802.11AH HaLow IOT wifi 920mhz

Hardware Radios
21

i finally got it working, following your advices. Did run a iperf session, gave me around 15mbit. Ping is 3-4ms. Next days i will try more.

one quick question: there is a 4-pin (v-gnd-tx-rx) headed, do you think it’s a serial port? In this case, it could be hooked directly to the flight controller, giving possibility to have a indipendent telemetry port or it could be used for other use cases

UPDATE: connecting an RS232 adapter to it (speed 115200), opening a terminal on the com port, gives this:

STA1: 46:56:06:71:96:a0
tx1: mcs=*0 bw=2MHz snr=84 cnt=12 agg=1 data=0KB(0kbps) dur=7ms dut=37% txq=0 cca=48 ack=0KB(12) drop=0KB(0) per= 0% est_rate=450kbps
rx1: mcs=0 bw=2MHz evm(avg:std)=0:0 rssi=0 agc=0 cnt=15 agg=1 data=1KB(1kbps) dur=12ms dut=62% fcsErr=0, freqDev=-2518Hz adv_bw=0:0:0:0
[143226]
LMAC STATUS:
local: 46:56:06:84:a7:c8 AID= 0
freq= 908.0 bw=8 chn=3 bgr=-99 iq=15:50:1:52 dc=-6:0 tx=*3 dly=64:0:96 sif:rsp=0:0(0)
chn: 908.0 916.0 924.0
bgr: -101 -99 -59
buf: free=94 tq=0 sq=0 ac=0:0:0:0 agg=0:0:0:0 statq=0 rxq=0 skb=0:0 rxb=120K
irq: ac=15 bkn=11 bo(rts:frm)=0:0:0:0:15 to(rts:frm)=0:0 rx=29
tx : cnt=15 dly=0:0ms mcast(bw:mcs)=2:0 agg=0(6061,15:0) data=0KB(0kbps) dur=18ms cca=60 per=0% fail=0 drop=0
rx : cnt=29 bus=0ms cts_bm=0:0 pks=17 data=1KB(1kbps) dur= 14ms err(phy:fcs)=0:0 ecode=0x0 cache_rxq= 0:0
dbg: dtmd=0:0:0 stamap=0x2 flag=0x0 rxdp=0 kerr=0 mic=0 lerr=0 kick=0 csc=1 rst=0 ovf=0 nob=0 tsnr=84 rssi=0 rxdut=62% txp=0 *rxg=5
cca: *4s st12= 0:0 mid1224= 0:0:0:0 ed1224= 0:0:0:0 ch_bz= 1
chip-temperature:38, vcc:3.22, vdd13b:1.32, vdd13c:1.33

STA1: 46:56:06:71:96:a0
tx1: mcs=*0 bw=2MHz snr=84 cnt=12 agg=1 data=0KB(0kbps) dur=7ms dut=32% txq=0 cca=48 ack=0KB(12) drop=0KB(0) per= 0% est_rate=450kbps
rx1: mcs=0 bw=2MHz evm(avg:std)=0:0 rssi=0 agc=0 cnt=17 agg=1 data=1KB(1kbps) dur=14ms dut=67% fcsErr=0, freqDev=-2781Hz adv_bw=0:0:0:0

updated every few seconds, in a loop.

…which is cool, but it does not seem what i was hoping for :frowning:

22

That’s interesting as it could be used for monitoring RSSI
I think you could find it usefull for radio range tests… if it reports correctly :wink:

2 Likes
23

just a small update:

OEM and encased modules aren’t the same, the latter is larger and has ethernet and DC connector onboard. Should be 100% compatible, but i have yet to try.
Also enclosed version seems to have a metallic cover over the module itself.

msg289547860-24995
msg289547860-249951280×960 111 KB

24

Easier to work with as you dont have to build cables , did you had a chance to make some range test ?

25

has anyone had any luck getting any halow equipment on 868mhz?

I found this seller doing just the rf module on its own the same as the one in the barebone modules @ppoirier has. If they can do them on 868 then il probably order some.

26

As they wrote you can get whatever frequency you want to be programmed in the firmware if you order a minimum of 10 modules.
Customization: Frequency(Min. order 10 pieces)

27

It’s just the bare RF module at $5 so it’s still reasonable. I tried to sign up and message them, but it won’t accept my number to activate the account.

28

Does anyone know if 1. This wireless bridge utilities 802.11 acknowledgements and retransmissions (seems like it does) and 2. If there’s a way to disable that? There is a project Stargazers · svpcom/wfb-ng · GitHub that does this for some alfa wifi adapters

1 Like
29

@ppoirier @Steve79 I found this page with a lot of information on these modules along with a pdf full of AT commands, do you know if these work? or could you check ? if i can just change the frequency with an AT command it fixes a lot of issues.

https://forum.mikrotik.com/viewtopic.php?t=184604

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1EfEDJVsaSYVQBuZI2EP14sG1C1gzRMX5

1 Like
30

@ppoirier

3.1.7AT+FREQ_RANGE: set the working frequency range

Execute command Query: AT+FREQ_RANGE? Setting: AT+FREQ_RANGE=start,end

Response +FREQ_RANGE:9080-9240

OK

Success: OK

Failed: ERROR

Parameter description  This command is used to set the frequency point for continuous use

Range, specify the start center frequency point and end middle

Cardiac frequency point, the AH module will automatically calculate the frequency point column

surface.

