TI's kit and module for developing WiFi AP featured Sitara processor based designs

Texas Instruments (TI) has made available for its first module platform housing the WiLink 6.0 (WL1271) single-chip, wireless combo solution with TI's open source, Linux-based OpenLink drivers. The OpenLink drivers are built on the community-validated mac80211 Wi-Fi driver and BlueZ Bluetooth protocol stack. The WiLink 6.0 OpenLink platform is pre-integrated with TI's AM18x Sitara ARM microprocessors (MPUs) enabling designing of Sitara ARM MPU-based products as Wi-Fi access points via the new WiLink 6.0 OpenLink platform; to serve as mobile Wi-Fi gateway and to support peer-to-peer file transfers with other Wi-Fi enabled devices.

TI says OpenLink technology offers mobile-grade; battery-optimized Wi-Fi connectivity supporting native Linux designs, giving customers tested wireless technologies that can be easily re-integrated into designs as they migrate from one kernel version to the next. TI's mac80211 Wi-Fi driver is optimized to maximize system level throughput, adds TI.

Feature

Benefits

OpenLink open source drivers
(Wi-Fi and Bluetooth technologies)

Native Linux connectivity solutions
Simplified re-integration with Linux kernel upgrades
Peer-tested technologies
Predefined, validated hardware interfaces and software functionality

Minimized risk and design trade-off analysis
WPA supplicant, hostapd, BlueZ Stack, Open Obex software profiles

Inclusion of all components required for end-to-end connectivity functionality
First-time availability of soft access point via AM18x Sitara ARM EVM
Integrated system components
(all firmware, low-level drivers and applications)

Reduced engineering costs, faster time-to-market
Optimized system-level power consumption and throughput

Lower power, higher throughput in complex system use cases
Robust TI E2E community and third party support

Innovation through collaboration
Faster time-to-market

Pricing and availability: The production-ready WiLink 6.0 (WL1271) OpenLink module is packaged as a daughter card and bundled in the AM18x Sitara ARM EVM + WL1271 Development Kit, priced at $1,150.00. For customers already working on an AM18x Sitara ARM EVM, the standalone daughter card is available for $249. [Note: The WiLink 6.0 OpenLink daughter card is compatible with all existing AM18x Sitara ARM EVMs, except the AM1810 Sitara ARM MPU.