Symbol Continues Intersil PRISM Chipset Integration

WLAN chipset maker Intersil Corporation today announced that Symbol Technologies is incorporating Intersil’s PRISM 2.5 technology into its suite of Spectrum24 High Rate WLAN products that feature the Symbol Wireless Networker.

The Symbol Wireless Networker is a type I Compact Flash adapter for Pocket PCs and other Windows devices. The Intersil chipset is being incorporated into Symbol’s AP 4121 Access Point, the LA 4121 PC Card, and the Wireless Networker Compact Flash Adapter. Symbol is releasing the Wireless Networker in two antenna configuration options: One, an integrated antenna in a CF+ Type I adapter or two, an external antenna with connector in a Type I extended form factor.

Symbol claims that the Wireless Networker product is the only Type I Compact Flash card for embedded WLAN solutions currently available. Intersil’s PRISM 2.5 chipset supports Pocket PCs with CF Type I or II slots. The PRISM chipset is optimized for small form factors and embedded applications such as mini-PCI, USB, or Type I CF.

The Symbol Wireless Networker includes power management features like Power Save Polling (PSP), to extend battery life by enabling an idle mode when not active. The card also supports rate scaling from 11 Mbps, to 5.5 to 2 to 1 Mbps with expected range of 300 feet in a standard office environment. It supports 40/128-bit WEP encryption, with ongoing firmware development to support Kerebros Version 5.0 when used with the Symbol Spectrum24 High Rate WLAN infrastructure.

Symbol reported several weeks ago that it was incorporating the Intersil chipset into two new wireless telephony devices from NetVision, also for use on the Spectrum24 High Rage WLAN.

Matthew Peretz is Managing Editor of 802.11-Planet.com