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DESIGN, IMPLEMENTATION AND DEMONSTRATION OF AN ADAPTER CARD FOR WIRELESS LOCAL AREA NETWORKS

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A network adapter for wireless communications enables mobile workers to access computer networks while on the move. The VNet (virtual-networks) is a PCMCIA type-II adapter that enables today's mobile users to set up easily and operate a wireless local area network (WLAN) compliant with the IEEE 802.11 standard with data rates from 1 to 4 Mbps in the world-wide license-free 2.4 GHz information system network (ISM ) band. VNet is supported with drivers for Windows environment and can be installed in minutes to offer a wireless solution to network connectivity problems. The most basic set of applications are developed for knowledge workers in a campus, office, or production environment that move around throughout the work day, yet need communication means with an enterprise network. University computers, large construction sites and warehouses are a small sample of application areas where VNet can be used to set up a robust WLAN with minimal effort and time. Intrabuilding LANs can be connected using VNet for point-to-point connections with the addition of a directional antenna. Another field of application for VNet is for wireless access to an ISP, especially in areas where connecting through the public switched telephone network (PSTN) is bandwidth limited. The medium access control (MAC) controller uses the ARM core as the basic block and additional logic for the PCMCIA and physical layer specification (PHY) interfaces. Because of the ARM core, the MAC controller has extensive programmability and because of the prism chip set from Harris Semiconductor, used for the PHY, data rates of up to 4 Mbps can be achieved.

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