Wally’s “DR6000” mesh router board runs on Qualcomm’s quad -A53 IPQ6000 SoC with 2x GbE ports, dual-band concurrent 802.11ax (WiFi 6), and micro-USB and serial connections.

Wally’s Communications, which has launched router boards such as the DR6018, based on the Qualcomm-Atheros IPQ6018, has returned with a DR6000 model based on a similarly quad-core, Cortex-A53 IPQ6000 SoC. Like the IPQ6018 SoC and DR6018 board, the IPQ6000 and DR6000 feature the latest 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6) technology. The circular, 100mm diameter board is aimed at Access Point and mesh networking applications.

DR6000, front and back
(click images to enlarge)

We saw the IPQ6000 pop up recently on 8devices’ OpenWrt-driven Mango module and DVK. In that same story we briefly reported on a Compex CP03 board that appears to be almost identical in dimensions, layout, and specs to the new DR6000.

The dual-band, dual concurrent 2.4GHz/5GHz 802.11ax standard provides lower latency and power consumption, improved simultaneous data delivery, and up to 30 percent faster speed than Wave2 — the second, faster wave of 802.11ac (Wi-Fi 5). Like Wave2 802.11ac, 802.11ax uses dual-band MU-MIMO technology for simultaneous WiFi connections to multiple devices.

The IPQ6000 and similar 6010 also feature strong Ethernet support, including NEON SIMD DSP extensions for each core that assist in networking tasks. There is also a NAT engine and crypto engine.

No OS support was listed for the DR6000, but this is clearly Linux, and probably OpenWrt territory. The board supports an EasyMeshHotel Wireless for mesh networking applications and supports Smart AP TWT (Target Wake Time) and OFDMA Access Point applications.

Detail views of similar Compex CP03
(click images to enlarge)

The dual-band 802.11b/g/n/ax radio provides 20dBm per chain on both 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands. There are also 2x U.FL connectors with a diplexer that allows dual-band concurrent operation.

The DR6000 ships with 512MB RAM, 16MB NOR flash, and 128MB NAND flash. Major ports include 2x GbE ports and a micro-USB port. There is also a 12-pin serial interface and 4x LEDs. The board, which measures 23.5mm without a heatsink, has a 12V DC input and offers 5% to 95% (non-condensing) humidity tolerance.

 
Further information

No pricing or availability information was provided for the DR6000. More information may be found in Wally’s Communications’ product page.