diff --git a/Tools/serial/generate_config.py b/Tools/serial/generate_config.py
index 27003b904b..b3ceda3a52 100755
--- a/Tools/serial/generate_config.py
+++ b/Tools/serial/generate_config.py
@@ -190,7 +190,6 @@ if rc_serial_output_dir is None and serial_params_output_file is None:
 serial_commands = []
 ethernet_configuration = []
 additional_params = ""
-additional_ethernet_params = ""
 
 if ethernet_supported:
     ethernet_configuration.append({
@@ -211,7 +210,7 @@ def parse_yaml_serial_config(yaml_config):
         ret.append(serial_config)
     return ret
 
-def parse_yaml_parameters_config(yaml_config):
+def parse_yaml_parameters_config(yaml_config, ethernet_supported):
     """ parse the parameters section from the yaml config file """
     if 'parameters' not in yaml_config:
         return ''
@@ -224,79 +223,7 @@ def parse_yaml_parameters_config(yaml_config):
         param_group = parameters_section.get('group', None)
         for param_name in definitions:
             param = definitions[param_name]
-            if 'ethernet' in param:
-                continue
-            num_instances = param.get('num_instances', 1)
-            instance_start = param.get('instance_start', 0) # offset
-
-            # get the type and extract all tags
-            tags = '@group {:}'.format(param_group)
-            if param['type'] == 'enum':
-                param_type = 'INT32'
-                for key in param['values']:
-                    tags += '\n * @value {:} {:}'.format(key, param['values'][key])
-            elif param['type'] == 'boolean':
-                param_type = 'INT32'
-                tags += '\n * @boolean'
-            elif param['type'] == 'int32':
-                param_type = 'INT32'
-            elif param['type'] == 'float':
-                param_type = 'FLOAT'
-            else:
-                raise Exception("unknown param type {:}".format(param['type']))
-
-            for tag in ['decimal', 'increment', 'category', 'volatile', 'bit',
-                        'min', 'max', 'unit', 'reboot_required']:
-                if tag in param:
-                    tags += '\n * @{:} {:}'.format(tag, param[tag])
-
-            for i in range(num_instances):
-                # default value
-                default_value = 0
-                if 'default' in param:
-                    # default can be a list of num_instances or a single value
-                    if type(param['default']) == list:
-                        assert len(param['default']) == num_instances
-                        default_value = param['default'][i]
-                    else:
-                        default_value = param['default']
-
-                if type(default_value) == bool:
-                    default_value = int(default_value)
-
-                # output the existing C-style format
-                ret += '''
-/**
- * {short_descr}
- *
- * {long_descr}
- *
- * {tags}
- */
-PARAM_DEFINE_{param_type}({name}, {default_value});
-'''.format(short_descr=param['description']['short'].replace("\n", "\n * "),
-           long_descr=param['description']['long'].replace("\n", "\n * "),
-           tags=tags,
-           param_type=param_type,
-           name=param_name,
-           default_value=default_value,
-          ).replace('${i}', str(i+instance_start))
-    return ret
-
-def parse_yaml_ethernet_parameters_config(yaml_config):
-    """ parse the parameters section from the yaml config file """
-    if 'parameters' not in yaml_config:
-        return ''
-    parameters_section_list = yaml_config['parameters']
-    for parameters_section in parameters_section_list:
-        if 'definitions' not in parameters_section:
-            return ''
-        definitions = parameters_section['definitions']
-        ret = ''
-        param_group = parameters_section.get('group', None)
-        for param_name in definitions:
-            param = definitions[param_name]
-            if 'ethernet' not in param:
+            if param.get('requires_ethernet', False) and not ethernet_supported:
                 continue
             num_instances = param.get('num_instances', 1)
             instance_start = param.get('instance_start', 0) # offset
@@ -362,9 +289,8 @@ for yaml_file in args.config_files:
             serial_commands.extend(parse_yaml_serial_config(yaml_config))
 
