NXP USB8997 weak performance (Wifi AP mode)

rikins · ‎06-03-2025

Hi NXP Team,

I am using Murata LBEE5XV1YM, which uses NXP's USB8997 chip.

I am not getting the proper performance when I stream the video using my board's AP mode (USB8997 AP mode), and the Linux system connects to the respective SSID.

PFA the recorded video representing the same issue. (Sometimes we get an amazing performance, but it's rare, and the env and setup are all the same.)

Driver info:
1. I am using NXP_L_USB-USB-8997-U16-X86-W8997-W16.197.121.p1-16.26.121.p1-MXM5X16505.p7.2_V4-GPL folder.
2. For mlan.ko and usb8997.ko I used USB-UAPSTA-8997-U16-X86-W16.197.121.p1-MXM5X16505.p7.2_V4-GPL-src folder and took the mlan src from USB-UAPSTA-8997-U16-X86-W16.197.121.p1-MXM5X16505.p7.2_V4-mlan-src
3. wifi_mod_para.conf:
```
USB8997 = {
cfg80211_wext=0xf
wfd_name=p2p
max_vir_bss=1
cal_data_cfg=none
drv_mode=7
}
```
4. fw_bin = usbusb8997_combo_v4.bin
5. hostapd_2ghz.conf:
```

ctrl_interface=/var/run/hostapd
interface=uap0
driver=nl80211
ssid=nyeyetech54
hw_mode=g
channel=6
max_num_sta=10
auth_algs=1
beacon_int=100
dtim_period=1
wmm_enabled=1
ignore_broadcast_ssid=0

# Enable HT (802.11n)
ieee80211n=1
ieee80211d=1
country_code=IN
ieee80211h=1
ht_capab=[HT40+][SHORT-GI-20][SHORT-GI-40][RX-STBC1][TX-STBC][DSSS_CCK-40]

ap_max_inactivity=0

wpa_key_mgmt=WPA-PSK
wpa=2
rsn_pairwise=CCMP
wpa_passphrase=1234567890
own_ip_addr=192.168.2.1

```
6. dnsmasq.conf:
```
interface=uap0
dhcp-range=192.168.2.3,192.168.2.230,12h
dhcp-leasefile=/var/run/dnsmasq.leases
dhcp-option=3,192.168.2.1
dhcp-option=6,8.8.8.8,8.8.4.4
```

Working flow:
1. Load the drivers
-> insmod mlan.ko
-> insmod usb8997.ko mod_para=murata_wifi_fw/wifi_mod_para.conf fw_name=murata_wifi_fw/usbusb8997_combo_v4.bin

2. Start network:
-> ifconfig uap0 192.168.2.1 netmask 255.255.255.0 up
-> route add -net 192.168.2.0 netmask 255.255.255.0 gw 192.168.2.1

3. Start/setup hostapd
-> hostapd -B "$HOSTAPD_CONF"

4. Start/setup dnsmasq
-> dnsmasq -C "$DNSMASQ_CONF"

Any help in this matter would really be helpful for us. Looking forward to your amazing response.

Regards,
Rikin

weidong_sun · ‎06-04-2025

Hi @rikins ,

See below, please!

1.. 88W8997 802.11 ac vht capability.

You know 88W8987 supports 802.11ac, since you want to transmit video data via Wi-Fi. you should try 802.11ac in your hostapd.conf

Add the following lines to your hostapd.conf, then try to start 5G uAP, please!

================================

hw_mode=a
channel=36
......

ieee80211ac=1
require_vht=1
vht_capab=[MAX-MPDU-3895][SHORT-GI-80][SU-BEAMFORMEE]
vht_oper_chwidth=1
vht_oper_centr_freq_seg0_idx=42

================================

2.. Could you please tell me what the video format (JPEG, Uncompressed video stream or others)?

3.. How about the resolution of the video.

[Note]

The problem of video freezing is not necessarily caused by bandwidth. We need to analyze this problem comprehensively.

Thanks!

Regards,

weidong

rikins · ‎06-05-2025

Hi @weidong_sun ,

Thanks for your suggestions and questions.

My current hostapd.conf configuration is:
ctrl_interface=/var/run/hostapd
interface=uap0
driver=nl80211
ssid=test_5g
hw_mode=a
channel=36
max_num_sta=10
auth_algs=1
beacon_int=100
dtim_period=1
wmm_enabled=1
ignore_broadcast_ssid=0
ieee80211n=1
ieee80211ac=1
require_vht=1
ieee80211d=0
ieee80211h=0
country_code=US
ht_capab=[HT40+][SHORT-GI-20][SHORT-GI-40][RX-STBC1][TX-STBC][DSSS_CCK-40]
vht_oper_chwidth=1
vht_oper_centr_freq_seg0_idx=42
vht_capab=[MAX-MPDU-3895][SHORT-GI-80][SU-BEAMFORMEE]
ap_max_inactivity=0
wpa=2
wpa_key_mgmt=WPA-PSK
rsn_pairwise=CCMP
wpa_passphrase=1234567890
However, when starting hostapd with this config for 5 GHz, I get the following error:
```
channel [0] (36) is disabled for use in AP mode, flags: 0x853 NO-IR
uap0: IEEE 802.11 Configured channel (36) not found from the channel list of current mode (2) IEEE 802.11a
uap0: IEEE 802.11 Hardware does not support configured channel
Could not select hw_mode and channel. (-3)
```
So it looks like channel 36 is marked disabled for AP mode with the NO-IR flag, and hostapd refuses to start on it.

