wiki:expansion/gw16146

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Version 58 (modified by Ryan Erbstoesser, 5 months ago) ( diff )
add example for startup on mesh

GW16146 802.11ah HaLow Mini-PCIe Radio Module

802.11ah Showcase

Features

MCS

Receiver

Channel Mapping

Antenna

Documentation

Software

FT232H USB to SPI bridge

NRC7292 kernel driver

OpenWrt Information

cli_app

Configuration and Usage examples

Standard Configuration

Manual Configuration

Popular CLI_APP Configuration

Access Point / Client Station Examples

802.11s Mesh

Adhoc / IBSS Mode

Troubleshooting

Hardware

J1 Test Debug Header

GW16146 802.11ah HaLow Mini-PCIe Radio Module

The GW16146 is a miniPCIe form factor 802.11ah radio consisting of:

FT232H MPSSE USB to SPI bridge
Silex SX-NEWAH module based on Newracom NRC7292 (US only)

The GW16146 differs from the Newracom NRC7292 EVK in the following ways:

Sits behind a FT232H USB to SPI bridge
Uses software polling instead of an interrupt
Uses the Silex SX-NEWAH radio containing the NRC7292 but RF tuned for US operation

View the GW16146 Product Page for pricing and specifications

802.11ah Showcase

View the Gateworks 802.11ah Showcase to learn more about 802.11ah

802.11ah High Client Count Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exhCXCseYdk
802.11ah Range Testing Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_qmCR1so2c

Features

The Silex SX-NEWAH module featuring the Newracom 7292 features:

IEEE 802.11ah operating in Sub 1GHz license-exempt band
- Offers a much greater range over 2.5GHz and 5GHz technologies
- Offers a much higher data rate than proprietary Low-Power Wide-Area (LPWA) technologies such as LoRa and Sigfox
- Full IP stack lowers barrier to entry over proprietary Low-Power Wide-Area (LPWA) technologies such as LoRa and Sigfox
Latest generation Wi-Fi security - WPA3
Channel widths: 1/2/4MHz channel widths with optional short guard interval (SGI) (yield 150Kbps to 15Mbps PHY throughput at the PHY layer but due to USB-to-SPI and driver polling maxes out at about 3-4.5mbps)
Streams: 1 spatial stream
Data rates: MCS0-MCS7, MCS10 (1MHz only)
Client / Node count: 8,191 theoretical (no security). With security, it will be less due to memory limitations, but over 1000 clients have been confirmed working with security enabled.
Country: US support only
Modes: Infrastructure, Monitor. 802.11s mesh.
Auth / Encryption: Open, WPA2-PSK(AES), WPA3-OWE, WPA3-SAE
OFDM modulation
AES-CCMP encryption
750 to 950MHz frequency band
TX gain range: 23dB
RX noise figure: <4dB
Max input level: -10dBm
Dual embedded ARM Cortex-M0 and Cortex-M3 processor
SPI host interface
Only 1 GW16146 is supported on a give system; as there is no concrete way to associate SPI bus number with particular device. The bus number assignment relies on USB bus scan and device probe sequence

RF transmitter specifications:

BW	Freq (MHz)	Data Rates (MCS)	TX Power (min/typ/max dBm)
1MHz	903.5 ~ 915.5	0,1,2,3,4,10	20.5 / 23.0 / 25.5
		5	19.5 / 22.0 / 24.5
		6	15.5 / 18.0 / 20.5
		7	11.5 / 14.0 / 16.5
	916.5 ~ 926.5	0,1,2,3,4,10	19.5 / 22.0 / 24.5
		5	18.5 / 21.0 / 23.5
		6	15.5 / 18.0 / 20.5
		7	11.5 / 14.0 / 16.5
2MHz	905 ~ 917	0,1,2,3,4	20.5 / 22.0 / 24.5
		5	19.5 / 21.0 / 23.5
		6	12.5 / 18.0 / 20.5
		7	11.5 / 14.0 / 16.5
	9195 ~ 925	0,1,2,3,4	19.5 / 22.0 / 24.5
		6	12.5 / 15.0 / 17.5
		7	11.5 / 14.0 / 16.5
4MHz	910 ~ 922	0,1,2,3,4,5	18.5 / 21.0 / 23.5
		6	12.5 / 15.0 / 17.5
		7	11.5 / 14.0 / 16.5

MCS

Modulation and coding schemes (for 1 spatial stream 1/2/4MHz channels):

MCS index	Modulation and coding rate	1MHz BW (mbps)		2MHz BW (mbps)		4MHz BW (mbps)
		long GI	short GI	long GI	short GI	long GI	short GI
0	BPSK 1/2	0.3	0.33	0.65	0.72	1.35	1.5
1	QPSK 1/2	0.6	0.67	1.3	1.44	2.7	3.0
2	QPSK 3/4	0.9	1.0	1.95	2.17	4.05	4.5
3	16-QAM 1/2	1.2	1.33	2.6	2.89	5.4	6.0
4	16-QAM 3/4	1.8	2.0	3.9	4.33	8.1	9.0
5	64-QAM 2/3	2.4	2.67	5.2	5.78	10.8	12.0
6	64-QAM 3/4	2.7	3.0	5.85	6.5	12.2	13.5
7	64-QAM 5/6	3.0	3.34	6.5	7.22	13.5	15.0
10	BPSK 1/2 x 2	0.15	0.17	-	-	-	-

