# Quick Atmel Notes

## tdb

For those having trouble with Atmel based wireless cards, here are some quick notes on my experiences.

I have both the Belkin F5D6020.ver2 Wireless Notebook Network Card and the Compaq IPAQ HNW-200 11 Mbps Wireless USB Adapter. Both these devices use Atmel for their wireless chipset. Atmel is becoming more and more popular now since it seems they cost less then the standard Prism chips do. (The Belkin was $45 at OfficeMax after rebate, and the Compaqs were $25 closeout at Radio Shack.) If you have one of these, there is good news and bad news. The good news is that there are Linux drivers available, and they are open source. The bad news is that there really aren't any good, concise guides to getting them working.

PCMCIA: Use the drivers from the atmelwlandriver.sourceforge.net website. You need to know a bit about your card before you use them, though, since they dropped support for Intersil radios back in December. (there is a note on the page telling you this.) The F5D6020.ver2 is not affected by this. (I think it uses the RFMD radio.) Regardless, it appears this specific card's info is now included with the drivers, so there is no need to make any "bind" or "manfid" entries in /etc/pcmcia/atmel.opts. (or any other pcmcia config files for that matter) If you have a different Atmel card, then be sure to verify that /etc/pcmcia/atmel.opts has your card listed, and that listing is correct. (now this goes without saying, but be sure once all that is correct you restart pcmcia-cs.)

BE SURE YOU SAY NO TO "Set extra module version information [y/N] : WHEN YOU MAKE CONFIG"!!! I have always had problems with modules modprobing cleanly and the driver/card freezing. (and the LED's on the card itself not working.) All these went away when I said "no" to this feature. I don't know what it does, but all it did for me was cause headaches.

For the rest, just follow the README. But be sure you know what radio your card uses. (intersil, RFMD, etc...) The README suggests to just do a "Build All" if you are not sure. I recommend against this. It looks like a "Build All" gives a "Yes" for the set extra module version crap. That's a bad thing. If you are not sure, try saying "no" to build all and extra version, then say "yes" to every other question it asks you. (As for "debug", that's up to you. It doesn't impact your drivers, but it makes your system logs A LOT more noisy.)

Lastly, make sure you have a clean kernel and modules. Run a "depmod -a" and see if there are unresolved symbols. If there are, your chances of this driver not working increase exponentially. A lot of my headaches were from kernels that got out of sync with their modules. Get this resolved before you try to complie the drivers. (This goes for both the PCMCIA and USB drivers. Try compiling a clean kernel)

USB: I had problems with module hangs and kernel panics when using the USB atmelwlandriver. I had to edit the src/includes/usb/config.h file to get it to id and load with the adapter After it did, WEP wouldn't work. and iwconfig never gave an accurate display. (the tx and rx values were way off) After recompiling a fresh kernel from scratch, I tried using the at76c503a drivers from http://at76c503a.berlios.de/ (It appears this guy used to work with the atmelwlandriver group, but decided to head off on his own and build one from scratch specifically for usb.) This works great with my Compaq. It comples cleanly, (so long as you don't have any depmod -a issues, see above) installation is simple, and it handles wireless extensions cleanly. I even got WEP working on it. I don't know what brands of radios it works with, but it works with mine. (Atmel chip/intersil radio) Check the USB compatability table at http://atmelwlandriver.sourceforge.net/usbtable.html If you have problems with the atmelwlandriver usb module, try using this one instead.

I hope these notes help y'all. I wish someone had told me this stuff up when I started; it's been over six months to get all this stuff up and running just right. But it's working and I'm happy. The documentation on the web for this suff is spread out and sparse, and the mailing lists don't appear to be very active. The Atmel chips are gaining in popularity, and it seems more and more manufacturers are using them. (and NOT changing the model numbers, so do your homework. be wary of any device with a "ver2" or a "+" after the model number, It probably has an Atmel or some other low-cost chipset that may or may not be supported under Linux. Check your prices, a wireless adapter of any kind for under $70 should make you ask questions)

Good Luck!

(P.S. will be busy until the end of July '03, so I won't have a lot of time to reply to posts/emails until after then. After Aug 1, fell free to email/pm/reply all you want.)

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## ruronikenshin83

Hi, I have a Linksys USB Adapter that uses those BerliOS drivers that you spoke of.

What exactly did you have to load into kernel in order to get the USB adapter recognized and working?

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## tdb

I didn't have to manually load anything. Upon plugging the thing in, it autoloads three modules: at76c503 at76c503-i3861 and usbdfu. Iwconfig shows it as wlan0. Did everything complie cleanly? Did depmod -a give you any unresolved symbols? what is the output of dmesg and /var/log/messages when you plug the card in?

