PROPOSAL: Generic Mac PC Card Driver (w/status)

rcw3 · EVDO User Joined: 29 Apr 2005 Posts: 47

Ok...

I have a Mac. I have a Kyocera KPC650. I'm a software developer...

It works for data using the Verizon drivers with a modified plist - but as everyone knows - no status information - no signal level, no 1XRTT or EVDO status, and no way to activate.

It's silly that all of these cards use just a very few Qualcomm chips and very similar packaging but we can't get similar functionality to work.

I've read through the 5220 open source driver. It's not that complicated. I've scoured the internet for information. I've found all the lovely AT commands that can provide you some semblance of the data we need.

The problem is, these cards have two serial channels - one that acts like a fairly normal modem - providing an extended Hayes AT command set, and one that is a proprietary binary "Control and Status" serial channel. To provide the real-time status information as well as the ability to activate, we need the documentation of this Control and Status channel.

It's obvious that it varies slightly between cards. I can't tell if this is tied to the primary Qualcomm MSM chip (5500 for the older cards, 6500 for the KPC650 -- possibly others?). Whether it comes from the card vendors, or Qualcomm, we need this information.

Can anyone get access to this information? If someone can provide the information, I'll do my best to build a driver that is generic and will work for all EVDO cards that I have protocol info for and/or that I have access to.

Rich
rich_REMOVE_NOSPAM_ME@levelpath.com

Michael · Posted: Tue Jul 12, 2005 12:12 pm Post subject:

I have contacts at Kyocera, Sierra (not Novatel yet), so just let me know what you need and I can ask to get it for you.

There may be others interested in developing this, maybe we can setup a private forum for it?

There is already a developer who wrote this for the Novatel V620, it may make sense to get him involved too.
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rcw3 · EVDO User Joined: 29 Apr 2005 Posts: 47

Sure - a private forum might be good....

What I'm trying to find is the communication protocol for the CnS channel. You'll notice when you check the serial ports on a Mac, you get two -- one like verizon001 and one like cntl-verizon. Sierra documents the presence of the CnS channel but doesn't document it -- just the AT command spec available to the standard data serial port.

The CnS channel is what provides realtime status and the ability to activate among other unknown abilities.

I didn't know that someone had gotten a V620 driver working with status?

Let's pool our knowledge and see what we can do...

mikev · Posted: Fri Aug 12, 2005 11:38 am Post subject:

Anyone made any progress on this?

I know of one way to get signal strength info (and this works with most cell phones also, GSM included). I think I tried it one time with my KPC650 and it returned what appeared to be a valid response... Until something like this surfaces for the Mac, I've been using my card in a Windows laptop and one time just used Hyperterminal to open the second COM port. I sent an AT+CSQ and it returned a numeric value.

How accurate this info is for our cards, I'm not sure, since it comes from Nokia's AT command reference, but this might be a good step in the right direction...

Michael · Posted: Fri Aug 12, 2005 11:42 am Post subject:

Thanks for the post. We have something similar in another post.

Regarding progress.

It looks like PowerBook users will soon have other options and then down the road EVEN more options.

Verizon will be releasing VZAccess for Mac that support the Kyocera KPC650 very soon. We will report on it as soon as it is released. This will give Mac users another option.

Also, Apple IS adding support for additional EVDO cards for both Verizon & Sprint for a future revision of Mac OS X. So, as PowerBook users, we will have many new choices soon.
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mikev · Posted: Fri Aug 12, 2005 6:36 pm Post subject:

Heck... knowing that rewriting the whole driver wouldn't be the easiest thing in the world, I'd just be happy with a menu bar app or a Dashboard widget that would give me the basic info, including an update PRL button or menu item.

- Mike

Michael · Posted: Sat Aug 13, 2005 9:02 am Post subject:

I wonder if a little Mac App that did this would be useful:

- displayed signal strength (0 - 100%) in a little window, but only worked when NOT connected'

- allowed PRL Updates

- worked with ALL EVDO Cards (for BOTH Verizon and Sprint).

I may be able to build something like that.
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jackrodgers · EVDO Addict Joined: 23 Mar 2006 Posts: 1131

I just stumbled upon the widget iStat PRO www.islayer.com which provides interesting info that might be of use in your project, maybe not. Someone might also strike up a conversation with those guys to see if they know anything interesting or could be tempted to create the software.