See rate table at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IEEE_802.11ah
These are maximum PHY data rates - actual throughput depends also on packet loss and most importantly SPI and USB bus overhead and latency which effectively reduces throughput of the GW16146 to a max of around 3-4.5mbps.
Range is affected by BW used. 1MHz should be used for long range applications. See some example range by BW here: https://youtu.be/Y_qmCR1so2c?t=188

Receiver

RF receiver specifications:

BW	Modulation	Data Rates	Rx Minimum Sensitivity (typ/max dBm)
1MHz	BPSK	MCS10	-104 / -98
	BPSK	MCS0	-102 / -95
	QPSK	MCS1	-100 / -92
	QPSK	MCS2	-95 / -90
	16 QAM	MCS3	-92 / -87
	16 QAM	MCS4	-88 / -83
	64 QAM	MCS5	-89 / -79
	64 QAM	MCS6	-86 / -78
	64 QAM	MCS7	-85 / -77
2MHz	BPSK	MCS0	-96 / -92
	QPSK	MCS1	-96 / -89
	QPSK	MCS2	-94 / -87
	16 QAM	MCS3	-92 / -84
	16 QAM	MCS4	-88 / -80
	64 QAM	MCS5	-84 / -76
	64 QAM	MCS6	-83 / -75
	64 QAM	MCS7	-81 / -74
4MHz	BPSK	MCS0	-92 / -89
	QPSK	MCS1	-92 / -86
	QPSK	MCS2	-92 / -84
	16 QAM	MCS3	-88 / -81
	16 QAM	MCS4	-85 / -77
	64 QAM	MCS5	-81 / -73
	64 QAM	MCS6	-80 / -72
	64 QAM	MCS7	-78 / -71

Channel Mapping

Channel Mapping (US):

The SX-NEWAH Channel Mapping application note from Silex states the frequency range is 903.5 MHz to 926.5 MHz supporting channel widths of 1MHz, 2MHz, or 4MHz. The channel map (differs a bit from Newracom's info due to US) is:
1 MHz Wide channel mappings:

Wi-Fi channel setting	Sub 1 GHz frequency [MHz]
3	903.5
5	904.5
7	905.5
9	906.5
11	907.5
36	908.5
37	909.5
38	910.5
39	911.5
40	912.5
41	913.5
42	914.5
43	915.5
44	916.5
45	917.5
46	918.5
47	919.5
48	920.5
149	921.5
150	922.5
151	923.5
152	924.5
100 ¹	925.5
104 ¹	926.5

use of these channels is not recommended as these are Clear Access Channels (CAC) which when used will takea full 60 seconds before they are operational

2 MHz Wide channel mappings:

Wi-Fi channel setting	Sub 1 GHz frequency [MHz]
6	905
10	907
153	909
154	911
155	913
156	915
157	917
158	919
159	921
160	923
161	925

4 MHz Wide channel mappings:

Wi-Fi channel setting	Sub 1 GHz frequency [MHz]
162	910
163	914
164	918
165	922

Antenna

This radio requires an antenna properly tuned for the target frequency.

Silex Recommended Antennas on Digi-Key:

ethertronics X9000984-4GDSMB https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/kyocera-avx/X9000984-4GDSMB/13982460
PSA (Walsin) RFDPA131000SMRB801 https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/walsin-technology-corporation/RFDPA131000SMRB801/12525199

Silex Recommended Antennas:

Gateworks sells a 900 MHz antenna, the GW10124. This antenna is *NOT* pre-certified by Silex, thus should only be used for development and will require re-certification.

GW10124 Antenna Purchase the GW10124 Note antenna adapter cable not included
Requires GW10036 u.FL to SMA Cable Adapter

Documentation

There are a number of documents in the Newracom nrc7292 driver repository which may prove useful:

AN-7292-002-Dynamic Vendor IE.pdf
AN-7292-007-11s_mesh_network.pdf
UG-7292-002-Host%20driver%20porting.pdf
UG-7292-007-Commnad%20line%20application.pdf
UG-7292-011-NewraPeek.pdf
UG-7292-015-Transmit_Power_Control.pdf
- Note that some of these documents are heavily tailored to the Newracom NRC7292 EVK which may differ in some ways to the GW16146

Other references:

Silex SX-NEWAH product page - contains various specs and documents
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IEEE_802.11ah

Software

Software support consists of the following items: (This a summary. Details are below)

Linux kernel driver for FT232H as a USB to SPI bridge on the GW16146
Linux kernel driver for the NRC7292 SPI Radio chip
Firmware files required for NRC7292 driver in /lib/firmware: nrc7292_cspi.bin and nrc7292_bd.dat
Userspace cli_app application to performing miscellaneous configuration via Netlink to the NRC7292 driver

The above software support is present in the following:

Venice Ubuntu Jammy (22.04) pre-built images
Newport Ubuntu Focal (20.04) pre-built images.
Ventana Ubuntu Focal (20.04) pre-built images

FT232H USB to SPI bridge

The FT232H features an multi-protocol engine that can be used for UART, JTAG, SPI, I2C among perhaps other things. The FT232H's MPSSE is great for generating signals to communicate using the SPI protocol. The MPSSE can take care of generating a clock signal from about 450hz to 30Mhz, and read & write bytes of data at that frequency.

