Virata Releases 802.11b Reference Designs

By Michael Foley
iApplianceWeb
(06/27/01, 11:23:53 PM EDT)

Virata Corporation released 802.11b reference designs for manufacturers of wireless devices, such as wireless access points and wireless-to-Ethernet or wireless-to-broadband routers. Virata's 802.11b RD6500 reference design allows developers to create products that support wireless networking activity in the home or office. 802.11b-based products eliminate the need for rewiring or having unsightly cables and wires around living or work spaces to create a wire-free environment.

The new RD6500 reference design consists of a PRISM-based 802.11b module and drivers from Intersil Corporation and Virata's unique ISOS (integrated software on silicon) platform. The ISOS platform provides 802.11b drivers. In addition, customers will no longer need to pay separate licensing fees for the drivers, nor do they need to spend time incorporating all the necessary protocols into their products. When the RD6500 is combined with Virata's BD6200 board, all the core hardware and software required to develop 802.11b-based products will be available in one complete package. In addition, the reference design can be used to help developers build a PCMCIA slot onto a gateway, thereby enabling a user to easily upgrade to 802.11b wireless functionality. The RD6500 reference design supports infrastructure mode, power management queuing, Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP), and Wired Equivalency Privacy (WEP) security features.