Re: [Madwifi-users] HELP please : HAL on PowerPC 8248 (PowerQUICC 2)

[Bruno R. <bru...@4g...>]

On Wednesday 01 June 2005 14:17, sebastien wrote:
> - Has anyone used madwifi driver on PowerPC 8248 (processor PowerQUICC
> 2) architecture? In this case, does the HAL work well?

i don't know. but the HAL binary is available for the powerpc architecture=
=20
(powerpc-be-eabi.hal.o.uu and powerpc-le-eabi.hal.o.uu).

> - What=92s the HAL for exactly? Are there any document that explain its
> architecture, or something?

no, it's not really documented. some explanations about the HAL are in=20
http://www.mattfoster.clara.co.uk/madwifi-5.htm.

in general, the HAL is a "hardware abstraction layer" between the atheros=20
hardware and the driver. so every access to the atheros hardware is made th=
ru=20
the HAL. the reason why the HAL exists is primarily to check FCC (and ETSI=
=20
and other) regulations (which channels may be used, etc), at least that's=20
what we are told...

> - With which part of the Madwifi code does the HAL interconnects? Does
> it make the connection permanently or just during the initialisation?

the driver always uses the HAL to send and receive packets.

> - How does the HAL interface with the target architecture? Does the HAL
> only use the specificities of the heart processor? Or does it also use
> the specific internal peripherics of the processor (DMA, cache memory,
> memory controllers=85)?

the hardware (not the HAL) writes to a DMA memory region, which is set up b=
y=20
the driver with some help of the HAL.=20

> Does it use the specificities of the mainboard on=20
> which it is running (PCI bridge=85)?

i don't think so.=20

bruno