WL18xx 5GHz SoftAP configuration

Gunter Schmer

Other Parts Discussed in Thread: WL1837

Hi all,

we have verified the 2.4GHz MIMO configured SoftAP on the AM335xEVM/WL18xx platform, documented here

http://e2e.ti.com/support/low_power_rf/f/307/p/292162/1018884.aspx#1018884

We need now to get the right configuration for a SoftAP with 5GHz band and SISO40, based on the same platform. Based on Victor's input I have done the following:

First hostapd.conf

gunter@gunter-Latitude-E4300:~/fs/am335x/etc$ diff -Nurp hostapd.conf.orig hostapd.conf
--- hostapd.conf.orig 2013-10-08 13:10:40.655486486 -0700
+++ hostapd.conf 2013-10-08 13:17:33.117531765 -0700
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ ssid=TexasInstruments_0001
# Country code (ISO/IEC 3166-1). Used to set regulatory domain.
# Set as needed to indicate country in which device is operating.
# This can limit available channels and transmit power.
-#country_code=US
+country_code=US

# Enable IEEE 802.11d. This advertises the country_code and the set of allowed
# channels and transmit power levels based on the regulatory limits. The
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ ssid=TexasInstruments_0001

# Operation mode (a = IEEE 802.11a, b = IEEE 802.11b, g = IEEE 802.11g,
# Default: IEEE 802.11b
-hw_mode=g
+hw_mode=a

# Channel number (IEEE 802.11)
# (default: 0, i.e., not set)
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ hw_mode=g
# channel will need to be configured separately with iwconfig.
# When set to 0, automatic channel selection will be engaged. A channel
# will be selected from the desired hw_mode.
-channel=6
+channel=40

# Automatic channel selection (ACS) whitelist
# (default: not set)
@@ -388,7 +388,7 @@ wmm_ac_vo_acm=0
# 0 = disabled (default)
# 1 = enabled
# Note: You will also need to enable WMM for full HT functionality.
-#ieee80211n=1
+ieee80211n=1

# ht_capab: HT capabilities (list of flags)
# LDPC coding capability: [LDPC] = supported
@@ -423,7 +423,7 @@ wmm_ac_vo_acm=0
# DSSS/CCK Mode in 40 MHz: [DSSS_CCK-40] = allowed (not allowed if not set)
# PSMP support: [PSMP] (disabled if not set)
# L-SIG TXOP protection support: [LSIG-TXOP-PROT] (disabled if not set)
-#ht_capab=[HT40-][SHORT-GI-20][SHORT-GI-40]
+ht_capab=[HT40-][SHORT-GI-20][SHORT-GI-40]

# Require stations to support HT PHY (reject association if they do not)
#require_ht=1

Secondly, wlconf command line

#rmmod wlcore_sdio

#cd /usr/bin/wlconf
	#./wlconf -o /lib/firmware/ti-connectivity/wl18xx-conf.bin		\
		-I official_inis/WL8_System_parameters.ini

#./wlconf -i /lib/firmware/ti-connectivity/wl18xx-conf.bin		\
		-o /lib/firmware/ti-connectivity/wl18xx-conf.bin		\
		-s wl18xx.ht.mode=0x01

#modprobe wlcore_sdio

However when we bring up the SoftAP, here with the Matrix GUI, the SSID does not show up, so something must not be working right. Could you help me with what is missing?

Thanks,

--Gunter

over 12 years ago

0 Victor_Lin over 12 years ago

TI__Genius 12935 points

Hi Gunter,

Can you try from the CLI and see if you see the same problem?

0 Gunter Schmer over 12 years ago in reply to Victor_Lin

TI__Genius 14322 points

Victor,

does anyone have a known to work configuration for a 5GHz SISO 40MHz SoftAP with the Murata WL1837 COM8 card, specifically

hostapd.conf

wlconf settings

and anything else that we need to pay attention to?

Thanks,

--Gunter

0 Victor_Lin over 12 years ago in reply to Gunter Schmer

TI__Genius 12935 points

Hi Gunter,

The same configuration that I told you on the phone works just fine. Have you been able to give it a try?

