Informal Testing Proves that Wi-Fi HaLow is the Real Deal
April 22, 2025
Blog
When I attended CES in Las Vegas back in January, I came across Morse Micro, a provider of Wi-Fi HaLow ICs. I was unfamiliar with that specification, so I attempted to learn more. Apparently, I wasn’t the only one looking for more insight into this specification, because the company’s tabletop area was jam-packed, and being that I was already late for another appointment, I never hooked up with the Morse team. That changed when I attended Embedded World in Nuremberg last month. I got the full download on the spec, the company, and its latest SoC/transceiver.
I learned that Wi-Fi HaLow is a low-power, long-range wireless networking specification based on the IEEE 802.11ah standard. For the most part, it’s aimed at IoT applications. It operates in the sub-1 GHz license-exempt spectrum, which means that it is better at penetrating through walls and gets far greater coverage, up to 1 km in ideal conditions (FWIW, I didn’t believe that part at first).
Wi-Fi HaLow works well with very low-power devices, and because of its range, you can put those devices in harder-to-reach places because you aren’t swapping out new batteries on a regular basis. And the low data rate also means that one access point can support lots of devices (they claim the number to be in the thousands, but that’s a tough one to test, so I’ll take their word for it). And because it’s based on traditional Wi-Fi, it brings along all the security of that standard. The claim—and it’s an accurate one—is that Wi-Fi HaLow bridges the gap between Wi-Fi performance and the needs of the IoT.
Getting back to Morse Micro, the company announced its MM8102, a new Wi-Fi HaLow SoC tailored for mass IoT deployments in Europe and the Middle East. As a low-power variant of the company’s MM8108, the MM8102 delivers 1- and 2-MHz bandwidths at 256-QAM modulation, enabling throughputs up to 8.7 Mbits/s. The part meets European and global regulatory requirements, simplifying development for IoT device manufacturers.
Features of the MM8102 include USB, SDIO, and SPI host integration, as well as enhanced security with support for WPA3 with Simultaneous Authentication of Equals (SAE) and GCMP encryption. It’s housed in a 5-by-5-mm BGA package.
While at Embedded World, the Morse Micro folks sensed my non-belief and offered up a pair of access points (the HaLowLink 1) for me to conduct my own test, which I gladly accepted. I started with the two devices pretty close to each other, and gradually got further and further apart. When I reached the end of my neighbor’s property, which was as far as the extension cord would take me, and the connection started, I joined the conversation. My test took it a few hundred yards and through some concrete walls. That’s good enough for me. Now I just need to get my hands on some useful peripherals. That’s next. Stay tuned!
Richard Nass’ key responsibilities include setting the direction for all aspects of OSM’s ECD portfolio, including digital, print, and live events. Previously, Nass was the Brand Director for Design News. Prior, he led the content team for UBM’s Medical Devices Group, and all custom properties and events. Nass has been in the engineering OEM industry for more than 30 years. In prior stints, he led the Content Team at EE Times, Embedded.com, and TechOnLine. Nass holds a BSEE degree from NJIT.
