Re: DWA-643 on BackTrack 4

On Sun, 2010-02-21 at 14:06 -0600, Darold Smith wrote:

> ath9k 0000:06:00.0: enabling device (0000 -> 0002)
> ath9k 0000:06:00.0: PCI INT A -> GSI 0 (level, low) -> IRQ 0
> ath9k 0000:06:00.0: setting latency timer to 64

ath9k enables the device

> b43-phy1: Broadcom 4322 WLAN found (core revision 16)
> b43-phy1 ERROR: FOUND UNSUPPORTED PHY (Analog 8, Type 4, Revision 4)
> b43: probe of ssb0:0 failed with error -95
> Broadcom 43xx driver loaded [ Features: PLR, Firmware-ID: FW13 ]

That's some other device by Broadcom, unsupported by b43.

> phy0: Selected rate control algorithm 'ath9k_rate_control'

Now we know that phy0 is the Atheros device.

> Registered led device: ath9k-phy0::radio
> Registered led device: ath9k-phy0::assoc
> Registered led device: ath9k-phy0::tx
> Registered led device: ath9k-phy0::rx
> phy0: request_irq failed

ath9k fails to get an interrupt for the device.  I googled for
ExpressCard IRQ problems, at it looks like that's precisely your
problem:

http://bugzilla.kernel.org/show_bug.cgi?id=14128

I understand the workaround is to add acpi_osi="Darwin" to the kernel
command line.

> cfg80211: Calling CRDA for country: CO
> cfg80211: Regulatory domain changed to country: CO
>         (start_freq - end_freq @ bandwidth), (max_antenna_gain, max_eirp)
>         (2402000 KHz - 2472000 KHz @ 40000 KHz), (300 mBi, 2700 mBm)
>         (5170000 KHz - 5250000 KHz @ 20000 KHz), (300 mBi, 1700 mBm)
>         (5250000 KHz - 5330000 KHz @ 20000 KHz), (300 mBi, 2300 mBm)
>         (5735000 KHz - 5835000 KHz @ 20000 KHz), (300 mBi, 3000 mBm)
> ath9k 0000:06:00.0: PCI INT A disabled
> ath9k: probe of 0000:06:00.0 failed with error -5

ath9k finally fails here.

> root@bt:~#lspci -vnn output
> 
> 6:00.0 Network controller [0280]: Atheros Communications Inc. AR5008
> Wireless Network Adapter [168c:0024] (rev 01)
>         Subsystem: D-Link System Inc Device [1186:3a6f]
>         Flags: fast devsel

The IRQ number should be reported in the Flags field.  It's missing.

>         Memory at db100000 (64-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=64K]
>         Capabilities: [40] Power Management version 2
>         Capabilities: [50] Message Signalled Interrupts: Mask- 64bit-
> Queue=0/0 Enable-
>         Capabilities: [60] Express Legacy Endpoint, MSI 00
>         Capabilities: [90] MSI-X: Enable- Mask- TabSize=1
>         Capabilities: [100] Advanced Error Reporting <?>
>         Capabilities: [140] Virtual Channel <?>
>         Kernel modules: ath9k

MSI could save the day, but it's not supported by ath9k or MadWifi.

> After modprobe ath_pci
> root@bt:~#dmesg output
> 
> ath_hal: 0.9.18.0 (AR5210, AR5211, AR5212, RF5111, RF5112, RF2413, RF5413)
> wlan: svn r4119 (branch madwifi-0.9.4)
> ath_pci: svn r4119 (branch madwifi-0.9.4)

The 0.9.4 branch doesn't support AR5008 at all.  You could try the
trunk, which supports AR5008.  If acpi_osi="Darwin" helps with ath9k, it
should help with MadWifi trunk as well.

-- 
Regards,
Pavel Roskin

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