Free e-book: IEEE 802.15.4ab vs IEEE 802.15.4z
Free e-book: IEEE 802.15.4ab

WiFi 7 chases gigabits. HaLow chases kilometres. Which does your product need?

needCode builds embedded WiFi across the whole spectrum - WiFi 6E and 7 where a product needs high throughput and low latency, and WiFi HaLow (802.11ah) where it needs long range and low power for IoT - plus the WiFi+BLE coexistence almost every connected device depends on. Silicon bring-up, drivers, stack, and power tuning, from a multi-protocol embedded team, with the honest answer on which WiFi your product actually needs.
needCode IoT

We work with Industry Leaders

WiFi used to mean one thing. Now it means high throughput or long range - rarely both.

For years "add WiFi" was one decision. It isn't anymore. WiFi 6E and WiFi 7 push throughput and low latency to new highs in clean 6 GHz spectrum - the right tool for cameras, AR/VR, edge-AI offload, and dense high-bandwidth environments. WiFi HaLow (802.11ah) goes the opposite way: sub-GHz, long range, low power, built for IoT devices that would otherwise need cellular or a proprietary LPWAN - with the advantage of being native IP. Choosing "WiFi" without choosing which WiFi is how a product ends up over- or under-built.

needCode builds across the range, and rarely in isolation: most connected devices pair WiFi with BLE, so coexistence between the two radios is part of the job. We bring up the silicon, build the drivers and stack, tune the power, and tell you honestly which WiFi - or which combination of radios - actually fits the product.

High throughput: 6E / 7

WiFi 6E and 7 for high-bandwidth, low-latency links in clean 6 GHz spectrum.

Long range, low power: HaLow

Sub-GHz 802.11ah for IoT that needs range and battery life, natively over IP.

Almost always with BLE

Most devices run WiFi and BLE together - needCode builds the coexistence.

What we build with WiFi

Four areas, from the silicon up to the right standard for the job. needCode builds all four.

WiFi Silicon Bring-Up & Drivers

Bringing up WiFi silicon and building the drivers, stack integration, and firmware beneath the connection - the embedded foundation a WiFi product runs on. needCode has brought up nine platforms, so new WiFi silicon starts from experience rather than a datasheet.

WiFi 6E & WiFi 7 (High Throughput)

High-throughput, low-latency WiFi in 6 GHz - WiFi 6E and WiFi 7 with Multi-Link Operation - for cameras, AR/VR, industrial vision, and edge-AI offload. The right WiFi when bandwidth and latency are the binding constraint.

WiFi HaLow (802.11ah)

Sub-GHz WiFi for long-range, low-power IoT - the alternative to cellular or LPWAN when you want range and battery life but native IP. needCode builds HaLow for devices that have to reach far on little power.

WiFi + BLE Coexistence

WiFi and BLE on one device, sharing the 2.4 GHz band without interfering - the coexistence engineering almost every connected product needs. needCode's multi-protocol bring-up depth is exactly this problem, already solved.

Choosing or building WiFi for a connected product?

Book a discovery call with our CEO

Where it's used

The right WiFi depends entirely on the job. These are the four most common.

High-Bandwidth Edge Devices

Cameras, AR/VR, and industrial vision that need WiFi 6E/7 throughput, often to move data to edge AI. needCode builds the high-throughput WiFi these devices live on.

Long-Range IoT

Sensors and trackers spread across a site or outdoors, where WiFi HaLow's range and low power beat short-range radios. needCode builds the HaLow connectivity for reach without the cellular bill.

Connected Home & Matter

WiFi is a primary Matter transport, carrying higher-bandwidth home devices on a standard network. needCode builds WiFi for Matter products, alongside the BLE used to commission them.

Industrial & Multi-Radio Devices

Equipment combining WiFi for data with BLE for control or UWB for location, as one coexisting design. needCode builds the multi-radio architecture end to end.

Why teams build WiFi with needCode

Embedded WiFi, from the silicon up

needCode brings up WiFi silicon and builds the drivers, stack, and firmware beneath the connection - embedded WiFi depth, not just app-level integration. Nine platform bring-ups stand behind it.

