Known machines featuring this controller:
- Intel Professional Workstation LP486SX/20E (PBA 515338)
The 82596CA is an intelligent, high-performance 32-bit Local Area Network coprocessor. The 82596CA implements the CSMA/CD access method and can be configured to support all existing IEEE 802.3 standards - TYPEs 10BASE-T, 10BASE5, 10BASE2, 1BASE5, and 10BROAD36. It can also be used to implement the proposed standard TYPE 10BASE-F. The 82596CA performs high-level commands, command chaining, and interprocessor communications via shared memory, thus relieving the host CPU of many tasks associated with network control. All time-critical functions are performed independently of the CPU, this increases network performance and efficiency. The 82596CA bus interface is optimized for Intel's i486(TM) SX, i486(TM) DX, i487(TM) SX, 80960CA, and 80960KB processors.
Documentation was available from Intel's Developers' Insight CD-ROM:
Linux kernel supported (as lp486e) this chip until version 3.7 and it was
removed in commit 5205939d0f15803cc402e32ac5b886dbb7c50b99.