Fwd: XO wireless firmware, etc.

Edward Cherlin echerlin at gmail.com
Wed Jan 23 12:15:24 EST 2008


FYI


---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: jmh2 <jmh2 at nei.mv.com>
Date: Jan 23, 2008 3:56 AM
Subject: Re: XO wireless firmware, etc.
To: Edward Cherlin <echerlin at gmail.com>



Hi Ed,

    Thanks for your most helpful note :).

    You make a VERY good point about 80211s. I am basically a test
equipment designer.

    For now I think I will try to get some kludge together which might be
useful for XO compatibility testing. Maybe forming the basis for some
future XO network interface.

    I notice that Meraki et al are also trying to figure out how to
interwork. That is very good!!

    Please feel free to introduce me to whomever. My time is somewhat
limited, but it is fun to help !!

    My vision is for a multiple-RF capable box that 'connects' to all the
available nodes and offers whatever bandwidth and connections it finds to
nearby olpc laptops and to other similar devices.

    The main point to be learned from the MIT roofnet experiments seems to
me to be that having one frequency for internetworking and another for
local connection makes the most sense.

    In the USA maybe 900mhz/5ghz between 'repeaters' and 2.4ghz to 'local'
nearby computers olpc and the like.

    So the wireless net takes over the 'network' side stuff and offers
whatever interconnection to the evolving wireless internetwork.

    Most exciting :)).

    Again thanks for your note.

    I can't wait to get my hands on some XOs.

    warm regards,
    john -- BSE(EE), MSEE, PE -- Concord, NH USA



On Sun, 20 Jan 2008, Edward Cherlin wrote:

> On Jan 20, 2008 10:10 AM, RHS Linux User <xxx at nei.mv.com> wrote:
> >
> > Hi,
> >
> >    I have been following XO for some time. I see you are looking for
> > someone to help with open firmware for the Marvel chipset.
>
> Indeed. Have you looked at the Wiki page on the effort?
> http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Marvell_microkernel and sign yourself up.
> Can you answer any of the questions there?
>
> Are you on the OLPC devel mailing list? You can sign up at
> http://lists.laptop.org/
>
> Our IRC channel is #olpc
>
> http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Communication_channels
>
> >    I AM willing to help. I have considerable RF experience along with low
> > level software. Regards realtime OSs, I write my own. And doing 96k of
> > code doesn't seem that difficult. Even the RF part is not that tough.
> >
> >    That said, I think a MUCH more useful direction would be to document
> > the 'mesh' protocol in sufficient detail so anyone could duplicate it with
> > whatever hardware, including the RF protocol and timers.
>
> That is the point of the 802.11s standard work.
>
> >    I suspect you will discover that Marvell is STRONGLY opposed to this
> > effort despite their statements otherwise. And also that this is the part
> > EFF is most as strongly in favor of.
>
> No surprises there. No worries, either.
>
> >    I am glad to see that the Linux end of the driver is getting some work.
> > This is a good place to begin.
> >
> >    Personally despite the considerable work envolved, I think a 2nd
> > implementation using an open radio chip and one of the ADC-FPGA
> > combinations readily available would be well worth the effort.
> >
> >    It could serve as a reference platform to ensure production radios
> > really work correctly as well as offering a way to add other devices by
> > other manufacturers to the XO mesh system.
>
> I can introduce you to other people working on Open Source Hardware if you like.
>
> >    I am open to whatever suggestions you might have regards how I might
> > help with your efforts.
>
> Take a look at the existing Wiki pages and code, and we'll discuss it further.
>
> >    Good luck with the XO program.
> >
> >    warm regards from COLD Concord, NH USA
> >    --anonymous for now--
> >    xxx at nei.mv.com
>
> Thank you.
>
> --
> Edward Cherlin
> End Poverty at a Profit by teaching children business
> http://www.EarthTreasury.org/
> "The best way to predict the future is to invent it."--Alan Kay
>




-- 
Edward Cherlin
End Poverty at a Profit by teaching children business
http://www.EarthTreasury.org/
"The best way to predict the future is to invent it."--Alan Kay



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