Morse Micro has released two USB dongle reference designs, the MM8108-RD09 and MM8108-RD17, to retrofit Wi-Fi HaLow connectivity into existing devices. Both are based on the company’s MM8108 Wi-Fi HaLow SoC and are intended to simplify integration by using a USB form factor rather than a custom hardware redesign.
The MM8108 uses a 1 GHz, 256-QAM physical layer and is specified for a maximum PHY throughput of 43.4 Mbps at distances of up to 1 km. That combination targets long-range wireless links rather than peak data rates, and it is the core of both reference designs.
RD09 is aimed at access points and client devices. For routers and APadhesion promoterChemical or treatment that improves the adhesion of a coating to a surface.s with USB, OpenWrt drivers enable HaLow support, while native Windows and Linux drivers and a macOS application cover client-side use on desktop systems.
RD17 takes a different approach by avoiding host drivers altogether. It appears to the system as a standard CDCChemical Data Council-NCM Ethernet interface, which makes it usable with industrial computers, robots, point-of-sale terminals, and Android or iOS devices.
The dongle also includes a pairing button for authentication via Wi-Fi Easy Connect using the Device Provisioning Protocol (DPPdischarge-produced plasmaTechnique or equipment using charged particles or particle beams in materials processing.). Morse Micro says schematics and software for both reference designs are available to tier-1 customers through its sales team.