Coexistence is our home ground

WiFi rarely ships alone, and needCode has brought up silicon running multiple radios together with runtime switching - so WiFi+BLE (or +UWB) coexistence is a demonstrated capability. The multi-radio problem is one needCode has already solved in production.

Low power, measured

needCode tunes and measures device power in a dedicated lab - the discipline that decides whether a HaLow IoT node lasts years or months. Power here is engineered and measured, not estimated.

Honest on which WiFi

Because needCode builds across 6E/7 and HaLow, its guidance on which WiFi fits - or whether BLE, UWB, or cellular fits better - is shaped by your product, not its skill set. You get the right radio, not the one a shop happens to favour.

Four ways to bring needCode in

From a connectivity strategy call to a long-term team. We match the engagement to where the product is.

01

WiFi & Connectivity Strategy

  • Duration:
    1–3 weeks
  • Best for:
    Deciding which WiFi - and which radios - fit the product
  • Deliverable:
    Recommendation, architecture, leadership readout

02

WiFi Bring-Up & Build

  • Duration: 
    Phased
  • Best for:
    Bringing up WiFi silicon and building the drivers, stack, and firmware
  • Deliverable:
    A working WiFi product on target silicon

03

Coexistence & Power

  • Duration: 
    Scoped
  • Best for:
    WiFi+BLE coexistence and low-power tuning
  • Deliverable:
    Clean multi-radio operation and a measured power budget

04

Long-Term Team

  • Duration: 
    Multi-year, retainer-based
  • Best for:
    Owning the connectivity stack across a product line
  • Deliverable:
    An embedded wireless team

What we ship on

The standards, capabilities, and silicon across the WiFi spectrum.

Standards

WiFi 6 / 6E
WiFi 7 (802.11be)
WiFi HaLow (802.11ah)
Matter (WiFi transport)

Capabilities

Silicon bring-up
drivers
stack integration
WiFi + BLE coexistence
low-power tuning

Silicon

Espressif
NXP
Qorvo
Silicon Labs
Infineon (WiFi / combo parts)

RTOS

Zephyr
FreeRTOS
bare metal

Case studies

WiFi here is part of a multi-protocol embedded practice - the proof is bring-up and coexistence depth.

Qorvo: RF Leadership

Context: Rapid scaling for new chipset bring-up.
  • Scale: Grew from <10 to 30 FTEs.
  • Output: Supported bring-up of 9 new hardware platforms (SDKs, Drivers, Stacks).
  • Retention: Zero-churn core team retained for 5+ years.
Dedicated Development Center for RF Solutions
Bluetooth Mesh Smart Lighting Control System

Smart Lighting: Core R&D Extension

Context: Client needed deep, specialized expertise to pivot from proprietary tech to a new global standard.
  • Service: Deployed a dedicated squad of embedded engineers to function as the client's core R&D team.
  • Output: Co-authored official Bluetooth SIG protocols and delivered the world’s first certified BLE Mesh stack.
  • Value: Enabled the client to secure Series A funding and defined the industry standard for smart buildings.

Creative Werks: Innovation rescue

Context: Hardware obsolescence threatened production shutdown.
  • Action: Full-stack takeover (PCB redesign + Firmware + Mobile App).
  • ROI: 1230% ($1.6M value generated).
  • Speed: Payback period of 2–3 months.
NeedCode-case study - IoT Solution for Boat Lift Modernization - cover2s
needcode-powerpolen-case-study-cover2s

PowerPollen: AgTech automation

Context: Lack of internal expertise stalled a critical automation project.
  • Action: Re-architected system using unified MCU and ISOBUS standards.
  • ROI: 13.8x ($2.9M value generated).
  • Impact: Enabled $1.9M increase in harvester value.

Strategic Partnership

needCode is an official business partner of Qorvo, bringing over 8 years of proven expertise and trusted service to the technology sector.
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UWB-Alliance-logo-banner

Members of the UWB Alliance

In 2025 we became a member of the UWB Alliance. This strategic step reinforces our commitment to pioneering Ultra-Wideband (UWB) technology.

