Configuration Guide

Configuration Guide

Tip

After studying this chapter, you can configure the product for your actual requirements. Go to the “One-to-One Quick Start” or “One-to-Many Quick Start” chapter for rapid configuration.

Accessing the Configuration Web Page

LQ-10 Configuration

• Connect the Ethernet adapter supplied with the LQ-10 to the computer's Ethernet port.
• Connect the power cable supplied with the LQ-10 to the power port, and set the supply voltage to 9V–15V.

Connect the LQ Ethernet cable to your computer. Before proceeding, make sure you know how to configure a static IP address in Windows. Refer to the following link: https://zhuanlan.zhihu.com/p/607778502.

Set the computer's IP address to 192.168.1.123, the subnet mask to 255.255.255.0, and the gateway to 192.168.1.1.

Open a browser on the computer, enter the default address 192.168.1.201, and press Enter to open the LQ management page. If the interface below appears, the connection is successful. If the web page cannot be opened, go to Firmware Upgrade and Recovery, restore the factory settings using the physical method, and try opening the page again. After successfully opening the web page, enter the administrator account: admin and password: admin to access the web management system.

Users can also change the login account and password as needed. Confirm and submit the change to apply it:

Caution Every device on the same LAN must use a unique IP address. After restoring multiple devices with the same role, connect and change their addresses one at a time to avoid IP conflicts.

Administrator Account Requirements

The login page supports changing the administrator account and password. You must enter the current password when making a change. Both the new account and password must meet these requirements:

• 4–32 characters long;
• Only English letters and numbers are allowed;
• The change takes effect immediately. Log in again with the new credentials.

Prerequisite Concepts

AP (Access Point) mode: A wireless access point is the creator and center of a network. It provides wireless network service and allows users to connect to the network wirelessly.

STA (Station) mode: A wireless client is a network user that connects to the network wirelessly.

Channel: A channel is a specific frequency range used to transmit signals in wireless communication. Channel switching means switching between channels so that devices can find the best signal path for communication.

Introduction to the Web Interface

Navigation Bar

After entering the management system, first familiarize yourself with the overall layout: the navigation bar on the left, the function area on the right, the action bar at the top, and the status bar at the bottom.

Network and Wireless Configuration

Tip

After reading this chapter, you will understand the basic concepts and methods of network configuration and the overall configuration process. You can then quickly read the “One-to-One Configuration Quick Start” or “One-to-Many Configuration Quick Start” chapter.

AP and STA

• An AP creates the wireless network. Every network requires at least one AP.
• A STA connects to the wireless network. A network can have one or multiple STAs.
• The AP and STAs must use the same SSID, security mode, and password, and must operate in the same broadband/narrowband mode.
• The management IP addresses of all devices must be on the same subnet and must not be duplicated.

SSID and Password Validation

Chinese text is counted in UTF-8 bytes, and one Chinese character typically occupies 3 bytes. For better compatibility among different tools and firmware versions, we recommend using English letters, numbers, and common symbols for the SSID and password whenever possible.

WPA2-PSK and Open Modes

The following security modes are available:

• Strong encryption (WPA2-PSK): The AP and STAs use the same 8–63-byte password;
• Open (no password): The AP creates an open hotspot, and STAs connect in Open mode without entering a password.

Open mode does not provide wireless access authentication. It is recommended only for isolated, controlled, or temporary test environments.

Save and Apply

After you click “Save and Apply,” the device saves the configuration and reloads the network, serial forwarding, link monitoring, and device discovery services in the background. Wireless and Ethernet communication may be interrupted briefly.

• After changing the IP address, reopen the web page at the new IP address;
• AP/STA mode, SSID, password, Open/WPA2, and channel settings can all be applied at runtime;
• If the new configuration cannot start, the system attempts to restore the previous runtime configuration and configuration files;
• Do not click Save repeatedly while the configuration is being applied.

Channel Selection

The current user interface provides 5GHz channels 149, 153, 157, 161, 165, and 184, and disables unavailable options according to the broadband/narrowband mode. First complete a scan on the “Channel Scan and Optimization” page, and then select a channel with less interference on the network page.

Warning Channel scanning temporarily stops the current AP or STA service. Do not scan while control data or video is being transmitted.

LQ-10 Connection Mechanism

The LQ-10 connection mechanism is similar to WiFi: connections are based on the SSID and password. Two devices connect automatically as long as their SSIDs and passwords are the same. This is the fundamental principle behind LQ-10 connections. Features such as serial UDP, TCP, multicast, and SBUS transmission can be used only after the LQ-10 establishes a network connection. (The SSID supports fewer than 32 English characters or fewer than 10 Chinese characters. The password supports 8–63 English characters and special characters, except ".)

Configuring the Same Subnet and Different IP Addresses

After the network connection is established, the entire network is a LAN. By default, this means that the Ethernet interfaces of the devices can communicate with one another. For direct communication between devices, the IP addresses must be configured correctly and meet two requirements: communicating devices must be on the same subnet, and every device must have a unique IP address.

Configuring AP and STA Modes

Caution

When using network functions, we recommend keeping the MTU (Maximum Transmission Unit) at or below 1400 bytes to avoid bandwidth loss caused by packet fragmentation.

