Adding new Wifi hardware support in RIoT

Development archive
1

Hello,

We are using a PMODWifi device [PmodWiFi - 802.11b WiFi Interface (MRF24WB0MA, b/g/n compatible)] on Synopsis ARC board and have succeded in initial port for RIoT on it.

We wish to add support for the PMODWiFi module within RIoT stack. We see that there is a support for sixlowpan device (ieee802154) and the corresponding driver nrf24l01p into the stack.

Current documentation on the portal or web doesn’t say anything about how we can add new network driver support. We wish to add 802.11 a/b/g support.

It would be good if anyone would elaborate on how do we proceed with, and what kind of changes are required.

Thanks & BR, Shishir tiwari

2

Hi,

hm from my impression "RIOT/drivers/include/netdev" is the place to implement the driver/stack. I think even without exact documentation the "structure" is easy to understand. f.e. if you take a look at the implementation of RIOT/drivers/include/cc110x/* -> netdev. I just took a quick look at "chipKIT Network and USB Libs-20150115.zip" from vendor -> DWIFIck looks like a GREAT place to start a GPL version (beside that i cleary question that the vendor is not using GPL parts in this source). never the less this source has high value - compared to some binary only blobs by other vendors.

since a couple of weeks a so called "network stack task force" was setup. I think it would be great to work in collaberation. but in my personal view i think a implementation of a full 802.11 stack is quite a huge task.

i think many devs ordered some ESP8266 WIFI transceiver, but they did not arrive yet (?)

have fun

ps. of course you not talking about SPI only access right?

jan

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Hello Shishir,

Hello,

We are using a PMODWifi device [PmodWiFi - 802.11b WiFi Interface (MRF24WB0MA, b/g/n compatible)] on Synopsis ARC board and have succeded in initial port for RIoT on it.

That sounds great!

We wish to add support for the PMODWiFi module within RIoT stack. We see that there is a support for sixlowpan device (ieee802154) and the corresponding driver nrf24l01p into the stack.

Yes, there is sixlowpan support. But the nrf24l01p is not yet corresponding to sixlowpan or 802.15.4 as it has a kind of proprietary protocol. So far, there is just the LowLevel support for the nrf24l01p. The connection to the network part will come soon.

Current documentation on the portal or web doesn’t say anything about how we can add new network driver support. We wish to add 802.11 a/b/g support.

As Jan Wagner stated, we have this "Network Stack Task Force" meeting tomorrow and on friday. There we'll discuss and generate the new network stack design. If you like to, you can join virtually. Therefore you need PlaceCam [1] to be installed and get an invitation link.

It would be good if anyone would elaborate on how do we proceed with, and what kind of changes are required.

I also think implementing the whole 802.11 is a big task. However, you can find the interface for 802.15.4- transceivers in "drivers/include/netdev/802154.h" or a more general approach in "drivers/include/netdev/base.h". Maybe the netapi adapter in "sys/net/include/netapi.h" could also be interesting to you. Again, these interfaces may change during the next days/weeks. When the network stack is in a stable version, we should write a wiki page for using the network modules and porting new devices to it.

By the way, the LowLevel functions should use the general peripheral interfaces as in "drivers/include/periph".

Thanks & BR, Shishir tiwarieers,

Cheers, Peter

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[1] http://www.daviko.com/videokonferenz/3-1-Download.html

4

Hi!

We are using a PMODWifi device [PmodWiFi - 802.11b WiFi Interface (MRF24WB0MA, b/g/n compatible)] on Synopsis ARC board and have succeded in initial port for RIoT on it.

Sounds great - I'm looking forward to see your PR(s) for both, the ARC and the WiFi Interface.

Cheers, Oleg