Gateworks has programmed the USB VID:PID on the GW16146 to 0x2beb:0x0146 which binds to the out-of-tree Linux kernel spi-ft232h driver.

When a GW16146 is found on the USB bus a SPI master host controller will be registered with the Linux kernel (which you can see in /sys/class/spi_master) as well as registers a nrc80211 SPI device which binds to the nrc7292 driver. Note that earlier versions of this driver required you to manually determine the SPI bus and manually probe the nrc driver with arguments pointing to the bus. Please make sure you are using the latest version of these drivers (available on the Gateworks pre-built Ubuntu based OS images) to avoid this (or refer to earlier documentation).

Building:

The driver compiles a single module 'spi-ft232h.ko' and can be built out-of-tree by assigning KDIR to the directory of your kernel:
```
KDIR=/usr/src/venice/bsp/linux make
```

NRC7292 kernel driver

The Silex SX-NEWAH module on the GW16146 has a Newracom NRC7292 which is supported by Newracom's open-source driver.

The Gateworks nrc7292 driver has some modifications to the Newracom NRC7292 driver:

add support for v6.2+
nrc-init: default to spi polling
nrc-hif-cspi: remove spam from spi_check_ready
nrc-mac80211: display wlan device registered
nrc: add display of driver version and chip identified
nrc: remove prints for non-errors

nrc7292 driver history:

v1.5 (Oct 2023) - Gateworks now supports this
v1.4 (June 2023) - Gateworks did not use this version of the driver
v1.3 (April 2021) - Gateworks original driver

There is a large set of kernel params (which you can see via 'modinfo nrc.ko') but for our purposes the following are needed:

fw_name - firmware file from /lib/firmware
bd_name - Board data file from /lib/firmware
spi_polling_interval - SPI polling interval in ms (recommend 5ms)

Example module loading:

modprobe nrc fw_name=nrc7292_cspi.bin bd_name=nrc7292_bd.dat spi_polling_interval=5

When using an OS like Ubuntu you create a file in /etc/modprobe.d/ to use these automatically when the module is loaded:

cat << EOF > /etc/modprobe.d/nrc.conf 
options nrc fw_name=nrc7292_cspi.bin bd_name=nrc7292_bd.dat spi_polling_interval=5
EOF

To find the correct wlan interface that is bound to the NRC7292 driver you can look at the devices in /sys/class/net to see which ones have a SPI based device-driver:

WLAN="$(for i in $(ls -d /sys/class/net/wlan* 2>/dev/null); do if [ -d $i/device/driver/spi* ]; then basename $i; fi; done)"
echo $WLAN
# wlan0

After bringing up the interface you can perform more configuration on it via the 'cli_app' (see below)

ifconfig $WLAN up

Building:

The driver compiles a single module 'nrc.ko' and can be built out-of-tree by assigning KDIR to the directory of your kernel:
```
KDIR=/usr/src/venice/bsp/linux make
```
Kernel Requirements: CONFIG_CRYPTO_CCM, CONFIG_CRYPTO_GCM, CONFIG_CRYPTO_SEQIV, CONFIG_CRYPTO_CBC, CONFIG_CRYPTO_CTR, CONFIG_CRYPTO_ECB, CONFIG_CRYPTO_AES

OpenWrt Information

For customers interested in OpenWRT, view repository link for NRC7292:

https://github.com/newracom/nrc7292_openwrt

cli_app

There is a 'cli_app' that is part of the driver code which communicates with the driver via the Netlink generic socket family API. Netlink is a Linux kernel interface used for inter-process communication between kernel and userspace similar to unix domain sockets designed for transferring miscellaneous networking information between kernel space and userspace processes. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Netlink for details.

The cli_app facilitates setting misc details that are not handled via iw. The app can be used in interactive mode by running without args or by sending commands.

