Subject: Re: [RFC] qtn: add FullMAC firmware for Quantenna QSR10G wifi device
To: IgorMitsyanko <igor.mitsyanko.os@quantenna.com>,
        Oleksij Rempel <linux@rempel-privat.de>,
        Kyle McMartin <kyle@mcmartin.ca>
References: <1478700000-11624-1-git-send-email-igor.mitsyanko.os@quantenna.com>
 <1478706966.18306.1.camel@sipsolutions.net>
 <2fcb5f28-808e-f296-7e91-e5185e7577c9@quantenna.com>
 <1478725543.21403.4.camel@sipsolutions.net>
 <d1cfaf8a-55a6-3a7c-9e9d-ec810fe5b80d@quantenna.com>
 <1478864146.4129.4.camel@sipsolutions.net>
 <ec6a249c-ef57-40d8-0cd2-31613f046e23@quantenna.com>
 <CANLJ0sm_iBfXB5TkjwTNO8RyYK3W7z8ecOrZo5f65qjb4WMXKQ@mail.gmail.com>
 <063b80df-9cfa-14f1-4695-4239b42dfccb@rempel-privat.de>
 <217ac48f-d822-62d5-3def-744500821ac9@rempel-privat.de>
 <f4bf1f6a-6f5a-ea85-0835-c6805afdcd04@quantenna.com>
 <ad7935a1-735b-706a-9ac1-cd5076d8f307@rempel-privat.de>
 <12af5088-f026-380a-333d-2a2bb2b7a248@quantenna.com>
Cc: Ben Hutchings <ben@decadent.org.uk>,
        Kyle McMartin <kyle@kernel.org>,
        Johannes Berg <johannes@sipsolutions.net>,
        linux-wireless@vger.kernel.org, btherthala@quantenna.com,
        hwang@quantenna.com, smaksimenko@quantenna.com,
        dlebed@quantenna.com, Igor Mitsyanko <imitsyanko@quantenna.com>,
        Kamlesh Rath <krath@quantenna.com>,
        Sergey Matyukevich <smatyukevich@quantenna.com>,
        Avinash Patil <avinashp@quantenna.com>
From: Arend Van Spriel <arend.vanspriel@broadcom.com>
Message-ID: <5370cbc3-638f-8346-e8ae-ac247a03fb4f@broadcom.com> (sfid-20161129_103428_068936_BA1F2514)
Date: Tue, 29 Nov 2016 10:34:19 +0100
MIME-Version: 1.0
In-Reply-To: <12af5088-f026-380a-333d-2a2bb2b7a248@quantenna.com>
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Sender: linux-wireless-owner@vger.kernel.org


On 29-11-2016 10:10, IgorMitsyanko wrote:
> On 11/29/2016 06:49 AM, Oleksij Rempel wrote:
>> Am 28.11.2016 um 20:01 schrieb IgorMitsyanko:
>>> On 11/28/2016 08:33 PM, Oleksij Rempel wrote:
>>>> Am 28.11.2016 um 18:10 schrieb Oleksij Rempel:

[...]

>>> Oleksij, yes, that's correct, it includes entire Linux environment; the
>>> reasoning is that it allows to hide all WiFi-related logic inside device
>>> itself, and emulate simple Ethernet device for external system
>>> (therefore, freeing external system resources).
>>>
>>> This approach was working really well for us until recently, but now
>>> that company is expanding, we want to have more flexible and standardize
>>> interface available for external system to manage wireless connection,
>>> and FullMAC driver seems to be the best solution here.
>> you mean, this driver will not use mac80211 framework provided by kernel?
> 
> Yes, this driver is FullMAC - converting Quantenna drivers codebase to
> mac80211 framework will require significant effort from developers and
> QA, but I think in the future it will have to be done anyway.

Why? The linux wireless subsystem supports both models, ie.
cfg80211-based drivers and mac80211-based drivers, so there is no
technical reason for making the effort. There are clearly benefits in
using a generic and freely available 802.11 stack like mac80211.

Regards,
Arend