There are now some tiny and low cost ($15 to $20) Wi-Fi modules supporting OpenWRT such as VoCore and AsiaRF AWM002. However due to their small size they may not be that hacker’s friendly as they can’t have 2.54mm headers due to heir small size, and I’ve recently received AsiaRF AWM002 only to find out it not only needs 3.3V supply voltage, but also 1.8V and 1.2V. So I’d need to make my own power circuit with the required LDOs, or purchase a $20 base board to use the module. Here comes WRTnode another larger Wi-Fi module but with more usable 2.54mm headers, and based on the more powerful Mediatek MT7620N processor @ 600MHz.
WRTnode hardware specifications:
- Processor – Mediatek MT7620N 600MHz MIPS CPU (MIPS24KEc)
- System Memory – 64MB DDR2
- Storage – 16MB SPI flash
- Connectivity – Wi-Fi 2T2R 802.11n 2.4 GHz up to 300Mbps
- Expansion Headers – 2x with access to 23GPIOs, JTAG, SPI, UART Lite, USB2.0 host
- USB – 1x micro USB
- Dimensions – 45mm x 50mm
OpenWRT is based on BARRIER BREAKER release with various patches (opencv 2.4.8, linino, …), demos (opencv, mechanical control, and RESTful), and source code available on github. The project also claims to “open hardware”, but for now they’ve only released the schematics (PDF), with the BoM and PCB layout being released layer. The board has apparently been designed by a company called DFRobot (TBC), and robotics projects and shields are planned for WRTnode, and “WRTnode IoT development framework SDK” will be released at a later stage with a graphical IDE, “enhanced AI algorithms”, RESTful, and more.
You can watch a demo with WRTnode running OpenCV and controlling uARM robotic arm to pickup coins, and move them into a cup.
They have already sold a few beta boards in China, but the module is not currently available for purchase, but it will sell for $25+ shipping on DFrobots, SeeedStudio, and a few other sites. You can find more information on WRTnode website.
Via Olof Johansson
Jean-Luc started CNX Software in 2010 as a part-time endeavor, before quitting his job as a software engineering manager, and starting to write daily news, and reviews full time later in 2011.
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