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AC-8260 M.2 - LED outputs?

DHeal3
Beginner
1,696 Views

I am integrating the Intel Wireless-AC 8260 (Part Number: 8260NGW e.g. M.2 2230 card) into a new hardware design.

The cards basic functionality is working e.g. Wi-Fi, Bluetooth.

The problem I have is that the 8260 doesn't appear to drive its LED output lines i.e. LED1# (M2 slot pin 6) or LED2# (M2 slot pin 16). I have previously used various Intel cards, using the half-sized mini-PCIe format (6235, 7260 etc...) and each of these cards have always driven their LED output(s).

I have checked the 8260's product brief and it does not mention the LED output, whereas the 7260's product brief does.

Have Intel dropped the LED output facility from its 8260 cards?

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ASouz7
Honored Contributor II
674 Views

dh29,

Is there a particular reason as to why you need to see the LED output lines?

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DHeal3
Beginner
674 Views

Some of our products do not have an intelligent display, so we have previously (6235 & 7260) used the LED output(s) as a basic user diagnostic to show that the WiFi card is present (fitted), powered and functional i.e. it is not in Airplane-Mode (Wireless-Disabled).

I am aware that this status information is available via the software interface, but this approach requires more intelligence and an extra pin from our embedded MCU to drive a status LED ourselves. It is nice and simple when the card does the work.

I have also subsequently noticed that Intel, appear, to have removed the hardware Wireless-Disable (Airplane-Mode) facility for the 8260. Again, I am aware that you can perform this function in software.

Considering that the M.2 (Key-A / Key-E) specification defines both LED outputs (LED1# & LED2# ) and hardware Wireless-Disable (W_DIS1# & W_DIS2# ) I was somewhat surprised that the 8260 didn't appear to implement it.

I was really looking for confirmation that the 8260 definitively doesn't support LED outputs and hardware Wireless-Disable facilities, just to eliminate any mistakes/misunderstandings from my implementation.

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ASouz7
Honored Contributor II
674 Views

dh29,

Thank you for the explanation. We are going to check it and then will get back to you as soon as possible. Is the adapter native to the system you observing the lack of these functions?

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DHeal3
Beginner
674 Views

Hi aleki_intel,

I am not sure what you are asking with your question "Is the adapter native to the system you observing the lack of these functions?".

The 8260 is plugged into a motherboard that has been designed and manufactured by ourselves. Over a number of years we have designed a range of embedded PC products, for which recent products have used Intel's 6235 and 7260 mini-PCIe cards.

This is our first design that uses an M.2 slot and hence the 8260.

[For information, this product also has a half-sized mini-PCIe slot. If we install a 7260 card into the mini-PCIe slot, then the LED outputs and Wireless-Disable functions work as expected.] [We do, of course, obtain additional certification for our products via approved testing using certified test-houses, compliant with CE-marking, e-marking and R&TTE directives, as applicable to each individual product].

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DHeal3
Beginner
674 Views

Hi aleki_intel,

Any update on whether the AC-8260 supports LED outputs and hardware Wireless-Disable facilities?? Seems like a pretty simple question for Intel to answer!

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