Morse Micro has introduced two Wi-Fi HaLow USB dongle reference designs aimed at making long-range wireless connectivity easier to add to equipment that was never designed with Wi-Fi HaLow hardware onboard.

Built around the company’s MM8108 system-on-chip, the MM8108-RD09 and MM8108-RD17 both use USB as the connection point between Wi-Fi HaLow and an existing host platform. For industrial users, that approach is significant because it creates a possible upgrade path for computers, robots and edge devices without requiring manufacturers to redesign the host motherboard around a dedicated HaLow radio.

Figure 1. Morse Micro’s MM8108 USB reference designs provide two different approaches to adding Wi-Fi HaLow connectivity to existing devices.

Why USB Changes the Integration Problem

Wi-Fi HaLow has usually been discussed in the context of new IoT equipment, where the radio can be designed into the product from the beginning. Industrial environments are different. A plant may already have computers, mobile equipment, robots or embedded controllers with years of useful service remaining, even though those platforms lack the wireless technology required for a new application.

Replacing the complete host platform simply to obtain another wireless interface is rarely attractive. Redesigning the electronics around a new radio can be equally difficult because it introduces RF engineering, firmware, certification and mechanical considerations. A USB implementation moves much of that complexity into an external reference design and leaves the existing host architecture largely intact.

That does not make integration completely plug-and-play in every application, but it changes the engineering starting point. Instead of asking how to redesign an industrial computer for Wi-Fi HaLow, developers can begin by asking whether an existing USB interface can provide the required connectivity.

Wi-Fi HaLow Targets a Different Wireless Space

Wi-Fi HaLow is based on IEEE 802.11ah and operates in sub-GHz spectrum rather than the 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz and 6 GHz bands associated with mainstream Wi-Fi. The lower operating frequency is intended to provide longer reach and better propagation characteristics for IoT applications while maintaining native IP networking.

Morse Micro says its HaLow implementations can provide network connectivity at distances reaching approximately one kilometer, although actual industrial range will always depend on regional frequency rules, antennas, transmit power, obstructions, interference and the physical environment.

This makes the technology interesting for sites where conventional Wi-Fi coverage becomes difficult or infrastructure-heavy. Warehouses, outdoor process areas, logistics yards, agricultural facilities and distributed industrial assets can all involve distances that are awkward to cover using ordinary indoor wireless assumptions.

The attraction is not simply maximum range. Wi-Fi HaLow is also designed around lower-power IoT operation while retaining familiar IP-based networking. That can reduce the need for protocol translation between the wireless link and conventional Ethernet or IP infrastructure.

RD09 Extends Wi-Fi HaLow Into Existing Network Infrastructure

The MM8108-RD09 is designed to operate in both access point and station applications. Morse Micro provides OpenWrt support that allows compatible routers and access points with USB connectivity to be upgraded with Wi-Fi HaLow capability.

This makes the RD09 particularly relevant to infrastructure developers and system integrators. An existing router platform may already provide Ethernet routing, firewalling, management and other network functions, while the USB reference design adds the HaLow radio layer.

The same design can also support client devices. Morse Micro lists native driver support for Windows and Linux, together with a macOS application, allowing conventional computers to connect to Wi-Fi HaLow networks through the USB device.

From an industrial integration perspective, this is a relatively familiar architecture: the operating system understands the wireless adapter through dedicated software, and the host can interact with the HaLow network as a network interface.

RD17 Takes a More Interesting Route for Industrial Equipment

The MM8108-RD17 addresses a different problem. Rather than requiring the host to understand a dedicated Wi-Fi HaLow adapter and corresponding driver, the dongle presents itself as a standard CDC-NCM Ethernet interface.

To the host, the connection therefore looks much more like a conventional network interface. Morse Micro describes the RD17 as driverless because devices supporting the standard CDC-NCM interface do not need a dedicated Morse Micro Wi-Fi HaLow driver installed on the host.

This distinction matters in industrial systems where software environments can be tightly controlled. An industrial computer may run a validated operating image that operators do not want to modify. A robot controller or embedded platform may also provide USB support while offering little flexibility for adding third-party kernel drivers.

By moving more of the HaLow-specific implementation away from the host, the RD17 potentially broadens the range of equipment that can use the wireless technology. Morse Micro specifically identifies industrial computers and robotics among its target applications, alongside point-of-sale terminals and Android or iOS devices.

Driverless Does Not Mean Configuration-Free

The term “driverless” can easily create the impression that no integration work is required. In practice, the important point is narrower: the host does not require a dedicated Wi-Fi HaLow driver when it already supports the standard CDC-NCM Ethernet interface.

Network configuration, authentication, addressing and application-level communication still need to be considered. Industrial engineers must also evaluate how the new wireless path interacts with existing network segmentation, cybersecurity policies and device management practices.

The RD17 includes support for Wi-Fi Easy Connect, also known as Device Provisioning Protocol, with a pairing button available for device authentication. This can simplify onboarding compared with manually provisioning wireless credentials through a host-specific application.

For organizations managing many distributed devices, onboarding is often just as important as radio performance. A technically capable wireless link becomes difficult to operate at scale if every endpoint requires a different provisioning workflow.

Existing Industrial Computers Are an Obvious Use Case

Industrial PCs often remain in service much longer than consumer computing equipment. Their processors, I/O interfaces and software may continue meeting application requirements even when the original networking options no longer match a new plant architecture.

A USB-based HaLow interface offers one possible way to extend those systems without replacing the computer. An industrial PC used for monitoring remote equipment, for example, could potentially connect over HaLow while preserving its existing software and Ethernet-based application stack.

