This thread has been locked.

If you have a related question, please click the "Ask a related question" button in the top right corner. The newly created question will be automatically linked to this question.

Kindly suggest right WiFi for Gateway Application (Home/Building Automation)

Other Parts Discussed in Thread: CC2530, WL1801, WL1831, CC3220MOD

Hi,


We need to design the Gateway for Home/Building automation, all related requirement/feature information's are explained in the attached file, PFA FYI. You can ignore the any other modules except WiFi, if you feel not related to this topic, in such case, i can raise a new post for other modules.


Kindly check our requirement/application and suggest the right WiFi and EVM board for the same.

  • Should work with Microprocessor (Microprocessor work environment listed below, FYI)
  • Should support WIFI 802.11 a/b/g/n (ac optional)
  • Network range should be maximum as possible. Kindly advise how to achieve.
  • One Antenna should be sufficient or dual Antenna required?



Microprocessor will be interfacing with Ethernet, WiFi, Bluetooth, Zigbee, KNX tranreceiver. and Microprocessor should have the following feature:

  • Should work with Linux OS
  • Communicate with/over BLE/BLE Mesh devices, WiFi/WiFi Mesh devices, Zigbee devices.
  • Communicate with KNX devices include Sensors, actuators, supported devices
  • Communicate over Ethernet, should support BACnet IP.
  • MQTT Client libraries and AES libraries

Security:

  • Must support secure-boot with OTPROM based core root of trust
  • Build procedure to sign the bootloader OS and application binaries with a RSA private key.
  • Secure boot verification by establishing chain of trust from OTPROM till application layer.
  • OS should be Secure Linux.
  • Storing passwords, user names, keys in a secure storage


This is one of the most important Project, We need your support to built efficient product. kindly help us.


Thanks and regards,

Naveen K


Gateway Requirement.pdf

  • Hi Naveen,

    The Wl18xx (WiLink 8) family (see options in https://www.ti.com/wireless-connectivity/wi-fi/products.html#p2792=External%20MPU) is the best choice given your requirements.

    It is an a/b/g/n wi-fi transceiver (with or without BT/BLE + built-in coexistence) which was designed specifically for interfacing processors running Linux (native Linux mac80211 driver is available). The MIMO 2X2 or 40MHz channel options enable bandwidth of up to 100Mb/s.

    Please pick you preferred option and check the datasheet and technical docs in the product page.

    Br,

    Kobi

  • Hi Kobi,

    Thank you for your suggestion.

    1. Wl18xx can be interfacing with AM64x/AM437x MPU(Linux Open source/TI Linux OS)? native Linux mac80211 driver is sufficient or any other supported drivers/stack/libraries available?

    2. Drivers/Stack/libraries should be implementing on host MPU only right?

    2. Wl18xx does not required any firmware/Software/driver/stack/programming implementation right? everything will be taken care by host MPU only right?

    3. What is the purpose of two antenna instead of one antenna? Any reason/advantages? Need to use both the antenna1 and 2?

    4. Compare to individual WiFi module and WiFi+Bluetooth module, Which WiFi module will give more performance, efficiency, range? or both WiFi and WiFi+Bluetooth module will give same performance?

    5. In WiFi+Bluetooth Module, both WiFi and Bluetooth will work at a same time(parallelly) or any one will work at a time?

     

    Thanks and regards,

    Naveen K

  • 1. yes for the AM64x/AM437x question (check the product pages). The mac802.11 will enable controlling the Wi-Fi through standard Linux interfaces and the SDK comes with hostapd/wpa-supplicant support. 

    2. The driver is implemented in Linux kernel and hostapd is a Linux user space application. Firmware is needed. It is provided with the SDK and gets injected by the driver.

    3. two antennas enable higher throughput and longer range. It is not mandatory.

    4.  A major advantage of using BT+ Wi-Fi is the internal coexistence between them. Both Wi-Fi and BT can work in parallel but they can interfere each other over the air (as they use the same 2.4G band) which is handled by the coex mechanism. This can reduce Wi-Fi maximum bandwidth (but will be probably better then using 2 separate devices). Other then this you will get the same BT and Wi-Fi when using the integrated and stand-alone devices.

    5. Both can work at the same time.

     

     

  • Hi Kobi,

    Thank you for the information and appreciate for your quick response.

