[Prism54-devel] Re: Open hardware wireless cards

[Luis R. Rodriguez]

On Thu, Jan 06, 2005 at 09:32:20PM +0100, Jean-Baptiste Note wrote:
> mcgrof at ruslug.rutgers.edu (Luis R. Rodriguez) said :
> > I'll see if I can get people from Conexant to agree to let us use the
> > old fullmac chipset design for starters, since we already have that
> > driver in the stock kernel.
> 
> I don't mean to discourage you, but I think you're dreaming Luis :)
> Given that Fullmac chipsets can run in softmac mode as the usb devices
> suggest, it seems to that softmac chips are only cut-down, simpler
> versions of their fullmac counterparts (less memory, less CPU power,
> less cost).
> 
> By this i mean that if Conexant gives you the fullmac chipset, they give
> you the softmac ones as well. Or do you only mean to get them to
> re-manufacture to a third party, without you being aware of the design ?

I meant this. The later goal would be for us to get specs for a softmac 
wireless card work on that one, but that's later. The only reason why I
think its a good ideas get a third party to re-manufacture FullMAC cards
for us is we already have the driver in the stock kernel. It's the only
802.11g card on the stock kernel as of today.

> > Cool we should get an estimate to see how many cards they'd need in
> > order to start a bulk order.
> 
> If you want to design a wifi card, the hard part (from my viewpoint)
> would be the analog part (emitter, and so on). The binary logic part can
> be put in an FPGA. 
> 
> The people at GNURadio want to make a RF design, i think. Maybe it would
> be pretty neat idea to tell them our interest so that they include the
> necessary radio devices for operating in 802.11 frequency range, and we
> could build upon this. Maybe with a sufficiently versatile device (audio
> is not far from RF either), we can reach critical mass that would lead
> to, well, "large" production, and dropping prices.

Good idea :)

> Their card/card project uses off-the-shelf blocks, only the card
> manufacturing itself is "handmade" and costly. 

:(

> The problem is 100 units / months for a /dedicated silicon chip/ is
> *ridiculous*, and the chip will come our *very* expensive (i'd say in
> the 200~300$/chip, part of the problem is that the masks for the foundry
> will be costly, so you'll need to put $$ on the table from the start),
> but feel free to do the maths and correct me.

I need others involved in the industry to provide input on the maths. I
know nothing of how much the economics of this project.

> Ah, the joys of custom hardware. This is pretty cool stuff !

Yeah !
	
	Luis

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