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how to set antenna iw + ath5k

DISCUSSION Hans Maes 5 participants 7 messages Apr 16, 2009 – Apr 21, 2009

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Hans Maes

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#0 lore raw

Hello,

I'm not sure this is the correct place to ask my question, but I've been searching on google for ages now and can't seem to find an answer so I'm asking it here. If not, please yell at me and tell me where to go whine instead ;-)

I'm using CM11 a/b/g cards with the Atheros AR5414A Chip, which have 2 antenna connectors.
I only have 1 antenna connected to the MAIN connector.
Running a self compiled 2.6.29 kernel on a few debian lenny boxes with ath5k module for the wireless cards, set up in mesh mode. Seems to work fine on the test bench, but behaves rather poorly in production environment.
Everything related to the mesh network setup seems to work, but I have about 40% - 60% packet loss on the entire netwerk (about 15 nodes)

I'm guessing this has something to do with the antenna diversity setting.

Can anybody tell me how to tell the ath5k module to disable antenna diversity and only use the MAIN antenna ?

If this is a RTFM thingie, then I apologize, I just can't seem to find it anywhere.

Please reply to my personal e-mail address as well, I'm not subscribed to the list.

Thanks for your help.

Regards,

Hans

#1 lore raw

2009/4/16 Hans Maes <[email protected]>:

Quoted 25 lines

Hello,

I'm not sure this is the correct place to ask my question, but I've been searching on google for ages now and can't seem to find an answer so I'm asking it here.
If not, please yell at me and tell me where to go whine instead ;-)

I'm using CM11 a/b/g cards with the Atheros AR5414A Chip, which have 2 antenna connectors.
I only have 1 antenna connected to the MAIN connector.
Running a self compiled 2.6.29 kernel on a few debian lenny boxes with ath5k module for the wireless cards, set up in mesh mode.
Seems to work fine on the test bench, but behaves rather poorly in production environment.
Everything related to the mesh network setup seems to work, but I have about 40% - 60% packet loss on the entire netwerk (about 15 nodes)

I'm guessing this has something to do with the antenna diversity setting.

Can anybody tell me how to tell the ath5k module to disable antenna diversity and only use the MAIN antenna ?

If this is a RTFM thingie, then I apologize, I just can't seem to find it anywhere.

Quoted 8 lines

Please reply to my personal e-mail address as well, I'm not subscribed to the list.

Thanks for your help.

Regards,

Hans

After this patch...
https://lists.ath5k.org/pipermail/ath5k-devel/2009-April/002264.html

It's possible to tell the driver to use one fixed antenna (in your case its fixed antenna A). Just change... ath5k_hw_set_antenna_mode(ah, AR5K_ANTMODE_DEFAULT);

with
ath5k_hw_set_antenna_mode(ah, AR5K_ANTMODE_FIXED_A);

we will have a better way to change this in the future ;-)

Signature · 3 lines
GPG ID: 0xD21DB2DB
As you read this post global entropy rises. Have Fun ;-)
Nick
#2 lore raw
Quoted 38 lines · Nick Kossifidis

2009/4/16 Hans Maes <[email protected]>:

Quoted 25 lines

Hello,

I'm not sure this is the correct place to ask my question, but I've been searching on google for ages now and can't seem to find an answer so I'm asking it here.
If not, please yell at me and tell me where to go whine instead ;-)

I'm using CM11 a/b/g cards with the Atheros AR5414A Chip, which have 2 antenna connectors.
I only have 1 antenna connected to the MAIN connector.
Running a self compiled 2.6.29 kernel on a few debian lenny boxes with ath5k module for the wireless cards, set up in mesh mode.
Seems to work fine on the test bench, but behaves rather poorly in production environment.
Everything related to the mesh network setup seems to work, but I have about 40% - 60% packet loss on the entire netwerk (about 15 nodes)

I'm guessing this has something to do with the antenna diversity setting.

Can anybody tell me how to tell the ath5k module to disable antenna diversity and only use the MAIN antenna ?

If this is a RTFM thingie, then I apologize, I just can't seem to find it anywhere.