Proudly Certified for Excellence and Security

needCode is officially certified for:
ISO 9001:2015 – Quality Management
ISO/IEC 27001:2022 – Information Security
ISO certifications reflect our focus on delivering reliable IoT solutions, smart product development, and secure technology services.
ISO 9001_2015ISO - IEC 27001_2022

Testimonials

“I think the key takeaway from needCode is their ability to adapt and understand the customer's requirements. That took away probably a large portion of what could have been a lot of development time and expense for both companies.”
Bob Folkestad
Bob Folkestad
President at Creative Werks
“One aspect that truly sets needCode apart is its profound expertise in firmware development. Their proficiency in various programming languages, embedded systems and hardware architecture is truly impressive. When faced with difficult problems, their strong problem-solving skills and analytical mindset shine through, allowing them to overcome obstacles with remarkable ease.”
avatar Semeh Sarhan
Semeh Sarhan
CEO at Xtrava
“I worked with needCode while leading the NWTN-Berlin team in 2018. A big chunk for our FW development has been outsourced to them and they had proven to iterate very quickly, following specs and deliver on time. It was great working with them. I recommend working with needCode’s team on any Embedded SW development.”
avatar Marco Salvioli Mariani
Marco Salvioli Mariani
CTO at NWTN Berlin GmbH
“needCode Team proved to be one of the best engineers I have ever met. The part I like the most about the team is the more difficult an obstacle seems to be, the more motivated they were to find a solution and a way forward.”
A Testimonial picture
Szymon Słupik
CTO at Silvair
“needCode is an outstanding partner. Their quick follow-up, scalability, and extensive professional network set them apart. Their expertise in wireless technologies has been valuable, supporting us from low-level drivers to architecture discussions.”
avatar Tim Allemeersch
Tim Allemeersch
Director at Qorvo, Inc.
“needCode did a great job improving the firmware of the Vai Kai connected toys and developing new features, surpassing our expectations multiple times. I would definitely recommend hiring Bartek and needCode for the embedded software projects!”
avatar Matas Petrikas
Matas Petrikas
CEO & Co-founder
at Vai Kai UG

Insights

FAQ

needCode works across WiFi 6 and 6E, WiFi 7 (802.11be), and WiFi HaLow (802.11ah), and builds WiFi as a Matter transport. The range spans the high-throughput end and the long-range, low-power IoT end. The right standard depends on whether a product needs bandwidth or reach and battery life.

WiFi 7 is the latest standard, adding Multi-Link Operation, higher throughput, and lower latency, while WiFi 6E opened the clean 6 GHz band and is more mature in the market. For new high-bandwidth designs WiFi 7 is usually the target, but 6E can be the pragmatic choice depending on available silicon and cost. needCode advises based on the product's bandwidth, latency, and timeline.

WiFi HaLow (802.11ah) is sub-GHz WiFi built for long range and low power, suited to IoT devices spread across a site or outdoors that would otherwise need cellular or a proprietary LPWAN. Its advantage over those is native IP, so devices speak the same language as the rest of the network. Use it when reach and battery life matter more than throughput, and needCode builds it for exactly those products.

Yes - needCode builds devices that run WiFi and BLE together, sharing the 2.4 GHz band without interfering, which almost every connected product needs. needCode has brought up silicon running several radios at once with runtime switching, so multi-radio coexistence is a demonstrated capability. It's one of the most common reasons teams bring needCode in.

needCode does embedded WiFi from the silicon up - bringing up the chip, building drivers, integrating the stack, and tuning power - not just app-level integration on top of a finished module. Nine platform bring-ups stand behind that depth. It's the difference between using WiFi and engineering it into a product.

It depends on the trade-off: BLE for short-range low-power control, WiFi HaLow for long-range low-power IoT over IP, WiFi 6E/7 for high bandwidth, and cellular when you need wide-area coverage with no local network. Many products combine radios - WiFi for data, BLE for control - in one design. Because needCode builds across all of these, its recommendation is shaped by your product rather than a single radio it sells.

