Wifi Card - Intermittent Connection

Adnaan Yunus

Hi, we recently purchased a VOXL2 Drone with this SKU number: MRB-D0012-4-V3-C28-M36-T8-K2. However, we are noticing that it's softap mode connection is intermittent, i.e devices like my computer can connect to it the first time and it stops connecting after that. To fix this, we replaced the wifi card with the AC600 Wifi + Bluetooth Adapter (ALFA Network) and it works smooth. We suspect something is off with the original wifi card the drone came with. I will send a photo here:

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Alex Kushleyev

@Adnaan-Yunus , Thank you for reporting this. We will try to replicate the issue.

Do you have any more specific information that could help us? For example

does rebooting VOXL2 allow you to connect from the same wifi client again (perhaps one time until it is cut off again)
is there any way that you found to reset the wifi card to allow a new (previously seen) connection?
have you tried setting the card to station mode and then back to softap mode?
while the first client can no longer connect, can another client connect to the softap? I am wondering if the wifi card is still responsive or it does not accept any clients?

Thanks!

Alex

Jon Brookshire

Hi Alex,
Thanks - As @Adnaan-Yunus mentioned, we switched over to the ALFA wifi and moved forward with that drone. But, we just received a new drone (model MRB-D0012-4-V4-C28-M36-T8-K2) and are experiencing similar issues. I managed to catch some log messages when the wifi went down. TLDR: it looks like the USB disconnected unexpectedly; the drone was stationary on a table top when this happened.

Some additional context: the only configuration changes we made since unboxing was via voxl-wifi and we altered the RTSP address in voxl-mavcam-manager.conf. QGC was running when the USB disconnected with RTSP video displayed. The drone was not armed.

Here's the configuration (everything looks as we expect).

$ voxl-wifi
WiFi is currently set up as follows:
	Mode: station
	Hardware: Concurrent STA+AP capable (AP:uap0, STA:mlan0)
	Station: Active on mlan0 - "WAVLINK"
	SoftAP: Disabled

$ iwconfig
ip6tnl0   no wireless extensions.

sit0      no wireless extensions.

ip_vti0   no wireless extensions.

mlan0     IEEE 802.11-DS  ESSID:"WAVLINK" [11]  
          Mode:Managed  Frequency=5.6 GHz  Access Point: *********************   
          Bit Rate:175.5 Mb/s   Tx-Power=24 dBm   
          Retry limit:9   RTS thr=2347 B   Fragment thr=2346 B   
          Encryption key:****-****-****-****-****-****-****-****-****-****-****-****-****-****-****-****-****-****-****-****-****-****-****-****-****-****-****-****-****-****-****-****   Security mode:open
          Power Management:off
          Link Quality=5/5  Signal level=-43 dBm  Noise level=-93 dBm
          Rx invalid nwid:0  Rx invalid crypt:0  Rx invalid frag:462
          Tx excessive retries:12  Invalid misc:24   Missed beacon:0

dummy0    no wireless extensions.

ip6_vti0  no wireless extensions.

lo        no wireless extensions.

bond0     no wireless extensions.

uap0      IEEE 802.11-DS  ESSID:""  
          Mode:Master  Frequency:2.437 GHz  Access Point: Not-Associated   
          Encryption key:off
          Link Quality:0  Signal level:0  Noise level:0
          Rx invalid nwid:0  Rx invalid crypt:0  Rx invalid frag:0
          Tx excessive retries:0  Invalid misc:0   Missed beacon:0

$ ifconfig
bond0: flags=5123<UP,BROADCAST,MASTER,MULTICAST>  mtu 1500
        ether e6:71:39:a5:83:a1  txqueuelen 1000  (Ethernet)
        RX packets 0  bytes 0 (0.0 B)
        RX errors 0  dropped 0  overruns 0  frame 0
        TX packets 0  bytes 0 (0.0 B)
        TX errors 0  dropped 0 overruns 0  carrier 0  collisions 0

dummy0: flags=195<UP,BROADCAST,RUNNING,NOARP>  mtu 1500
        inet6 fe80::1f3:bbc4:ab69:16bf  prefixlen 64  scopeid 0x20<link>
        ether 6a:c1:84:76:8c:1c  txqueuelen 1000  (Ethernet)
        RX packets 0  bytes 0 (0.0 B)
        RX errors 0  dropped 0  overruns 0  frame 0
        TX packets 12  bytes 3016 (3.0 KB)
        TX errors 0  dropped 0 overruns 0  carrier 0  collisions 0

