MikroTik Partners with Morse Micro for a Feature-Packed, Rugged Wi-Fi HaLow IoT Gateway

MikroTik has partnered with Morse Micro to launch its first outdoor Internet of Things (IoT) gateway to feature Wi-Fi HaLow technology U2014 alongside traditional Wi-Fi, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), LTE cellular, and Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) reception: the KNOT Gateway HL9.

"Long-range connectivity is only part of the challenge. You still need to get that data back to your network and make something useful out of it," says MikroTik's head of innovation Deniss Truhanovs of the company's partnership on the new gateway design. "By combining Morse Micro's innovative Wi-Fi HaLow technology with the flexibility of RouterOS, the KNOT Gateway HL9 gives customers the freedom to build solutions around their actual deployment needs, without breaking the bank."

Wi-Fi HaLow, more properly known as IEEE 802.11ah, expands the ubiquitous Wi-Fi standard into the sub-gigahertz band — providing lower throughput in exchange for increasing its maximum range and reducing power draw for both transmission and reception. The standard is also designed to work better in busy radio environments, grouping stations together to reduce contention for bandwidth — making it ideal for sensor networks and high-density Internet of Things deployments such as smart cities.

The KNOT Gateway HL9 — which is also available with 868Mhz LoRa instead, as the KNOT Gateway LR8, for those not yet deploying Wi-Fi HaLow networks — features gigabit Ethernet with Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) support for wired communication plus single-band 2.4GHz Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.1 Low Energy (BLE), a CAT1 bis LTE 4G cellular modem with both physical nanoSIM and embedded SIM (eSIM) options, and multi-constellation Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) radios, on top of the Wi-Fi HaLow connectivity.

The gateway is designed to connect to multiple BLE or Wi-Fi HaLow sensor nodes then use either Wi-Fi, cellular, or wired Ethernet as a backhaul connection. The built-in RouterOS operating system is designed to filter data locally where required, offers scriptable logic for customization, and supports MQTT and HTTP publishing. The hardware, meanwhile, is housed in an IP66 outdoor-suitable casing, and features a Qualcomm IPQ-5010 800MHz dual-core processor, 256MB of RAM, and 128MB of NAND flash storage.

"MikroTik’s entry into Wi-Fi HaLow is a strong indicator of the market's direction," boasts Morse Micro cofounder and chief executive officer Michael De Nil. "MikroTik is a trusted global networking brand, and we're excited to partner with them to make Wi-Fi HaLow more accessible across a wide range of industries and applications."

More information on the KNOT Gateway HL9 is available on the MikroTik website; the device is available to order from resellers at a suggested $139 retail price, including mounting hardware, Power-over-Ethernet injector, and a 24V 0.5A DC power supply.