Open Networking Hardware Diagnostic Guide November 2022

Tests

The NVRAM is an area, usually in a battery backed-up device such as an RTC chip. The NVRAM bits do not change across reboots or power cycles. These bits control how devices boot and how the system performs tests. The nvramtool controls both the BIOS and EDA for testing. The bits are not common across platforms and are defined in the configuration file. When using this tool, you must write the correct bits because the tool does not know the register details it is writing. The nvramtool displays the bit-level detail in the NVRAM registers, depending on how you define it in the configuration file.

There are no tests of the NVRAM. This tool only controls the bits.

CLI option

DellEmc Diag - NVRAM Tool
version 1.5, x.xx.x.x-x
build, 2022/05/20,

Syntax:  nvramtool <option>
  Show this help:=
      nvramtool --h                                           (or)
      nvramtool -h
  Read all or specfic register NVRAM values:=
      nvramtool --read [--reg=<register>]                     (or) 
      nvramtool -r [-R <register>]
  Write NVRAM value:=
      nvramtool --write [--reg=<register> --val=<value>]      (or)
      nvramtool -w [-R <register> -V <value>]
  Execute repeatedly command by count:=
      nvramtool --iteration=max/<count> [option1] [option2]...(or)
      nvramtool -I max/<count> [option1] [option2]...

Usage:
      -h, --h           Show the help text
      -r, --read        Read operation
      -w, --write       Write operation
      -I, --iteration=  Iteration command execution
      -R, --reg=        Register
      -V, --val=        Value to be set

Output

root@dell-diag-os:~# nvramtool --read
NVRAM Values:
0x00 0x9f 0x00 0xe6 0x03 0x03 0x00 0xea
Test Status Fail Bits : offset 0x50 = 0x0
    7 NVRAM test = 0
    6 SSD test = 0
    5 COLD/SMF Reg check = 0
    4 PCI test = 0
    3 Upper DRAM test = 0
    2 Lower DRAM test = 0
    1 ECC test = 0
    0 SPD test = 0
Test Status Pass Bits : offset 0x51 = 0x9f
    7 NVRAM test = 1
    6 SSD test = 0
    5 CPLD/SMF Reg check = 0
    4 PCI test = 1
    3 Upper DRAM test = 1
    2 Lower DRAM test = 1
    1 ECC test = 1
    0 SPD test = 1
RMT Control : offset 0x52 = 0x0
 7: 4 Undefined = 0
    3 RMT Test Enable = 0
 2: 0 RMT Test Reboot Count = 0
Status ID Byte : offset 0x53 = 0xe6
POST Control Bits : offset 0x54 = 0x3
    7 Force Cold Boot = 0
    6 POST Extended Upper DRAM test = 0
    5 POST Extended Lower DRAM test = 0
    4 POST Extended tests = 0
    3 Reserved = 0
    2 POST Verbose Mode = 0
    1 POST Stop on Error = 1
    0 POST Enable = 1
EDA Control Bits : offset 0x55 = 0x3
 5: 4 EDA Verbose Level = 0
    3 EDA Extended Tests = 0
    2 EDA Verbose Mode = 0
    1 EDA Stop on Error = 1
    0 EDA Enable = 1
EDA Extra Bits : offset 0x56 = 0x0
Control ID Byte : offset 0x57 = 0xea
root@dell-diag-os:~#   

./nvramtool --write --reg=0x54 --val=0x1