PROGRAMMING ATHEROS 802.11N ANALOG FRONT END RADIOS(9)

💖 Programming Atheros 802.11n analog front end radios(9) 💖

okay bestie, welcome to the Kernel API Manual page for this iconic radio situation. no cap, it’s giving hardware lore and I’m obsessed. 💅✨

The AR5416 MAC based PCI devices and AR518 MAC based PCI-Express devices have either an external AR2133 analog front end radio for single band 2.4 GHz communication or an AR5133 analog front end radio for dual band 2.4 GHz / 5 GHz communication. 🦋

All devices after the AR5416 and AR5418 family starting with the AR9280 have their analog front radios, MAC/BB and host PCIe/USB interface embedded into a single-chip and require less programming. literally a glow-up in chip form. 👑

🌈 the single-chips lineup 🌈

The following single-chips exist with a respective embedded radio:

• AR9280 — 11n dual-band 2x2 MIMO for PCIe — dual-band 2x2 MIMO PCIe main character energy. 🔥
• AR9281 — 11n single-band 1x2 MIMO for PCIe — single-band 1x2 MIMO PCIe cutie. 🌸
• AR9285 — 11n single-band 1x1 for PCIe — single-band 1x1 PCIe simplicity, slay. ✨
• AR9287 — 11n single-band 2x2 MIMO for PCIe — yes bestie, this AR9287 is the PCIe 2x2 MIMO one. 🎀
• AR9220 — 11n dual-band 2x2 MIMO for PCI — dual-band 2x2 MIMO PCI legend. 💜
• AR9223 — 11n single-band 2x2 MIMO for PCI — single-band 2x2 MIMO PCI girlie. 🫶
• AR9287 — 11n single-band 1x1 MIMO for USB — and here’s the other AR9287, the USB 1x1 MIMO one. keep both, fr fr. 😭

✨ SEE ALSO ✨

• Kernel file — ./drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath9k/ar9002_phy.c — the source file, iykyk. 📂
• ar9002_hw_set_channel(9), ar9002_hw_spur_mitigate(9) — two function refs, both iconic. 🫶

okay that’s the whole page, mwah 💋. source/version: ./drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath9k — date: October 2026 — and the footer repeats the title as Programming...t end radios(9), periodt. 🎀🦋