User’s Guide and Technical Reference Manual Aironet 3500 Series PC3500 Wireless LAN Adapter DOC-710-004019-A0 Aironet Wireless Communications, Inc. • 367 Ghent Road, Suite 300 P.O.
Aironet Wireless Communications, Inc. No part of this document may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, for any purpose, without the express written permission of Aironet Wireless Communications. Information in this document is subject to change without notice.
Manufacturers Federal Communication Commission Declaration of Conformity Statement Models: PC3500 Manufacturer : Aironet Wireless Communications, Inc. 367 Ghent Road, Suite 300 Fairlawn, OH 44334 1-800-3-WIRELESS This device complies with Part 15 rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: 1) this device may cause harmful interference, and 2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.
Department of Communications - Canada Canadian Compliance Statement This Class B Digital apparatus meets all the requirements of the Canadian Interference - Causing Equipment Regulations. Cet appareil numerique de la classe B respecte les exigences du Reglement sur le material broilleur du Canada. This device complies with RSS-210 of Industry of Canada.
Declaration of Conformity Aironet Model Number: PC3500 Application of Council Directive: Application of Council Directive: 89/336/EEC 72/23/EEC CE Type Examination Certificate: HDTP/RDR/167/394122 Standards to which Conformity is Declared: EN 55022 (B) EN 55011 (B) EN 50082-1 EN 60950 Manufacturer: Aironet Wireless Communications, Inc. 367 Ghent Road, Suite 300 Fairlawn Ohio, 44334 The undersigned hereby declares that the equipment specified above conforms to the directives and standards cited herein.
Safety Information The FCC with its action in ET Docket 96-8 has adopted a safety standard for human exposure to radiated frequency (RF) electromagnetic energy emitted by FCC certified equipment. The Aironet products meet the uncontrolled environmental limits found in OET-65 and ANSI C95.1, 1991. For proper operation of this radio according to the instructions found in this manual will result in the user exposure to be substantially below the FCC recommended limits.
For Snap-On Antenna Always orient antenna such that it is at least 5 cm (2 inches) away from your body. For Dipole Antenna Always orient antenna such that it is at least 15 cm (6 inches) away from your body. For High Gain Wall Mount or Mast Mount Antennas These antennas are designed to be professionally installed and should be located at a minimum distance of 30 cm (12 inches) or more from your body.
Table of Contents About the User's Guide......................................................... 1 Typographical Conventions.................................................. 3 Section 1 Welcome to the PC3500....................................................... 4 Frequency Hopping Radio Technology................................. 4 Data Transparency and Protocols ......................................... 5 Protocols Supported .............................................................
Windows for Workgroups NDIS2 Installation .....................30 DOS NDIS2 Installation .....................................................31 DOS Packet Driver Installation ...........................................32 ODI Driver Installation .......................................................33 General Information............................................................34 Driver Keywords and Settings.............................................36 Section 4 Utilities..............................
Appendix B Overview of WinDGS .........................................................62 Commands Menu................................................................62 Options Menu .....................................................................64 Edit Parameters...................................................................65 Network Parameters............................................................67 RF Network Parameters ......................................................
List of Figures Figure 1.1 - Viewing the Infrastructure .........................................11 Figure 1.2 - Ad Hoc Wireless LAN ...............................................12 Figure 1.3 - Wireless Infrastructure ..............................................13 Figure 1.4 - Wireless Infrastructure with Workstations Accessing a Wired LAN.............................................14 Figure 1.5 - Extended Infrastructure Using Repeaters....................15 Figure 1.
List of Tables Table 1.1 Table 3.1 Table 3.2 Table 3.3 Table 3.4 Table 3.5 Table 3.6 Table 3.7 Table 3.8 Table 3.9 Table 3.10 Table 3.11 Table 3.12 Table 5.1 Table 5.2 Table A.1 Table A.2 Table A.3 Table A.4 - Supported Drivers................................................. 5 Driver Disk Structure.......................................... 27 Minimum PROTOCOL.INI Driver Settings ........ 31 Minimum AWCPKT.INI Driver Settings............ 32 Minimum NET.CFG Driver Settings..................