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## ruronikenshin83

Yea, I fixed it. 

Wlan0 showed up under iwconfig but it said "no wireless extensions"  I found out that the reason I kept getting "no wireless extensions" was because I didn't have Wireless Lan support compiled into my kernel.

Dumb newbie mistake... ^_^

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## tdb

 *ruronikenshin83 wrote:*   

> 
> 
> Dumb newbie mistake... ^_^

 

I can't begin to tell you some of the dumb newbie stuff I've messed up on before. (and still mess up on.) Glad to hear it's working. I recommend keeping up with the user mailing list. It seems like all the drivers have a lot of screwy things about them. Whenever you change the wep key, you'll have to constantly reset the interface (/etc/init.d/net.wlan0 restart) for at least a few hours, or it will freeze. Your logs are going to fill up with "frame from mars..." crap, and whatnot.. But at least it works. Good luck!

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## Kalin

Anybody with ebuild that works for 2.6.0 ??

I cannot compile neither atmelwalndriver nor at76c503 at all...

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## rob.sharp

Hello

Im using the 2.6 kernel from gentoo, and had no problems at all compiling the CVS version of the at76c503a driver (http://at76c503a.berlios.de/index.html). modprobe at76c503a-rfmd (I have a Netgear MA101) and then ifconfig wlan0...

Magic!

Rob.

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## madmango

Sigh. I'm trying to use the berlios drivers, but the depmod dosen't work. I'm using kernel version 2.4.26-hardened-r1. Any way i can relsolve those problems (without updating my kernel)? I've searched around, and it seems people get lots of unresolved symbols (like me) when the complier's version's mismatch (like in redhat). Arrgh, I'm going to update the kernel now.

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## jph_void

Hi, i'm switching my sisters' computer to gentoo, and like me her have a wireless network usb card, which is based ont the at76c503. I surfed the web for years now with the at76c503-rfm driver friom berlios, and i though i won't not have any problem in getting her card to work...

Here is the problem:

Berlios module succesfully compiled and installed.

Berlios module succesfully loaded.

Dmesg show : usb device ... not claimed by any active drivers.

Ifconfig doesn't show any entry, idem with iwconfig.

As i just finnished to install the 2004 gentoo, she is still running on a 2.4 kernel (2.4.26-gentoo-r6) and obviously i'm waiting the network card to work to perform the installation of the X server and so on.

So i'm just wondering why the device don't get associated with the module ?

If some of you have any kind of experience with this or any piece of advise...

Have a nice day.

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## Kalin

The basic steps are to identify the device (lsusb can help here) and if the vendor:product numbers are not inside the source for the driver just add them and recompile the driver. Test and report success :-) Make a patch and send it to the driver maintainer.

Atmel-based cards are a bitt of mess, as there are so many types and theyu are combined with several types of radios...

Post here if you still need help, but please try a bit yourself. Too sleepy for more now...

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## jph_void

it seems that for some reason i had to load the at76c503-rfmd-acc module that i never used for me :s

Well internet acces is ok now.

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## clint_hegney

Does anyone know where I can find some clear cut instructions for installing either the berlios drivers or the sourceforge drivers for the HNW-200 on gentoo running kernel 2.6.14-gentoo-r2. I am a newb and every site I go to, they say to install a patch, compile, plug device in, iwconfig, ifconfig... well not much of that make sense to a newb. I know how to select kernel options and compile. How do I apply the patch? should I compile as modules or in the kernel? what are the detail instructions for plugging in the device and using after the drivers are installed?  Please help.

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## jph_void

To download the latest driver fo here : http://at76c503a.berlios.de/cvs.html

You simply have to untar the package and do this in a console : 'make' and  'make install' (make install should be done as root).

After this check that the driver is succesfully loaded with 'dmesg'. After that your device should be reconized as wlanX. (wlan0 by default). run 'iwconfig' to configure it. its syntax is very simple : 'iwconfig wlan0 essid YOURESSID mode YOURMODE channel YOURCHANNEL'

After that if it isnt done load it with 'ifconfig wlan0 up'.

All those commands can be automatised with the scripts in /etc/net and /etc/wireless.

Its very documented, good luck.

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## ssmaxss

Does anyone working on this drivers? They have some problems with gcc 4.1 and new kernels. CVS on berlios was last changed more than half of the year ago. It is very bad. This driver will die becouse no maintence. Maybe it should be mergeed into kernel?

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## jph_void

Well to be merged into kernels drivers should be widely used. Im not sure the game worth the candle.