Yes - WiFi is one of Matter's primary transports, carrying higher-bandwidth home devices on a standard network, while BLE is typically used to commission them. needCode builds WiFi for Matter products alongside the BLE commissioning path. The choice between WiFi and Thread as the Matter transport depends on the device's bandwidth and power needs.

needCode works with WiFi and combo silicon from Espressif, NXP, Qorvo, Silicon Labs, and Infineon, among others, choosing the part that fits the product's standard, coexistence, and power needs. Several of needCode's engineers shipped at these vendors. Bring-up of the chosen silicon is part of the service.

Yes - needCode can add WiFi to an existing product or build a multi-radio device combining WiFi with BLE for control or UWB for location, designed so the radios coexist cleanly. Multi-radio coexistence is core to what needCode does. It's a common way to extend a product without starting from scratch.

Let's work on your next project together

Book a demo and discovery call with our CEO
to get a look at:
Strategic Expertise
End-to-End Solutions
Advanced Technology
Custom Hardware Devices
Bartek Kling
Bartek Kling / CEO
© 2026 needCode. All rights reserved.

Manufacturing

Modern manufacturing machines are typically equipped with IoT sensors that capture performance data. AIoT technology analyzes this sensor data, and based on vibration patterns, the AI predicts the machine's behavior and recommends actions to maintain optimal performance. This approach is highly effective for predictive maintenance, promoting safer working environments, continuous operation, longer equipment lifespan, and less downtime. Additionally, AIoT enhances quality control on production lines.

For example, Sentinel, a monitoring system used in pharmaceutical production by IMA Pharma, employs AI to evaluate sensor data along the production line. The AI detects and improves underperforming components, ensuring efficient machine operation and maintaining high standards in drug manufacturing.

Logistics & supply chain

IoT devices - from fleet vehicles and autonomous warehouse robots to scanners and beacons - generate large amounts of data in this industry. When combined with AI, this data can be leveraged for tracking, analytics, predictive maintenance, autonomous driving, and more, offering greater visibility into logistics operations and enhancing vendor partnerships.

Example: Amazon employs over 750,000 autonomous mobile robots to assist warehouse staff with heavy lifting, delivery, and package handling tasks. Other examples include AI-powered IoT devices such as cameras, RFID sensors, and beacons that help monitor goods' movement and track products within warehouses and during transportation. AI algorithms can also estimate arrival times and forecast delays by analyzing traffic conditions.

Retail

IoT sensors monitor movement and customer flow within a building, while AI algorithms analyze this data to offer insights into traffic patterns and product preferences. This information enhances understanding of customer behavior, helps prevent stockouts, and improves customer analytics to drive sales. Furthermore, AIoT enables retailers to deliver personalized shopping experiences by leveraging geographical data and individual shopping preferences.

For instance, IoT sensors track movement and customer flow, and AI algorithms process this information to reveal insights into traffic patterns and product preferences. This ultimately leads to better customer understanding, stockout prevention, and enhanced sales analytics.

Agriculture

Recent research by Continental reveals that over 27% of surveyed farmers utilize drones for aerial land analysis. These devices capture images of crops as they are and transmit them to a dashboard for further assessment. However, AI can enhance this process even further.

For example, AIoT-powered drones can photograph crops at various growth stages, assess plant health, detect diseases, and recommend optimal harvesting strategies to maximize yield. Additionally, these drones can be employed for targeted crop treatments, irrigation monitoring and management, soil health analysis, and more.

Smart Cities

Smart cities represent another domain where AIoT applications can enhance citizens' well-being, facilitate urban infrastructure planning, and guide future city development. In addition to traffic management, IoT devices equipped with AI can monitor energy consumption patterns, forecast demand fluctuations, and dynamically optimize energy distribution. AI-powered surveillance cameras and sensors can identify suspicious activities, monitor crowd density, and alert authorities to potential security threats in real-time, improving public safety and security.