About the User’s Guide This guide covers the installation, configuration, control and maintenance of your Aironet PC3500 PC Card Wireless LAN Adapter. Please read Sections 2 and 3 before attempting to install or use the hardware and software described in this guide.
Appendix A – PC3500 Specifications – provides PC3500 radio and physical specifications. Appendix B – Using the WinDGS Utility – provides detailed descriptions on using the WinDGS utility.
Typographical Conventions When reading the User’s Guide and Technical Reference Manual, it is important to understand the symbol and formatting conventions used in the documentation. The following symbols are used in this guide. Convention i Type of Information Indicates a note which contains important information. ! A caution message that appears before procedures which if not observed could result in loss of data or damage to the equipment.
Section 1 Welcome to the Aironet PC3500 The Aironet PC3500 is a PC Card radio module that provides transparent wireless data communications between fixed, portable, or mobile devices and other wireless devices or a wired network infrastructure (Ethernet or Token Ring). Host devices can be any device equipped with a PC Card Type II or Type III slot.
If a particular frequency encounters a level of noise and/or interference, the PC3500 will rebroadcast part of the transmission where interference occurred on another frequency channel. Data Transparency and Protocols The PC3500 transports data packets transparently as they move through the wireless infrastructure. The PC3500 operates similarly to a standard network product except the wire is replaced with a radio connection.
Radio Characteristics The PC3500 uses a radio modulation technique known as Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum (FHSS) transmission. It combines high data throughput with excellent immunity to interference. The PC3500 operates in the 2.4 GHz license-free Industrial Scientific and Medical (ISM) band. Data is transmitted over a half-duplex radio channel operating up to 2 Megabits per second (Mbps).
• Antenna Type and Placement. Proper antenna configuration is a critical factor in maximizing radio range. As a general guide, range increases in proportion to antenna height. For a detailed explanation of antenna types and configurations along with guidelines on selecting antennas for specific environments, see the Aironet Antenna Guide, document number 710-003725. • Physical Environments. Clear or open areas provide better radio range than closed or filled areas.
Radio Antenna The Snap-On Diversity antenna comes standard with the PC3500 and provides omni-directional coverage. A benefit of diversity system is improved coverage. At the edges of the RF coverage or fringe areas, there are very often multiple signals reaching the receiver, all from the same transmitter. These signals travel in different paths (multipath) and are caused by reflection and shadows of the RF signals. When the signals combine, the receiver may have trouble decoding the data.
Terminology When configuring your system and your PC3500, keep in mind the following terminology: Root Unit – The root unit (Aironet Access Point) is located at the top or starting point of a wireless infrastructure. The root unit provides the physical connection to the wired LAN and contains configuration information in its association table that covers all stations in the infrastructure. Repeater – A repeater is an Aironet Access Point that extends the radio range of the infrastructure.
Power Save Mode (PSP) – Power Save Mode allows computers (usually portable computers) to power up only part of the time to conserve energy. If a radio node is using the Power Save Mode to communicate with the infrastructure, the Aironet Access Point must be aware of this mode and implement additional features such as message store and forward. Infrastructure – The wireless infrastructure is the communications system that combines Aironet Access Points, mobile stations and fixed stations.
Figure 1.
System Configurations The PC3500 can be used in a variety of network system configurations. Aironet Access Points (AP3500-E or AP3500-T) provide connections to your Ethernet or Token Ring networks or act as repeaters increasing wireless communication range. The maximum communication range is based on how you configure your wireless infrastructure. Examples of some common system configurations are shown on the pages that follow, along with a description of each. Figure 1.
Figure 1.3 - Wireless Infrastructure Root Unit Workstation Workstation In a wireless infrastructure, an Aironet Access Point is used as a stand-alone root unit. The root unit is not attached to any wired LAN (such as an Ethernet or Token Ring LAN), but functions as a hub linking all stations together. This configuration is similar to the ad hoc network, except the Aironet Access Point serves as the focal point for communications.
Figure 1.4 - Wireless Infrastructure with Workstations Accessing a Wired LAN File Server Wired LAN Aironet Access Point (Root Unit) Workstation Aironet Access Point (Root Unit) Workstation Workstation A Micro-Cellular Network can be created by placing two or more Aironet Access Points on a LAN. The Aironet roaming protocols allow remote workstations to move from one microcell domain to another. The process is seamless and transparent.
