wifi halow via upython?

[krismc]

For a couple of years now I've had an itch to play with 802.11ah. Problem is I haven't been able to find any upython dev boards. When I first saw https://www.seeedstudio.com/Wio-WM6180-Wi-Fi-HaLow-Module-for-XIAO-p-6395.html I thought the 14 pin socket was for an esp32 to run it, but by the looks of https://wiki.seeedstudio.com/getting_started_with_wifi_halow_module_for_xiao/ the socket is for a camera & the user C code actually runs on the quectel? But then in the Example3 web_camera_server it looks like there is an esp32s3 involved too?

It's all a bit confusing & the morse micro API looks intimidating. Anyone found a upython capable halow board?

[peterhinch]

The docs you reference aren't too clear, but I think there is an ESP32 at both ends of the link. While MP supports ESP32, there is no doubt custom code to drive the 802.11ah modules which would be lacking. My guess is that porting that code to MP would be challenging.

[davefes]

Read through the documents about 2 days ago as I am interested in a camera link through 300 metres of forest. I first thought two of the ESP32 modules for a link, but seems a Raspberry Pi 4 Model B 4G and a PCIe module is required at the "home" end.

I am confused ... the PI is needed for a gateway. The other end of the link appears to be the same module running in AP mode. Please correct me if I am wrong.

[krismc]

I feared as much Peter.

There's plenty of off-the-shelf halow for ip cameras Dave (https://www.aliexpress.com/w/wholesale-wifi-halow.html?spm=a2g0o.home.search.0) etc but it's not much use if you want to include some extra metrics of your own as well.

[davefes]

@peterhinch

My guess is that porting that code to MP would be challenging.

I have been looking at another project that uses external C module. Looking through the docs at
https://docs.micropython.org/en/latest/develop/cmodules.html

seems to suggest that one should be able take all the low-level C code and incorporated that with a custom MP file to "talk" to the C functions. I haven't really done this myself but it sounds an easy process. Are there many pitfalls to be aware of? For example, what the C code actually contains in the way of instructions.

[krismc]

I initially thought I could send country code/ssid/pwd & maybe channel bw using AT cmds from upython on the SPI but apparently there is more involved than that.
Heltec (https://github.com/HelTecAutomation/ESP_HaLow?tab=readme-ov-file#Instructions) have one too, also using an esp32s3 & the morse micro SDK. Although their comment "Some libraries of Morse Micro Wi-Fi HaLow conflict with the latest ESP32S3 development environment, so the base code of ESP32S3 is stripped out and this development environment is established." is maybe a bit of a red flag.

[davefes]

I was just reading through some of the Heltec stuff on their website. Hadn't got as far as their Github page!