HLK-RM04 OpenWRT Wifi/Ethernet/RS232 bridge boards + more?

[Smokey]

Hey guys,
I was looking for a good solution to adding Wifi to an embedded project I've been working on and I came across this little board.
http://www.hlktech.net/product_detail.php?ProId=39



The HLK-RM04 looks pretty killer.  They advertize it as a Wifi/Ethernet/RS232 bridge but it's really a full 360mhz SOC.  The OpenWRT guys look to have made good progress cracking the thing open.

http://wiki.openwrt.org/toh/hilink/hlk-rm04

You can get them for around 15USD from various Chinese sources, some with dev breakout boards for the connections:
http://dx.com/p/hi-link-hlk-rm04-serial-port-ethernet-wi-fi-adapter-module-blue-black-214540
http://www.aliexpress.com/store/product/Wireless-Router-Serail-to-RJ45-Serail-To-Wifi-HLK-RMO4/211069_722941117.html

I wonder if you can implement SPI/I2C on the GPIO pins and do away with a secondary microcontroller all together...

Anyone played with these?

[Stonent]

- Brand: HI-LINK
- Model: HLK-RM04
- Quantity: 1
- Color: Blue + black
- Material: FR4
- Technical Specifications:
- Network standard: Wireless: IEEE 802.11n, IEEE 802.11g, IEEE 802.11b; Wired: IEEE 802.3, IEEE 802.3u
- Wireless transmission rate: 11n: maximum up to 150Mbps; 11g: maximum up to 54Mbps; 11b: maximum up to 11Mbps
- Tracks number: 1~14
- Frequency range: 2.4~2.4835GHz
- Emission power: 12~15dBm
- Antenna type: Onboard antenna / External antenna
- Functional Parameters:
- Wi-Fi work mode: Client / AP / Router
- WDS Function: Supports WDS wireless bridge connection
- Wireless security: Wireless MAC address filtering; Wireless security function switch; 64 / 128 / 152 bit WEP encryption; WPA-PSK / WPA2-PSKWPA / WPA2 security mechanism
- Network management: Remote Web management; Configuration file import and export; WEB software upgrade
- Serial to Network:
- Maximum transmission rate: 230400bps
- TCP connection: Max. connection number>20
- UDP connection: Max. connection number>20
- Serial baud rate: 50~230400bps
- Other Parameters:
- Status indicator: Status indicator
- Environmental standard:
- Operating temperature: -20'C~+70'C
- Operating humidity: 10%~90% RH no condensing
- Storage temperature: -40'C~80'C
- Storage humidity: 5%~90% RH no condensing
- Additional properties: Frequency bandwidth optional: 20MHz~40MHz automatically
- The range of baud rate: 1200~500000bps
- Supports transparent transmission mode
- Supports wireless roam
- Supports multiple network protocols: PPPOE / TCP / UDP / DDDNS / DHCP / DNS / HTTP / Firewire
- Supports AT+ instruction set
- Supports two config methods: Serial / WEB
-HLK-RM04 is a new low-cost embedded UART-ETH-WIFI module (serial port - Ethernet - Wireless network); This product is an embedded module based on the universal serial interface network standard, built-in TCP / IP protocol stack, enabling the user serial port, Ethernet, wireless network (Wi-Fi) interface between the conversions; Through the HLK-RM04 module, the traditional serial devices do not need to change any configuration, data can be transmitted through the Internet network; Provides a quick solution for the users serial devices to transfer data via Ethernet
- Packing List:
- 1 x Module

Datasheet: http://m5.img.dxcdn.com/CDDriver/CD/sku.214540.zip

Looks like a cool way to connect to serial devices together.

[Marco]

There seem to be quite a few modules with that chipset on aliexpress ... if you don't want to bother with the flash swapping or testing out which ones have uboot still enabled there is also the Carambola 2 :

http://8devices.com/carambola-2

19 Euro for the board.

Unfortunately while the project has a lot of open information it's build with a Qualcom chipset ... so any official hardware information is locked away behind 7 NDAs, have to rely on reverse engineered information. I wish open source projects would stop picking their chipsets.

[Smokey]

SPI on OpenWRT:
http://randomcoderdude.wordpress.com/2013/08/15/spi-over-gpio-in-openwrt/

Well there you go.

[amir30]

Hi
I have the base board model of HLKRM04 and i want to use it in Ethernet mode (transferring data between two microcontrolers using 2 of these modules). I have been struggling to run this module for so long, it's driving me crazy. I've searched a lot hoping to get a sample code but i couldn't find any. I use bascom compiler but any sample code will help.
I'm a liitle bit familiar with at commands but still a beginner.
I could really use your help.
Thanks.