JjPlus M2M communication modules - a good alternative to more known products

The jjPlus company has over 15 years of experience. With recent introduction to Polish market the company offers many products, for example radio modules, which are cheaper counterparts to the products of more famous companies in Poland.

jjPlus became interested in our country with great commitment, therefore it is worth knowing about products available in the offer.

JjPlus Corporation specializes in wireless technologies. Their experience is focused on the production of modules for transmission and reception of power via radio waves and communication modules. Particularly noteworthy are combined modules , so-called combo, which can work as Wi-Fi cards and Bluetooth modems in the same time.

Modules with Qualcomm Chipset (two of all jjPlus's Wi-Fi / Bluetooth modules) are based on the Qualcomm Atheros QCA6174A-5 chipset. They enable data transmission using the Wi-Fi protocol, in accordance with the IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac standards and Bluetooth 4.2 or 5.0. The JWW6051 model is a MUMIMO module with two U.FL antenna outputs which allows transmission in the 2T2R mode (with two antennas for transmission and two antennas for receiving radio signals).

The module is dual-band (it works in the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands). Featured module is in the form of a card with an M.2 connector and therefore requires a 3.3V power supply. It has a very wide operating amplitude of temperature: from –40 ° C to + 85 ° C. Consumes up to 806 mA during transmission and 205 mA during signal reception. The size of the module is 22 × 30 mm. This module can work with Windows, Linux and Android, but it is fully supported only on Linux. Windows does not support Bluetooth 5.0, only 4.2, and Android only supports Wi-Fi.

Fig.1 Block Diagram of modules based on Qualcomm Atheros QCA6174A-5 chip.  RTL8822BU. Different versions of the module are equiped with different interface books. 

The second module with the same arrangement is the JWX6058 model, which differs mainly in the interface. It has a Mini PCIexpress connector, and the Bluetooth modem is accessible via USB lines, led to the PCIexpress socket. Due to the use of a different slot, the dimensions of the module are also different. The JWX6058 is 26.8 mm long and 30 mm wide. The rest of the parameters are identical to JWW6051.

Modules with Realtek chipset (the second chip on which jjPlus designs its communication modules) is Realtek RTL8822BU. It is a dual-band component compatible with the Wi-Fi standards IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac and Bluetooth version up to 4.2. Several modules were built on the basis of the Realtek RTL8822BU chipset. The first one (model WMI6201) is a modem with a USB type A connector. It has a built-in dual antenna, so it can work in MIMO mode, using two antennas to send and receive signals.

The module was not intended for industrial use. It can work in temperatures from –20 ° C to + 55 ° C. It is 60 × 25 × 9 mm and consumes 2 watts of power. It is compatible with Windows (7 and above), Linux and Android operating systems. The same integrated circuit is also offered in two modules powered by a voltage of 3.3 V. The WMU6202 version is equipped with a PCIexpress socket, on which the USB lines are led out (both for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth signals).

In the WMU6203 version, identical USB lines were led out to the M.2 connector. The remaining operational parameters of the WMU6202 and WMU6203 models are the same: both have two U.FL antenna sockets and can operate in a wide temperature range, from -20°C to +70°C. The main difference comes down to dimensions. The WMU6202 model is 30×26.8mm, and the WMU6203 is 22×30mm.The last two modules from the offer are powered by 5V and equipped with the Realtek RTL8822BU chipset.The first of them, WMU6204, is the closest to the WMI6201 model, both of them were prepared with a USB connector, without a housing. It is also resistant to a wider temperature range (-20°C to +70°C), which makes it suitable for use in an industrial environment. In addition to this it is worth to pay particular attention to size (55×20mm) and the possibility of connecting two antennas using U.FL sockets. WMU6205 looks almost the same, the difference is that the classic USB type A connector has been replaced with a 4-pin universal socket. This made it possible to reduce the dimensions to 44.5 × 20mm.

Summary - the presented modules are available for purchase immediately from Micros Company. Micros employees not only deliver the goods but also support customers with advice. They have huge experience in implementing wireless communication with the use of various M2M modules and know the specifics of individual products. It is worth noting that jjPlus modules are very similar to the well-known SparkLan products, which are also offered by Micros.

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Fig.2 Block Diagram of modules based on Reealtek RTL8822BU. Different versions of the module have differ by interface books. 

Source: Elektronik 2020, Issue 3, pp. 52-53.