PINGEQUA Hydra RF 424 CC1101 and nRF24 module installed on M5Stack Cardputer ADV for POSEIDON firmware

POSEIDON Adds PINGEQUA Hydra RF Series Support for Cardputer ADV

PINGEQUA Lab · Cardputer ADV RF · 7 min read · Published 2026-08-13

POSEIDON, the keyboard-first pentesting firmware for M5Stack Cardputer ADV, now includes the PINGEQUA Hydra RF hardware profile in its upstream supported-hardware list. That profile covers all three regional Hydra models—424, 824 and 924—because they share the same GPIO interface and differ only in their frequency-specific CC1101 RF hardware.

Quick answer Yes. POSEIDON officially lists the PINGEQUA Hydra RF Cap profile under “Supported Hats” and credits PINGEQUA for the hardware. The current stable release, POSEIDON v0.6.8, includes the Hydra GPIO profile for its CC1101 Sub-GHz and nRF24L01+ 2.4 GHz radios. Because Hydra RF 424, 824 and 924 use that same pin map, the POSEIDON profile supports all three; select the model built for your permitted regional band.
Upstream evidence · verified August 13, 2026

POSEIDON’s own README lists “PINGEQUA Hydra RF Cap 424” beside the M5Stack CAP-LoRa1262 and its ESP32-C5 node. Here, 424 is the name attached to the shared Hydra hardware profile. The v0.6.8 source uses the same GPIO mapping that PINGEQUA publishes for the 424, 824 and 924, so all three regional models connect to the same POSEIDON radio drivers.

See POSEIDON’s Supported Hats table →  ·  See the v0.6.8 release →

What “officially supported” means here

There are three separate facts, and keeping them separate matters:

  1. Upstream naming: the POSEIDON project names the PINGEQUA Hydra RF Cap 424 profile in its supported-hardware table.
  2. Source-level integration: the v0.6.8 radio drivers contain a Hydra-specific pin profile for both CC1101 and nRF24L01+.
  3. Feature routing: POSEIDON exposes dedicated Sub-GHz and nRF24 tool groups that use those two radios.

This is stronger evidence than a seller saying “compatible” without a firmware reference. The hardware name, chip combination and GPIO profile exist in the upstream project—not only in PINGEQUA’s product copy. PINGEQUA’s hardware documentation then establishes that the same profile is used across the three regional Hydra products.

Accuracy note: POSEIDON’s public testing page still asks for a full Hydra hardware regression pass. We therefore describe this as upstream-listed and source-integrated support, not third-party certification or a published performance guarantee. For the matching Hydra pin profile, use the v0.6.8 release rather than compiling the post-release master branch.

What Hydra RF adds to POSEIDON

The Cardputer ADV already provides the ESP32-S3 host, keyboard, display, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth LE. It does not contain a CC1101 or nRF24L01+ radio. Hydra RF adds both through the Cardputer ADV expansion header:

Radio Band POSEIDON workflows
Texas Instruments CC1101 Sub-GHz; hardware variant tuned for 433, 868 or 915 MHz Signal scan/copy, RAW record, Flipper .sub replay, protocol decoding, spectrum views and hot/cold signal finding
Nordic nRF24L01+ 2.4 GHz ESB sniffing, spectrum analysis, authorized MouseJack research, BLE-format advertisement experiments and hot/cold finding

The practical gain is not “more menu items” by itself. It is a cleaner hardware-to-firmware path: one cap provides the two external radios, while POSEIDON keeps the keyboard, display, capture files and radio menus on the Cardputer ADV.

Hydra RF is for

CC1101 Sub-GHz work, nRF24 2.4 GHz research, RF spectrum inspection, protocol learning and authorized lab testing on Cardputer ADV.

Hydra RF is not

A LoRa/GNSS cap, a 5 GHz Wi-Fi radio, an accessory for the original Cardputer v1.1, or a replacement for region-specific RF authorization.

One POSEIDON profile, three regional Hydra RF models

POSEIDON labels its supported Hydra profile Hydra RF Cap 424. PINGEQUA’s hardware documentation confirms that Hydra RF 424, 824 and 924 use the same Cardputer ADV GPIO mapping. Their difference is the frequency-specific CC1101 RF front end, matching antenna and final operating frequency—not the firmware interface.

Hydra model Regional band fit POSEIDON profile
Hydra RF 424 433 MHz hardware—commonly selected for Asia and other locations where the intended 433 MHz use is permitted Supported by the shared Hydra profile; representative name in the upstream table
Hydra RF 824 868 MHz hardware—regional option for EU/UK applications where permitted Supported by the same GPIO profile; set the correct 868 MHz operating frequency
Hydra RF 924 915 MHz hardware—regional option for the US, Canada and Australia where permitted Supported by the same GPIO profile; set the correct 915 MHz operating frequency

What changes between models: choose the frequency-specific hardware and antenna for your region, then select the matching operating frequency in the firmware. Software cannot convert a 433 MHz front end into an 868 or 915 MHz one. The nRF24L01+ 2.4 GHz radio and the Cardputer ADV GPIO mapping remain the same across the family.

Use the release that contains the Hydra profile

As of August 13, 2026, the latest published POSEIDON release is v0.6.8, released July 4, 2026. Its source defines the shared Hydra RF mapping directly:

  • CC1101: shared SPI plus Hydra-specific chip-select and GDO0 pins
  • nRF24L01+: the same shared SPI bus plus Hydra-specific chip-select and enable pins
  • Radio isolation: the driver parks the inactive SPI devices so only the selected radio owns the bus

Download the packaged v0.6.8 image from the POSEIDON Releases page or use the project’s own installer for that release. Do not copy Bruce brucepins.conf instructions into POSEIDON: Bruce and POSEIDON are separate firmware projects, and POSEIDON’s released Hydra profile is compiled into its radio drivers.

