Quectel FGH200M Wi-Fi HaLow Module Supports Long-Range IoT Connectivity
Designed for sub-GHz 802.11ah connectivity, the compact module enables long-distance communication, low power operation, and support for thousands of IoT devices.
Quectel has launched the FGH200M, a small-sized Wi-Fi HaLow module with long-range (low-powered) IoT features. It is developed on the IEEE 802.11ah or Wi-Fi HaLow standard based on 100 kHz on the license-free sub-1 GHz band. Wi-Fi HaLow is also the appropriate choice for IoT in large-scale applications as compared to more conventional 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi solutions that possess a worse range, lower wall penetration, and can scale to a greater number of connected devices.
The module is aimed at applications with the need for reliable connectivity using wireless networks over large areas, keeping the power consumption low and the density of the devices high.
FGH200M Wi-Fi HaLow Module
A Long-range IoT based on Wi-Fi HaLow Technology
Wi-Fi HaLow operates over the 850MHz to 950MHz frequency band and can travel to greater distances and has far greater penetration ability of the signal with regard to traditional Wi-Fi networks. The FGH200M is capable of supporting a range of channel bandwidths, such as 1MHz, 2MHz, 4MHz and 8MHz, and hence it is flexible and can meet the performance and power requirements.
As announced, this module is capable of supporting the maximum physical data rate of 43.3 Mbps and provides an output power of 26 dBm in order to provide steady communications over long distances. This feature can be of great help to the large environments wherein numerous connected devices are required to communicate effectively with a central portal.
The other major benefit is that it can be used to support massive IoT. Only one access point is theoretically capable of serving 8,191 devices, which can be used on smart infrastructure, industrial monitoring or farming systems.
Compact Design and Interfaces
The FGH200M module, despite having a long range, has a very compact form factor, 11.0 mm × 10.0 mm × 2.0 mm in diameter and weighing approximately 0.51 g. This reduced size contributes to the minimization of the total footprint of the devices in IoT systems, as well as makes it easier to integrate into products with limited space.
To integrate the system, the module is compatible with a variety of common communication interfaces such as USB 2.0, SDIO, and SPI. The interfaces enable the developers to simply plug the module into a broad spectrum of embedded platforms and IoT devices, and also reduce the time of development.
Security and Reliability
Another critical element of the IoT communication is security, and the FGH200M has several encryption and authentication methods. Some of the security features maintained in the module include AES, SHA-256, SHA-384, SHA-512, WPA3, and OWE to provide availability of secure data transmission in the linked systems.
The module has been developed to work in a challenging environment, and it is secure. It can work in the range of -40 °C to +85 °C, which is why it can be deployed in industries and outdoors.
Quectel FGH200M Wi-Fi HaLow module is officially launched and is now offered by Quectel and its distributors to test and integrate into IoT equipment. The company has not told the price of the module publicly, though; normally it is based on the order volume and the distribution deal with different distributors, and so concerned developers/ OEMs must enquire with Quectel directly, to get a quote and a sample.
Images used courtesy of Quectel
