wireless

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 9 Comments on WiFi 7 access point and client M.2 modules are cheaper than I thought

WiFi 7 access point and client M.2 modules are cheaper than I thought

WiFi 7 M.2 modules

We have already seen WiFi 7 mini PCIe and M.2 modules from Compex for business customers, but I’ve recently noticed AsiaRF AW7991-AE2 M.2 module rated BE5000 offers an affordable alternative design for access points for just $58 plus shipping. But adding WiFi 7 to a consumer device can be cheaper than I expected as Intel BE200 or MediaTek MT7925-based M.2 modules can be purchased for around $20 to $30. Let’s have a look at some of the options available. AsiaRF AW7991-AE2 dual-band WiFi 7 “access point” M.2 module AsiaRF AW7991-AE2 specifications: SoC – MediaTek MT7991AV (Filogic 660?) with 32bit RISC-V MCU for Wi-Fi protocol and Wi-Fi offload Chipset – MT7976C WiFI 6 3×3 MIMO chipset System Memory –  8MB WLAN IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax/be compliant Frequency bands 2.4GHz – Bandwidth: 20/40MHz; 2T2R 2ss 5GHz – Bandwidth:20/40/80/160MHz; T3R 3ss Dual-Band Dual Concurrent (DBDC) Supports up to 4096-QAM Data rate of up to 688Mbps […]

Posted on by Debashis Das - 1 Comment on Murata Type 2FR is the world’s smallest tri-radio IoT module with Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.4, and Thread connectivity

Murata Type 2FR is the world’s smallest tri-radio IoT module with Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.4, and Thread connectivity

2FR2FP tri radio IoT module

Murata has recently launched the world’s smallest tri-radio IoT modules, the Type 2FR/2FP series, as well as the Type 2KL/2LL series for hosted solutions. These compact modules feature tri-radio communication, including Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.4, and Thread, with Matter provisioning for interoperability. The 2FR/2FP series is considered the world’s smallest module (12.0 x 11.0 x 1.5mm) of this type with a built-in MCU, making it ideal for low-cost and highly integrated solutions. It prioritizes security with the latest cybersecurity standards and compatibility with the Matter ecosystem. On the other hand, the 2KL/2LL series is designed to work with high-performance processors running Linux or RTOS. These modules provide reliable tri-radio communication with advanced capabilities. Both series are designed for applications, including smart homes, buildings, industrial automation, healthcare, and more, with features like low-power operation, extended battery life, and reduced component count. Murata Type 2FR/2FP modules specifications: MCU – NXP RW610 or RW612 […]

Posted on by Debashis Das - No Comments on Synaptics SYN20708 low-power IoT SoC features Bluetooth, Zigbee, Thread, Matter, and advanced coexistence

Synaptics SYN20708 low-power IoT SoC features Bluetooth, Zigbee, Thread, Matter, and advanced coexistence

SYN20708 Dual Core Bluetooth & IEEE 802.15.4 SoC

Synaptics has recently introduced the SYN20708 low-power IoT SoC designed to handle simultaneous Bluetooth 5.4 Classic/Low Energy and IEEE 802.15.4 radios with Zigbee, Thread, and Matter protocols. The SoC integrates power and low-noise amplifiers and two separate radios enable simultaneous multiprotocol operations. The SoC is based on a 160 MHz Arm Cortex-M4 processor with user-accessible OTP memory for configuration. Built using a 16-nm FinFET process, it has very low power consumption, and advanced features like high-accuracy distance measurement (HADM), angle-of-arrival (AoA), and angle-of-departure (AoD). These features with versatile antenna support make this SoC suitable for industrial, consumer, and IoT applications. Synaptics SYN20708 specifications CPU – Arm Cortex-M4 processor @ 160 MHz Memory/Storage 544 KB System RAM 1664 KB Code RAM 1640 KB ROM 256 bytes OTP Connectivity Dual-radio Bluetooth 5.4 Bluetooth Classic, Bluetooth Low Energy Supports Bluetooth 6.0 features like HADM (high accuracy distance measurement) Bluetooth Class 1 and Class […]

Posted on by Debashis Das - 3 Comments on STMicro ST67W611M1 IoT module features Qualcomm QCC743 SoC with Wi-Fi 6, BLE, and 802.15.4 radios

STMicro ST67W611M1 IoT module features Qualcomm QCC743 SoC with Wi-Fi 6, BLE, and 802.15.4 radios

STMicro ST67W611M1 Wi Fi 6, Bluetooth, Matter module

ST Microelectronics has introduced the ST67W611M1 IoT module developed in partnership with Qualcomm and integrating the latter’s QCC743 multi-protocol connectivity chip with Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3 Low Energy (BLE), Thread-compatible IEEE 802.15.4 connectivity, and support for Matter-over-Wi-Fi. Additionally, it features 4MB of flash storage and provides options for a PCB or external antenna via a uFL connector. The module is designed to connect with STMicro’s STM32 microcontroller and microprocessor families through SPI and/or UART, making it easy to add wireless connectivity to STM32-based projects, including those using the new STM32N6 chips with an in-house Neural-ART machine learning accelerator. These features make this chip suitable for smart home devices, industrial IoT systems, wearables, healthcare monitors, and connected appliances. ST67W611M1 specifications: Wireless Connectivity Wi-Fi 6 with up to 20 dBm output power Bluetooth Low Energy 5.3 with 2 Mbps throughput Thread support Supports Matter protocol over Wi-Fi for future-proof connectivity Storage – […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments on AMD Versal RF Series adaptive SoCs target 6G wireless, aerospace, and electronics test equipment