Besides kernels are more and more laptop-oriented, and wireless solution are becoming integrated to them...

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## ssmaxss

But it need maintance. Berlios project is dead...

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## jph_void

 *clint_hegney wrote:*   

> Does anyone know where I can find some clear cut instructions for installing either the berlios drivers or the sourceforge drivers for the HNW-200 on gentoo running kernel 2.6.14-gentoo-r2. I am a newb and every site I go to, they say to install a patch, compile, plug device in, iwconfig, ifconfig... well not much of that make sense to a newb. I know how to select kernel options and compile. How do I apply the patch? should I compile as modules or in the kernel? what are the detail instructions for plugging in the device and using after the drivers are installed?  Please help.

 

Ok if you don't want to mess with the berlios website try to:

```

#emerge net-wireless/at76c503a

```

But keep in mind that the package is still masked.

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## ssmaxss

at76c503a need some fixes for new compilers: one should change all MODULE_PARM to module_param in files. If I do it, how can I create a patch for several files (e.g. what command-line arguments to pass diff)?

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## clint_hegney

Well I tried just using the instructions on the berlios web site and was able to get fairly far, but I still cannot connect with the adapter. Here is the output from the syslog when the adapter is plugged in.

```

Jun 26 07:41:01 ecs-laptop usb 2-1: new full speed USB device using ohci_hcd and address 3

Jun 26 07:41:02 ecs-laptop usb 2-1: configuration #1 chosen from 1 choice

Jun 26 07:41:02 ecs-laptop /home/chegney/Desktop/at76c503a/at76c503.c: $Id: at76c503.c,v 1.84 2006/06/22 21:09:23 agx Exp $ compiled Jun 23 2006 13:17:01

Jun 26 07:41:02 ecs-laptop /home/chegney/Desktop/at76c503a/at76c503.c: firmware version 0.90.0 #44 (fcs_len 4)

Jun 26 07:41:02 ecs-laptop /home/chegney/Desktop/at76c503a/at76c503.c: device's MAC 00:90:4b:0e:8c:c8, regulatory domain <unknown> (id 0)

Jun 26 07:41:02 ecs-laptop /home/chegney/Desktop/at76c503a/at76c503.c: registered wlan0

Jun 26 07:41:02 ecs-laptop net.agent[5983]: add event not handled

```

Next I am running this command

iwconfig wlan0 essid <Name> mode ad-hoc key <wep key>

And I can see this when running iwconfig again

```

wlan0     IEEE 802.11-DS  ESSID:<name> 

          Mode:Ad-Hoc  Frequency:2.457 GHz  Cell: 02:00:8C:4C:C7:07   

          Bit Rate:11 Mb/s   Tx-Power=15 dBm   

          Retry limit:8   RTS thr=1536 B   Fragment thr=1536 B   

          Encryption key:<wep key>   Security mode:open

          Power Management:off

          Link Quality:0  Signal level:0  Noise level:0

          Rx invalid nwid:0  Rx invalid crypt:0  Rx invalid frag:0

          Tx excessive retries:0  Invalid misc:0   Missed beacon:0

```

I then run 

ifconfig wlan0 up

but nothing happens. What am I missing? I am using DHCP on my ethernet card to grab an ip from my router? How do I set that up on the wireless card.

 *jpcohen wrote:*   

>  *clint_hegney wrote:*   Does anyone know where I can find some clear cut instructions for installing either the berlios drivers or the sourceforge drivers for the HNW-200 on gentoo running kernel 2.6.14-gentoo-r2. I am a newb and every site I go to, they say to install a patch, compile, plug device in, iwconfig, ifconfig... well not much of that make sense to a newb. I know how to select kernel options and compile. How do I apply the patch? should I compile as modules or in the kernel? what are the detail instructions for plugging in the device and using after the drivers are installed?  Please help. 
> 
> Ok if you don't want to mess with the berlios website try to:
> 
> ```
> ...

 

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## jph_void

clint_hegney :

after setting wlan0 up do : 

# dhcpcd wlan0

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## manny15

I've been using net-wireless/at76c503a-0.12_beta23-r2  but it no longer works. I have to boot with an old kernel which has the at76c503_rfmd, at76c503, and at76_usbdfu modules since the new and only at76_usb does not work for my Linksys WUSB11 2.6. I think it's an issue with the firmware not being loaded, or the incorrect firmware being loaded.

I need to reboot now and see.

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## manny15

The issue seems to be that the at76_usb driver will not connect to an AP if it does not broadcast its ESSID. This is mentioned in the README. That really sucks though. At least so far it's working.

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