    1. So, Wl18xx does not required any firmware/Software/driver/stack/programming implementation right? everything will be taken care by host MPU only right?

    2. If we use one antenna instead 2, range will be half?

    3. It will support both 2.4G and 5G always or we need to enable either 2.4G or 5G band?

    4. Same antenna will be used for both WiFi and Bluetooth? or one antenna1 for WiFi and another antenna2 for Bluetooth?

    5. Could you advise the range we can achieve for WiFi and Bluetooth? 

    Thanks and regards,

    Naveen K

  • 1. wl18xx requires firmware (provided by TI) which will be installed by the host software.

    2. no (the range gets extended mainly in a multipath environment where 2nd antenna can be used for optimizing the sensitivity)

    3. you can enable both together

    4. single antenna is possible. Please checkthe hardware configurations in the Wilink documentation (see technical documents in https://www.ti.com/product/WL1837MOD).

    5. BT up to tens meters, Wi-Fi up to hundreds meter. The actual range depends on the environment, RF configuration and TX rates and power settings.

    Br,

    Kobi 

  • Dear Kobi.

    Thank you for the information.

    OK, Firmware should be installed on the host MPU only, not on the WL18xx module.

    1. If we interfacing WL18xx module with third party Linux OS based MPU, Firmware provided by the TI can be used on any third party Linux OS based Host MPU? Kindly advise in this case, it may important.

    2. Any SOM/EVM boards available to easy interface with AM64x/AM437x EVM boards?

    3. If we use SOC like WL1831 instead Modules, Any difficulty to design the board? Can we design efficient board with same performance as Modules? What are the things we have to consider on the design?

    4. "We noticed "ZigBee COEX I/F" on Block diagram. Can we interface Zigbee Module to WL18xx or what its indicates?

    Thanks and regards,

    Naveen K 

  • Hi,

    1. Yes.

    2. AM64x SK has WiLink8 module populated on it : https://www.ti.com/tool/SK-AM64

    3. Modules come with low h/w design and certification efforts, compared to chipdown designs. For mass production , chipdown can offer cost savings.   

    4. WiLink8 supports Wi-Fi/ZigBee coexistence feature. Certain IOs b/w WL18xxMOD and CC2530 can be connected to achieve coexistence b/w the 2 SoCs.

    Saurabh

  • Hi Saurabh,

    Thank you for the information.

    1. If we choose the chipdown, Can we get the module PCB design file for WL18xxMOD, this reference will helps for our board design?

    2, Chipdown modules will not come with certifications? Then who will help us for certifications? Its our full Product certification or WiFi certification you are saying?

    3. If we go with Chipdown, we need to shield (with metal ground body) the components as n the modules right?

    Thanks and regards,

    Naveen K

     

  • Hi Naveen,

    We have the WL1801 and WL1831 devices on TI.com (https://www.ti.com/product/WL1801). You can request access to the collateral which includes the reference design on the product pages. 

    Chip-down devices do not come with certification, so you will have to reach out to a test house to for this. 

    No shielding is required for the WiLink IC design.

    BR,

    Vince 

  • Hi Vince,

    Thank you for the information.

    1. If Chip-down IC not required Shielding, then what is the reasons all WiFi (ex: WL1807MOD or CC3220MOD) Modules  are shielded?

    2. Our Gateway having WiFi+BLE, Zigbee. If all working on 2.4GHZ, How we can avoid the signal interference? It should be handled by software or any additional hardware should be implement?

    Thanks and regards,

    Naveen K

  • 1. Shields are a requirement to get modular certification

    2. WiLink devices support a coexistence mechanism that can be used here: https://www.ti.com/lit/ug/swru437b/swru437b.pdf

  • Hi Vince,

    Thank you for the information.

    Modular certification means module certification  to make/sell right? if we want UL certification for our gateway, we need to shield the SOC's?

    Thanks and regards,

    Naveen K

  • HI Naveen,

    If you are making a product with Wi-Fi, you would get product level certification and this doesn't require a shield.

    If you want to create a module (RF subsystem that can put into many products with minimum RF recertification) then you will need a shield.

  • Hi Vince  and Kobi,

    Thank you for all the information and well appreciate your support.

    Thanks and regards,

    Naveen K