This is particularly relevant to HMI and Industrial Computing platforms, where the useful life of the hardware often exceeds the lifecycle of individual communication technologies.

The same idea applies to edge computing systems. An edge device may collect sensor information, perform local analytics or run machine-learning inference near the process. If its existing network connection cannot economically cover the required distance, adding another radio interface can be easier than redesigning the entire edge platform.

Robotics Presents a Different Set of Connectivity Requirements

Robots and autonomous industrial devices are another area where the USB approach could be useful, although connectivity requirements vary substantially between applications. Not every robot communication link should be moved onto a long-range wireless network, particularly where deterministic control or safety-related communication is involved.

There are, however, many secondary data flows that do not require the wireless network to close the primary motion-control loop. Diagnostic information, equipment health data, production status, software management and selected sensor information can all be candidates for separate connectivity.

A mobile robot operating across a large facility may also move beyond the practical coverage area of a single conventional access point. Extending connectivity through sub-GHz wireless could reduce some coverage challenges, depending on site layout and performance requirements.

The engineering question is therefore not whether Wi-Fi HaLow should replace every existing industrial wireless technology. It is whether its combination of range, IP networking and lower-power operation fits a specific communication path better than the alternatives.

Long Range Can Reduce Infrastructure, but RF Planning Still Matters

A kilometer-scale range specification is attractive, but industrial sites rarely resemble open laboratory test environments. Steel structures, machinery, storage racks, process vessels and reinforced walls can all affect RF propagation, while nearby equipment may contribute electrical noise and interference.

For that reason, the practical benefit of HaLow may be fewer access points or better coverage in difficult areas rather than simply achieving the maximum advertised distance. A site survey and real installation testing remain important whenever the wireless network will carry operationally important data.

The sub-GHz operating band also varies by region, which means product configuration and regulatory requirements need to be considered when equipment is deployed internationally. Industrial OEMs planning one platform for several markets cannot assume identical radio parameters everywhere.

Native IP Simplifies the Network Architecture

One of Wi-Fi HaLow’s more important characteristics for industrial integration is native IP connectivity. Some long-range IoT technologies are intentionally optimized around low-data-rate sensor networks and rely on gateways to translate between the radio protocol and standard IP networks.

HaLow takes a different approach. Devices can participate in IP networking directly, which can make integration more familiar to teams already managing Ethernet and Wi-Fi infrastructure.

This does not remove the need for gateways, firewalls or routing where the architecture requires them. It simply means protocol translation does not have to be a fundamental part of every connection.

For engineers working across Industrial Communication and Networking systems, that familiarity may reduce some of the software integration work normally associated with adding a specialized long-range radio technology.

MM8108 Provides More Headroom Than Simple Sensor Connectivity

The MM8108 is Morse Micro’s second-generation Wi-Fi HaLow SoC. The company specifies PHY data rates reaching approximately 43.3 Mbps under supported operating conditions, which places the device well above the throughput requirements of many basic telemetry applications.

That does not mean an industrial installation will continuously achieve the maximum PHY rate, particularly at extended range. Actual application throughput is affected by channel conditions, modulation, protocol overhead and network design.

It does, however, help explain why Morse Micro is positioning the new USB designs for edge AI as well as conventional IoT connectivity. Distributed edge systems can generate considerably more information than simple temperature or pressure sensors, especially when applications involve machine diagnostics, images or richer operational datasets.

USB Can Also Accelerate Prototyping

The value of a reference design is not limited to retrofitting production equipment. USB hardware can also make early evaluation easier because developers do not have to commit immediately to a custom radio board.

A system integrator can test coverage, throughput and application behavior using an existing host before deciding whether a later production design should retain the USB implementation or integrate the MM8108 more directly.

This lowers the barrier to answering the most important early question: does Wi-Fi HaLow actually solve the connectivity problem at this site?

If the answer is no, the engineering team has avoided a substantial hardware-development effort. If the answer is yes, measurements collected during the prototype stage can inform antenna placement, network topology and future product design.

Two Reference Designs Address Two Different Upgrade Paths

The distinction between the RD09 and RD17 is ultimately more important than the fact that both products use USB. The RD09 integrates HaLow as a native wireless interface and is particularly suited to routers, access points and computers where dedicated software support is practical.

The RD17 abstracts more of that integration from the host by appearing as a standard CDC-NCM Ethernet interface. That makes it potentially more suitable for industrial and embedded equipment where installing additional wireless drivers is undesirable or impossible.

Both approaches address the same broader problem: a large installed base of equipment was designed before Wi-Fi HaLow became commercially available, and replacing that equipment simply to gain another radio technology is difficult to justify.

The Bigger Opportunity Is Connectivity Without Redesigning the Machine

The industrial significance of Morse Micro’s new reference designs is therefore less about the USB connector itself and more about what that connector avoids. Existing equipment may gain access to long-range sub-GHz networking without a complete host redesign, while developers can evaluate HaLow using hardware platforms they already understand.

That could be useful for industrial computers, robots, edge devices and network infrastructure spread across large facilities where conventional Wi-Fi coverage is difficult or expensive to extend. The RD17 is particularly noteworthy because its standard Ethernet presentation reduces dependency on host-specific wireless drivers, removing one common obstacle in legacy and embedded systems.

Wi-Fi HaLow will not replace every industrial network, nor should long-range wireless be treated as a substitute for deterministic control infrastructure. Its strongest role may instead be filling the space between short-range conventional Wi-Fi and specialized low-data-rate IoT networks, particularly where equipment needs native IP connectivity across a larger physical area.

For industrial engineers, the new USB designs make that option easier to test. Instead of beginning with a new motherboard, radio module and software integration project, the first experiment may now begin with an available USB port.