 On Down 0x00000000 0x00000000 0x00000000 0x00000000 4 On Down 0x00000000 0x00000000 0x00000000 0x00000000 5 On 1000M 0x00000065 0x00000000 0x0000003b 0x00000000 6 On Down 0x00000000 0x00000000 0x00000000 0x00000000 7 On Down 0x00000000 0x00000000 0x00000000 0x00000000 8 On Down 0x00000000 0x00000000 0x00000000 0x00000000 9 SFP OK 10G 0x00000000 0x00000000 0x0000001c 0x00000000 > sfp CMD: sfp Rate: 67 Encoding: 01 Lightron Inc. WSPXG-ES3LC-IHA 0000 ``` ## (10) Advanced configuration You can configure more deeply the switch without the need of the console mode. While in compilation part, you might write directly to config.txt file before making the binary firmware ``` nano config.txt ``` If you want to modify settings after the flash is done, go to the Advanced Settings tab in System Settings ADVANCED SETTINGS ``` ip xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx = IP adress of the switch gw yyy.yyy.yyy.yyy = IP adress of the gateway netmask zzz.zzz.zzz.zzz = Network mask of the switch port x name xxx = Name xxx the port number x port z 1g = Set 1g speed for port z igmp on/off = Turn IGMP on or off ``` [To be continue] Enjoy playing! ## (11) Other documents The following documents give further documentation on specific features of the RTL837x SoCs: - [RTL8372/3 Feature support](doc/hardware.md) - [CPU Port](doc/CpuPort.md) - [L2 learning](doc/l2.md) - [IGMP (IP-MC streaming)](doc/igmp.md) - [SFP+ ports](doc/sfp.md) - [Trunking aka. port aggregation](doc/trunking.md) - [VLAN](doc/vlan.md) - [Modifications and Flash replacement](doc/mods.md)