Quoted 8 lines

Please reply to my personal e-mail address as well, I'm not subscribed to the list.

Thanks for your help.

Regards,

Hans

After this patch...
https://lists.ath5k.org/pipermail/ath5k-devel/2009-April/002264.html

Quoted 8 lines

It's possible to tell the driver to use one fixed antenna (in your case its fixed antenna A). Just change... ath5k_hw_set_antenna_mode(ah, AR5K_ANTMODE_DEFAULT);

with
ath5k_hw_set_antenna_mode(ah, AR5K_ANTMODE_FIXED_A);

we will have a better way to change this in the future ;-)

I wonder if just exporting that as a modparam is a good-enough choice... though perhaps the best solution would be something like "iw phy phy0 antenna 1 up/down". Or perhaps we should make antenna diversity depend on the PCI ID, defaulting to 1 antenna when diversity support cannot be determined.

Signature · 1 line
Vista: [V]iruses, [I]ntruders, [S]pyware, [T]rojans and [A]dware. :-)
#3 lore raw
Quoted 8 lines · G=E1bor Stefanik wrote:

On Thu, Apr 16, 2009 at 3:11 PM, Nick Kossifidis <[email protected]= wrote:
=20

Quoted 5 lines

2009/4/16 Hans Maes <[email protected]>:

   =20
Quoted 3 lines

Hello,

I'm not sure this is the correct place to ask my question, but I've=

been

Quoted 1 line
Quoted 1 line
Quoted 1 line

searching on google for ages now and can't seem to find an answer s=

o I'm

Quoted 4 lines
Quoted 4 lines
Quoted 4 lines

asking it here.
If not, please yell at me and tell me where to go whine instead ;-)

I'm using CM11 a/b/g cards with the Atheros AR5414A Chip, which hav=

e 2

Quoted 3 lines
Quoted 3 lines
Quoted 3 lines

antenna connectors.
I only have 1 antenna connected to the MAIN connector. Running a self compiled 2.6.29 kernel on a few debian lenny boxes w=

ith ath5k

Quoted 4 lines
Quoted 4 lines
Quoted 4 lines

module for the wireless cards, set up in mesh mode.
Seems to work fine on the test bench, but behaves rather poorly in production environment.
Everything related to the mesh network setup seems to work, but I h=

ave about

Quoted 3 lines
Quoted 3 lines
Quoted 3 lines

40% - 60% packet loss on the entire netwerk (about 15 nodes)

I'm guessing this has something to do with the antenna diversity se=

tting.

Quoted 5 lines
Quoted 5 lines
Quoted 5 lines

Can anybody tell me how to tell the ath5k module to disable antenna diversity and only use the MAIN antenna ?

If this is a RTFM thingie, then I apologize, I just can't seem to f=

ind it

Quoted 3 lines
Quoted 3 lines
Quoted 3 lines

anywhere.

Please reply to my personal e-mail address as well, I'm not subscri=

bed to

Quoted 15 lines
Quoted 15 lines
Quoted 8 lines

the list.

Thanks for your help.

Regards,

Hans

     =20

After this patch...
https://lists.ath5k.org/pipermail/ath5k-devel/2009-April/002264.html

It's possible to tell the driver to use one fixed antenna (in your case its fixed antenna A). Just change... ath5k_hw_set_antenna_mode(ah, AR5K_ANTMODE_DEFAULT);

Quoted 8 lines
Quoted 5 lines

with
ath5k_hw_set_antenna_mode(ah, AR5K_ANTMODE_FIXED_A);

we will have a better way to change this in the future ;-)
=20

I wonder if just exporting that as a modparam is a good-enough choice... though perhaps the best solution would be something like "i=

w

Quoted 2 lines

phy phy0 antenna 1 up/down". Or perhaps we should make antenna diversity depend on the PCI ID, defaulting to 1 antenna when diversit=

y

Quoted 3 lines

support cannot be determined.

=20

modparam seems somewhat broken, thinking of multiple wireless cards... My feature request would be to allow setup fixed txantenna only for broadcast/multicast frames.
I think it would work for almost all setups, even if only one antenna connector is used, as diversity logic
will naturally handle unicast frames right. Or did I miss something?

