diff --git a/drivers/atm/ambassador.c b/drivers/atm/ambassador.c
index 6adb72a..703364b 100644
--- a/drivers/atm/ambassador.c
+++ b/drivers/atm/ambassador.c
@@ -34,6 +34,8 @@
 #include <linux/poison.h>
 #include <linux/bitrev.h>
 #include <linux/mutex.h>
+#include <linux/firmware.h>
+#include <linux/ihex.h>
 
 #include <asm/atomic.h>
 #include <asm/io.h>
@@ -290,29 +292,6 @@
   
 */
 
-/********** microcode **********/
-
-#ifdef AMB_NEW_MICROCODE
-#define UCODE(x) UCODE2(atmsar12.x)
-#else
-#define UCODE(x) UCODE2(atmsar11.x)
-#endif
-#define UCODE2(x) #x
-
-static u32 __devinitdata ucode_start =
-#include UCODE(start)
-;
-
-static region __devinitdata ucode_regions[] = {
-#include UCODE(regions)
-  { 0, 0 }
-};
-
-static u32 __devinitdata ucode_data[] = {
-#include UCODE(data)
-  0xdeadbeef
-};
-
 static void do_housekeeping (unsigned long arg);
 /********** globals **********/
 
@@ -1841,45 +1820,34 @@
 
 /* loader: write memory data blocks */
 
-static int __devinit loader_write (loader_block * lb,
-				const amb_dev * dev, const u32 * data,
-				u32 address, unsigned int count) {
-  unsigned int i;
+static int __devinit loader_write (loader_block* lb,
+				   const amb_dev *dev,
+				   const struct ihex_binrec *rec) {
   transfer_block * tb = &lb->payload.transfer;
   
   PRINTD (DBG_FLOW|DBG_LOAD, "loader_write");
-  
-  if (count > MAX_TRANSFER_DATA)
-    return -EINVAL;
-  tb->address = cpu_to_be32 (address);
-  tb->count = cpu_to_be32 (count);
-  for (i = 0; i < count; ++i)
-    tb->data[i] = cpu_to_be32 (data[i]);
+
+  tb->address = rec->addr;
+  tb->count = cpu_to_be32(be16_to_cpu(rec->len) / 4);
+  memcpy(tb->data, rec->data, be16_to_cpu(rec->len));
   return do_loader_command (lb, dev, write_adapter_memory);
 }
 
 /* loader: verify memory data blocks */
 
 static int __devinit loader_verify (loader_block * lb,
-				 const amb_dev * dev, const u32 * data,
-				 u32 address, unsigned int count) {
-  unsigned int i;
+				    const amb_dev *dev,
+				    const struct ihex_binrec *rec) {
   transfer_block * tb = &lb->payload.transfer;
   int res;
   
   PRINTD (DBG_FLOW|DBG_LOAD, "loader_verify");
   
-  if (count > MAX_TRANSFER_DATA)
-    return -EINVAL;
-  tb->address = cpu_to_be32 (address);
-  tb->count = cpu_to_be32 (count);
+  tb->address = rec->addr;
+  tb->count = cpu_to_be32(be16_to_cpu(rec->len) / 4);
   res = do_loader_command (lb, dev, read_adapter_memory);
-  if (!res)
-    for (i = 0; i < count; ++i)
-      if (tb->data[i] != cpu_to_be32 (data[i])) {
-	res = -EINVAL;
-	break;
-      }
+  if (!res && memcmp(tb->data, rec->data, be16_to_cpu(rec->len)))
+    res = -EINVAL;
   return res;
 }
 
@@ -1962,47 +1930,53 @@
 /********** transfer and start the microcode **********/
 
 static int __devinit ucode_init (loader_block * lb, amb_dev * dev) {
-  unsigned int i = 0;
-  unsigned int total = 0;
-  const u32 * pointer = ucode_data;
-  u32 address;
-  unsigned int count;
+  const struct firmware *fw;
+  unsigned long start_address;
+  const struct ihex_binrec *rec;
   int res;
   
+  res = request_ihex_firmware(&fw, "atmsar11.fw", &dev->pci_dev->dev);
+  if (res) {
+    PRINTK (KERN_ERR, "Cannot load microcode data");
+    return res;
+  }
+
+  /* First record contains just the start address */
+  rec = (const struct ihex_binrec *)fw->data;
+  if (be16_to_cpu(rec->len) != sizeof(__be32) || be32_to_cpu(rec->addr)) {
+    PRINTK (KERN_ERR, "Bad microcode data (no start record)");
+    return -EINVAL;
+  }
+  start_address = be32_to_cpup((__be32 *)rec->data);
+
+  rec = ihex_next_binrec(rec);
+
   PRINTD (DBG_FLOW|DBG_LOAD, "ucode_init");
-  
-  while (address = ucode_regions[i].start,
-	 count = ucode_regions[i].count) {
-    PRINTD (DBG_LOAD, "starting region (%x, %u)", address, count);
-    while (count) {
-      unsigned int words;
-      if (count <= MAX_TRANSFER_DATA)
-	words = count;
-      else
-	words = MAX_TRANSFER_DATA;
-      total += words;
-      res = loader_write (lb, dev, pointer, address, words);
-      if (res)
-	return res;
-      res = loader_verify (lb, dev, pointer, address, words);
-      if (res)
-	return res;
-      count -= words;
-      address += sizeof(u32) * words;
-      pointer += words;
+
+  while (rec) {
+    PRINTD (DBG_LOAD, "starting region (%x, %u)", be32_to_cpu(rec->addr),
+	    be16_to_cpu(rec->len));
+    if (be16_to_cpu(rec->len) > 4 * MAX_TRANSFER_DATA) {
+	    PRINTK (KERN_ERR, "Bad microcode data (record too long)");
+	    return -EINVAL;
     }
-    i += 1;
+    if (be16_to_cpu(rec->len) & 3) {
+	    PRINTK (KERN_ERR, "Bad microcode data (odd number of bytes)");
+	    return -EINVAL;
+    }
+    res = loader_write(lb, dev, rec);
+    if (res)
+      break;
+
+    res = loader_verify(lb, dev, rec);
+    if (res)
+      break;
   }
-  if (*pointer == ATM_POISON) {
-    return loader_start (lb, dev, ucode_start);
-  } else {
-    // cast needed as there is no %? for pointer differnces
-    PRINTD (DBG_LOAD|DBG_ERR,
-	    "offset=%li, *pointer=%x, address=%x, total=%u",
-	    (long) (pointer - ucode_data), *pointer, address, total);
-    PRINTK (KERN_ERR, "incorrect microcode data");
-    return -ENOMEM;
-  }
+  release_firmware(fw);
+  if (!res)
+    res = loader_start(lb, dev, start_address);
+
+  return res;
 }
 
 /********** give adapter parameters **********/