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Implementing 802.11 with Microcontrollers: Wireless Networking for Embedded Systems Designers

By
  • Fred Eady, Systems Engineer, EDTP Electronics, FL, USA

Wireless networking is poised to have a massive impact on communications, and the 802.11 standard is to wireless networking what Ethernet is to wired networking. There are already over 50 million devices using the dominant IEEE 802.11 (essentially wireless Ethernet) standard, with astronomical growth predicted over the next 10 years. New applications are emerging every day, with wireless capability being embedded in everything from electric meters to hospital patient tracking systems to security devices.

This practical reference guides readers through the wireless technology forest, giving them the knowledge, the hardware and the software necessary to design a wireless embedded device rapidly, inexpensively, and effectively. Using off-the-shelf microcontrollers from Microchip and Atmel, the author provides step-by-step instructions for designing the hardware and firmware for a fully operational wireless networking device. The book gives a thorough introduction to 802.11 technology and puts it into perspective against the other wireless standard options. Just enough theory and mathematics is provided to give the depth of understanding needed for practical design work.

The book thoroughly covers:
* Laptop wireless Ethernet card introduction and theory
*Introduction to CompactFlash-to-microcontroller interfacing
* Implementing the laptop wireless Ethernet card in an embedded environment

In addition, the book includes access to a companion website containing all of the code, schematics and programs necessary to implement embedded 802.11 wireless networking.

Audience
PRIMARY MARKET: Embedded systems engineers and programmers SECONDARY MARKET: Electrical/software engineering students, electronics technicians working in embedded systems, inhouse training departments of electronics manufacturers, electronics hobbyists

Paperback, 400 Pages

Published: September 2005

Imprint: Newnes

ISBN: 978-0-7506-7865-0

Contents

  • Preface
    What’s on the companion website?

    Chapter 1: Why Are We Doing This?
    Selecting a Suitable Microcontroller
    Selecting a Suitable 802.11b Communications Device
    802.11b Hardware Overview
    AirDrop Basics

    Chapter 2: The AirDrop-P
    The AirDrop-P Hardware
    Learn to Play Guitar and Become Famous

    Chapter 3: The AirDrop-A
    The AirDrop-A Hardware
    Bowing Out

    Chapter 4: 802.11b CompactFlash Network Interface Cards
    They Were Not Designed To Do This
    The TEW-222CF
    Never Ignore an Inquisitive Author with Hand Tools
    Unwrapping the TEW-222CF
    An Undercover Look at the Zonet ZCF1100
    What’s Behind Door Number 4
    RF, Witchcraft, Pointy Hats, Ghouls, Goblins…Same Thing

    Chapter 5: Talking with 802.11bCompactFlash NICs
    Physically Connecting a Microcontroller to a CompactFlash Card
    Musical Overtones

    Chapter 6: Touring the Card Information Structure
    Talking in Tuples
    First Steps with the AirDrop-P
    Walking the Tuple Chain
    CIS Reconnaissance
    Dumping Linksys WCF12 Tuples
    Dumping Netgear MA701 Tuples
    Dumping Zonet ZCF100 Tuples
    Enabling the 802.11b CompactFlash NIC
    The Value of Parsing the CIS
    Full Throttle

    Chapter 7: Learning to Talk to 802.11b CompactFlash NICs
    What the 802.11b NIC does for Us
    The 802.11b CompactFlash NIC I/O Drivers

    Chapter 8: Setting Up An AirDrop Wireless Network
    Setting Up the AP
    Something’s in the Air
    Guitars and Hollywood

    Chapter 9: AirDrop Driver Basics
    BAP
    FID
    RID
    Reading a RID
    Stringing Up the SSID
    Good RIDdance
    Retrieving the MAC Address
    Status Check

    Chapter 10: Putting an AirDrop on a Wireless LAN
    Bogie Number 1 - Allocating Transmit Buffers
    Bogie Number 2 - Enabling the MAC
    Authenticating the AirDrop Wireless LAN Station
    Associating with the AIRDROP_NETWORK AP

    Chapter 11: Processing 802.11b Frames with the AirDrop
    AirDrop Frame Structure
    AirDrop-P Frame Reception

    Chapter 12: PINING the AirDrop
    Examining the IP Header

    Chapter 13: Flying Cargo with UDP and the AirDrop
    Running a UDP Application on the AirDrop-P
    The EDTP Internet Test Panel and the Code Behind It
    Exercising the AirDrop-P with the EDTP Internet Test Panel
    Notes

    Chapter 14: Flying Cargo with TCP/IP and the AirDrop
    TCP and the AirDrop-P
    The TCP/IP Stack’s Physical Layer
    The TCP/IP Stack’s Data Link Layer
    The TCP/IP Stack’s Network Layer
    The TCP/IP Stack’s Transport Layer
    The TCP/IP Stack’s Application Layer
    TCP/IP - The Big Ugly
    You’ve Done It!

    Chapter 15: WEP and the AirDrop
    Incorporating WEP into the AirDrop 802.11b Driver
    The New Experimental AirDrop Hardware
    An Experimental AVR AirDrop Variant
    The Experimental AirDrop Firmware
    Coding a Simple 802.11b Web Server
    The AirDrop SRAM

    Chapter 16: A New Kid in Town Who Calls Himself ZigBee
    Zig What???
    Making ZigBee Talk
    The Microchip ZigBee Stack

    Chapter 17: Parting Frames
    Numeric Notation
    Source Code Presentation

    Conventions
    Sub Snippets
    Netasyst Sniffer Capture Text Presentation
    Mini Sniffs

    Index

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