PCIe E Key

Introduction

PCIe E Key is an interface for connecting embedded devices, usually used for connecting devices such as memory cards, WiFi modules, Bluetooth modules, etc.

Supported Accessories

WIFI & BT Supported Modules List

NO.	Model	Chip	WiFi	BT	WIFI Throughput	Remark
1	ROCK Pi Wireless Module A1 (SDIO+UART) --- AP6236	BCM43436B0	2.4G	4.2	up:23.5 Mbits/sec down:40.4 Mbits/sec
2	ROCK Pi Wireless Module A2 (SDIO+UART) --- AP6256	BCM43456	2.4G&5G	5.0	up:196 Mbits/sec down: 187 Mbits/sec
3	ROCK Pi Wireless Module A3 (SDIO+UART) --- AP6398S	BCM43598	2.4G&5G	5.0	up:336 Mbits/sec down: 315 Mbits/sec
4	Radxa wireless A8	RTL8852BE	2.4G&5G&WIFI6	5.0	up:600Mbits/sec down:900 Mbits/sec
5	Intel 0MHK36 (PCIE+USB)	Intel 3165	2.4G&5G	4.2	up:283 Mbits/sec down: 334 Mbits/sec
6	Intel 7265NGW (PCIE+USB)	Intel 7265	2.4G&5G	4.2	up:363 Mbits/sec down: 619 Mbits/sec
7	Intel AX210 (PCIE+USB)	Intel AX210	WiFi 6	5.2	up: 859 Mbits/sec down: 813 Mbits/sec	Only WIFI is supported currently, BT is not working

• The ROCK 5 ITX does not have an on-board WiFi/BT module, an external module is required. The above are supported and tested WITI/BT cards.
• The M.2 wireless module demonstrated here is: Radxa Wireless Module A8.

WIFI Usage

• First enter ROOT user mode.

sudo su

• Turn on WIFI

nmcli r wifi on

• Scanning WIFI

nmcli dev wifi

• Connecting to wifi networks

nmcli dev wifi connect "wifi_name" password "wifi_password"

Bluetooth usage

• When using the Radxa Wireless A8 module, the following blacklists must be added for BT to work properly.

root@rock-5-itx:~# cat /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf
blacklist pgdrv
blacklist btusb
blacklist btrtl
blacklist btbcm
blacklist btintel

root@rock-5-itx:~# reboot

• Radxa APT includes the broadcom-wifibt-firmware package for Broadcom wireless modules and the intel-wifibt-firmware package for Intel wireless modules. The corresponding packages need to be downloaded.

root@rock-5-itx:~# apt-get update -y
root@rock-5-itx:~# apt-get install -y broadcom-wifibt-firmware intel-wifibt-firmware

• Test the status of the Bluetooth module and check the Bluetooth device.

root@rock-5-itx:~# systemctl status bluetooth

• Run the Bluetooth device.

root@rock-5-itx:~# systemctl start bluetooth

• Detecting Bluetooth devices

root@rock-5-itx:~# hciconfig
hci0:   Type: Primary Bus: UART
       BD Address: 10:2C:6B:49:D5:53 ACL MTU: 1021:8 SCO MTU: 64:1
       UP RUNNING
       RX bytes:850 acl:0 sco:0 events:58 errors:0
       TX bytes:2814 acl:0 sco:0 commands:58 errors:0

• Test: Connecting the Bluetooth speaker, first install pulseaudio

root@rock-5-itx:~# apt-get install -y pulseaudio-module-bluetooth pulseaudio

• Run pulseaudio

root@rock-5-itx:~# pulseaudio --start

• Connecting with pulseaudio

root@rock-5-itx:~# bluetoothctl
[bluetooth]# default-agent
[bluetooth]# power on
[bluetooth]# scan on
[bluetooth]# trust 41:42:1A:8D:A9:65       #BT-280
[bluetooth]# pair 41:42:1A:8D:A9:65
[bluetooth]# connect 41:42:1A:8D:A9:65

• Now you can listen to music.

Radxa M.2 E-Type to SATA Boards

• This expansion board plugs directly into the M2.E connector and then the SATA device can be connected to the expansion board.