lo: flags=73<UP,LOOPBACK,RUNNING>  mtu 65536
        inet 127.0.0.1  netmask 255.0.0.0
        inet6 ::1  prefixlen 128  scopeid 0x10<host>
        loop  txqueuelen 1000  (Local Loopback)
        RX packets 104854  bytes 11086017 (11.0 MB)
        RX errors 0  dropped 0  overruns 0  frame 0
        TX packets 104854  bytes 11086017 (11.0 MB)
        TX errors 0  dropped 0 overruns 0  carrier 0  collisions 0

mlan0: flags=4163<UP,BROADCAST,RUNNING,MULTICAST>  mtu 1500
        inet 192.168.30.104  netmask 255.255.255.0  broadcast 192.168.30.255
        inet6 fe80::a637:6051:853a:6d93  prefixlen 64  scopeid 0x20<link>
        ether 8c:1f:64:69:da:d2  txqueuelen 1000  (Ethernet)
        RX packets 302  bytes 23251 (23.2 KB)
        RX errors 0  dropped 0  overruns 0  frame 0
        TX packets 3784  bytes 1942045 (1.9 MB)
        TX errors 0  dropped 0 overruns 0  carrier 0  collisions 0

On another machine, we can ping and access to the web frontend http://192.168.30.104 looks good.

64 bytes from 192.168.30.104: icmp_seq=280 ttl=64 time=114 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.30.104: icmp_seq=281 ttl=64 time=126 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.30.104: icmp_seq=282 ttl=64 time=123 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.30.104: icmp_seq=283 ttl=64 time=123 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.30.104: icmp_seq=284 ttl=64 time=114 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.30.104: icmp_seq=285 ttl=64 time=118 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.30.104: icmp_seq=286 ttl=64 time=107 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.30.104: icmp_seq=287 ttl=64 time=108 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.30.104: icmp_seq=288 ttl=64 time=104 ms

However, with a few minutes the ping's stopped. I monitored dmesg -w and here's what was output when the wifi went down:

