#include <linux/slab.h>
 #include <linux/vmalloc.h>
 #include <linux/moduleparam.h>
+#include <linux/firmware.h>
 #include <sound/core.h>
 #include <sound/info.h>
 #include <sound/control.h>
 #include <sound/mpu401.h>
 #include <sound/ac97_codec.h>
 #include <sound/initval.h>
+#include <asm/byteorder.h>
 
 MODULE_AUTHOR("Zach Brown <zab@zabbo.net>, Takashi Iwai <tiwai@suse.de>");
 MODULE_DESCRIPTION("ESS Maestro3 PCI");
 #ifdef CONFIG_PM
        u16 *suspend_mem;
 #endif
+
+       const struct firmware *assp_kernel_image;
+       const struct firmware *assp_minisrc_image;
 };
 
 /*
 }
 
 
+#define FIRMWARE_IN_THE_KERNEL
+
+#ifdef FIRMWARE_IN_THE_KERNEL
+
 /*
  * DSP Code images
  */
     0x0000, 0x0000, 0x0000, 0x0000, 0x0000, 0x0000, 0x0000, 0x0000, 0x0000, 
 };
 
+static const struct firmware assp_kernel = {
+       .data = (u8 *)assp_kernel_image,
+       .size = sizeof assp_kernel_image
+};
+static const struct firmware assp_minisrc = {
+       .data = (u8 *)assp_minisrc_image,
+       .size = sizeof assp_minisrc_image
+};
+
+#endif /* FIRMWARE_IN_THE_KERNEL */
+
+#ifdef __LITTLE_ENDIAN
+static inline void snd_m3_convert_from_le(const struct firmware *fw) { }
+#else
+static void snd_m3_convert_from_le(const struct firmware *fw)
+{
+       int i;
+       u16 *data = (u16 *)fw->data;
+
+       for (i = 0; i < fw->size / 2; ++i)
+               le16_to_cpus(&data[i]);
+}
+#endif
+
 
 /*
  * initialize ASSP
 static void snd_m3_assp_init(struct snd_m3 *chip)
 {
        unsigned int i;
+       u16 *data;
 
        /* zero kernel data */
        for (i = 0; i < (REV_B_DATA_MEMORY_UNIT_LENGTH * NUM_UNITS_KERNEL_DATA) / 2; i++)
                          KDATA_DMA_XFER0);
 
        /* write kernel into code memory.. */
-       for (i = 0 ; i < ARRAY_SIZE(assp_kernel_image); i++) {
+       data = (u16 *)chip->assp_kernel_image->data;
+       for (i = 0 ; i * 2 < chip->assp_kernel_image->size; i++) {
                snd_m3_assp_write(chip, MEMTYPE_INTERNAL_CODE, 
-                                 REV_B_CODE_MEMORY_BEGIN + i, 
-                                 assp_kernel_image[i]);
+                                 REV_B_CODE_MEMORY_BEGIN + i, data[i]);
        }
 
        /*
         * drop it there.  It seems that the minisrc doesn't
         * need vectors, so we won't bother with them..
         */
-       for (i = 0; i < ARRAY_SIZE(assp_minisrc_image); i++) {
+       data = (u16 *)chip->assp_minisrc_image->data;
+       for (i = 0; i * 2 < chip->assp_minisrc_image->size; i++) {
                snd_m3_assp_write(chip, MEMTYPE_INTERNAL_CODE, 
-                                 0x400 + i, 
-                                 assp_minisrc_image[i]);
+                                 0x400 + i, data[i]);
        }
 
        /*
        if (chip->iobase)
                pci_release_regions(chip->pci);
 
+#ifdef FIRMWARE_IN_THE_KERNEL
+       if (chip->assp_kernel_image != &assp_kernel)
+#endif
+               release_firmware(chip->assp_kernel_image);
+#ifdef FIRMWARE_IN_THE_KERNEL
+       if (chip->assp_minisrc_image != &assp_minisrc)
+#endif
+               release_firmware(chip->assp_minisrc_image);
+
        pci_disable_device(chip->pci);
        kfree(chip);
        return 0;
                return -ENOMEM;
        }
 
+       err = request_firmware(&chip->assp_kernel_image,
+                              "ess/maestro3_assp_kernel.fw", &pci->dev);
+       if (err < 0) {
+#ifdef FIRMWARE_IN_THE_KERNEL
+               chip->assp_kernel_image = &assp_kernel;
+#else
+               snd_m3_free(chip);
+               return err;
+#endif
+       } else
+               snd_m3_convert_from_le(chip->assp_kernel_image);
+
+       err = request_firmware(&chip->assp_minisrc_image,
+                              "ess/maestro3_assp_minisrc.fw", &pci->dev);
+       if (err < 0) {
+#ifdef FIRMWARE_IN_THE_KERNEL
+               chip->assp_minisrc_image = &assp_minisrc;
+#else
+               snd_m3_free(chip);
+               return err;
+#endif
+       } else
+               snd_m3_convert_from_le(chip->assp_minisrc_image);
+
        if ((err = pci_request_regions(pci, card->driver)) < 0) {
                snd_m3_free(chip);
                return err;