DR6018-S is a more compact, cheaper WiFi 6 SBC with optional WiFi 6E

Earlier this year we wrote about Wallys Communications DR6018-V2 WiFi 6 embedded router board based on Qualcomm IPQ6010 processor with M.2 sockets for optional 5G and WiFi 6E cards.

The company has now launched a more compact, and cheaper board with DR6018-S SBC based on the same processor with 802.11ax WiFi 6 and 802.11 b/g/n/ac WiFi 5 support, plus an M.2 socket for people wanting to add WiFi 6E cards.

DR6018-S board specifications:

SoC – Qualcomm Atheros IPQ6010 quad-core Arm Cortex-A53 processor @ 1.8 GHz
System Memory – 1GB (2x 512MB) DDR3L 16-bit interface with 32-bit memory bus design
Storage – 256MB NAND Flash, 32MB NOR flash, optional SD card slot
Networking
- Wired – 2x Gigabit Ethernet port including one with PoE support
- Wireless
  - WiFi
    - 2×2 2.4GHz MU-MIMO OFDMA 802.11b/g/n/ax WiFi 6, max 23dBm per chain
    - 2×2 5GHz MU-MIMO OFDMA 802.11a/n/ac/ax WiFi 6, max 20dBm per chain
    - 4x u.FL connectors
    - 2.4 GHz data rate up to 573 Mbps
    - 5 GHz data rate up to 1201 Mbps
  - Optional WiFi 6E – Qualcomm QCN9074 WiFi 6E card with 4×4 MIMO 802.11ax connectivity providing a larger spectrum (5.925 – 7.125 GHz) and higher data transfer rates up to 4949 Mbps
  - Optional GPS
USB – Optional USB 3.0 Type-A port
Expansion – 1x M.2 (NGFF) “E Key” socket with MiniPCIe 3.0
Serial – 12-pin header for serial connection.
Misc – Reset button, FFC/FPC connector for LED
Power Supply – 24-48VDC via DC jack input or passive or active PoE (802.3bt)
Dimensions – 120 x 105 x 20 mm
Temperature Range – Operating: -40 to +70°C; storage: -40 to +105°C

Beside losing the ability to insert a 5G module, the smaller board also comes with fewer Ethernet ports and does not offer 2.5 Gbps Ethernet support, and the option to add a Bluetooth module is gone. GPS used to be available via the 5G module, but now it’s offered as an optional module. The rest of the specifications are pretty much the same as the larger board including processor, memory, storage, and WiFi 5/6 connectivity.

Software support for the smaller board should remain the same with OpenWrt 14.07 Barrier Breaker firmware and Qualcomm SDK with QCA binary drivers. Typical applications would include 802.11ax MU-MIMO OFDMA access point, EasyMesh mesh router supporting EasyMesh, and Smart access points with TWT (Target Wake Time) to extend the battery life of clients.

Linda Fend, marketing supervisor at Wallys, told CNX Software the sample price for DR6018-S is now $150, or $50 cheaper than DR6018 V2. Additional information may be found on the product page.

Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft)

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.