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FitPC4 w/ WLE200NX - Ruggedized integrated node/server?

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KM6SLF
KM6SLF's picture
FitPC4 w/ WLE200NX - Ruggedized integrated node/server?
Good evening AREDN community, I recently picked up a Compulab FitPC4 pro - specs & documentation available here: http://www.fit-pc.com/wiki/index.php/Fit-PC4:_Documentation I equipped it with 16GB of RAM, a 480GB SSD, and a Compex WLE200NX wireless card (specs available here https://static6.arrow.com/aropdfconversion/26a63d00be0adaee771b3db6cb163...). Based on the Atheros chip on the wireless card, and some reading I've been doing on OpenWRT, I'm optimistic that a build file can be put together than will work on this device, ideally in a virtual machine. I took a crack at building the OpenWRT factory.bin and upgrade.bin files, but was unsuccessful. I have Cockpit up and running on a virtual machine on the mesh right now, and if anyone here is up for giving it a try, I'd be happy to set them up to access it. If you're knowledgeable about these things and don't think it can be done, please let me know what elements would need to be changed to get something like this working. A couple resources that lead me to believe this can be done are: https://openwrt.org/docs/guide-user/virtualization/virtualbox-advanced https://openwrt.org/docs/guide-user/virtualization/qemu Some of the features that I think makes this device a great fit for AREDN are: broad voltage input - 10-15V unregulated. Dual NICs, 4 USB ports, including 2 USB 3.0, external antennas, passive cooling, capacity for 2 hard drives (one SATA, one mSATA). There are lots of other great features, too.
K5DLQ
K5DLQ's picture
why not just install linux
why not just install linux and make it an application host?   Install Docker on it and run any containers that you need for the mesh?   Why are you trying to put openwrt on it since it has no RF module?
KM6SLF
KM6SLF's picture
The WLE200NX card has the
The WLE200NX card has the Atheros AR9280 chip, which I believe is compatible based on some reading I did earlier. I have already used it as an application host, and it's pretty great, but I'd like to further integrate it to leverage the broad input voltage and rugged design. If it can be run in a VM, package or containter and use the WLE200NX to handle the RF, and control the NICs, I'd like it to "see" other VMs on the device as application hosts on the mesh set up screen, if that makes sense. My hope is to make this into a single-device AREDN node and services machine. 

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