P.S. I also tried with channel 40, 44, 48
I am streaming H.264 video from my Linux system using this command:
```
gst-launch-1.0 -e rtspsrc location=rtsp://192.168.2.1/live1.sdp ! rtph264depay ! avdec_h264 ! autovideosink sync=false
```
Video quality-related details:
Resolution: 1920 x 1080 pixels (width = 1920, height = 1080)
Frame rate: 30 fps
Bitrate: 4,000,000 bits per second (4 Mbps)
GOP (Group of Pictures): 30
QP (Quantization Parameter): 25
Virtual I-interval: 0 (disabled)
PIQ (probably Picture IQ): 1

LMK if you want more details.

P.S. Details of the hostapd failure logs are attached herewith.

regards,
Rikin

weidong_sun · ‎06-05-2025

Hi @rikins ,

Try to comment these lines, then try it again

#vht_oper_chwidth=
#vht_oper_centr_freq_seg0_idx=4
#vht_capab=[MAX-MPDU-3895][SHORT-GI-80][SU-BEAMFORMEE

Regards,

weidong

rikins · ‎06-05-2025

@weidong_sun, Still the same issue.

Rikin

weidong_sun · ‎06-05-2025

Hi @rikins ,

comment the line again, please!

#require_vht=1

Regards,

weidong

rikins · ‎06-05-2025

Hi @weidong_sun ,

I did try that. I even tried with the minimum config needed for 5GHZ

FYI,

interface=uap0
driver=nl80211
ssid=Test5G
hw_mode=a
channel=44
ieee80211ac=1
country_code=US
ieee80211d=0
ieee80211h=0
ignore_broadcast_ssid=0

Note: Tried with Channel: 36, 40, ...

However, I have still faced the same issue.

Regards,
Rikin

weidong_sun · ‎06-05-2025

Hi @rikins ,

Is mlan0(STA) working at 2.4G at the same time?

Regards,

weidong

rikins · ‎06-05-2025

@weidong_sun , No.

```

# ifconfig
eth0 Link encap:Ethernet HWaddr 02:00:DA:01:03:54
inet addr:192.168.10.54 Bcast:192.168.10.255 Mask:255.255.255.0
inet6 addr: fe80::daff:fe01:354/64 Scope:Link
UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST MTU:1500 Metric:1
RX packets:6 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
TX packets:13 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
collisions:0 txqueuelen:1000
RX bytes:360 (360.0 B) TX bytes:998 (998.0 B)
Interrupt:30 Base address:0x6000

lo Link encap:Local Loopback
inet addr:127.0.0.1 Mask:255.0.0.0
inet6 addr: ::1/128 Scope:Host
UP LOOPBACK RUNNING MTU:65536 Metric:1
RX packets:111 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
TX packets:111 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
collisions:0 txqueuelen:1
RX bytes:7656 (7.4 KiB) TX bytes:7656 (7.4 KiB)

uap0 Link encap:Ethernet HWaddr 9E:50:D1:E6:8A:B1
inet addr:192.168.2.1 Bcast:192.168.2.255 Mask:255.255.255.0
inet6 addr: fe80::9c50:d1ff:fee6:8ab1/64 Scope:Link
UP BROADCAST MULTICAST MTU:1500 Metric:1
RX packets:0 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
TX packets:0 errors:10 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
collisions:0 txqueuelen:1000
RX bytes:0 (0.0 B) TX bytes:0 (0.0 B)

#
```

Thanks,
Rikin

weidong_sun · ‎06-06-2025

Hi @rikins ,

Let us try the simplest hostapd.conf, please!

================================

interface=uap0
hw_mode=a
channel=0
country_code=US
ssid=NXP_Demo
auth_algs=1
ieee80211ac=1
wpa=2
wpa_key_mgmt=WPA-PSK
rsn_pairwise=CCMP
wpa_passphrase=123456789

================================

Thanks!

Regards,

weidong

rikins · ‎06-06-2025

Hi @weidong_sun ,

I tried this config, and it's still not working. PFA the log file for the errors.

Regards,
Rikin

weidong_sun · ‎06-06-2025

Hi @rikins ,

very strange, let us continue to debug it.

add 802.11n, then try:

====================

ieee80211n=1

===================

Regards,

weidong