Re: CVS-2-2 NMApplet signal bar

[Sven <sr12 duke edu>]

the signal bar is working for me (atheros abg, madwifi), and the % value
gets updated 
with every scan cycle - which still leaves me disconnected for about 18s
with every AP scan!

since CVS-1-31 NM seems to use values for  "Link Quality=x/y" (as in
seen iwconfig), and NM computes a percentage signal strength as x / y *
100 (at least for me). earlier NM versions had ln x / ln y * 100. both
methods seem to be used in applets (eg, gwlan uses the logarithmic
method). now, being close my AP, gwlan reports 90%, while NM says 60%. i
understand the drivers also use different algorithms to come up with the
signal/link quality numbers. i would be very grateful if somebody
(Bill?) could explain to me (off the list is fine) where these numbers
come from (signal - noise?, power?) and what they signify. and
ultimately, what a "correct" way of getting a % from these is. again,
it's probably driver specific, but i would be happy to have an answer
for a specific example (eg, ipw2200). for my card and driver, the x in
iwconfig's Link Quality seems to be just Noise Level - Signal Level.

Sven


> CVS-2-2 is working nicely. The only problem I have found is that 
> NMApplet is no longer showing signal strength in the bar. However, the 
> signal strength is shown when you hover and what is shown is exactly 
> tracking what is shown by iwconfig for link quality.
> 
> My wireless driver is ipw2200. The way ipw2200 computes link quality is 
> to minimize 5 values, one of which is signal quality. Under good 
> conditions, link quality is the same as signal quality. I wrote a patch 
> to replace the ipw2200 linear model for signal quality with a more 
> accurate quadratic model and now my link quality, when booted in FC3, 
> matches my link quality, when booted in Windows XP, for what that is worth.
>