Example usage showing useful features:

interactive mode

# ./cli_app
===================================================
     Newracom Command Line Application (2.4)      
===================================================
NRC> help
===================================================================================================
 help                                                   :show CLI tree
 exit                                                   :exit program
 show version                                           :show version
 show config [vif_id]                                   :show configuration
 show edca                                              :show EDCA parameters
 show uinfo [vif_id]                                    :show UMAC information
 show ampdu [clear]                                     :show/clear AMPDU count
 show signal [start|stop] [interval] [number]           :show rssi/snr
 show maxagg                                            :show max aggregation
 show duty                                              :show duty cycle
 show autotxgain                                        :show autotxgain
 show cal_use                                           :show cal_use
 show bdf_use                                           :show board data use
 show recovery stats                                    :show recovery
 show detection stats                                   :show detection
 show temp                                              :show temp
 show wakeup_pin                                        :show wakeup pin configuration
 show wakeup_source                                     :show wakeup source configuration
 show stats simple_rx                                   :show received packet information
 show mac clear                                         :clear TX/RX Statistics
 show mac tx stats                                      :show TX Statistics
 show mac tx clear                                      :clear TX Statistics
 show mac rx stats                                      :show RX Statistics
 show mac rx clear                                      :clear RX Statistics
 set gi <short|long|auto>                               :set guard interval
 set maxagg <AC(0-3)> <Max(0-13,0:off)> {size:default=0}:set aggregation
 set config <ack[0,1]> <agg[0,1]> <mcs>                 :set ack, aggregation, mcs
 set rc <on|off> [vif_id] [mode]                        :set rate control
 set duty <on|off> {duty window} {tx duration} {exclude mgmt[0|1]}:set duty cycle
 set cal_use <on|off>                                   :set cal_use
 set bdf_use <on|off>                                   :set board data use
 set txpwr <value(1~30)>                                :set txpwrt
 set wakeup_pin {Debounce:on|off} {PIN Number:0~31}     :set wakeup pin for deepsleep
 set wakeup_soruce rtc gpio hspi                        :set wakeup source for deepsleep
 set addba [tid] {mac address}                          :set addba tid / send addba with mac address
 set delba [tid] {mac address}                          :set delba tid / send delba with mac address
 set rts <on|off|default> <threshold> <vif_id>          :set rts on/off
 test mcs <mcs value>                                   :set mcs
 test country JP <CS time> <Blank time> or <show>       :set/show tx time control for JP(Japan)
===================================================================================================
OK
NRC> exit
===================================================
      Exit Newracom Command Line Application      
===================================================

Show software/hardware version info:

# ./cli_app show version
Newracom Firmware Version        : 01.03.03
gerrit/master                    : c977f
Board Revision                   : 7292A
OK

Set use of board data for tx power levels and calibration:

# ./cli_app set bdf_use on
Board Data use                   : on
OK

Enable A-MPDU (frame aggregation):

# ./cli_app set maxagg 1 8
-------------------------------- updated aggregation ----------------------------------
AC       : BK           State    : OFF          Value    : 8            Size    : 0
AC       : BE           State    : ON           Value    : 8            Size    : 0
AC       : VI           State    : OFF          Value    : 8            Size    : 0
AC       : VO           State    : OFF          Value    : 8            Size    : 0
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
OK
root@focal-venice-sta:~# ./cli_app set maxagg 1 on
-------------------------------- updated aggregation ----------------------------------
AC       : BK           State    : OFF          Value    : 8            Size    : 0
AC       : BE           State    : ON           Value    : 8            Size    : 0
AC       : VI           State    : OFF          Value    : 8            Size    : 0
AC       : VO           State    : OFF          Value    : 8            Size    : 0
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
OK

Set guard band interval to long (or short if you wish)
```
# ./cli_app set gi long
guard interval : long
OK
```

Enable RF calibration:

# ./cli_app set cal_use on
Calibration_use : on                    Country  : US
OK

For more info see UG-7292-007-Command line application.pdf

Note that the interface needs to be up.

Configuration and Usage examples

Standard Configuration

Steps 1 through 4 below are required for operation:

Set the country code (required for newer versions of the driver) (MANDATORY every boot)
```
iw reg set US
```
- note that this can be done automatically in a number of ways:
  - kernel cmdline: add 'cfg80211.ieee80211_regdom=US' to bootargs
  - Ubuntu modprobe.d: 'echo "options cfg80211 ieee80211_regdom=US" > /etc/modprobe.d/cfg80211_regdomain.conf'
  - OpenWrt modules.d: 'echo "cfg80211 ieee80211_regdom=US" > /etc/modules.d/cfg80211_regdomain.conf'
Confirm the device exists on the USB bus:

lsusb shows GW16046 on bus with VID:0x2beb and PID=0x0146

lsusb -d 0x2beb:0x0146
# Bus 001 Device 003: ID 2beb:0146

Find the correct wlan interface that is bound to the NRC7292 driver by looking for a devices in /sys/class/net with a SPI based device-driver:

WLAN="$(for i in $(ls -d /sys/class/net/wlan* 2>/dev/null); do if [ -d $i/device/driver/spi* ]; then basename $i; fi; done)"
echo $WLAN
# wlan0

Bring up the interface (required for configuration below)
```
ifconfig $WLAN up
```
Now configure wlan0 as an access point or client (station) given different examples below.

