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<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8"><title>Background</title><meta name="generator" content="DocBook XSL Stylesheets V1.76.1"><meta name="keywords" content="Intellon, Atheros, Qualcomm, HomePlug, powerline, communications, INT6000, INT6300, INT6400, AR7400, AR7420"><link rel="home" href="index.html" title="Qualcomm Atheros Open Powerline Toolkit"><link rel="up" href="ch01.html" title="Chapter 1. Overview"><link rel="prev" href="ch01.html" title="Chapter 1. Overview"><link rel="next" href="ch01s03.html" title="Toolkit Distribution"></head><body bgcolor="white" text="black" link="#0000FF" vlink="#840084" alink="#0000FF"><div class="navheader"><table width="100%" summary="Navigation header"><tr><th colspan="3" align="center">
Background
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Overview
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Background
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<span class="trademark">HomePlug</span>® AV is an industry standard protocol for powerline communications developed by the <a class="ulink" href="http://www.homeplug.org/home" target="_top">HomePlug Powerline Alliance</a>. Qualcomm Atheros manufactures a family of chipsets that conform to that standard and have MII, UART and SPI host interfaces. The <span class="productname">INT6x00</span>™ and <span class="productname">AR7x00</span>™ series are flagship members of that chipset family. The principle difference between the chipsets is their boot method, cost and speed. The <span class="trademark">INT6000</span>™ requires onboard NVRAM but the <span class="productname">INT6300</span>™, <span class="productname">INT6400</span>™ and <span class="productname">AR7400</span>™ do not.
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The <span class="trademark">HomePlug</span>® AV protocol is based on IEEE-802.3, has ethertype <code class="constant">0x88E1</code> and uses special message formats. A subset of those message formats is reserved for each chipset vendor to define their own message formats. Qualcomm Atheros uses this vendor-specific subset to communicate between host processors and Qualcomm Atheros devices. This toolkit uses Qualcomm Atheros vendor-specific message formats to communicates with Qualcomm Atheros devices. It also understands Qualcomm Atheros firmware and configuration file formats.
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This toolkit sends and receives Qualcomm Atheros vendor-specific messages but not generic <span class="trademark">HomePlug</span>® AV messages. Qualcomm Atheros vendor-specific management message formats are described in the Qualcomm Atheros <em class="citetitle"><span class="trademark">HomePlug</span>® AV Firmware Technical Reference Manual</em>. If you do not have a copy of this document then you may request one from Qualcomm Atheros.
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Toolkit Distribution
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