 The values of start and end are center frequency *10.

AH module AT command development guide.pdf (965.7 KB)

31

OK, So you can set the frequency range within the allowed band ?
I mean if you have a 915Mhz ISM unit , you cannot switch to 868 Mhz for usage in Europe

1 Like
32

Ah ok it would still need to be flashed to change the band?

33

Found some new modules still trying to get some techinical data on them

1 Like
34

I’ve done… a little bit of digging. I’m not sure if it’s helpful, but here it is.
https://en.taixin-semi.com/Product?prouctSubClass=33

The above, if you register, allows you down the bottom of that page to download hgSDK-v1.6.3.6-25403-IoT-NDEV which is the SDK (source code) for this module. Don’t get too excited, though - the “RF” side of things is inside a binary .a blob (libtxw4002a.a) which is linked at linking time. The header for the RF bits is “libwnb.h”.

… Inside the SDK is a TXW830x AH-SDK.pdf. This, rather oddly includes a ftp site ip address, user name and password to download the “CDK”. This is the entire c-sky development IDE, which allows you to compile the SDK to a binary.

Inside the source, there would appear to be:
int32 wnb_send_customer_data(struct hgic_tx_info *txinfo, uint8 *dest, uint8 *data, int32 len);

This seems to allow you to send arbitrary data across the wireless link - it seems to be used for the remote UART functionality.

Unfortunately, the CDK includes (in Chinese) a rather restrictive click-through-on-install license, so I can’t share this or any created binaries directly - however, downloading the SDK only required signing up and not agreeing to a license.

In terms of modifying the frequency, it looks a little hilarious actually and I’ve not yet investigated if the efuses have physical blockers apart from:

/*set default freq list*/
    if (module_efuse_info.module_type == MODULE_TYPE_750M) {
        wnbcfg.chan_list[0] = 7640;
        wnbcfg.chan_list[1] = 7720;
        wnbcfg.chan_list[2] = 7800;
    } else if (module_efuse_info.module_type == MODULE_TYPE_810M) {
        wnbcfg.chan_list[0] = 8060;
        wnbcfg.chan_list[1] = 8140;
        wnbcfg.chan_cnt = 2;
    } else if (module_efuse_info.module_type == MODULE_TYPE_860M) {
        wnbcfg.chan_list[0] = 8660;
        wnbcfg.chan_cnt = 1;
        wnbcfg.bss_bw   = 2;
    } else { // 915M case
        ;
    }

(I would expect that it does)

Anyway. Hope that’s interesting.

3 Likes
35

Also worth noting that the AT commands do not seem to be available on the UART that is connected to the RX / TX pins on the module. There are also, in this version, very few AT commands listed -

    atcmd_init(ATCMD_UARTDEV);
    atcmd_register("AT+FWUPG", xmodem_fwupgrade_hdl, NULL);
    atcmd_register("AT+SYSDBG", sys_atcmd_sysdbg_hdl, NULL);
    atcmd_register("AT+SKBDUMP", atcmd_skbdump_hdl, NULL);
    atcmd_register("AT+IP", atcmd_ip_hdl, NULL);
#if 1 /*tcp test*/
    atcmd_register("AT+TCPTEST", sys_atcmd_tcptest_hdl, NULL);
#endif
#if 1 /*ping*/
    atcmd_register("AT+PING", sys_atcmd_ping_hdl, NULL);
#endif

The IP bridge is provided by lwip.

1 Like
36

Thanks to this thread I managed to get my pair of cheap Aliexpress Halow Bridges configured to a lower data rate.

I am talking about the one one the right in this image:

image
image999×750 51.9 KB

I also have the board on the left and am struggling to get it wired into ethernet.
The POE cable I purchased from Aliexpress has different coloured wires to standard ethernet and I have already burned out 1 of these modules.

Does anyone here have a link to purchase the correct cable for the bare dev board version? or a name to look for?

37

Build custom poe cable on mikrotik/ubnt passive poe pattern.
You can do something like that because we only have fast ethernet here anyway

TX+,TX-,RX+,RX- (WO,O,WG,G) ale regular 100m ethernet.
TRD2+,TRD2- (B,WB) are DC+ PoE and TRD3+,TRD3- (WBr,Br) are DC- PoE

POE power supply should be passive 12VDC

Is it possible to take better pictures of both boards?
does the tile on the right come from the device below:?
https://pl.aliexpress.com/item/1005005821221975.html

2 Likes
38

Thank You, I ended up buying these cables:
https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256805775471278.html?spm=a2g0o.order_list.order_list_main.28.61bf1802BnwEOm&gatewayAdapt=glo2usa4itemAdapt

1.25MM, Length 10CM, 8P

39

Anyone did a range test on this nice and promising hardware?

40

I have only done a range test in my neighborhood, terrible conditions for testing.
Got 400 meters but that’s over the peak of a hill with the AP underneath a tin garage. Better than LoRa so far.