ATH_HAL(4)

✨ ATH_HAL(4) — Atheros Hardware Access Layer (HAL) ✨

okay so this is the ath_hal man page from the Kernel Interfaces Manual, and honestly it's kind of iconic if you're into wifi chips 💅 let me spill everything

🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

so you've got two ways to do this, bestie:

device ath_hal

or, if you want to get super specific and pick exactly which chips you're supporting:

device ath_ar5210
device ath_ar5211
device ath_ar5212
device ath_rf2413
device ath_rf2417
device ath_rf2425
device ath_rf5111
device ath_rf5112
device ath_rf5413
device ath_ar5416
device ath_ar9160
device ath_ar9280
device ath_ar9285
device ath_ar9287
device ath_ar9300

🦋 DESCRIPTION 🦋

okay so the hal (that's Hardware Access Layer, iykyk) is like the backstage crew for wireless network adapters based on these Atheros chips, and the list is LONG bestie: AR5210, AR5211, AR5212, AR5213, AR2413, AR2417, AR2425, AR5413, AR5416, AR5418, AR5424, AR9160, AR9220, AR9280, AR9285, AR9287, AR9380, AR9390, AR9580, AR9590, AR9562 and QCA9565 chips. and don't forget their companion RF/baseband parts, the whole squad 💜

the way this works is the code is part of the ath(4) driver but it's configured separately so you can have fine-grained control over the set of chips supported. literally so you can pick and choose. selecting ath_hal enables support for all PCI and Cardbus devices, slay ✨

some devices come in Cardbus/MiniPCI/PCI format (the classics), while others — for example AR2413, AR2427, AR5418, AR9280, AR9285, AR9287 — come in PCIe, Mini-PCIe or ExpressCard format (they really said new era 💅).

now for the lore 🌈: historically this code was released in a binary-only form and packaged as a separate module, but with the release of source code for the hal that's no longer true and the code is tightly integrated with the driver. we love a glow-up, no cap 👑

💖 HARDWARE 💖

these are the cards among those supported by the ath_hal module, fr fr (their chip, how they connect, and what standards they serve):

• Aztech WL830PC — AR5212 — CardBus — b/g
• D-Link DWL-A650 — AR5210 — CardBus — a
• D-Link DWL-AB650 — AR5211 — CardBus — a/b
• D-Link DWL-A520 — AR5210 — PCI — a
• D-Link DWL-AG520 — AR5212 — PCI — a/b/g
• D-Link DWL-AG650 — AR5212 — CardBus — a/b/g
• D-Link DWL-G520B — AR5212 — PCI — b/g
• D-Link DWL-G650B — AR5212 — CardBus — b/g
• Elecom LD-WL54AG — AR5212 — Cardbus — a/b/g
• Elecom LD-WL54 — AR5211 — Cardbus — a
• Fujitsu E5454 — AR5212 — Cardbus — a/b/g
• Fujitsu FMV-JW481 — AR5212 — Cardbus — a/b/g
• Fujitsu E5454 — AR5212 — Cardbus — a/b/g (yes it's listed twice, and yes i'm listing it twice too, don't come for me 🙈)
• HP NC4000 — AR5212 — PCI — a/b/g
• I/O Data WN-AB — AR5212 — CardBus — a/b
• I/O Data WN-AG — AR5212 — CardBus — a/b/g
• I/O Data WN-A54 — AR5212 — CardBus — a
• Linksys WMP55AG — AR5212 — PCI — a/b/g
• Linksys WPC51AB — AR5211 — CardBus — a/b
• Linksys WPC55AG — AR5212 — CardBus — a/b/g
• NEC PA-WL/54AG — AR5212 — CardBus — a/b/g
• Netgear WAG311 — AR5212 — PCI — a/b/g
• Netgear WAB501 — AR5211 — CardBus — a/b
• Netgear WAG511 — AR5212 — CardBus — a/b/g
• Netgear WG311 (aka WG311v1) — AR5212 — PCI — b/g
• Netgear WG311v2 — AR5212 — PCI — b/g
• Netgear WG311T — AR5212 — PCI — b/g
• Netgear WG511T — AR5212 — CardBus — b/g
• Orinoco 8480 — AR5212 — CardBus — a/b/g
• Orinoco 8470WD — AR5212 — CardBus — a/b/g
• Proxim Skyline 4030 — AR5210 — CardBus — a
• Proxim Skyline 4032 — AR5210 — PCI — a
• Samsung SWL-5200N — AR5212 — CardBus — a/b/g
• SMC SMC2735W — AR5210 — CardBus — a
• Sony PCWA-C700 — AR5212 — Cardbus — a/b
• Sony PCWA-C300S — AR5212 — Cardbus — b/g
• Sony PCWA-C500 — AR5210 — Cardbus — a
• 3Com 3CRPAG175 — AR5212 — CardBus — a/b/g
• TP-LINK TL-WDN4800 — AR9380 — PCIe — a/b/g/n

like... the range? immaculate 🌟

🎀 SEE ALSO 🎀

• ath(4) — go check it out bestie, it's the main character

⭐ HISTORY ⭐

the ath_hal module first appeared in FreeBSD 5.2. a true OG 🫶

💀 BUGS 💀

see ath(4) for known bugs. not our problem, go look over there 🙈 but like, respectfully.

---

and that's the whole vibe bestie 💖 this was the Kernel Interfaces Manual page for ath_hal(4), dated August 7, 2023, from the Debian crew ✨ go forth and slay those wifi adapters 🔥👑