[  433.066912] usb 2-1: USB disconnect, device number 3
[  433.068450] Card is removed: -108
[  433.068644] EP 2 Tx URB status failure: -108
[  433.068701] EP 2 Tx URB status failure: -108
[  433.068748] EP 2 Tx URB status failure: -108
[  433.068794] EP 2 Tx URB status failure: -108
[  433.068839] EP 2 Tx URB status failure: -108
[  433.068885] EP 2 Tx URB status failure: -108
[  433.068937] EP 2 Tx URB status failure: -108
[  433.068985] EP 2 Tx URB status failure: -108
[  433.069031] EP 2 Tx URB status failure: -108
[  433.069085] EP 2 Tx URB status failure: -108
[  433.069140] EP 2 Tx URB status failure: -108
[  433.069190] EP 2 Tx URB status failure: -108
[  433.069317] Card is removed: -108
[  433.069344] Card is removed: -108
[  433.069369] Card is removed: -108
[  433.069393] Card is removed: -108
[  433.069419] Card is removed: -108
[  433.069446] Card is removed: -108
[  433.070472] Block woal_cfg80211_deauthenticate in abnormal driver state
[  433.083826] Error deleting the crypto keys
[  433.083851] Error deleting the crypto keys
[  433.083863] Error deleting the crypto keys
[  433.083874] Error deleting the crypto keys
[  433.083884] Error deleting the crypto keys
[  433.083895] Error deleting the crypto keys
[  433.356084] USB: unregister device
[  433.357228] Free module params
[  433.704223] usb 2-1: new SuperSpeed Gen 1 USB device number 4 using xhci-hcd
[  433.722038] usb 2-1: New USB device found, idVendor=1286, idProduct=2052, bcdDevice=31.17
[  433.722048] usb 2-1: New USB device strings: Mfr=1, Product=2, SerialNumber=3
[  433.722053] usb 2-1: Product: Marvell Wireless Device
[  433.722057] usb 2-1: Manufacturer: Marvell
[  433.722062] usb 2-1: SerialNumber: 0000000000000000
[  433.725632] USB probe: idVendor=1286 idProduct=2052 bInterfaceNumber=0
[  433.725665] VID/PID = 1286/2052, Boot2 version = 3117
[  433.725694] Attach moal handle ops, card interface type: 0x404
[  433.725721] rps set to 0 from module param
[  433.725733] No module param cfg file specified
[  433.725756] rx_work=1 cpu_num=8
[  433.725771] Enable moal_recv_amsdu_packet
[  433.725807] Attach mlan adapter operations.card_type is 0x404.
[  433.727974] Request firmware: nxp/usbusb8997_combo_v4.bin
[  434.220193] fw_dnld: 597712 bytes downloaded
[  434.996176] USB: unregister device
[  434.996231] Free module params
[  434.996608] usb 2-1: Disable of device-initiated U1 failed.
[  434.996691] usb 2-1: Disable of device-initiated U2 failed.
[  435.180482] usb 2-1: reset SuperSpeed Gen 1 USB device number 4 using xhci-hcd
[  435.197429] usb 2-1: device firmware changed
[  435.205171] usb 2-1: USB disconnect, device number 4
[  435.388251] usb 2-1: new SuperSpeed Gen 1 USB device number 5 using xhci-hcd
[  435.409284] usb 2-1: New USB device found, idVendor=1286, idProduct=204e, bcdDevice=32.01
[  435.409293] usb 2-1: New USB device strings: Mfr=1, Product=2, SerialNumber=3
[  435.409299] usb 2-1: Product: Bluetooth and Wireless LAN Composite Device
[  435.409303] usb 2-1: Manufacturer: Marvell
[  435.409308] usb 2-1: SerialNumber: 8C1F6469DAD2
[  435.421408] USB probe: idVendor=1286 idProduct=204e bInterfaceNumber=0
[  435.421523] VID/PID = 1286/204E, Boot2 version = 3201
[  435.421537] woal_usb_probe: invalid endpoint assignment
[  435.421972] USB probe: idVendor=1286 idProduct=204e bInterfaceNumber=0
[  435.422025] VID/PID = 1286/204E, Boot2 version = 3201
[  435.422038] woal_usb_probe: invalid endpoint assignment
[  435.423075] USB probe: idVendor=1286 idProduct=204e bInterfaceNumber=0
[  435.423095] VID/PID = 1286/204E, Boot2 version = 3201
[  435.423123] Attach moal handle ops, card interface type: 0x404
[  435.423145] rps set to 0 from module param
[  435.423157] No module param cfg file specified
[  435.423179] rx_work=1 cpu_num=8
[  435.423193] Enable moal_recv_amsdu_packet
[  435.423228] Attach mlan adapter operations.card_type is 0x404.
[  435.425589] WLAN FW is active
[  435.425712] Download txpwrlimit_cfg=nxp/sparrow_power.bin
[  435.425916] Request firmware: nxp/WlanCalData_ext_sparrow_default.conf
[  435.593367] fw_cap_info=0x185cbfa3, dev_cap_mask=0xffffffff
[  435.593393] max_p2p_conn = 8, max_sta_conn = 10
[  435.619603] Register NXP 802.11 Adapter mlan0
[  435.619695] wlan: uap%d set max_mtu 2000
[  435.622776] Register NXP 802.11 Adapter uap0
[  435.623087] wlan: version = USB8997---16.197.121.p2-MX5X16505.p7.2-(FP197) 
[  435.641209] IPv6: ADDRCONF(NETDEV_UP): mlan0: link is not ready
[  435.743762] wlan: mlan0 START SCAN
[  438.940152] wlan: SCAN COMPLETED: scanned AP count=21
[  438.948662] wlan: HostMlme mlan0 send auth to bssid 82:XX:XX:XX:1e:03
[  438.957472] mlan0: 
[  438.957479] wlan: HostMlme Auth received from 82:XX:XX:XX:1e:03
[  438.998547] wlan: HostMlme mlan0 Connected to bssid 82:XX:XX:XX:1e:03 successfully
[  439.105657] mlan0: 
[  439.105663] wlan: Send EAPOL pkt to 82:XX:XX:XX:1e:03
[  439.118805] mlan0: 
[  439.118811] wlan: Send EAPOL pkt to 82:XX:XX:XX:1e:03
[  439.122028] IPv6: ADDRCONF(NETDEV_CHANGE): mlan0: link becomes ready
[  450.142651] CAM_INFO: CAM-CRM: __cam_req_mgr_find_dev_name: 209 Skip Frame: req: 13272 not ready on link: 0x1e0117 for pd: 2 dev: cam-sensor open_req count: 2
[  452.679713] CAM_INFO: CAM-CRM: __cam_req_mgr_find_dev_name: 209 Skip Frame: req: 13347 not ready on link: 0x1e0117 for pd: 2 dev: cam-sensor open_req count: 3
[  454.406150] msm_vidc:   err : ffffffff: .....: DBLP Set: status 0
[  454.415602] CAM_INFO: CAM-CRM: __cam_req_mgr_find_dev_name: 209 Skip Frame: req: 13398 not ready on link: 0x1e0117 for pd: 2 dev: cam-sensor open_req count: 2
[  455.350340] CAM_INFO: CAM-CRM: __cam_req_mgr_find_dev_name: 209 Skip Frame: req: 13425 not ready on link: 0x1e0117 for pd: 2 dev: cam-sensor open_req count: 2

If I now run voxl-wifi and enter the same settings, the wifi will come back online. I was able to reproduce this issue several times.