Re: uCLinux on Samsung S3C4510B (ARM7TDMI) based wireless router

From: pojen (pojen1_at_hotmail.com)
Date: 07/13/03 

Date: Sun, 13 Jul 2003 06:22:48 -0700

Hi again;
It's what I know on Linux based wireless router:
You should consider there's only "two" wireless drivers support wireless AP,
(Well, there's one more on http://hunz.org/hermesap.html to support Orinoco)
but wlan-ng had already droped it for a while...only hostap still. Hostap is
kind of software AP, could eat a lot cpu power(maybe it's not that bad
but...) and only support prism2/2.5/3?? It means only 802.11b base will
support.
If those wireless chip companies don't release their AP firmware, It's hard
to get support on A/G or ATMEL chip( alot new cards base on their chip).
That's why the "Host"AP way or licence with them to get the firmware AP way.
For a new project that's you have to think about.

pojen

"John Tetreault" <blkthorn30@nospam@verizon.net> wrote in message
news:KsbQa.6664$Y92.951@nwrdny01.gnilink.net...
> "pojen" <pojen1@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:ber22f$7habn$1@ID-82445.news.uni-berlin.de...
> > Hi;
> > I hope I won't disappoint you too much. To begin a embed project from
> > scratch is hard.
> > First, you need a way to put your new stuff into the board(flash ram)
but
> > how?
> > You need a back door to allow you to do so. For eample, a JTAG connect
to
> > serial port or printer port, or a network download(TFTP). But how to
> switch
> > the original system mode to download mode? It's the first issue. Maybe
you
>
> I'm fairly certain I've got this covered... SpeedStream's knowledge base
> advises by pushing the reset button at a particular point during bootup,
it
> will prompt the router to download a new kernel from a BOOTP server.
>
> > will say, well how about the firmware upgrade? Most of the firmware
> upgrade
> > only allow you to touch a certain data but not all. For example, I will
> cut
> > my flash to three part: bootloader, kernel and system. Firmware upgrade
> will
> > only replace my system but not my kernel or bootloader. Only the
original
> > developer know how to open the back door. Lucklly, if you know how, then
> > next step...
>
> This could be the problem... the bootloader.... Not sure if the BOOTP
> process above will take in a new bootloader (so I don't have to boot with
> BOOTP every time) probably not is my guess... although then I'm wondering
> if once I have the kernel loaded once, that will give me a way to load in
a
> new ready made (see next comment) bootloader.
>
> > Second, you need a new boot loader to replace the original one to
support
>
> I've seen linux bootloaders for this particular chip in my searches on the
> web, so I'm hopeful I won't have to write one (I doubt my programming
skills
> would be up to the task)
>
> > ps. I will suggest you to begin a project on x86 system first(ex. XBOX
> > project). Because no BIOS is really a pain.
>
> hehe... Thanks... Unfortunately, this isn't just a "I'm bored, lets start
a
> new project and learn how to embed linux in whatever I can find" sort of
> thing... This is a specific need that has prompted me to even consider
this
> project. ie the need for the features that only a Linux based wireless
> router can provide.
>
>