Manual Configuration

Optional More Manual Config When Not Using Gateworks Ubuntu BSP:

Confirm the device exists on the USB bus:

lsusb shows GW16046 on bus with VID:0x2beb and PID=0x0146

lsusb -d 0x2beb:0x0146
# Bus 001 Device 003: ID 2beb:0146

Device Drivers: (this is done automatically when using the latest Gateworks Ubuntu BSP)
Load the NRC7292 driver providing the fw_name bd_name and spi_polling_interval parameters:
```
modprobe nrc fw_name=nrc7292_cspi.bin bd_name=nrc7292_bd.dat spi_polling_interval=5
```
- After several seconds you should see a new wlan device under /sys/class/net

Find the correct wlan interface that is bound to the NRC7292 driver by looking for a devices in /sys/class/net with a SPI based device-driver:

WLAN="$(for i in $(ls -d /sys/class/net/wlan* 2>/dev/null); do if [ -d $i/device/driver/spi* ]; then basename $i; fi; done)"
echo $WLAN
# wlan0

Set the country code (required for newer versions of the driver) (MANDATORY every boot)
```
iw reg set US
```
bring up the interface (required for configuration below)
```
ifconfig $WLAN up
```

Popular CLI_APP Configuration

(Optional) Configure miscellaneous parameters via cli_app Netlink tool

Enable transmission power controL (TPC)

# cli_app set bdf_use on # enable transmission power control (TPC)
Board Data use                   : on
OK

Configure frame aggregation

# cli_app set maxagg 1 8 # configure frame aggregation
-------------------------------- updated aggregation ----------------------------------
AC       : BK           State    : OFF          Value    : 8            Size    : 0
AC       : BE           State    : OFF          Value    : 8            Size    : 0
AC       : VI           State    : OFF          Value    : 8            Size    : 0
AC       : VO           State    : OFF          Value    : 8            Size    : 0
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
OK
# cli_app set maxagg 1 on # enable frame aggregation
-------------------------------- updated aggregation ----------------------------------
AC       : BK           State    : OFF          Value    : 8            Size    : 0
AC       : BE           State    : ON           Value    : 8            Size    : 0
AC       : VI           State    : OFF          Value    : 8            Size    : 0
AC       : VO           State    : OFF          Value    : 8            Size    : 0
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
OK

The Access Category (BK/BE/VI/VO) are based on ToS field in an IP header:
- BK: 0x20, 0x28, 0x38, 0x48, 0x58
- BE: 0x00, 0x60, 0x70
- VI: 0x88, 0x90, 0x98, 0xa0, 0xb8
- VO: 0xc0, 0xe0

configure guard band interval

# cli_app set gi long # set long guard interval
guard interval : long
OK

Configure power calibration

# cli_app set cal_use on # enable power calibration
Calibration_use : on                    Country  : US
OK

For the Command Line App usage details see UG-7292-007-Command Line Application.pdf

Access Point / Client Station Examples

Configure AP (access point) or STA (station / client) mode:

Define your channel and SSID via env variables (used in scripts below)
```
SSID=halow_demo
CH=161
PSK=12345678
```
- For Channel mapping details see: UG-7292-003-S1G_Channel.pdf

Open security model:

AP (access point) (using WLAN/SSID/CH env variables)

# apt install hostapd # make sure hostapd is installed
# /etc/init.d/hostapd stop # make sure its not running
# cat << EOF > /tmp/hostapd.conf
ctrl_interface=/var/run/hostapd
country_code=US
interface=$WLAN
ssid=$SSID
hw_mode=a
channel=$CH
ieee80211h=1
ieee80211d=1
ieee80211n=1
macaddr_acl=0
driver=nl80211
beacon_int=100
ap_max_inactivity=16780
EOF
# hostapd /tmp/hostapd.conf &
[1] 1006
Configuration file: /tmp/hostapd.conf
rfkill: Cannot open RFKILL control device
wlan0: interface state UNINITIALIZED->COUNTRY_UPDATE
Using interface wlan0 with hwaddr 84:25:3f:87:fc:b6 and ssid "halow_demo"
wlan0: interface state COUNTRY_UPDATE->ENABLED
wlan0: AP-ENABLED

STA (station / client) (using WLAN/SSID env variables)

# cat << EOF > /tmp/wpa_supplicant.conf
ctrl_interface=/var/run/wpa_supplicant

country=US
network={
    ssid="$SSID"
    scan_ssid=1
    key_mgmt=NONE
    freq_list=2412 2422 2432 2442 2452 2462 5180 5185 5190 5195 5200 5205 5210 5215 5220 5225 5230 5235 5240 5745 5750 5755 5760 5500 5520 5540 2417 2437 2457 5765 5770 5775 5780 5785 5790 5795 5800 5805 5560 2447 5810 5815 5820 5825 5580
    scan_freq=2412 2422 2432 2442 2452 2462 5180 5185 5190 5195 5200 5205 5210 5215 5220 5225 5230 5235 5240 5745 5750 5755 5760 5500 5520 5540 2417 2437 2457 5765 5770 5775 5780 5785 5790 5795 5800 5805 5560 2447 5810 5815 5820 5825 5580
}

p2p_disabled=1
EOF
# wpa_supplicant -i $WLAN -c /tmp/wpa_supplicant.conf &

WPA2-PSK security

AP (using WLAN/SSID/CH/PSK env variables)

