Motorola’s latest addition to its wireless infrastructure portfolio, the LA-5127 (see Figure), is a wireless networker CompactFlash (CF) client radio card with 802.11b/g connectivity. The card offers enhanced Wi-Fi Protected Access 2 (WPA2) enterprise-mode security. It also offers features that enable enterprise mobility for traditionally wire-based equipment, such as mobile printers. The card is based on a common platform and a worldwide radio that reduces network system workload.

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The device operates from 3.3 V and has an approximate range of 300 feet in a typical office environment. Multiple data rates are supported, ranging from 1 Mbps to 54 Mbps. The conducted power (not including antenna gain) is 15 dBm, but varies with data rate. The frequency range is 2.4 GHz to 2.5 GHz.

The device supports 11 operating channels in the U.S. In the EU and Japan, it supports 13 and 14, respectively. Modulation types CCK, DBPSK, DQPSK, QPSK, and OFDM (16 and 64QAM) are supported. The card also utilizes two-antenna diversity.

The current consumption varies with operational mode. For Tx mode, 500 mA is typically required. For Rx mode, this falls to 280 mA. Inrush current is typically 165 mA, and the card consumes only 17 mA in standby mode.

According to Sujai Hajela, vice president and general manager of wireless infrastructure, Motorola Networks and Enterprise, the card can be embedded within end-product offerings, such as a mobile printer that workers wear around their waist. In some cases, the card could also be inserted into a CompactFlash slot. It is a single, stand-alone device that operates with standards-based 802.11b/g wireless LAN infrastructure, such as access points and wireless switches.

To address potential RF interference from the LA-5127, Hajela states that Motorola has completed extensive testing on the Wireless Networker to help ensure the unit meets regulatory compliance. This includes intentional radiator testing for interference. Extensive testing has been completed for use in more than 70 countries, and nothing special is needed to prevent interference by the card.

The CompactFlash format is a legacy configuration that allows the cards to function as a potential upgrade into legacy systems or new systems built on existing platforms. The CompactFlash format is universal. However, Hajela states that the LA-5127 Wireless Networker is an extended Type II CompactFlash with a 50-pin connector—a form factor slightly larger than what is typical of CompactFlash memory cards because of the built-in 802.11b/g radio. Therefore, the LA-5127 Wireless Networker is the first in an upcoming portfolio of Wireless Networker client radio cards of differing features and configurations.

The LA-5127 Wireless Networker CompactFlash radio card can be embedded or installed to provide wireless connectivity in legacy equipment previously reliant on data cables.