Regulatory Domain Configuration

The OEM must configure the regulatory domain on the host platform either with a brcmfmac module parameter or a device tree setting. All radios support using host platform configuration to determine regulatory domain. The LWB and LWB5 also support regulatory domain specific firmware packages, but these packages will be overridden by host platform configuration if the host platform configuration exists. The Sona IF573 and Sterling LWB+/LWB5+ regulatory domain must be set on the host platform; the driver will fail to load if the configuration is not present.

Note: Firmware contains region specific regulatory settings for channel support, maximum power levels etc. It is essential that the correct regulatory domain is implemented based on the regulatory region where the target platform will operate. There is no support for a “World Wide” configuration that is valid in multiple regulatory regions. Failure to configure the correct regulatory domain will cause the radio to be out of compliance with regulatory requirements. This is a condition of using the Ezurio modular certification.

Note: Regulatory requirements prohibit allowing any entity, including a professional installer, OEM representative or end user to change any setting that would cause the radio to operate in a non-compliant manner. The target platform must be secured against attempts to change the regulatory configuration to a different region. This is a condition of using the Ezurio modular certification.

See per-radio regulatory release notes for the regulatory domains and country code settings that are supported for each radio. The LWB and LWB5 firmware packages include the regulatory domain code in the firmware package name. The country code value is used for host platform configuration via module parameter or device tree setting.

Module Parameter Configuration

The Sona IF573 and Sterling LWBx radios support regulatory domain configuration using a brcmfmac module parameter. The module parameter is called ‘regdomain’, and it takes a country code string. The string must be one of the values listed as a Country Code in the per-radio regulatory release notes for the radio (or ‘ETSI’ for use in EU countries), and can only be used if the radio type in use supports that country. Module parameter configuration is the easiest to implement however it may not be secure from end user modification. Device tree configuration is preferred and will override the module parameter if both are present.

# Sample contents of a brcmfmac.conf file configured for operation in 
# the United States
options brcmfmac regdomain="US"

Device Tree Configuration

The Sona IF573 and Sterling LWBx radios support regulatory domain configuration using the device tree. The configuration must be located in the device tree node corresponding to the Wi-Fi portion of the radio. The node path will vary based on host platform architecture. The node must contain the standard brcmfmac ‘compatible’ property. The regulatory domain is configured with a new property called ‘laird,regdomain’. This property must be set to one of the values listed as a Country Code in the per-radio regulatory release notes for the radio (or ‘ETSI’ for use in EU countries). The string can only be used if the radio type in use supports that country. Device tree configuration is the preferred mechanism because it is secure against end user modification. Device tree configuration will override module parameter configuration as well as firmware package configuration (relevant for LWB/LWB5 only).

# Sample device tree node for an SDIO/UART Sona IF573 module configured for
# operation in the United States
# Note that the compatible string must be "brcm,bcm4329-fmac"
#
# Note that the node address (reg) must be <1>, which is the SDIO Wi-Fi
# function number

&usdhc1 {
	#address-cells = <1>;
	#size-cells = <0>;

	brcmf_sdio: wifi@1 {
		reg = <1>;
		compatible = "brcm,bcm4329-fmac";
		laird,regdomain = "US";
	};
};

# Sample device tree node for a PCIE/UART Sona IF573 module configured for
# operation in the United States
# Note that the compatible string must be "brcm,bcm4329-fmac"

&pcie {
	pcie@0 {
		reg = <0x0000 0 0 0 0>;
		#address-cells = <3>;
		#size-cells = <2>;

	brcmf_pcie: wifi@1 {
		reg = <0x000000 0 0 0 0>;
		compatible = "brcm,bcm4329-fmac";
		laird,regdomain = "US";
		};
	};
};