0 Barak Schlosser over 12 years ago in reply to Victor_Lin

TI__Intellectual 1710 points

Hi Gunter,

Please run the following commands and share the outputs of the command line:

iw reg get

iw reg set US

iw reg get

Regards,

Barak

0 Gunter Schmer over 12 years ago in reply to Gunter Schmer

TI__Genius 14322 points

Hi Victor,

sorry it took me a little while to get back to this 5GHz SoftAP. Again I have used the above hostapd.conf changes and wlconf settings. With the above I am using channel 40 for 5GHz. When running the hostapd deamon I am getting this:

root@am335x-evm:~# hostapd -B /etc/hostapd.conf -P /var/run/hostapd.pid
Configuration file: /etc/hostapd.conf
[ 84.649261] wlcore: PHY firmware version: Rev 8.2.0.0.168
[ 84.744201] wlcore: firmware booted (Rev 8.6.0.0.5)
[ 84.761901] cfg80211: Calling CRDA for country: US
channel [9] (40) is disabled for use in AP mode, flags: 0x77 NO-IBSS PASSIVE-SCAN
wlan0: IEEE 802.11 Configured[ 84.778747] wlcore: down
channel (40) not found from the channel list of current mode (2) IEEE 802.11a
wlan0: IEEE 802.11 Hardware does not support configured channel
Could not select hw_mode and channel. (-4)
wlan0: Unable to se[ 84.799743] cfg80211: Regulatory domain changed to country: US
tup interface.
[ 84.806518] cfg80211: (start_freq - end_freq @ bandwidth), (max_antenna_gain, max_eirp)
[ 84.816436] cfg80211: (2402000 KHz - 2472000 KHz @ 40000 KHz), (300 mBi, 2700 mBm)
[ 84.824554] cfg80211: (5170000 KHz - 5250000 KHz @ 40000 KHz), (300 mBi, 1700 mBm)
[ 84.832641] cfg80211: (5250000 KHz - 5330000 KHz @ 40000 KHz), (300 mBi, 2000 mBm)
[ 84.840728] cfg80211: (5490000 KHz - 5600000 KHz @ 40000 KHz), (300 mBi, 2000 mBm)
[ 84.848815] cfg80211: (5650000 KHz - 5710000 KHz @ 40000 KHz), (300 mBi, 2000 mBm)
[ 84.856903] cfg80211: (5735000 KHz - 5835000 KHz @ 40000 KHz), (300 mBi, 3000 mBm)

Strangely if I then change the hostapd.conf to another channel and then back to 40 and rerun the hostapd deamon, the SoftAP actually starts without the above error and I can bring up the wlan0 and the SoftAP is working.

Here are the commands I am using on the CLI

hostapd -B /etc/hostapd.conf -P /var/run/hostapd.pid
ifconfig wlan0 192.168.0.1 netmask 255.255.255.0 up
ifconfig
echo 1 > /proc/sys/net/ipv4/ip_forward
udhcpd /etc/udhcpd.conf
iptables -t nat -A POSTROUTING -o wlan0 -j MASQUERADE

BTW, one small change to udhcpd.conf, I made before all this.

root@am335x-evm:/etc# diff -Nurp udhcpd.conf.orig udhcpd.conf
--- udhcpd.conf.orig
+++ udhcpd.conf
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@
# Examples:
opt dns 8.8.8.8 8.8.4.4 #public google dns servers
option subnet 255.255.255.0
-opt router 192.168.10.1
+opt router 192.168.0.1
#opt wins 192.168.10.10
#option dns 129.219.13.81 # appended to above DNS servers for a total of 3
#option domain local

So the main question is how I can get around the initial error

channel (40) not found from the channel list of current mode (2) IEEE 802.11a

But things are starting to work.

