Qualcomm IPQ5424 embedded router board supports 22 Gbps tri-band Wi-Fi 7 and dual 10GbE networking

Wallys Communications’ DR5424 is a new embedded router board powered by a Qualcomm IPQ5424 quad-core Cortex-A55 SoC (aka Dragonwing NPro A7 Platform) and offering tri-band Wi-Fi 7 connectivity up to around 22 Gbps, along with two 10 GbE RJ45 ports and four 2.5GbE RJ45 ports for wired networking.

Based on Qualcomm AP.MI01.2 reference design, the board also features 4GB or 8GB DDR4 memory, 256MB NAND flash, and 32MB NOR flash, as well as a USB 3.0 port, a USB 2.0 port, and JTAG and serial debug ports. Target applications include Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) access points, Internet of Things (IoT) gateways, and HD streaming and gaming.

 

Qualcomm AP.MI01.2 specifications:

• SoC – Qualcomm IPQ5424 (Qualcomm Dragonwing NPro A7 Platform / NPA7)
  • CPU – Quad-core Cortex-A55 “Marina” processor @ up to 1.5 GHz (Wallys) or 1.8 GHz (Qualcomm and Compex)
  • Accelerator – Integrated accelerator designed for AI models specific to Wi-Fi and networking applications
  • Process – 14nm
• System memory – 4GB or 8GB 32-bit DDR4
• Storage
  • 256MB NAND flash
  • 32MB NOR flash
• Wireless
  • 4×4 2.4GHz MU-MIMO 802.11b/g/n/ax/be, max 23dBm per chain
    • Frequency range – 2.412~2.472GHz
    • Channel spectrum widths – 20/40 MHz
    • Up to 1,376 Mbps
  • 4×4 5GHz MU-MIMO 802.11a/n/ac/ax/be, max 21dBm per chain
    • Frequency range – 5.150~5.825GHz
    • Channel spectrum widths – 20/40/80/160/240 MHz
    • Up to 8,647 Mbps
  • 4×4 6GHz MU-MIMO 802.11ax/be, max 19dBm per chain
    • Frequency Range – 5.945-7.125GHz
    • Channel spectrum widths – 20/40/80/160/320 MHz
    • Up to 11,530 Mbps
  • Modulation Techniques – OFDMA: BPSK, QPSK, 16-QAM, 64-QAM, 256-QAM, 1024-QAM, 4K-QAM
  • 12x U.FL connectors
• Eternet
  • 2x 10GbE RJ45 WAN/LAN ports
  • 4x 2.5GbE RJ45 WAN/WAN ports
• USB – 1x USB 3.0 port, 1x USB 2.0 port
• Debugging
  • 20-pin JTAG connector
  • 12-pin UART (TTL) connector; A serial converter is available to convert the TTL signals on the board to RS-232 signals for debugging.
• Misc
  • 7x LEDs
  • Optional Zigbee module
  • SLIC interface for VoIP
• Power Supply – 12V DC up to 5A via DC jack
• Power Consumption – Up to 39.3 Watts
• Dimensions – 215 x 180 x  29mm including heat sink
• Weight – TBD
• Temperature Range – Operating: -15ºC to 70ºC; storage: -40ºC to 90ºC
• Humidity – Operating: 5% to 95%, non-condensing; storage: up to 90%, non-condensing
• Certifications – REACH & RoHS compliance

Since it’s based on Qualcomm AP.MI01.2 reference design, Wallys Communications is just one of the companies offering this Qualcomm IPQ5424 router board design. Another is Compex with a different cooling solution for the top of the board using three heatsinks. I used documentation from Wallys and Compex to write the specifications above.

We also get to see a photo from the bottom side of the board, thanks to Compex. There’s a large heatspreader in the Compex solution, and we’ll find the 12-pin UART connector, a SLIC interface, and a Zigbee module header.

There’s limited information about software on either page, but Wallys told CNX Software that it was supported by the Qualcomm SDK, while Compex provides a few more details on its website, and mentions support for OpenWrt 24.10 firmware, and SDKs with QCA binary drivers.

The Qualcomm IPQ5424 product brief link in the specifications also lists support for open-source software and middleware elements such as OpenWrt, RDK, TiP OpenWiFi, prplOS, and OpenSync, as well as a software-defined data path for flow optimization and hardware acceleration designed to ensure peak performance. As a side note, support for the Qualcomm IPQ5424 in mainline Linux started at least since Linux 6.13, and the SoC’s APSS clock controller was added to the latest Linux 6.18 kernel.

Wallys did not provide pricing information for the DR5424 board, but you can request a quotation via the product page. Compex lists the AP.MR02.1 embedded router board for $599 for it looks like it’s not in stock right now. You’ll also find additional details, including a datasheet and a hardware manual, on the product page on the Compex website.

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