AMD Versal RF Series adaptive SoCs target 6G wireless, aerospace, and electronics test equipment

AMD Versal RF Series adaptive SoC

AMD Versal RF series adaptive system-on-chips (SoCs) combines Arm Cortex-A72 and Cortex-R5F hard cores with FPGA fabric and direct radio frequency (RF)-sampling data converters for pre-6G systems, wireless 6G testers, aerospace and defense applications like radars, and electronics test equipment such as multi-channel testers, oscilloscopes, and wideband spectrum analyzers. Built upon the Xilinx Zynq RFSoC devices, the AMD Versal RF Series supports wideband-spectrum with high-resolution thanks to up to sixteen 18 GHz, 14-bit RF ADCs with up to 32 GSPS and sixteen 14-bit RFV DACs up to 16 GSPS, and delivers 80 TOPS of DSP performance in a size, weight, and power (SWaP)-optimized design. The chips also integrate hard IP such as DDR5 memory controllers, 600 Gbps Ethernet, PCIe Gen5 x4, and various high-speed transceivers. AMD Versal RF Series adaptive SoCs key features and specifications: Processing System Application Processing Unit (APU) – Dual-core Arm Cortex-A72 with 48 KB/32 KB L1 […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 11 Comments on CapibaraZero firmware enables low-cost Flipper Zero alternatives based on ESP32-S3 hardware

CapibaraZero firmware enables low-cost Flipper Zero alternatives based on ESP32-S3 hardware

CapibaraZero ESP32-S3 Flipper Zero alternative

CapibaraZero open-source firmware aims to offer a low-cost alternative to Flipper Zero for ESP32-S3-based hardware platforms and soon other gizmos with ESP32 wireless microcontrollers, notably the LilyGO T-Embed CC1101, similar to the original T-Embed with ESP32-S3 WiSoC, but also featuring a Texas Instruments CC1101 Sub-GHz microcontroller and an NXP PN532 NFC/RFID module. The Flipper Zero is a popular portable multi-tool for pentesters and hardware hackers based on STMicro STM32WB55 Bluetooth 5 LE & 802.15.4 wireless microcontroller and a TI CC1101 Sub-Ghz MCU that got involved in controversies such as a ban proposal in Canada last year due to its (dubious) potential use for car theft. Since then we’ve seen several alternatives such as Monstatek M1 (that’s yet to be delivered to backers…) and HackBat open-source hardware with Raspberry Pi RP2040,  ESP8266 WiFi module, and the CC1101 RF transceiver. The CapibaraZero firmware offers another way to create your own cheap Flipper […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments on STMicro NUCLEO-WL33CC1 and NUCLEO-WL33CC2 boards features STM32WL33 Cortex-M0+ Sub-GHz wireless MCU

STMicro NUCLEO-WL33CC1 and NUCLEO-WL33CC2 boards features STM32WL33 Cortex-M0+ Sub-GHz wireless MCU

STMicro NUCLEO-WL33CC1 Sub-GHz development board

STMicro unveiled the STM32WL3 sub-GHz wireless MCU family last year and has now announced the general availability of the STM32WL33 Arm Cortex-M0+ microcontroller, along with two development boards namely the NUCLEO-WL33CC1 and NUCLEO-WL33CC2 for battery-powered smart meters and smart building and industrial monitoring solutions using wireless M-Bus, Sigfox, WiSun, LoWPAN or Mioty LPWAN protocols among others. The NUCLEO-WL33CC1 and NUCLEO-WL33CC2 development boards look the same, but the former supports 826-958 MHz high-band frequencies, while the latter handles 413-479 MHz low-band frequencies. STMicro NUCLEO-WL33CC1/2 specifications: SoC – STMicro STM32WL33CCV6 MCU Core – Arm Cortex-M0+ up to 64 MHz Memory – 32KB SRAM with full retention Storage 256KB flash 1 KB OTP flash (user data) Sub-GHz Wireless 413-479 MHz or 826-958 MHz frequency bands with OOK, ASK, 2(G)FSK, 4(G)FSK, D‑BPSK, and DSSS modulations Compatible with proprietary and standardized wireless protocols such as WM-Bus, Sigfox, Mioty, KNX-RF, and IEEE 802.15.4g Low-power autonomous wake-up […]

Posted on by Sponsored Post - No Comments on Compex Systems Unveils Wi-Fi 7 Modules with Smart Connectors, Enabling Seamless Multi-Link Operation (MLO) Integration on Conventional CPU Platforms (Sponsored)

Compex Systems Unveils Wi-Fi 7 Modules with Smart Connectors, Enabling Seamless Multi-Link Operation (MLO) Integration on Conventional CPU Platforms (Sponsored)

WiFi 7 MLO multi link operation

Compex Systems (Compex), a global leader in wireless communication technology, is taking Wi-Fi 7 to new heights with an innovative connector design for Multi-Link Operation (MLO). This breakthrough enables seamless deployment of MLO across off-the-shelf platforms, including those with Intel x86 and ARM processors (e.g. NXP and Marvell), eliminating the need for custom-made host boards and unlocking the full potential of Wi-Fi 7 features for a wider range of users and applications. Multi-Link Operation (MLO) is a key performance advantage of Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be), setting it apart by allowing the routing and aggregation of throughput across multiple radio links in different frequency bands. It enables data to be routed through the least congested links, improving overall latency and reliability. MLO can also aggregate bandwidths from more than one wireless link, enhancing throughput and network performance. It is ideal for bandwidth-intensive and real-time applications such as 4K/8K video streaming, cloud gaming, […]

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