For example, an AIoT solution has been implemented in Barcelona to manage water and energy sustainably. The city has installed IoT sensors across its water supply system to gather water pressure, flow rate, and quality data. AI algorithms analyze this information to identify leaks and optimize water usage. Similarly, smart grids have been introduced to leverage AI to predict demand and distribute energy efficiently, minimizing waste and emissions. As a result, these initiatives have enabled the city to reduce water waste by 25%, increase renewable energy usage by 17%, and lower greenhouse gas emissions by 19%.

Healthcare

Integrating AI and IoT in healthcare enables hospitals to deliver remote patient care more efficiently while reducing the burden on facilities. Additionally, AI can be used in clinical trials to preprocess data collected from sensors across extensive target and control groups.

For example, intelligent wearable technologies enable doctors to monitor patients remotely. In real-time, sensors collect vital signs such as heart rate, blood pressure, and glucose levels. AI algorithms then analyze this data, assisting doctors in detecting issues early, developing personalized treatment plans, and enhancing patient outcomes.

Smart Homes

The smart home ecosystem encompasses smart thermostats, locks, security cameras, energy management systems, heating, lighting, and entertainment systems. AI algorithms analyze data from these devices to deliver context-specific recommendations tailored to each user. This enables homeowners to use utilities more efficiently, create a personalized living space, and achieve sustainability goals.

For example, LifeSmart offers a comprehensive suite of AI-powered IoT tools for smart homes, connecting new and existing intelligent appliances and allowing customers to manage them via their smartphones. Additionally, they provide an AI builder framework for deploying AI on smart devices, edge gateways, and the cloud, enabling AI algorithms to process data and user behavior autonomously.

Maintenance (Post-Release Support)

When your product is successfully launched and available on the market we provide ongoing support and maintenance services to ensure your product remains competitive and reliable. This includes prompt resolution of any reported issues through bug fixes and updates.

We continuously enhance product features based on user feedback and market insights, optimizing performance and user experience.

Our team monitors product performance metrics to identify areas for improvement and proactively addresses potential issues. This phase aims to sustain product competitiveness, ensure customer satisfaction, and support long-term success in the market.

Commercialization (From MVP to Product

Our software team focuses on completing the full product feature range, enhancing the user interface and experience, and handling all corner cases. We prepare product software across the whole lifecycle by providing all necessary procedures, such as manufacturing support and firmware upgrade.

We also finalize the product's hardware design to ensure robustness, scalability and cost-effectiveness.

This includes rigorous testing procedures to validate product performance, reliability, and security. We manage all necessary certifications and regulatory compliance requirements to ensure the product meets industry standards and legal obligations.

By the end of this phase, your product is fully prepared for mass production and commercial deployment, with all documentation and certifications in place.

Prototyping (From POC to MVP)

Our development team focuses on implementing core product features and use cases to create a functional Minimum Viable Product (MVP). We advance to refining the hardware design, moving from initial concepts to detailed PCB design allowing us to assemble first prototypes. Updated documentation from the Design phase ensures alignment with current project status. A basic test framework is established to conduct preliminary validation tests.

This prepares the product for real-world demonstrations to stakeholders, customers, and potential investors.

This phase is critical for validating market readiness and functionality before proceeding to full-scale production.

Design (From Idea to POC)

We meticulously select the optimal technology stack and hardware components based on your smart product idea with detailed use cases and feature requirements (Market Requirements Document / Business Requirements Document). Our team conducts thorough assessments of costs, performance metrics, power consumption, and resource requirements.

Deliverables include a comprehensive Product Requirements Document (PRD), detailed Software Architecture plans, an Initial Test Plan outlining validation strategies, Regulatory Compliance Analysis to ensure adherence to relevant standards, and a Proof of Concept (POC) prototype implemented on breakout boards.

This phase aims to validate the technical feasibility of your concept and establish a solid foundation for further development.

If you lack a validated idea and MRD/BRD, consider utilizing our IoT Strategic Roadmap service to gain insights into target markets, user needs, and desired functionality. Having a structured plan in the form of an IoT Strategic Roadmap before development begins is crucial to mitigate complications in subsequent product development phases.