PMP450b SM on ePMP AP

Have there ever been talks about making PMP450b SMs able to connect to ePMP APs? Correct me if I’m wrong, but this should be possible with software change on the PMP450b SM.

It would be great to have an upgrade path from ePMP to PMP450 without having to replace customer SMs when changing the tower/AP to PMP450.

I understand that the reverse would not be possible.

No, this is not currently possible.  ePMP is largely based on an 802.11n chipset, which is why we can do really cool things with interoperability with other 802.11n-based equipment (like ePMP Elevate).

The 450 platform is very proprietary and complete based on software in an FPGA SoC.

While I agree it would be really neat and provide a migration path, we have not developed the 802.11n protocol for our FGPA chipset yet, and don't have plans for this at this time.

Please consider for future developement. It would be nice to standardise on PMP450b SMs throughout a network to (1) not struggle with different SMs for different towers (PMP450 and ePMP) and (2) enable networks to upgrade towers from ePMP to PMP450m without requiring truck roll and customer SM replacement.

Anyone else in the Community also interested in this?


@riaanmaree wrote:
Please consider for future developement. It would be nice to standardise on PMP450b SMs throughout a network to (1) not struggle with different SMs for different towers (PMP450 and ePMP) and (2) enable networks to upgrade towers from ePMP to PMP450m without requiring truck roll and customer SM replacement.

Anyone else in the Community also interested in this?

There's no way that this is going to happen. It's technically (nearly) impossible. I also believe you are the first person to ever ask for this in the history of the forum. The two platforms are completely different, all the way down to the silicon used in the radios. FPGA vs. WiFi SOC

1 Like

Not that I’m an chipset expert, but I understand that 802.11 wifi chipset locks you in to 802.11 because hardware limitations. With FPGA chipset (PMP450) most things are done by using software. Software can be changed to make FPGA emulate what 802.11 chipset does (at higher hardware cost though).

I’ll wait for official Cambium feedback on this as they know their hardware best.


@CambiumMatt wrote:

No, this is not currently possible.  ePMP is largely based on an 802.11n chipset, which is why we can do really cool things with interoperability with other 802.11n-based equipment (like ePMP Elevate).

The 450 platform is very proprietary and complete based on software in an FPGA SoC.

While I agree it would be really neat and provide a migration path, we have not developed the 802.11n protocol for our FGPA chipset yet, and don't have plans for this at this time.


So Matt, the PMP450 product manager said that it's not possible, and Sri, another Cambium manager, kudo'd my post, explaining why they wouldn't be doing this... so I think the answer from Cabmium is crystal clear at this point.

FPGA's can do some nifty stuff, but re-inventing the 802.11 spec would be a pretty huge undertaking.  For a start, it isn't just open source code that they can drop in willy nilly, there would be a pile of licensing and crap that companies such as Atheros and Qualcomm already cover when they sell chips to the likes of Cambium or Ubiquiti.  It's huge money to invest, but those companies are pretty much assured to sell piles and piles to make up for that steep buy-in.

I don't think it would be impossible, but more of cost. Cost to code it, and it's no secret that ePMP is cheaper hardware. I think it would be pretty freakin cool to have an integrated, connectorized and dish SM that could speak both ePMP and Canopy. Say you want to start a POP with ePMP and it grows like crazy. Replace the APs with 450i or 450m and you're done. Canopy is clearly more capable with density.


@George Skorup wrote:

I don't think it would be impossible, but more of cost. Cost to code it, and it's no secret that ePMP is cheaper hardware. I think it would be pretty freakin cool to have an integrated, connectorized and dish SM that could speak both ePMP and Canopy. Say you want to start a POP with ePMP and it grows like crazy. Replace the APs with 450i or 450m and you're done. Canopy is clearly more capable with density.


Nothing is impossible, George. Given money, time and resources anything's possible. Yes ePMP is based on commerical off-the-shelf SoC, hence cheaper, savings that we pass on to our customers. But no, we have no plans to attempt an SM that speaks both ePMP and Canopy. 

Thanks,

Sriram