Re: Open hardware wireless cards

Karel Kulhavy
2005-04-19T19:05:16Z

On Wed, Jan 05, 2005 at 03:05:26PM -0500, Luis R. Rodriguez wrote:
> On Wed, Jan 05, 2005 at 02:24:47PM -0500, Luis R. Rodriguez wrote:
> <-- snip -->
>
> > As far as support for the new chipsets goes -- sorry -- we won't be able
> > to support it as I don't think even Conexant has a final well tested
> > linux source base ready for 2.6. And even if we are given a source base
> > there is nothing we can do to get around the need for the closed-source
> > softmac libs that it relies on. As much as I'd like to support it, I
> > don't want to get a headache to support something I cannot modify so I
> > won't be willing to support a half-opened driver as the atheros driver.
>
> I'd also like to add...
>
> For those of you frustrated about our current wireless driver situation
> in open platforms --
>
> I think we probably will have this trouble with most modern hardware for a while
> (graphics cards, wireless driver, etc). A lot of has to do with patent
> infringement issues, "intellectual property" protection, and other
> business-oriented excuses.
>
> What I think we probably will have to do is just work torwards seeing if
> we can come up with our own open wireless hardware. I know there was
> a recent thread on lkml about an open video card -- anyone know where
> that ended up?

I got open hardware optical wireless, though it's not a card, just
add-on to existing Ethernet:

http://ronja.twibright.com

Nevertheless it show how to use the free-software toolchain.

Also see GNU Radio.

http://www.gnu.org/software/gnuradio/doc/exploring-gnuradio.html

CL<