Open-source USB to WiFi HaLow (IEEE 802.11ah) adapter based on Morse Micro MM8108-MF15457 module. Designed for long-range IoT connectivity and mesh networks.
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This project has been manufactured thanks to the sponsorship of PCBWay, a leading company in PCB manufacturing, electronic assembly, and prototyping services.
The PCBs and stencil arrived in perfect condition with excellent shipping speed. Everything was well protected and there were no issues throughout the process.
The received boards show excellent manufacturing quality, with:
- Sharp and precise silkscreen
- Perfectly defined solder masks, with no bleeding or irregularities
- Clean and well-aligned vias and traces — especially important for the 50Ω RF lines
- Industrial-level professional finishes
- Precision stencil, essential for correct paste application on fine-pitch components like the MM6108
After soldering and testing the boards, the AlbaceteMesh Halow Dongle works correctly. Thanks to this manufacturing quality, the hardware assembly and testing process has been notably more reliable and straightforward, allowing efficient design validation with very satisfactory results on the first prototype iteration.
Special thanks to PCBWay and especially to Liam for the close and professional support, and for backing open-source community projects like AlbaceteMesh Halow Dongle. It's a pleasure to keep collaborating with them.
If you're looking for a reliable manufacturer for your projects — especially prototypes with RF requirements or high precision needs — I really recommend PCBWay.
- Long Range: 1+ km with external antenna
- Sub-GHz Operation: 868 MHz (EU band)
- High Data Rate: Up to 43.3 Mbps
- USB Interface: USB 2.0 High-Speed (480 Mbps)
- Low Power: ~500mA typical consumption
- Standard WiFi: Full IEEE 802.11ah protocol support
- Security: WPA3 support
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Module | Morse Micro MM8108-MF15457 |
| Frequency | 868 MHz (EU) |
| Range | 1+ km |
| Data Rate | Up to 43.3 Mbps |
| Interface | USB 2.0 High-Speed |
| Power Supply | 5V via USB |
| Current | ~500mA max |
| PCB Layers | 2 |
| PCB Thickness | 1.0mm |
| Antenna | SMA connector |
| Dimensions | [TBD] mm |
- Long-range IoT gateways
- Mesh networking (Meshtastic-compatible)
- Agricultural sensor networks
- Rural internet connectivity
- Smart city deployments
- Research and development
Upload gerber files from hardware/pcb/gerbers/ to PCBWAY
Important settings:
- PCB Thickness: 1.0mm
- Layers: 2
- Surface Finish: ENIG (recommended) or HASL
See BOM in hardware/bom/BOM.csv for complete parts list.
Key components:
- MM8108-MF15457 module (Morse Micro)
- HT7833 LDO regulator
- SMA edge mount connector
- Passive components (capacitors, resistors)
Follow the assembly guide in docs/assembly-guide.md
Note: MM8108 module requires hot air soldering or reflow oven.
See firmware/setup-guide.md for configuration instructions.
- Trace width: 1.0mm (50Ω impedance-matched for 1.0mm PCB)
- Trace length: <20mm (minimized for low loss)
- GND plane: Solid copper pour on bottom layer
- GND vias: Stitching vias every 10-15mm around RF section
- Clearance: 1.0mm around RF traces
- Short RF path from module to SMA connector
- 45° angles on RF traces (no 90° corners)
- Decoupling capacitors close to power pins
- Separate analog and digital grounds
- Initial prototype design
- 868 MHz EU band
- USB 2.0 interface
- 2-layer PCB
- Hardware: CERN Open Hardware Licence Version 2 - Permissive
- Documentation: CC BY-SA 4.0
Contributions welcome!
- Report bugs via GitHub Issues
- Suggest features via GitHub Discussions
- Submit improvements via Pull Requests
Current Status: Prototype / Testing
- ✅ Schematic complete
- ✅ PCB layout complete
- ✅ RF design validated
- ⏳ Prototype fabrication pending
- ⏳ Testing and validation
- ⏳ Firmware integration
- GitHub Issues: Bug reports and feature requests
- GitHub Discussions: General questions and community chat
- Morse Micro for MM8108 module documentation
- PCBWAY for PCB manufacturing
- EasyEDA for PCB design tools
- Meshtastic community for inspiration
If you find this project useful, please consider giving it a star!
Disclaimer: This is a hobby project. Use at your own risk. Ensure compliance with local radio regulations before operation.
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