# cat << EOF > /tmp/hostapd.conf
ctrl_interface=/var/run/hostapd
country_code=US
interface=$WLAN
ssid=$SSID
hw_mode=a
channel=$CH
ieee80211h=1
ieee80211d=1
ieee80211n=1
macaddr_acl=0
driver=nl80211
beacon_int=100
ap_max_inactivity=16780
wpa=2
wpa_key_mgmt=WPA-PSK
wpa_pairwise=CCMP
rsn_pairwise=CCMP
wpa_passphrase=$PSK
EOF
# hostapd /tmp/hostapd.conf &

STA (station / client) (using WLAN/SSID/PSK env variables)

# cat << EOF > /tmp/wpa_supplicant.conf
ctrl_interface=/var/run/wpa_supplicant
 
country=US
update_config=1
network={
    ssid="$SSID"
    scan_ssid=1
    proto=RSN
    key_mgmt=WPA-PSK
    pairwise=CCMP
    group=CCMP
    psk="$PSK"
    freq_list=2412 2422 2432 2442 2452 2462 5180 5185 5190 5195 5200 5205 5210 5215 5220 5225 5230 5235 5240 5745 5750 5755 5760 5500 5520 5540 2417 2437 2457 5765 5770 5775 5780 5785 5790 5795 5800 5805 5560 2447 5810 5815 5820 5825 5580
    scan_freq=2412 2422 2432 2442 2452 2462 5180 5185 5190 5195 5200 5205 5210 5215 5220 5225 5230 5235 5240 5745 5750 5755 5760 5500 5520 5540 2417 2437 2457 5765 5770 5775 5780 5785 5790 5795 5800 5805 5560 2447 5810 5815 5820 5825 5580
}
p2p_disabled=1
ignore_old_scan_res=1
EOF
# wpa_supplicant -i $WLAN -c /tmp/wpa_supplicant.conf &

WPA3-SEA (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simultaneous_Authentication_of_Equals)

AP (using WLAN/SSID/PSK env variables)

# cat << EOF > /tmp/hostapd.conf
ctrl_interface=/var/run/hostapd
country_code=US
interface=$WLAN
ssid=$SSID
hw_mode=a
channel=$CH
ieee80211h=1
ieee80211d=1
ieee80211n=1
ieee80211w=2
macaddr_acl=0
driver=nl80211
beacon_int=100
ap_max_inactivity=16780
wpa=2
wpa_key_mgmt=SAE
wpa_pairwise=CCMP
rsn_pairwise=CCMP
wpa_passphrase=$PSK
EOF
# hostapd /tmp/hostapd.conf &

STA (station / client) (using WLAN/SSID/PSK env variables)

# cat << EOF > /tmp/wpa_supplicant.conf
ctrl_interface=/var/run/wpa_supplicant

country=US
update_config=1
network={
    ssid="$SSID"
    scan_ssid=1
    proto=RSN
    key_mgmt=SAE
    pairwise=CCMP
    group=CCMP
    psk="$PSK"
    ieee80211w=2
    freq_list=2412 2422 2432 2442 2452 2462 5180 5185 5190 5195 5200 5205 5210 5215 5220 5225 5230 5235 5240 5745 5750 5755 5760 5500 5520 5540 2417 2437 2457 5765 5770 5775 5780 5785 5790 5795 5800 5805 5560 2447 5810 5815 5820 5825 5580
    scan_freq=2412 2422 2432 2442 2452 2462 5180 5185 5190 5195 5200 5205 5210 5215 5220 5225 5230 5235 5240 5745 5750 5755 5760 5500 5520 5540 2417 2437 2457 5765 5770 5775 5780 5785 5790 5795 5800 5805 5560 2447 5810 5815 5820 5825 5580
}
p2p_disabled=1
ignore_old_scan_res=1
EOF
# wpa_supplicant -i $WLAN -c /tmp/wpa_supplicant.conf &

WPA3-OWE (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opportunistic_Wireless_Encryption)

AP (using WLAN/SSID/PSK env variables)

# cat << EOF > /tmp/hostapd.conf
ctrl_interface=/var/run/hostapd
country_code=US
interface=$WLAN
ssid=$SSID
hw_mode=a
channel=$CH
ieee80211h=1
ieee80211d=1
ieee80211n=1
ieee80211w=2
macaddr_acl=0
driver=nl80211
beacon_int=100
ap_max_inactivity=16780
wpa=2
wpa_key_mgmt=OWE
wpa_pairwise=CCMP
rsn_pairwise=CCMP
EOF
# hostapd /tmp/hostapd.conf &

STA (using WLAN/SSID/PSK env variables)

