need help finding a WiFi + BT SDIO chipset/module for Linux

need help finding a WiFi + BT SDIO chipset/module for Linux

[Aras Vaichas]

Hi,

can someone point me in the right direction to choose an OEM WiFI +
Bluetooth chipset/module suitable for an embedded Linux system? I'd
prefer if it was connected via SDIO.

My usual discovery process is to run "make config" -> Device Drivers
->Network Device Support -> Wireless Lan to see which chipsets are
supported. I then do keyword searches on Google to find which modules
contain these chipsets.

Or alternatively, I do a Google search for "wifi bluetooth SDIO
module", try and find which chipset it contains, and then grep the
latest kernel source to see if I get any hints of compatibility.

This is all very hit and miss, as many of the WiFi module
manufacturers provide little to no details about their products ...

Also, some manufacturers state that they are Linux compatible like
this: "Linux (Custom Driver Porting Services Available)" i.e. they
want to sell you the driver for $XYZ ... no thanks.

I know that there are sites which list compatible USB and PCI WiFi
devices, but I've not seen anything that goes down to the OEM module
level. Is there a webpage somewhere of OEM Linux compatible SDIO Wifi
modules?

regards,

Aras Vaichas

Re: need help finding a WiFi + BT SDIO chipset/module for Linux

[Aras Vaichas]

On Fri, Jul 3, 2009 at 11:23 AM, Aras
Vaichas<arasv@magellan-technology.com> wrote:
> Hi,
>
> can someone point me in the right direction to choose an OEM WiFI +
> Bluetooth chipset/module suitable for an embedded Linux system? I'd
> prefer if it was connected via SDIO.

Sorry to answer my own question.

This article sums it up pretty well with what I've found so far.

http://bec-systems.com/site/90/the-embedded-wifi-module-quest

The two main contenders seem to be Marvell and Atheros for SDIO OEM modules.

Aras

Re: need help finding a WiFi + BT SDIO chipset/module for Linux

[Jonathan Cameron]

Aras Vaichas wrote:
> On Fri, Jul 3, 2009 at 11:23 AM, Aras
> Vaichas<arasv@magellan-technology.com> wrote:
>> Hi,
>>
>> can someone point me in the right direction to choose an OEM WiFI +
>> Bluetooth chipset/module suitable for an embedded Linux system? I'd
>> prefer if it was connected via SDIO.
> 
> Sorry to answer my own question.
> 
> This article sums it up pretty well with what I've found so far.
> 
> http://bec-systems.com/site/90/the-embedded-wifi-module-quest
> 
> The two main contenders seem to be Marvell and Atheros for SDIO OEM modules.
That's about right. Unless things have changed recently, the support for
the atheros 6000 series chips isn't good.  There are a couple of
drivers out there, but I've never gotten anything to work with the board
we have.  I know the openmoko guys were working on this.

Marvell drivers are in kernel and work well so that's what we
went with.