Thanks,

--Gunter

0 Gunter Schmer over 12 years ago in reply to Gunter Schmer

TI__Genius 14322 points

Hi Victor,

what I am finding is that I have to run the hostapd deamon command twice, the first time it produces the channel list error, the second time it works. After this the AP comes up.

root@am335x-evm:~# hostapd -B /etc/hostapd.conf -P /var/run/hostapd.pid
Configuration file: /etc/hostapd.conf
[ 50.499511] wlcore: PHY firmware version: Rev 8.2.0.0.168
[ 50.594360] wlcore: firmware booted (Rev 8.6.0.0.5)
[ 50.612091] cfg80211: Calling CRDA for country: US
channel [9] (40) is disabled for use in AP mode, flags: 0x77 NO-IBSS PASSIVE-SCAN
wlan0: IEEE 802.11 Configured[ 50.628906] wlcore: down
channel (40) not found from the channel list of current mode (2) IEEE 802.11a
wlan0: IEEE 802.11 Hardware does not support configured channel
Could not select hw_mode and channel. (-4)
wlan0: Unable to se[ 50.650054] cfg80211: Regulatory domain changed to country: US
tup interface.
[ 50.656738] cfg80211: (start_freq - end_freq @ bandwidth), (max_antenna_gain, max_eirp)
[ 50.666656] cfg80211: (2402000 KHz - 2472000 KHz @ 40000 KHz), (300 mBi, 2700 mBm)
[ 50.674743] cfg80211: (5170000 KHz - 5250000 KHz @ 40000 KHz), (300 mBi, 1700 mBm)
[ 50.682861] cfg80211: (5250000 KHz - 5330000 KHz @ 40000 KHz), (300 mBi, 2000 mBm)
[ 50.690917] cfg80211: (5490000 KHz - 5600000 KHz @ 40000 KHz), (300 mBi, 2000 mBm)
[ 50.699035] cfg80211: (5650000 KHz - 5710000 KHz @ 40000 KHz), (300 mBi, 2000 mBm)
[ 50.707122] cfg80211: (5735000 KHz - 5835000 KHz @ 40000 KHz), (300 mBi, 3000 mBm)
root@am335x-evm:~# hostapd -B /etc/hostapd.conf -P /var/run/hostapd.pid
Configuration file: /etc/hostapd.conf
[ 58.693695] wlcore: PHY firmware version: Rev 8.2.0.0.168
[ 58.824249] wlcore: firmware booted (Rev 8.6.0.0.5)
root@am335x-evm:~# ifconfig wlan0 192.168.0.1 netmask 255.255.255.0 up
root@am335x-evm:~# echo 1 > /proc/sys/net/ipv4/ip_forward
root@am335x-evm:~# udhcpd /etc/udhcpd.conf
root@am335x-evm:~# iptables -t nat -A POSTROUTING -o wlan0 -j MASQUERADE

Regards,

--Gunter

0 Victor_Lin over 12 years ago in reply to Gunter Schmer

TI__Genius 12935 points

Hi Gunter,

Have you tried the region setting that Barak mentioned before? In order to operate in 5GHz band, you'll need to set your region first, then start up the softAP. The reason that you need to start hostapd twice is because after the first failure, region will be set to US. That's why the second hostpad works.

0 Gunter Schmer over 12 years ago in reply to Victor_Lin

TI__Genius 14322 points

Hi Victor,

the hostapd.conf has this

country_code=US

Is there anything else that defines the region?

Thanks,

--Gunter

0 Victor_Lin over 12 years ago in reply to Gunter Schmer

TI__Genius 12935 points

Hi Gunter,

What I'm saying is that you should execute the following command before bringing up hostapd:

iw reg set US

0 Gunter Schmer over 12 years ago in reply to Victor_Lin

TI__Genius 14322 points

Thanks Victor and Barak, this worked!

So beside the changes to hostapd.conf, udhcpd.conf, wlconf from above, here is the complete sequence now on the CLI that worked:

iw reg get
iw reg set US
iw reg get
hostapd -B /etc/hostapd.conf -P /var/run/hostapd.pid
ifconfig wlan0 192.168.0.1 netmask 255.255.255.0 up
ifconfig
echo 1 > /proc/sys/net/ipv4/ip_forward
udhcpd /etc/udhcpd.conf
iptables -t nat -A POSTROUTING -o wlan0 -j MASQUERADE

Regards,

--Gunter

0 Austin Huang over 11 years ago in reply to Gunter Schmer

Intellectual 490 points

hi Gunter:

did u apply any patch on R8.a6.02 for AP mode with 5G??

if possible. may i know your crda version??

Thanks.

--Austin

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WL18xx 5GHz SoftAP configuration