We recommend reading the following article to learn about the MTU and how to configure it on a camera: https://blog.csdn.net/mopmgerg54mo/article/details/151114114

The concepts of AP and STA clearly show that a network consists of an AP and one or more STAs. The AP creates the network, while the STAs use it. The network cannot operate normally if either role is absent. Without the AP (the center), the STAs cannot operate; without a STA, no device connects to the network. Therefore, during network configuration, at least one device must be in AP mode and the other devices must be in STA mode. This enables communication between devices.

Channel Switching

The LQ-10 provides “Channel Switching” and “Wireless AP Channel Optimization.” Used together, these features allow users to optimize their wireless connection and improve communication quality. Use them as follows:

Warning

Scan before use. Using channel scanning while the network is connected causes a brief disconnection! We recommend scanning with an LQ-10 connected by Ethernet cable.

1. Open the configuration web page and click “Channel Scan/Optimization” on the left to open the channel scanning page. Click Start Scan to scan the surrounding wireless-network channels.

2. Click “Network and Wireless” in the navigation bar on the left to open the network settings page, and select a channel.

3. Selection priority: channels not detected > cleaner channels > channels with moderate interference. This feature uses WiFi scanning. A larger detected RSSI value means that use of the channel causes more interference for your device. Therefore, follow this priority when selecting a channel: channels not detected > cleaner channels > channels with moderate interference.

Bandwidth and Rate Configuration

Operating Modes

Broadband and narrowband modes use different wireless driver parameters. When switching between the two modes, the web interface displays a prompt and automatically restarts the entire device. The AP and all STAs participating in the network must use the same mode.

Broadband AP Bandwidth

You can select 20 MHz, 40 MHz, or 80 MHz only when the current device is an AP operating in broadband mode. The STA page displays this value but does not allow it to be changed.

Changing the AP bandwidth within broadband mode reloads the wireless network service. The link recovers automatically after a brief interruption, without restarting the entire device. The system always negotiates the wireless rate adaptively.

Narrowband Rates

Narrowband mode supports:

• Adaptive rate: The system adjusts the rate automatically according to link conditions;
• Fixed rate: Select a bandwidth supported by the current device and a rate level from 1 to 5.

The current firmware reads capabilities from the driver and automatically hides unsupported 5MHz options. Reference rates for the 10MHz levels are shown below. Actual throughput is affected by the wireless environment and protocol overhead.

Broadband and Narrowband Rate Comparison

Tip

“Switching between broadband and narrowband takes a relatively long time” because the device must restart and load the driver. This is normal. Modules participating in the same network must use the same bandwidth mode: all must be in either “Broadband” or “Narrowband” mode.

As their names suggest, broadband and narrowband are communication networks with wider and narrower bandwidths. The LQ-10 can switch between broadband and narrowband modes. Users can select and configure a mode according to their needs.

Configure broadband/narrowband mode as follows:

1. First make sure that the LQ-10 device has established a network connection.

2. Open the web page and click “Bandwidth and Rate” on the left to open the network settings page. Use the Operating Mode drop-down list to select Broadband Mode or Narrowband Mode.

3. If you select narrowband mode, choose Adaptive Rate or manually select a fixed rate under “Narrowband Operating Mode.” If you select broadband mode, the rate is adaptive by default and no rate level needs to be selected.

Device Status Page

The “Device Status” page provides the following information:

• Local device role and local management address;
• Current AP management address;
• Number of online STAs;
• Device ID, AP address, and STA address for each STA;
• RSSI from the AP and STA perspectives;
• Time of the most recent link report.

When the web page is opened from a STA address, that STA's row displays a “Local Device” label to distinguish it from other STAs. The list refreshes every 2 seconds. A node with no link heartbeat for 10 seconds is no longer shown as online.

Serial Ports and Network Forwarding

Serial-Port Physical Parameters

The device provides UART0–UART2. Standard serial ports support the following baud rates:

1200, 2400, 4800, 9600, 19200, 38400, 57600, 100000, 115200, 150000, 187500, 250000, 300000, 375000, 500000, 750000, and 1500000.

The serial-port reference clock is 24MHz with a 16× divider. The interface displays the theoretical error for each option. Baud rates with large errors, such as 921600, are not provided. Standard serial ports support 7/8 data bits, 1/2 stop bits, and None/Even/Odd parity.

Forwarding Rules

Each serial port supports up to 16 rules.

The port range is 1–65535. A local listening rule uses the local management IP by default. The sender and receiver must use matching protocols and ports.

After you click “Save and Apply,” the serial-port service releases the existing serial ports, sockets, and dynamic-routing memory, and then recreates them using the new configuration. If the new configuration fails to start, the system restores the previous runtime configuration without requiring an application restart.

Configuring Serial Passthrough

Recommendations for selecting a serial passthrough protocol:

• Select UDP when fast communication is required and packet loss is acceptable.
• Select TCP when reliable communication is required and latency is acceptable.
• Select multicast for one-to-many serial communication.

