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Diffstat (limited to 'Documentation/networking/ieee802154.txt')
| -rw-r--r-- | Documentation/networking/ieee802154.txt | 75 |
1 files changed, 59 insertions, 16 deletions
diff --git a/Documentation/networking/ieee802154.txt b/Documentation/networking/ieee802154.txt index 1dc1c24a754..703cf4370c7 100644 --- a/Documentation/networking/ieee802154.txt +++ b/Documentation/networking/ieee802154.txt @@ -4,15 +4,22 @@ Introduction ============ +The IEEE 802.15.4 working group focuses on standartization of bottom +two layers: Medium Accsess Control (MAC) and Physical (PHY). And there +are mainly two options available for upper layers: + - ZigBee - proprietary protocol from ZigBee Alliance + - 6LowPAN - IPv6 networking over low rate personal area networks The Linux-ZigBee project goal is to provide complete implementation -of IEEE 802.15.4 / ZigBee / 6LoWPAN protocols. IEEE 802.15.4 is a stack +of IEEE 802.15.4 and 6LoWPAN protocols. IEEE 802.15.4 is a stack of protocols for organizing Low-Rate Wireless Personal Area Networks. -Currently only IEEE 802.15.4 layer is implemented. We have chosen -to use plain Berkeley socket API, the generic Linux networking stack -to transfer IEEE 802.15.4 messages and a special protocol over genetlink -for configuration/management +The stack is composed of three main parts: + - IEEE 802.15.4 layer; We have chosen to use plain Berkeley socket API, + the generic Linux networking stack to transfer IEEE 802.15.4 messages + and a special protocol over genetlink for configuration/management + - MAC - provides access to shared channel and reliable data delivery + - PHY - represents device drivers Socket API @@ -29,15 +36,6 @@ or git tree at git://linux-zigbee.git.sourceforge.net/gitroot/linux-zigbee). One can use SOCK_RAW for passing raw data towards device xmit function. YMMV. -MLME - MAC Level Management -============================ - -Most of IEEE 802.15.4 MLME interfaces are directly mapped on netlink commands. -See the include/net/nl802154.h header. Our userspace tools package -(see above) provides CLI configuration utility for radio interfaces and simple -coordinator for IEEE 802.15.4 networks as an example users of MLME protocol. - - Kernel side ============= @@ -51,6 +49,15 @@ Like with WiFi, there are several types of devices implementing IEEE 802.15.4. Those types of devices require different approach to be hooked into Linux kernel. +MLME - MAC Level Management +============================ + +Most of IEEE 802.15.4 MLME interfaces are directly mapped on netlink commands. +See the include/net/nl802154.h header. Our userspace tools package +(see above) provides CLI configuration utility for radio interfaces and simple +coordinator for IEEE 802.15.4 networks as an example users of MLME protocol. + + HardMAC ======= @@ -73,11 +80,47 @@ We provide an example of simple HardMAC driver at drivers/ieee802154/fakehard.c SoftMAC ======= -We are going to provide intermediate layer implementing IEEE 802.15.4 MAC -in software. This is currently WIP. +The MAC is the middle layer in the IEEE 802.15.4 Linux stack. This moment it +provides interface for drivers registration and management of slave interfaces. + +NOTE: Currently the only monitor device type is supported - it's IEEE 802.15.4 +stack interface for network sniffers (e.g. WireShark). + +This layer is going to be extended soon. See header include/net/mac802154.h and several drivers in drivers/ieee802154/. + +Device drivers API +================== + +The include/net/mac802154.h defines following functions: + - struct ieee802154_dev *ieee802154_alloc_device + (size_t priv_size, struct ieee802154_ops *ops): + allocation of IEEE 802.15.4 compatible device + + - void ieee802154_free_device(struct ieee802154_dev *dev): + freeing allocated device + + - int ieee802154_register_device(struct ieee802154_dev *dev): + register PHY in the system + + - void ieee802154_unregister_device(struct ieee802154_dev *dev): + freeing registered PHY + +Moreover IEEE 802.15.4 device operations structure should be filled. + +Fake drivers +============ + +In addition there are two drivers available which simulate real devices with +HardMAC (fakehard) and SoftMAC (fakelb - IEEE 802.15.4 loopback driver) +interfaces. This option provides possibility to test and debug stack without +usage of real hardware. + +See sources in drivers/ieee802154 folder for more details. + + 6LoWPAN Linux implementation ============================ |