MeshNetworks of Orlando, FL, the company that seeks to extend WLAN range by using existing wireless devices on a network as hoping points, last week announced availability of its Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) for supporting the company’s Multi-Hop routing technology.
The company and its ASIC are “radio agnostic,” meaning the Multi-Hop technology and the ASIC chip will work with different kinds of wireless connections, including 802.11, ultrawideband, and MeshNetworks’ own QDMA broadband radio.
Using the ASIC chip, companies can build ad hoc, peer-to-peer networking into just about any wireless device, from a PDA to a laptop to a multimedia player, and each will be come another hop for the packets traveling the network, yet will stay secure: MeshNetworks’ QDMA-based systems include a hardware firewall on a chip while other networks such as 802.11b have different packets take different routes to the same destination.
The chips will show up first in products from ViewSonic, including the company’s ViewPad 100 SuperPDA and ViewPad 1000 Tablet
PC. ViewSonic is part of the MeshNetwork Alliance Program.
The low-power, low-cost chip is available to Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and licesnees with quantity pricing available.
MeshNetworks will be hosting a two-hour informational, hands-on session about Multi-Hop technology at the 802.11 Planet Conference & Expo in Philadelphia on June 10, 2002.