Subject: Re: 802.11 Transmit power control
To: None <tech-net@netbsd.org>
From: David Young <dyoung@pobox.com>
List: tech-net
Date: 10/31/2004 15:16:00
On Sun, Oct 31, 2004 at 09:56:39PM +0100, Pavel Cahyna wrote:
> > certain that there is not a driver in NetBSD that can tell us with what
> > its transmit power units are with the certainty we need for, say,
> > complying with wireless regulations.
> 
> How does the manufacturer himself comply with the regulations, given the
> influences you named? I'm just curious.

For each channel, the manufacturer programs the radio with a *unitless*
power setting that maximizes transmit power while holding the peak power
in the first sidelobes to a dBc limit set by either IEEE or the regulator.

Let's quit this discussion.  If calibration is important to you, then
concentrate on how to build a userland table of calibrations.  I think
that you can do make a pretty good one if you use information like the
driver name, PCI vendor/product code and revision number, and MAC number
(or MAC prefix).

Dave

-- 
David Young             OJC Technologies
dyoung@ojctech.com      Urbana, IL * (217) 278-3933