             # TODO: additional params should be parsed in a separate script
-            additional_params += parse_yaml_parameters_config(yaml_config)
-            if ethernet_supported:
-                additional_ethernet_params += parse_yaml_ethernet_parameters_config(yaml_config)
+            additional_params += parse_yaml_parameters_config(
+                yaml_config, ethernet_supported)
 
         except yaml.YAMLError as exc:
             print(exc)
@@ -429,7 +355,7 @@ for serial_command in serial_commands:
             'default_port': default_port,
             'param_group': port_config['group'],
             'description_extended': port_config.get('description_extended', ''),
-			'ethernet_config': serial_command.get('ethernet', 'none')
+			'supports_networking': serial_command.get('supports_networking', False)
             })
 
 if verbose:
@@ -473,6 +399,5 @@ if serial_params_output_file is not None:
         fid.write(template.render(serial_devices=serial_devices,
             ethernet_configuration=ethernet_configuration,
             commands=commands, serial_ports=serial_ports,
-            additional_definitions=additional_params,
-            additional_ethernet_definitions=additional_ethernet_params))
+            additional_definitions=additional_params))
 
diff --git a/Tools/serial/rc.serial_port.jinja b/Tools/serial/rc.serial_port.jinja
index c3f7c9651e..0877321761 100644
--- a/Tools/serial/rc.serial_port.jinja
+++ b/Tools/serial/rc.serial_port.jinja
@@ -17,9 +17,9 @@ if param compare "$PRT" {{ serial_device.index }}; then
 fi
 
 {% endfor %}
+
 {% for config in ethernet_configuration -%}
 if param compare "$PRT" {{ config.index }}; then
 	set SERIAL_DEV ethernet
 fi
-
 {% endfor %}
diff --git a/Tools/serial/serial_params.c.jinja b/Tools/serial/serial_params.c.jinja
index 4bed33a2c9..a686c347a6 100644
--- a/Tools/serial/serial_params.c.jinja
+++ b/Tools/serial/serial_params.c.jinja
@@ -58,10 +58,11 @@ PARAM_DEFINE_INT32(SER_{{ serial_device.tag }}_BAUD, {{ serial_device.default_ba
 {%- for serial_device in serial_devices %}
  * @value {{ serial_device.index }} {{ serial_device.label }}
 {%- endfor %}
-{%- if command.ethernet_config != "none" %}
+{%- if command.supports_networking %}
 {%- for config in ethernet_configuration %}
  * @value {{ config.index }} {{ config.label }}
-{%- endfor %}{% endif %}
+{%- endfor %}
+{%- endif %}
  * @group {{ command.param_group }}
  * @reboot_required true
  */
@@ -72,5 +73,3 @@ PARAM_DEFINE_INT32({{ command.port_param_name }}, {{ command.default_port }});
 
 {{ additional_definitions }}
 
-{{ additional_ethernet_definitions }}
-
diff --git a/src/modules/mavlink/module.yaml b/src/modules/mavlink/module.yaml
index 86433499ae..53794aa3c8 100644
--- a/src/modules/mavlink/module.yaml
+++ b/src/modules/mavlink/module.yaml
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ serial_config:
         # 2: Board-specific / no fixed function or port
         default: [TEL1, "", ""]
       num_instances: *max_num_config_instances
-      ethernet:
+      supports_networking: true
 
 parameters:
     - group: MAVLink
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ parameters:
             reboot_required: true
             num_instances: *max_num_config_instances
             default: [14556, 0, 0]
-            ethernet:
+            requires_ethernet: true
 
         MAV_${i}_REMOTE_PRT:
             description:
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ parameters:
             reboot_required: true
             num_instances: *max_num_config_instances
             default: [14550, 0, 0]
-            ethernet:
+            requires_ethernet: true
 
         MAV_${i}_BROADCAST:
             description:
@@ -152,4 +152,4 @@ parameters:
                 2: Only multicast        
             num_instances: *max_num_config_instances
             default: [1, 0, 0]
-            ethernet:
+            requires_ethernet: true
diff --git a/validation/module_schema.yaml b/validation/module_schema.yaml
index 591af3853c..b9f772d16a 100644
--- a/validation/module_schema.yaml
+++ b/validation/module_schema.yaml
@@ -75,10 +75,9 @@ serial_config:
                 # Default: 1
                 type: integer
                 min: 1
-            ethernet:
-                # Optional command ethernet.
-                # If omitted, ethernet condiguration value will be omitted.
-                nullable: True 
+            supports_networking:
+                # set to true if the module supports networking (UDP)
+                type: boolean
 
 
 parameters:
@@ -212,9 +211,9 @@ parameters:
                             # [0, N-1]
                             # Default: 0
                             type: integer
-                        ethernet:
-                            # Optional command ethernet.
-                            # If specified, parameter will be generated only if board supports Ethernet.
-                            nullable: True            
+                        requires_ethernet:
+                            # param is only added if the board has ethernet
+                            # support
+                            type: boolean