# cat << EOF > /tmp/wpa_supplicant.conf
ctrl_interface=/var/run/wpa_supplicant

country=US
update_config=1
pmf=2
network={
    ssid="$SSID"
    scan_ssid=1
    proto=RSN
    key_mgmt=OWE
    pairwise=CCMP
    group=CCMP
    psk="$PSK"
    ieee80211w=2
    freq_list=2412 2422 2432 2442 2452 2462 5180 5185 5190 5195 5200 5205 5210 5215 5220 5225 5230 5235 5240 5745 5750 5755 5760 5500 5520 5540 2417 2437 2457 5765 5770 5775 5780 5785 5790 5795 5800 5805 5560 2447 5810 5815 5820 5825 5580
    scan_freq=2412 2422 2432 2442 2452 2462 5180 5185 5190 5195 5200 5205 5210 5215 5220 5225 5230 5235 5240 5745 5750 5755 5760 5500 5520 5540 2417 2437 2457 5765 5770 5775 5780 5785 5790 5795 5800 5805 5560 2447 5810 5815 5820 5825 5580
}
p2p_disabled=1
ignore_old_scan_res=1
EOF
# wpa_supplicant -i $WLAN -c /tmp/wpa_supplicant.conf &

802.11s Mesh

Mesh has a lot of options and is complex in it's nature.

Newracom uses and evaluation kit (EVK) on a Raspberry Pi and a lot of mesh functionality and examples about that are shown in this document here . Gateworks does not use a lot of the scripts and software packages from Newracom despite using the Newracom driver.

A basic example to setup a 'mesh point' would be the following:

Verify proper operation of the GW16146 in standard AP/STA mode first

Create a wpa_supplicant.conf file that defines the radio as a 'mesh point', example below of a wpa_supplicant.conf file

ctrl_interface=/var/run/wpa_supplicant

country=US
network={
    ssid="nrc_mesh"
    mode=5
    scan_ssid=1
    key_mgmt=NONE
    beacon_int=100
#BW.11ah(Freq)
    frequency=5795
    freq_list=5795
    scan_freq=5795
    dot11MeshRetryTimeout=1000
    dot11MeshHoldingTimeout=400
    dot11MeshMaxRetries=4
    mesh_rssi_threshold=-90
    mesh_basic_rates= 60 120 240
    #no_auto_peer=1
}
p2p_disabled=1
ignore_old_scan_res=1
mesh_max_inactivity=-1

Be sure the wlan0 interface exists and is up
```
ifconfig wlan0 up
```

Bring up the radio using wpa_supplicant:

wpa_supplicant -i wlan0 -c /etc/wpa_supplicant.conf -dddd &

Verify that the interface is in 'mesh' mode by seeing where it says 'type mesh point' in the example below:

root@mesh-10-3:~# iw wlan0 info
Interface wlan0
        ifindex 4
        wdev 0x1
        addr 1c:bc:ec:1b:2a:87
        type mesh point
        wiphy 0
        channel 159 (5795 MHz), width: 20 MHz, center1: 5795 MHz
        txpower 30.00 dBm
        multicast TXQ:
                qsz-byt qsz-pkt flows   drops   marks   overlmt hashcol tx-bytes        tx-packets
                0       0       28      0       0       0       0       2816            28

Show and 'dump' a list of all connected mesh nodes:

root@mesh-10-3:~# iw wlan0 station dump
Station 84:25:3f:87:fc:b6 (on wlan0)
	inactive time:	17700 ms
	rx bytes:	287288
	rx packets:	3921
	tx bytes:	869
	tx packets:	13
	tx retries:	0
	tx failed:	0
	rx drop misc:	11
	signal:  	-90 dBm
	signal avg:	-90 dBm
	Toffset:	1596110650506024084 us
	tx bitrate:	6.0 MBit/s
	tx duration:	0 us
	rx bitrate:	6.0 MBit/s
	rx duration:	0 us
	expected throughput:	2.929Mbps
	mesh llid:	0
	mesh plid:	0
	mesh plink:	ESTAB
	mesh airtime link metric: 2731
	mesh connected to gate:	no
	mesh connected to auth server:	no
	mesh local PS mode:	ACTIVE
	mesh peer PS mode:	ACTIVE
	mesh non-peer PS mode:	ACTIVE
	authorized:	yes
	authenticated:	yes
	associated:	yes
	preamble:	long
	WMM/WME:	yes
	MFP:		no
	TDLS peer:	no
	DTIM period:	2
	beacon interval:100
	connected time:	203 seconds
	associated at [boottime]:	23.826s
	associated at:	1700600258324 ms
	current time:	1700600460874 ms
Station 1c:bc:ec:1b:2a:87 (on wlan0)
	inactive time:	360 ms
	rx bytes:	287878
	rx packets:	3927
	tx bytes:	1541
	tx packets:	17
	tx retries:	0
	tx failed:	0
	rx drop misc:	13
	signal:  	-84 dBm
	signal avg:	-84 dBm
	tx bitrate:	6.0 MBit/s
	tx duration:	0 us
	rx bitrate:	6.0 MBit/s
	rx duration:	0 us
	expected throughput:	8.789Mbps
	mesh llid:	0
	mesh plid:	0
	mesh plink:	ESTAB
	mesh airtime link metric: 911
	mesh connected to gate:	no
	mesh connected to auth server:	no
	mesh local PS mode:	ACTIVE
	mesh peer PS mode:	ACTIVE
	mesh non-peer PS mode:	ACTIVE
	authorized:	yes
	authenticated:	yes
	associated:	yes
	preamble:	long
	WMM/WME:	yes
	MFP:		no
	TDLS peer:	no
	DTIM period:	2
	beacon interval:100
	connected time:	203 seconds
	associated at [boottime]:	23.836s
	associated at:	1700600258334 ms
	current time:	1700600460875 ms
root@mesh-10-3:~#

