[Guide] Airport - Half Mini PCIe

[toleda]

[Guide] Airport - Half Mini PCIe

Update 9/18/2012- New Guide, [Guide] Airport - PCIe Half Mini v2

Airport working OOB on Lion with the Atheros AR9280 and AR9380. Lion reports as Airport Extreme. Wake on Wireless and AirDrop supported. AR9280, AR9285 and AR9287 Half Mini PCIe versions tested. Mini PCIe versions and Mini PCIe to PCIe versions expected to work.

Details
1. Atheros AR9280 and AR9380
a. AR9280 - 2.4/5 GHz 802.11n, 2 Stream, 300 Mbs
b. AR9380 - 2.4/5 GHz 802.11n, 3 Stream, 450 Mbs
2. Half Mini PCIe

Alternatives (require dsdt injection or kext editing)
1. AR9285 - 2.4 GHz, 802.11n, 1 stream, 150 Mbs
2. AR9287 - 2.4 GHz, 802.11n, 2 stream, 300 Mbs
3. Combo - AR928x + Bluetooth (no OS X support for Atheros bluetooth)

Requirements
1. 10.7.4 - 64 bit kernel

Installation
1. Install Atheros AR928x Wi-Fi card
2. If AR9280 or AR9380 installed jump to Step 4
3. If AR9285 or AR9287 installed edit kext or dsdt
a. Edit S/L/E/IO80211Family.kext - below
b. Edit dsdt/ARPT - below
4. Restart
5. Open System Preferences/Network
6. Select +
7. In new dialog box:
a. Interface WI-FI
b. Service Name Wi-Fi
c. Create
8. Select Turn Wi-Fi On
9. In new dialog box:
a. Apply
10. Check Show WI-FI stays in menu bar
11. Select Join Other Networks, Enter
a. Network Name
b. Security
c. Join
12.Wi-Fi Connected

For the User
1. AR928x and AR9380 Sources - the usual
2. Antennas - yes
3. Mini PCIe to PCI/PCIe adapters - no suggestions

Tools
1. IORegistryExplorer
2. DSDTSE of DSDT Editor
3. Property List Editor or TextEdit

Edits - Use 1. kext edit or 2. dsdt edit
1. Kext Edit
S/L/E/IO80211Family.kext/Contents/Plugins/AirPortAtheros40.kext/Contents/Info.plist

find: <string>pci168c,2a</string> Native
add: <string>pci168c,2b</string> For AR9285
add: <string>pci168c,2e</string> For AR9287
also: <string>pci168c,30</string> Native

2. dsdt Edit
IOReg/Search pci168c Note: PEX? of RP0? or ?@1C,?
dsdt/
a. DSDT Editor/Atheros AR928x.txt patch
Download: View attachment Atheros AR928x.txt
edit name_adr 0x001C000? in Atheros AR928x.txt
b. Manual Edit (DSDTSE or DSDT Editor)
add this code after Name (_ADR, 0x001C000?)

             Device (ARPT)
                {
                    Name (_ADR, Zero)
                    Name (_SUN, One)
                    Name (_PRW, Package (0x02)
                    {
                        0x09, 
                        0x04
                    })
                    Method (_DSM, 4, NotSerialized)
                    {
                        Store (Package (0x0B)
                            {
                                "AAPL,slot-name", 
                                Buffer (0x08)
                                {
                                    "AirPort"
                                }, 

                                "device-id", 
                               Buffer (0x04)
                                {
                                    0x30, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00
                                }, 
 
                                Buffer (0x08)
                                {
                                    "AirPort"
                                }, 

                                "model", 
                                Buffer (0x35)
                                {
                                    "Atheros 928x 802.11 a/b/g/n Wireless Network Adapter"
                                }, 

                                "subsystem-id", 
                                Buffer (0x04)
                                {
                                    0x8F, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00
                                }, 

                                "subsystem-vendor-id", 
                                Buffer (0x04)
                                {
                                    0x6B, 0x10, 0x00, 0x00
                                }
                            }, Local0)
                        DTGP (Arg0, Arg1, Arg2, Arg3, RefOf (Local0))
                        Return (Local0)
                    }
                }

Note: After installation, dsdt.aml
shows:
                             "device-id", 
                                Unicode ("0"), 

