Sierra Wireless <-> libqmi / QMI obsolete?

[Bjørn Mork]

Martin Maurer <martin.maurer at mmeacs.de> writes:

> Hello,
>
> on
>
> https://source.sierrawireless.com/resources/airprime/software/linux-qmi-sdk-software-latest/#sthash.v0regNmz.dpbs
>
> (perhaps login needed)
>
> it says:
>
> "Linux QMI SDK Software (SLQS bin + Lite bin)
> Aug 14, 2020 - Author: Sierra Wireless - Version 04.00.27
>
> *** NOTE: This product is now EOL. Sierra Wireless recommends
>     customers move to MBPL on supported modules. ***"
>
>
> So no more supported QMI for new Sierra Wireless radio modules (like
> EM92) anymore? Or only the SDK obsolete?

If you look at
https://source.sierrawireless.com/resources/airprime/software/mbpl/mbpl-software-latest/
you'll find that their currently supported USB drivers includes
qmi_wwan.

So it looks like QMI still is supported, using qmi_wwan and libqmi.

The Qualcomm Gobi drivers and associated SDK are unsupported.

> Am I forced to use something different? Or something (which I only
> know the name) like MHI? Can libqmi and qmicli still be used with MHI?
>
> I found this page: https://docs.kernel.org/mhi/mhi.html
>
> Is MHI something completely different? Or similar to QMI and MBIM?

In my simple mind, MHI is the Qualcomm PCIe transport framework.
Orobably imprecise or even incorrect.

> I have not heard of MHI from vendors other than Sierra Wireless? Or
> skip Sierra Wireless?
>
> MBIM is supported by qmicli. Back to MBIM?
>
> My aim would be to support multiple modules with same protocol, but
> this task seems to be not so easy...

Predicting the future is difficult.  I tried to write a simple driver
for a Huawei modem back in 2011... Never imagined that Sierra Wireless
would provide it with their 5G modules in 2023.

MBIM using MHI/PCIe as transport looks like the most future proof
solution at the moment, given that you can use QMI over MBIM.  But don't
worry if you're stuck with a USB host interface.  Doesn't look like it
will disappear as fast as we (or maybe just I?) thought a couple of
years ago.


Bjørn