Quick start: Cardputer ADV + Hydra RF + POSEIDON

  1. Confirm the host. Hydra RF is for M5Stack Cardputer ADV, not the original Cardputer or v1.1.
  2. Choose the correct band. Use 424 for 433 MHz hardware, 824 for 868 MHz hardware, or 924 for 915 MHz hardware, subject to your local rules.
  3. Power off before fitting the cap. Seat the module evenly on the ADV expansion header and attach the correct antennas before any transmit function.
  4. Install the upstream release. Use the POSEIDON v0.6.8 release; do not flash an untagged development build for this guide.
  5. Begin with passive checks. Open the CC1101 spectrum/scan view and the nRF24 spectrum view first. Confirm that both radios initialize and receive before trying any authorized transmit workflow.

If a radio is not detected, stop there. Re-seat the cap with power off, verify the antenna and release version, and compare the exact error with the POSEIDON issue tracker. Do not diagnose a receive problem by transmitting repeatedly.

Who should choose this combination?

The POSEIDON + Hydra RF combination makes sense when you want a keyboard-first Cardputer ADV setup and need both Sub-GHz and raw 2.4 GHz radio access without loose jumper wires or two separate caps.

  • Choose Hydra RF 424 when your target work and local rules call for 433 MHz plus nRF24 2.4 GHz.
  • Choose Hydra RF 824 for permitted 868 MHz work in EU/UK-oriented deployments plus nRF24 2.4 GHz.
  • Choose Hydra RF 924 when your permitted regional band calls for 915 MHz hardware plus nRF24 2.4 GHz.
  • Choose an SX1262 + GNSS cap instead when LoRa, Meshtastic or positioning is the goal.
  • Choose a different host accessory if you own Cardputer v1.1; Hydra RF uses the Cardputer ADV expansion interface.

For a broader hardware comparison before buying, read our 2026 Cardputer RF module buying guide.

Build a POSEIDON-ready Cardputer ADV RF setup

Start with the Hydra model for your intended Sub-GHz band. Product pages show current price and availability; the upstream links show exactly what POSEIDON documents.

Hydra RF 424 · 433 MHz → Hydra RF 924 · 915 MHz → Hydra hardware docs → POSEIDON source →

FAQ

Is the PINGEQUA Hydra RF series officially supported by POSEIDON?
Yes. POSEIDON’s upstream README lists the PINGEQUA Hydra RF Cap 424 hardware profile under Supported Hats, and its v0.6.8 source contains Hydra-specific CC1101 and nRF24 pin definitions. PINGEQUA documents the same GPIO map across Hydra RF 424, 824 and 924, so that profile covers all three regional models.
Which POSEIDON version should I use with Hydra RF 424?
Use POSEIDON v0.6.8 for the evidence and instructions in this article. It was released on July 4, 2026 and contains the Hydra 424 pin profile matching PINGEQUA’s published hardware map. Avoid compiling the post-release master branch for this setup unless the upstream project publishes a newer tagged release with the intended Hydra profile.
Does the same POSEIDON Hydra profile support 424, 824 and 924?
Yes. All three Hydra RF regional models share the same Cardputer ADV GPIO map and CC1101 + nRF24L01+ chip interface. The difference is the frequency-specific CC1101 RF hardware and antenna: 424 is the 433 MHz model, 824 is the 868 MHz model and 924 is the 915 MHz model. Choose the model and operating frequency permitted for your location.
What does Hydra RF add to a Cardputer ADV running POSEIDON?
It adds a CC1101 Sub-GHz transceiver and an nRF24L01+ 2.4 GHz transceiver. POSEIDON uses them for Sub-GHz scanning, capture, replay, spectrum and signal-finding workflows, plus nRF24 ESB, spectrum and authorized wireless-security research tools.
Can I use the Bruce Hydra configuration with POSEIDON?
Do not copy Bruce brucepins.conf steps into POSEIDON. Bruce and POSEIDON are separate firmware projects. POSEIDON v0.6.8 compiles the Hydra radio mapping into its own drivers; follow the POSEIDON release instructions when running POSEIDON.
Does Hydra RF work with the original Cardputer or Cardputer v1.1?
No. Hydra RF is built for the M5Stack Cardputer ADV expansion header. The original Cardputer and v1.1 require a different RF module and physical interface.
Does the POSEIDON listing mean PINGEQUA is endorsed by M5Stack?
No. POSEIDON is an independent open-source project, and PINGEQUA is an independent accessory maker. The evidence supports firmware compatibility; it does not establish endorsement by M5Stack, Flipper Devices or another hardware vendor.

Primary sources: POSEIDON README / Supported Hats (README updated July 18, 2026; verified August 13, 2026); POSEIDON v0.6.8 release (July 4, 2026); v0.6.8 CC1101 and nRF24 hardware profiles; POSEIDON changelog (v0.6.1 entry dated May 29, 2026); PINGEQUA Hydra RF hardware documentation (verified August 13, 2026).

For authorized RF research, education and testing only. Attach the correct antenna before transmitting and use only frequencies, power levels and protocols permitted in your location. The Hydra RF product documentation states that the module does not carry FCC, CE or ETSI radio certification; FCC Part 15 / SDoC, FCC ID, CE/RED or other requirements depend on the final product, transmitter configuration and market. Interference and unauthorized interception are illegal in many jurisdictions. “POSEIDON,” “M5Stack,” “Cardputer,” “CC1101” and “nRF24L01+” are referenced for identification and compatibility; PINGEQUA is independent and is not endorsed by their owners.

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