Ameba Wi-Fi Aware Solutions

Ameba Wi-Fi Aware Solutions

Router-free, pairing-free proximity discovery, connecting devices on the fly

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• Technologies

Smart Control

Smart Home

Media & Entertainment

Smart Audio HMI Smart Display Smart Speaker Wireless Home Theater

Speech Recognition

Audio Front-End Algorithms Voice Assistant AIVoice Custom Command

Edge AI

Edge AI

Success Stories

Wireless CarPlay Adapter R-MESH Long-Range Camera Wi-Fi Battery Camera

Wireless Connectivity

Wi-Fi R-MESH Wi-Fi CAST Wi-Fi CSI Wi-Fi Aware Wi-Fi Direct Wi-Fi R-NAT Remote Diagnostic (R-DIAG)

Host-Controlled Mode

Wi-Fi Card AT Command

Information Security

Information Security Hardware Security Features TrustZone Secure Boot Asymmetric Encryption Security Certification

Peripheral Interfaces

USB

Overview

Works with iPhone

Works with Android

Typical Applications

Supported Architectures

Advantages

Development Resources

Recommended ICs

Overview

Wi-Fi Aware, also known as NAN (Neighbor Awareness Networking), is a peer-to-peer communication protocol based on standard Wi-Fi technology. Its key distinction from Wi-Fi P2P is the decentralized architecture of Wi-Fi Aware, enabling all devices to autonomously discover and communicate directly without centralized coordination, and without relying on a router, Internet connection, or GPS.

Works with iPhone

Wi-Fi Aware is an international standard defined and certified by the Wi-Fi Alliance, and Apple has opened up the Wi-Fi Aware API since iOS 26. Requiring no router and no Internet, an iPhone can discover an Ameba device and establish an encrypted peer-to-peer link based solely on physical proximity, truly connecting on the fly with millisecond-level discovery and high-speed, low-latency data exchange.

• Complete direct provisioning between phone and device without joining a home router or entering a Wi-Fi password.
• The phone can directly discover and operate nearby smart devices such as cameras, speakers, and robot vacuums.
• High-definition media streaming and large file transfer directly between phone and device, built on the Wi-Fi physical layer, far faster than Bluetooth and without consuming any cellular data.
• NAN Pairing performs authentication and key negotiation, with connections encrypted using WPA2 / WPA3, balancing convenience with security.

Connect with iPhone

Works with Android

Android has included the Wi-Fi Aware framework natively since Android 8.0 (API level 26). Based on the same standard, the connection experience between an Android phone and an Ameba device is identical to that of iPhone: requiring no router and no Internet, devices discover each other and establish an encrypted direct link on proximity, likewise supporting password-free provisioning, direct operation of smart devices, and high-speed data transfer.

Connect with Android

Typical Applications

As shown in the diagram, devices may engage in interactions including but not limited to the following:

• Multiple mobile phones simultaneously send print tasks to a printer via point-to-point links.
• Mobile phones directly operate smart devices (e.g., cameras, sweeping robots, speakers).
• Files share between mobile phones.

Supported Architectures

Ameba offers multiple system architectures to fit different product forms and host platforms, so developers can choose based on cost, compute power, and existing ecosystem:

FreeRTOS Single-Chip

The Wi-Fi stack and the application run on the same MCU based on the FreeRTOS real-time operating system, with no external host chip required.

• Optimal hardware cost and power consumption with a streamlined BOM.
• Ideal for resource-constrained, cost-sensitive IoT devices.

Wi-Fi Card Mode

Ameba acts as a wireless NIC, providing Wi-Fi capability to a host MCU over SDIO / USB / SPI interfaces, with the host running Linux and wpa_supplicant.

• Quickly adds wireless connectivity to an existing host platform.
• Lightweight host-side driver that does not need to handle complex Wi-Fi protocol details.

Linux Single-Chip

Represented by the RTL8730E, Linux runs directly on-chip, integrating CPU, Wi-Fi, and rich peripherals to combine host control and wireless capability.

• Seamlessly integrates with the standard Linux wireless framework (cfg80211 / wpa_supplicant).
• Ideal for high-end devices that require local compute power and complex applications.

Key Advantages

Decentralized Network Architecture

Direct data transmission between devices is achieved through the standard NAN protocol, ensuring good compatibility.

Efficient Service Discovery

Based on a publish/subscribe model, devices match needs by broadcasting service identifiers (such as "file sharing"), enabling precise, low-latency discovery

Low Power Consumption

Devices only wake up synchronously to exchange beacon frames during pre-scheduled "discovery windows", remaining in sleep state most of the time

Enhanced Security

Encrypted data paths can be established between devices, with effective protection for beacon frames, management frames, and data frames

Development Resources

Icon	Resource Name	Link
	SDK Download	Link
	Wi-Fi Aware (NAN) Development Guide	Link
	Contact Us	Link

Recommended ICs

Features	Filter	RTL8721Dx	RTL8720E	RTL8710E	RTL8726E	RTL8713E	RTL8730E	RTL8721F	RTL872xD	RTL8735B
Application Processor	Cortex-M Cortex-A	Cortex-M	Cortex-M	Cortex-M	Cortex-M	Cortex-M	Cortex-A	Cortex-M	Cortex-M	Cortex-M
DSP	Select
ISP?	Select
Arm TrustZone	Select
Dual Band?	Select
Wi-Fi 6	Select
R-MESH?	Select
Ultra-low Power	Select
Ethernet	Select
BT Dual Mode	Select
HMI?	Select
Audio ADC?	Select
Audio DAC?	Select
SDIO Host	Select
SD/EMMC Host	Select
USB	Select
BT Dedicated Antenna?	Select
CAN?	Select