1<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=ANSI_X3.4-1968"><title>Frame format</title><meta name="generator" content="DocBook XSL Stylesheets V1.78.1"><link rel="home" href="index.html" title="The 802.11 subsystems – for kernel developers"><link rel="up" href="rx-tx.html" title="Chapter 4. Receive and transmit processing"><link rel="prev" href="rx-tx.html" title="Chapter 4. Receive and transmit processing"><link rel="next" href="bk02pt01ch04s03.html" title="Packet alignment"></head><body bgcolor="white" text="black" link="#0000FF" vlink="#840084" alink="#0000FF"><div class="navheader"><table width="100%" summary="Navigation header"><tr><th colspan="3" align="center">Frame format</th></tr><tr><td width="20%" align="left"><a accesskey="p" href="rx-tx.html">Prev</a> </td><th width="60%" align="center">Chapter 4. Receive and transmit processing</th><td width="20%" align="right"> <a accesskey="n" href="bk02pt01ch04s03.html">Next</a></td></tr></table><hr></div><div class="sect1"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="idp1113574860"></a>Frame format</h2></div></div></div><p> 2 </p><p> 3 As a general rule, when frames are passed between mac80211 and the driver, 4 they start with the IEEE 802.11 header and include the same octets that are 5 sent over the air except for the FCS which should be calculated by the 6 hardware. 7 </p><p> 8 There are, however, various exceptions to this rule for advanced features: 9 </p><p> 10 The first exception is for hardware encryption and decryption offload 11 where the IV/ICV may or may not be generated in hardware. 12 </p><p> 13 Secondly, when the hardware handles fragmentation, the frame handed to 14 the driver from mac80211 is the MSDU, not the MPDU. 15</p></div><div class="navfooter"><hr><table width="100%" summary="Navigation footer"><tr><td width="40%" align="left"><a accesskey="p" href="rx-tx.html">Prev</a> </td><td width="20%" align="center"><a accesskey="u" href="rx-tx.html">Up</a></td><td width="40%" align="right"> <a accesskey="n" href="bk02pt01ch04s03.html">Next</a></td></tr><tr><td width="40%" align="left" valign="top">Chapter 4. Receive and transmit processing </td><td width="20%" align="center"><a accesskey="h" href="index.html">Home</a></td><td width="40%" align="right" valign="top"> Packet alignment</td></tr></table></div></body></html> 16