Seeed Studio Offers a Mini-PCIe Wi-Fi HaLow Module for IoT and Industrial Applications with XIAO Wi-Fi HaLow Board

The Wio-WM6180 Wi-Fi HaLow Mini-PCIe Module and the Wi-Fi HaLow Board for Seeed Studio XIAO are long-range, low-power wireless connectivity solutions based on the Quectel FGH100M-H module operating in the 902-928 MHz frequency band.

They follow the IEEE 802.11ah standard, cover up to 1 km, and work well through walls, making it great for smart homes and IoT. An industry-standard Mini-PCIe form factor ensures easy integration into industrial and embedded systems. Support hundreds of simultaneous device connections, and offer robust security with AES, SHA-256, SHA-384, SHA-512, and WPA3 encryption. The physical data rate reaches up to 32.5 Mbps, and supports both AP and STA operating modes. Designed for reliability, they operate in extreme temperatures ranging from -40°C to +85°C.

The Mini-PCIe module is designed for industrial and embedded applications, while the Seeed Studio XIAO-compatible board offers seamless integration with XIAO ESP32 series boards. Both modules ensure optimized power efficiency, making them suitable for smart home devices, industrial automation, smart city infrastructure, agricultural IoT monitoring, and environmental monitoring systems. Additional antennas may be required for optimal performance, with recommended models including the 2.6dBi Long Range Antenna and SMA to I-PEX Antenna Cable.

Wio-WM6180 Wi-Fi HaLow Mini-PCIe Module Specifications:

• Wi-Fi HaLow SoC: Quectel FGH100M-H
• Chipset: Morse Micro MM6108
  • Wireless Standard: IEEE 802.11ah
  • Frequency Band: 902–928 MHz (Sub-1 GHz)
  • Modulation Modes: OFDM, BPSK, QPSK, 16QAM, 64QAM
  • Max Data Rate: Up to 32.5 Mbps
  • Modulation Range: Up to 1km
  • Security: AES, SHA-256, SHA-384, SHA-512, WPA3
  • Operating Modes: AP (Access Point) / STA (Station)
  • Antenna: 1 x IPEX (requires external antenna)
• Interface: Mini-PCIe
• Power Supply:
  • VBAT: 3.0–3.6V (typ. 3.3V)
  • VDD_IO: 1.62–3.6V (typ. 1.8V/3.3V)
  • VDD_FEM: 3.0–5.25V (typ. 5V)
• Dimensions: 50 x 30mm
• Temperature Range:
  • Operating Temperature: -30°C to +85°C
  • Extended Temperature: -40°C to +85°C

Using an mPCIe HAT, you can connect the Wio-WM6180 to a Raspberry Pi 4. You’ll also need a microSD card for flashing OpenWrt with HaLow drivers, a power supply, and an antenna.

The wiki walks you through the setup until you reach Morse Micro’s OpenWrt LuCi web interface and explains how to set up the Pi as an access point. But for other platforms, the documentation isn’t helpful since it doesn’t specify the interface used on the mini PCIe connector or provide driver links. It appears to replicate the setup of the Morse Micro MM6801-EKH01 evaluation kit, so you can refer to the official devkit documentation for additional guidance.

The Wio-WM6180 Wi-Fi HaLow mini PCIe module is available on Seeed Studio for $14.90. Just keep in mind that you’ll need a ~900 MHz antenna, or you can grab the 2.6dBi model with a u.FL to SMA adapter for $4.39.

Wi-Fi HaLow Module for Seeed Studio XIAO Specification:

• Wi-Fi Standard: IEEE 802.11ah (Wi-Fi HaLow)
• Frequency Band: 902–928 MHz
• Modulation: OFDM, BPSK, QPSK, 16QAM, 64QAM
• Wi-Fi Operating Modes: AP / STA
• Security: AES, SHA-256, SHA-384, SHA-512, WPA3
• Max Data Rate: Up to 32.5 Mbps
• Antenna: 1×1 external antenna (SMA to I-PEX recommended)
• Power Supply:
  • VBAT: 3.0–3.6V (typ. 3.3V)
  • VDD_IO: 1.62–3.6V (typ. 1.8V/3.3V)
  • VDD_FEM: 3.0–5.25V (typ. 5V)
• Dimensions: 42 x 25 x 13mm
• Temperature Range:
  • Operating Temperature: -30°C to +85°C
  • Extended Temperature Range: -40°C to +85°C
• Compatible Boards: Seeed Studio XIAO series (recommended XIAO ESP32)

Currently, the documentation is only applicable to XIAO ESP32 modules, as it depends on ESP-IDF v5.1.1 and the Morse Micro MM-IoT-SDK Framework specifically for ESP32 boards.

Previously, we have covered Murata’s Wi-Fi HaLow 11ah modules and Gateworks HaLow Mini-PCIe radio. For use cases, we have also written about Wi-Fi HaLow Camera for long-range connectivity, supporting up to 1 km.

At the time of writing, the Wi-Fi HaLow module for Seeed Studio XIAO is available for $14.90 on the company’s online store. The XIAO ESP32S3 Sense costs an additional $13.99, and an antenna, as recommended for the mini PCIe module, would add around $4 or more.