BTW: is it theoretically possible to turn off RX antenna diversity, and what would be the potential gain?

Best regards,
Arnd

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the body of a message to [email protected]
More majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html

#4 lore raw

2009/4/16 Arnd Hannemann <[email protected]>:

Quoted 2 lines
Quoted 1 line · G=C3=A1bor Stefanik wrote:

On Thu, Apr 16, 2009 at 3:11 PM, Nick Kossifidis <[email protected]=

Quoted 6 lines · m> wrote:
Quoted 6 lines
Quoted 6 lines

2009/4/16 Hans Maes <[email protected]>:

Quoted 3 lines

Hello,

I'm not sure this is the correct place to ask my question, but I'v=

e been

Quoted 1 line
Quoted 1 line
Quoted 1 line
Quoted 1 line

searching on google for ages now and can't seem to find an answer =

so I'm

Quoted 2 lines
Quoted 2 lines
Quoted 2 lines
Quoted 2 lines

asking it here.
If not, please yell at me and tell me where to go whine instead ;-=

)

Quoted 2 lines
Quoted 2 lines
Quoted 2 lines
Quoted 2 lines

I'm using CM11 a/b/g cards with the Atheros AR5414A Chip, which ha=

ve 2

Quoted 3 lines
Quoted 3 lines
Quoted 3 lines
Quoted 3 lines

antenna connectors.
I only have 1 antenna connected to the MAIN connector. Running a self compiled 2.6.29 kernel on a few debian lenny boxes =

with ath5k

Quoted 4 lines
Quoted 4 lines
Quoted 4 lines
Quoted 4 lines

module for the wireless cards, set up in mesh mode. Seems to work fine on the test bench, but behaves rather poorly in production environment.
Everything related to the mesh network setup seems to work, but I =

have about

Quoted 3 lines
Quoted 3 lines
Quoted 3 lines
Quoted 3 lines

40% - 60% packet loss on the entire netwerk (about 15 nodes)

I'm guessing this has something to do with the antenna diversity s=

etting.

Quoted 2 lines
Quoted 2 lines
Quoted 2 lines
Quoted 2 lines

Can anybody tell me how to tell the ath5k module to disable antenn=

a

Quoted 3 lines
Quoted 3 lines
Quoted 3 lines
Quoted 3 lines

diversity and only use the MAIN antenna ?

If this is a RTFM thingie, then I apologize, I just can't seem to =

find it

Quoted 3 lines
Quoted 3 lines
Quoted 3 lines
Quoted 3 lines

anywhere.

Please reply to my personal e-mail address as well, I'm not subscr=

ibed to

Quoted 10 lines
Quoted 10 lines
Quoted 10 lines
Quoted 8 lines

the list.

Thanks for your help.

Regards,

Hans

After this patch...
https://lists.ath5k.org/pipermail/ath5k-devel/2009-April/002264.htm=

l

Quoted 5 lines
Quoted 5 lines
Quoted 5 lines

It's possible to tell the driver to use one fixed antenna (in your case its fixed antenna A). Just change... ath5k_hw_set_antenna_mode(ah, AR5K_ANTMODE_DEFAULT);

Quoted 8 lines
Quoted 8 lines
Quoted 5 lines

with
ath5k_hw_set_antenna_mode(ah, AR5K_ANTMODE_FIXED_A);

we will have a better way to change this in the future ;-)

I wonder if just exporting that as a modparam is a good-enough choice... though perhaps the best solution would be something like "=

iw

Quoted 2 lines
Quoted 2 lines

phy phy0 antenna 1 up/down". Or perhaps we should make antenna diversity depend on the PCI ID, defaulting to 1 antenna when diversi=

ty

Quoted 4 lines
Quoted 3 lines

support cannot be determined.

modparam seems somewhat broken, thinking of multiple wireless cards..=

=2E

Quoted 2 lines

My feature request would be to allow setup fixed txantenna only for broadcast/multicast frames.

Well such frames should be sent on all antennas i believe (i did some experiments and it seems we can force this by writing 0xf on antenna field of tx descriptor).