Caution

Configure the serial-port baud rate according to your actual requirements. Only the items in the red box need to be configured: baud rate, data bits, parity, and stop bits. Set them according to the serial-port requirements of the connected device. The following ports are reserved by the system and cannot be configured: 9527, 45454, 52112, and 20000–20048.

UDP Serial Passthrough Communication

1. First make sure that the LQ-10 device has established a network connection.

2. Open the web page and click “Serial Port Parameters” on the left to open the network settings interface. For example, suppose the AP is 192.168.1.2, the STA is 192.168.1.3, and UART0 is used to send data. Configure it as shown:

• Click to enable serial port UART0.
• Enter the serial-port baud rate, data bits, parity, stop bits, and other parameters.
• Add a forwarding rule. Select UDP as the transmission protocol, Unicast as the operating mode, Remote as the endpoint, and Bidirectional as the data direction. Set the target peer to 192.168.1.3 and the network port to a custom port of your choice, as shown below:

3. Add a corresponding configuration on the STA. For example, configure UART0 to receive data.

• Click to enable serial port UART0.
• Enter the serial-port baud rate, data bits, parity, stop bits, and other parameters.
• Add a forwarding rule. Select UDP as the transmission protocol, Unicast as the operating mode, Local Listening as the endpoint, and Bidirectional as the data direction. Set the local listening IP to 192.168.1.3, and use the same network port on both devices.

4. Connect your serial device according to the interface pin order: device RX → LQ-10 TX, device TX → LQ-10 RX, and GND → GND. Serial communication can then begin.

TCP Serial Passthrough Communication

1. First make sure that the LQ-10 device has established a network connection.

2. Open the web page and click “Serial Port Parameters” on the left to open the network settings interface. For example, suppose the AP is 192.168.1.2 and the STA is 192.168.1.3.

• Click to enable serial port UART0.
• Enter the serial-port baud rate, data bits, parity, stop bits, and other parameters.
• Add a forwarding rule. Select TCP as the transmission protocol, Unicast as the operating mode, Remote as the endpoint, and Bidirectional as the data direction. Set the target peer to 192.168.1.3 and the network port to a custom port of your choice, as shown below:

3. Add a corresponding configuration on the STA. For example, configure UART0 to receive data.

• Click to enable serial port UART0.
• Enter the serial-port baud rate, data bits, parity, stop bits, and other parameters.
• Add a forwarding rule. Select TCP as the transmission protocol, Unicast as the operating mode, Local as the endpoint, and Bidirectional as the data direction. Configure the local listening port, and use the same network port on both devices.

4. Connect your serial device according to the interface pin order: device RX → LQ-10 TX, device TX → LQ-10 RX, and GND → GND. Serial communication can then begin.

Multi-Destination Serial Forwarding

The LQ-10 supports serial forwarding to multiple IP addresses. Users can forward serial data to multiple IP addresses to meet one-to-many communication requirements. Configure it as follows:

1. Open the network configuration interface, click “Serial Port Parameters” on the left to open the serial-port settings page, select UART1, and click to enable the serial port.

2. Enter the serial-port baud rate, data bits, parity, stop bits, and other parameters.

3. Click Add Forwarding Rule and add the remote IP address and remote port to which you want to forward the serial data.

Multicast Communication Configuration

Multicast communication is a broadcast-style communication method. A data packet is sent to a multicast address, and every device that joins that multicast address can receive it. The LQ-10 supports multicast communication, which users can configure according to their needs. Only UDP supports multicast communication.

Configure multicast communication as follows:

• First make sure that the LQ-10 device has established a network connection.
• Enable any serial port, such as UART1.
• Select Multicast as the operating mode and use a multicast address. If you are unfamiliar with multicast addresses, read the following material: https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E7%BB%84%E6%92%AD%E5%9C%B0%E5%9D%80/6095039

Configure the STA port in the same way, using the same multicast address and port.

SBUS Communication Configuration

The SBUS interface is a convenient interface for drone users of this module. It enables communication between the drone and remote controller without requiring an external conversion module. On the LQ-10, only UART0 supports SBUS communication. Configure SBUS communication as follows:

1. First make sure that the LQ-10 device has established a network connection.

2. Assuming that data is sent from the device at 192.168.1.2, use the following configuration:

• Click to enable serial port UART0.
• Select SBUS as the function mode.
• Add a forwarding rule. Select UDP as the transmission protocol, Unicast as the operating mode, Remote Target as the endpoint mode, and Bidirectional as the data direction. Set the target peer to 192.168.1.3 and the network port to 8080, as shown below:

• Enable serial port UART0 on the STA.
• Select SBUS as the function.
• Add a forwarding rule. Select UDP as the transmission protocol, Unicast as the operating mode, Local Listening as the endpoint mode, and Receive as the data direction. Set the local listening IP to 192.168.1.3 and the network port to 8080, as shown below:

4. Connect the AP to RX on UART0, connect the STA to TX on serial port 0, and connect GND to GND on serial port 0. SBUS communication can then begin.

You can continue to the appropriate quick-configuration chapter for your network configuration requirements.

• Go to One-to-One Configuration
• Go to One-to-Many Configuration