Show and 'dump' a path of all connected mesh nodes: (example shows to get to node 84:25:3f:87:fc:b6, you will need to 'hop' through 1c:bc:ec:1b:2a:87, thus proving the mesh is working)

root@mesh-10-3:~# iw wlan0 mpath dump
DEST ADDR         NEXT HOP          IFACE	SN	METRIC	QLEN	EXPTIME		DTIM	DRET	FLAGS	HOP_COUNT	PATH_CHANGE
1c:bc:ec:1b:2a:87 1c:bc:ec:1b:2a:87 wlan0	0	911	0	0	0	0	0x10	1	1
84:25:3f:87:fc:b6 1c:bc:ec:1b:2a:87 wlan0	4	1017	0	0	0	0	0x14	2	4

To start mesh on every boot, a system service (read more on google) can be setup or a simple /etc/rc.local script like so:

sleep 2s
iw reg set US && ifconfig wlan0 up &&  ifconfig eth0 down && ifconfig wlan0 192.168.10.3
sleep 2s
wpa_supplicant -i wlan0 -c /etc/wpa_supplicant.conf -dddd &
exit 0

Adhoc / IBSS Mode

Adhoc / IBSS Mode may only be supported with specific driver versions

Troubleshooting

Ensure the device can be seen on the USB bus:

# lsusb -d 0x2beb:0x0146
Bus 001 Device 003: ID 2beb:0146

Ensure the spi_ft232h driver is loaded

# lsmod | grep ft232
spi_ft232h             24576  0
# dmesg | grep ft232
[    7.555554] usbcore: registered new interface driver spi_ft232h

Ensure the spi_ft232h driver has registers a SPI bus:

# ls -l /sys/class/spi_master/ | grep ft232h
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 0 Aug 31 20:13 spi3 -> ../../devices/platform/soc@0/soc@0:bus@32c00000/32e50000.usb/ci_hdrc.1/usb1/1-1/1-1.3/1-1.3:1.0/spi-ft232h.0/spi_master/spi3

Ensure the there is a wireless interface in /sys/class/net:
```
# ls /sys/class/net
eth0  eth1  lo  wlan0
```

Possible regulatory domain issue:

Because there is not country set in the target, the target asserts. As was shown below and given here again:
[177933905] ASSERT(0) at CheckNUpdateCHTableByVif() in umac/umac_s1g_channel.c, 1033
or
[Error] CC is 00 or 99. Skip loading BD and setting CC

It is mandatory to set the regulatory domain every boot: (example shows for USA)
iw reg set US 

Verify the cli_app can talk to the GW16146 module:

# cli_app show version
Newracom Firmware Version        : 01.05.00
gerrit/master                    : 69f978e
OK

Device sleeping
```
[Error] the target device cannot respond while deep sleep.
```
Be sure the regulatory domain is set as describe above and the interface is brought up afterwards with the following command:
```
ifconfig wlan0 up #assuming wlan0 is your GW16146
```

Hardware

The Mini-PCIe connector on the GW16146 uses the USB channel only for communicating to the 802.11ah module. See below schematic for the connector.

J1 Test Debug Header

J1 is a header that is not loaded by default but can be loaded on 100 piece or more orders.

This header can allow for a direct UART connection to the SX-NEWAH chip.

Pin	Function
1	3.3VDC
2	MODE
3	UART_TX
4	UART_RX
5	Ground

Attachments (7)

gw16146v3.png (620.3 KB ) - added by Ryan Erbstoesser 3 years ago.
80211ahadvantages.png (133.0 KB ) - added by Ryan Erbstoesser 3 years ago.
GW16146.sh (855 bytes ) - added by Cale Collins 3 years ago. GW16145 configuration script
GW16146_pinout.png (417.9 KB ) - added by Ron Eisworth 2 years ago. Mini-PCIe Schematic
j1gw16146.png (30.5 KB ) - added by Ryan Erbstoesser 14 months ago.
silexantennas.png (91.1 KB ) - added by Ryan Erbstoesser 10 months ago.
silex-halow-countries.png (588.7 KB ) - added by Ryan Erbstoesser 4 months ago.

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Plain Text

Wi-Fi channel setting	Sub 1 GHz frequency [MHz]
6	905
10	907
153	909
154	911
155	913
156	915
157	917
158	919
159	921
160	923
161	925

Wi-Fi channel setting	Sub 1 GHz frequency [MHz]
6	905
10	907
153	909
154	911
155	913
156	915
157	917
158	919
159	921
160	923
161	925

Wi-Fi channel setting	Sub 1 GHz frequency [MHz]
6	905
10	907
153	909
154	911
155	913
156	915
157	917
158	919
159	921
160	923
161	925