ath10k: qca6174 firmware: difference between hw2.1/firmware-5 and hw3.0/firmware-4

[Xuebing Wang]

Hi Michal, Stanislaw and community,

Are you aware of any WLAN card with qca6174 hw3.2 chip (BMI version 
signatures = 0x05030000 = QCA6174_HW_3_2_VERSION), so I can buy one to 
test on Linux PC with upstream kernel, to ensure hw3.0 firmware (not 
hw2.1 firmware) (hopefully without Rx offloading) works with Monitor Mode?

Thanks.

xuebing


On 08/24/2016 05:11 PM, Xuebing Wang wrote:
> Hi Michal, thanks.
>
>
> Hi Kalle,
>
> Is there a version of hw3.0 firmware (without Rx offloading) for me to 
> give a try of Monitor Mode on qca6174 hw3.2 chip? Thanks.
>
> xuebing
>
> On 08/24/2016 02:13 PM, Michal Kazior wrote:
>> On 24 August 2016 at 05:57, Xuebing Wang <xbing6 at gmail.com> wrote:
>>> Hi Kalle,
>>>
>>> I cloned your ath10k-firmware from your github. Would you please 
>>> advise what
>>> are the differences of hw2.1/firmware-5 and hw3.0/firmware-4 for 
>>> qca6174?
>>> Does hw3.0/firmware-4 support Monitor Mode?
>>>
>>> I have a wlan card with BMI version (QCA6174_HW_2_1_VERSION 
>>> 0x05010000) and
>>> Monitor Mode works no problem with latest kernel v4.8-rc2.
>>>
>>> I have another wlan card with (QCA6174_HW_3_2_VERSION 0x05030000). I am
>>> trying to back-port ath10k from v4.8-rc2 to 3.10.73 for this HW_3_2 
>>> QCA6174
>>> wlan card. Virtual interface (mon0) can be added and brought-up, but 
>>> tcpdump
>>> can not capture any packets. I am wondering if it could be related to
>>> (hw2.1/firmware-5 vs hw3.0/firmware-4)?
>> Official hw3.x's firmware supports full rx offload. Rx event used to
>> deliver frames is very specialized effectively preventing sniffing /
>> monitor operation.
>>
>> I don't know if there's any way around it without getting your hands
>> on firmware build that doesn't have the full rx offload compiled in
>> (assuming such a build even exists).
>>
>>
>> Michał
>>
>

-- 
Xuebing