On Fri, Sep 20, 2013 at 4:04 PM, Stefan Monnier monnier@iro.umontreal.ca wrote:
The lack of other answers makes me suspect that all the builtin wifi adapters on ARM systems just suck, IOW what I'm looking for doesn't exist.
there are two factors at play here.
1) the price-war on tablets is driving everything down. if you're putting in a high-quality $5 WIFI module you just made the entire product uncompetitive because everyone else is using $2 modules. when the product BOM is only $30 the higher-quality WIFI module represents a whopping 10% increase in the BOM.
2) low-end portable products need lower-power WIFI modules otherwise the battery has to be larger, and *again* that pushes up the price to uncompetitive levels. low-power WIFI modules tend to have shit-for-brains range
the only other thing i can think of perhaps is for you to take some pictures of the wifi module, identify it, and then hunt around to see if there's a way for example to add an external antenna (or a better external antenna if it already has one). then make sure it's installed in a place that's away from any metallic objects inside the casework.
the only problem with increasing the effectiveness of the antenna is that it can suck more power out of the module's R.F. transmitter (i don't fully understand this but it's what i've heard so i'm repeating it parrot-fashion). so you'll just have to watch out for that, ok?
l.
the only problem with increasing the effectiveness of the antenna is that it can suck more power out of the module's R.F. transmitter (i don't fully understand this but it's what i've heard so i'm repeating it parrot-fashion). so you'll just have to watch out for that, ok?
l.
with rf modul you can sometimes (usually) regulate output power but that has nothing to do with antenna. if we use two antennas on same module, if output (W) of radio module is same for both antenna, good antenna sucesfully transmit more (available) power in the air and therefore you get better reception (a little bit simplifed answer). So, perfectly constructed module will suck with bad antenna. Also, you have to construct module in right way. There you have similar problem like in high speed design (i.e 2.4 Ghz). You have to adjust impendance from IC chip to one that you use (usually 50 Ohms), transmit signal so that lines have that impendance to the antenna. If you fail to do this on hardware part you also get less power on output and good antenna does not help. Ones you think you done it all right you measure output and you can fine tune whole circuit. This is because specific hardware in combination with specific antenna never gives same result and you have to fine tune system. Add to this enviroment, for example you hold tablet with hand and hand is positioned close to antenna (this is really usual situation), your hand could give another problem to all this and more measuring and fine tuning might be needed or even moving antenna.
arm-netbook@lists.phcomp.co.uk
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luke.leighton