Quoted 5 lines

I think it would work for almost all setups, even if only one antenna connector is used, as diversity logic
will naturally handle unicast frames right. Or did I miss something?

BTW: is it theoretically possible to turn off RX antenna diversity, a=

nd

Quoted 2 lines

what would be the potential gain?

Yes, check out the patch. The only problem i see with rx diversity in some cases is when you get a frame on the wrong antenna, this can lead on updating tx antenna (based on acks etc) which can lead to missed frames.

--=20
GPG ID: 0xD21DB2DB
As you read this post global entropy rises. Have Fun ;-) Nick
--
To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-wireles= s" in
the body of a message to [email protected]
More majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html

author
#5 lore raw
In reply to Nick Kossifidis
Quoted 40 lines · Nick Kossifidis

2009/4/16 Hans Maes <[email protected]>:

Quoted 25 lines

Hello,

I'm not sure this is the correct place to ask my question, but I've been searching on google for ages now and can't seem to find an answer so I'm asking it here.
If not, please yell at me and tell me where to go whine instead ;-)

I'm using CM11 a/b/g cards with the Atheros AR5414A Chip, which have 2 antenna connectors.
I only have 1 antenna connected to the MAIN connector.
Running a self compiled 2.6.29 kernel on a few debian lenny boxes with ath5k module for the wireless cards, set up in mesh mode.
Seems to work fine on the test bench, but behaves rather poorly in production environment.
Everything related to the mesh network setup seems to work, but I have about 40% - 60% packet loss on the entire netwerk (about 15 nodes)

I'm guessing this has something to do with the antenna diversity setting.

Can anybody tell me how to tell the ath5k module to disable antenna diversity and only use the MAIN antenna ?

If this is a RTFM thingie, then I apologize, I just can't seem to find it anywhere.

Quoted 9 lines

Please reply to my personal e-mail address as well, I'm not subscribed to the list.

Thanks for your help.

Regards,

Hans

After this patch...
https://lists.ath5k.org/pipermail/ath5k-devel/2009-April/002264.html

Quoted 7 lines

It's possible to tell the driver to use one fixed antenna (in your case its fixed antenna A). Just change... ath5k_hw_set_antenna_mode(ah, AR5K_ANTMODE_DEFAULT);

with
ath5k_hw_set_antenna_mode(ah, AR5K_ANTMODE_FIXED_A);

Seems like a quite recent patch ;-)

I've been reading up on how to patch the source myself, but I'm not sure I'll succeed without breaking things. I can manage pulling the git repository and compiling the ath5k module, but I'm no expert at patching stuff.

Any pointers where to look for a simple howto on 'the proper way' to apply these patches ? Any idea when this patch would make it into the git repository ?

Quoted 2 lines

we will have a better way to change this in the future ;-)

That would be nice, I know most users don't need to change this and can live with default settings, but there are so many possible scenarios where one would want more specific control over antenna settings.

Thanks for the help!

Hans

#6 lore raw
Quoted 3 lines · Hans Maes

Any pointers where to look for a simple howto on 'the proper way' to apply these patches ? Any idea when this patch would make it into the git repository ?

The best way is to collect all the patches together and use git-am(1). You need the raw patches, and I'm not sure if you can get them from the ath5k-devel list archive, but as these were cross-posted to linux-wireless, you can get them from http://marc.info (use the "download message raw" link). You generally need the entire series, all 7 patches in this case. As a last resort, you can ask the patch author to forward you a copy.

Once you have all the patches, you can apply them individually with git-am, or as a group if you have them in mbox format. See its manpage for details.

The usual alternative is "patch -p1 < foo.patch" but it won't create git commits for you.

The patches should go in pretty soon, the only thing objected to was the over 80 col changelog.

Quoted 2 lines
Quoted 2 lines
Quoted 2 lines

Please reply to my personal e-mail address as well, I'm not subscribed to the list.

It is common etiquette on Linux kernel-related mailing lists to simply do reply-all -- especially on lkml where most people do not subscribe.

Signature · 1 line
Bob Copeland %% www.bobcopeland.com