Same as:
                                "device-id", 
                               Buffer (0x04)
                                {
                                    0x30, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00
                                }, 

For IOReg cosmetic reasons, edit dsdt 
add:
              Device (ARPT)
                {
                    Name (_ADR, Zero)
                    Name (_SUN, One)
                    Name (_PRW, Package (0x02)
                    {
                        0x09, 
                        0x04
                    })
                }

EEPROM Programming
See Credit posts

Credit
THe KiNG Atheros Ar9285 - Project OS X Forums
Andy Vandijck Atheros AR9285 fix for Snow Leopard - InsanelyMac Forum

 

[santitf]

Yes!
I try to find an airport card that works with wake on wireless without lucky.
I try with a Broadcom 94321 and Atheros AR5BXB92 (both wake on wireless compatible), but doesn't works in a H67N.
I have a Time Capsule and a Airport extreme BaseStation.
My macbook pro/mac mini 2009 wake on wireless perfect.
In what mobo did you test, Toleda?
Regards

 

[toleda]

In what mobo did you test, Toleda?

Asus P8Z77-I Deluxe and P8H67-I Deluxe as well as ASRock Vision 3D; all have half mini PCIe card slots, tested with AR9280, AR9285 and AR9287.

 

[santitf]

In what mobo did you test, Toleda?

Asus P8Z77-I Deluxe and P8H67-I Deluxe as well as ASRock Vision 3D; all have half mini PCIe card slots, tested with AR9280, AR9285 and AR9287.

Thanks Toleda. I search in ebay and I wil buy one today.
EDIT: I use a pcie to minipcie adaptor in the only one pci slot of my H67N and you test this wifi card in mobos with wireless onboard with a specific minipcie slot.
This maybe the reason why you have wake on wireless working.

 

[savestheday]

I bought the ar9280

http://www.ebay.com/itm/28086369740...X:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649#ht_4157wt_1165

and could not install Mac OS X Lion with the card installed. It would say DSMOS Has Arrived, then show up with the Realtek MAC Address and just hang there. I removed this card and it booted right in. I haven't tried reinstalling it since I installed Lion. Has anyone else had an issue with this?

Btw, I got a Half Mini PCIe to Mini PCIe adapter to fit in my Mini PCIe -> PCIE adapter. Is there a native Half Mini PCIe to PCIe adapter card?

 

[toleda]

I bought the ar9280 and could not install Mac OS X Lion with the card installed. It would say DSMOS Has Arrived, then show up with the Realtek MAC Address and just hang there. I removed this card and it booted right in. I haven't tried reinstalling it since I installed Lion. Has anyone else had an issue with this?

If the card is working you will see lots of progress messages from the Atheros kext in console during the boot before the MAC address. There may be a problem with one or more of the adapters. Try only the Mini PCIe > PCIe adapter.

 

[savestheday]

I bought the ar9280 and could not install Mac OS X Lion with the card installed. It would say DSMOS Has Arrived, then show up with the Realtek MAC Address and just hang there. I removed this card and it booted right in. I haven't tried reinstalling it since I installed Lion. Has anyone else had an issue with this?

If the card is working you will see lots of progress messages from the Atheros kext in console during the boot before the MAC address. There may be a problem with one or more of the adapters. Try only the Mini PCIe > PCIe adapter.

well the first adapter is just a metal adapter that screws on the half mini pcie card to make it full size.

 

[savestheday]

Well the card is now working in the OS. So basically I can't have it installed while I install Lion.

Only issue is, I can't see my 5ghz networks. The specs state that it definitely does 5ghz so I'm surprised.

 

[savestheday]

Hmm yours also shows up in PCI Cards, mine does not. I still can configure it via Network pref pane and I see the AirPort util up top.

This is a fresh 10.7.4 Lion install.


EDIT
I threw in an on Broadcom Mini PCIe BCM43xx (an Apple part I bought from eBay) and now I see the 5ghz networks. Strange. This card is labeled as being made in 2006.

 

[toleda]

Hmm yours also shows up in PCI Cards, mine does not. I still can configure it via Network pref pane and I see the AirPort util up top.

The WiFi card shows in System Information/PCI Cards with dsdt edits in the first post. For the Atheros card, attach a screenshot of System Information/WiFi.