+Using the PF
+------------
+
+NFP PMD supports using the NFP PF as another DPDK port, but it does not
+have any functionality for controlling VFs. In fact, it is not possible to use
+the PMD with the VFs if the PF is being used by DPDK, that is, with the NFP PF
+bound to ``igb_uio`` or ``vfio-pci`` kernel drivers. Future DPDK versions will
+have a PMD able to work with the PF and VFs at the same time and with the PF
+implementing VF management along with other PF-only functionalities/offloads.
+
+The PMD PF has extra work to do which will delay the DPDK app initialization
+like uploading the firmware and configure the Link state properly when starting or
+stopping a PF port. Since DPDK 18.05 the firmware upload happens when
+a PF is initialized, which was not always true with older DPDK versions.
+
+Depending on the Netronome product installed in the system, firmware files
+should be available under ``/lib/firmware/netronome``. DPDK PMD supporting the
+PF looks for a firmware file in this order:
+
+ 1) First try to find a firmware image specific for this device using the
+ NFP serial number:
+
+ serial-00-15-4d-12-20-65-10-ff.nffw
+
+ 2) Then try the PCI name:
+
+ pci-0000:04:00.0.nffw
+
+ 3) Finally try the card type and media:
+
+ nic_AMDA0099-0001_2x25.nffw
+
+Netronome's software packages install firmware files under ``/lib/firmware/netronome``
+to support all the Netronome's SmartNICs and different firmware applications.
+This is usually done using file names based on SmartNIC type and media and with a
+directory per firmware application. Options 1 and 2 for firmware filenames allow
+more than one SmartNIC, same type of SmartNIC or different ones, and to upload a
+different firmware to each SmartNIC.
+
+ .. Note::
+ Currently the NFP PMD supports using the PF with Agilio Basic Firmware. See
+ https://help.netronome.com/support/solutions for more information on the
+ various firmwares supported by the Netronome Agilio CX smartNIC.
+
+PF multiport support
+--------------------
+
+The NFP PMD can work with up to 8 ports on the same PF device. The number of
+available ports is firmware and hardware dependent, and the driver looks for a
+firmware symbol during initialization to know how many can be used.
+
+DPDK apps work with ports, and a port is usually a PF or a VF PCI device.
+However, with the NFP PF multiport there is just one PF PCI device. Supporting
+this particular configuration requires the PMD to create ports in a special way,
+although once they are created, DPDK apps should be able to use them as normal
+PCI ports.
+
+NFP ports belonging to same PF can be seen inside PMD initialization with a
+suffix added to the PCI ID: wwww:xx:yy.z_port_n. For example, a PF with PCI ID
+0000:03:00.0 and four ports is seen by the PMD code as:
+
+ .. code-block:: console
+
+ 0000:03:00.0_port_0
+ 0000:03:00.0_port_1
+ 0000:03:00.0_port_2
+ 0000:03:00.0_port_3
+
+ .. Note::
+
+ There are some limitations with multiport support: RX interrupts and
+ device hot-plugging are not supported.
+
+PF multiprocess support
+-----------------------
+
+Due to how the driver needs to access the NFP through a CPP interface, which implies
+to use specific registers inside the chip, the number of secondary processes with PF
+ports is limited to only one.
+
+This limitation will be solved in future versions but having basic multiprocess support
+is important for allowing development and debugging through the PF using a secondary
+process which will create a CPP bridge for user space tools accessing the NFP.
+