Figure 1.5 - Extended Infrastructure Using Repeaters File Server Wired LAN Aironet Access Point (Root Unit) Aironet Access Point (Repeater) An Aironet Access Point can be configured as a stand-alone repeater to extend the range of your infrastructure, or to overcome an RF blocking obstacle. The repeater forwards traffic between the PC3500 equipped workstations and devices and the wired LAN by sending packets to either another repeater or to another Aironet Access Point attached to the wired LAN.
Coverage Options The system architecture options of the PC3500 station and Access Points provide for a variety of coverage alternatives and flexibility. The system can be designed to provide a wide coverage area with minimal overlap (Figure 1.6) or coverage with heavy overlap (Figure 1.7). This improves system performance and protection against downtime in the event of a component failure. Figure 1.
Figure 1.7 - Heavy Overlap Coverage Option Wired LAN By arranging the Access Points so the overlap in coverage area is nearly maximized, a large number of mobile stations can be supported in the same wireless infrastructure without degradation in system performance or connect time. Due to the redundancy in coverage overlap, system performance is not hampered in the event of an Access Point failure. Upon failure of the Access Point, the station will automatically roam to an operational Access Point.
Figure 1.8 - Multiple Overlapping Systems Coverage Option Wired LAN 2 Wired LAN 1 Multiple systems can operate in the same vicinity. The architecture provides multiple channels, which can exist in the same area with virtually no interference to each other. In this mode, each system must be configured with different Service Set Identifiers (SSID), which prevent PC3500 clients from roaming to Access Points of a different wireless system.
Section 2 Installing the PC3500 Hardware This section describes the procedures for installing the Aironet PC3500 Wireless LAN Adapter.
Before You Start For the PC3500 to be used with a computing device (desktop personal computer, notebook, laptop computer, portable or hand-held device), the device must be equipped with an internal or external PC Card Type II or Type III slot. All drivers and supporting software (card and socket services) for the PC Card slot must be loaded and configured. Please follow the manufacturer’s guidelines for installing the software as well as installing the PC3500.
Figure 2.1 - Overview of the PC3500 MicroMate Antenna Connectors Antenna Connectors The PC3500 has two female MicroMate antenna connectors on one end. All antennas and cables attached to the PC3500 must be equipped with male MicroMate connectors. The two antenna connectors allow a Diversity Antenna or two separate antennas to be attached to the PC3500. When two antennas are connected, the PC3500 will automatically select antennas in order to provide the strongest signal for radio operations.
Standard Antennas The Snap-On Diversity antenna comes with the PC3500 and attaches directly to the PC Card. Its small size allows mobile communication in a small area where a larger antenna would be awkward or interfere with the use of the PC or terminal. For example, laptop computers connected together in an ad hoc network or mobile terminals connected to a wired network via a fixed Aironet Access Point.
Attaching the Antenna ! CAUTION: The Snap-On antenna should never be placed in contact with metal surfaces. To attach the Snap-On antenna: i NOTE: PC3500 Adapter Card comes with the antenna attached. If you need to change the antenna, the PC3500 Adapter should be removed from the PC Card slot before removing or attaching an antenna. 1. Hold the antenna so the connector and guide pin leads line up with the connector and slots on the PC3500.
Detaching the Antenna To detach the Snap-On Antenna: 1. 2. 3. ! Remove the PC3500 from the PC Card slot. Grasp the center of the antenna with the thumb and forefinger. Gently pull the antenna away from the PC3500 until it comes free. CAUTION: Do Not bend or twist the antenna away from the PC Card body. Do not pry or use tools to remove the antenna. To detach a remote antenna: 1. 2. 3. Remove the PC3500 from the PC Card slot. Grasp the end of the antenna cable lead by the connector.
Installing the PC3500 into the PC Card Slot Before you begin, examine the PC3500. One end is a dual row 68-pin PC Card connector. This side will be inserted into the PC Card slot with the Aironet logo facing up. The PC3500 card is keyed so it can be inserted only one way into the PC Card slot. CAUTION: The following procedures and physical connections apply generally to normal and conventional PC Card slots.
Section 3 Installing the PC3500 Software The PC3500 card is supplied with PACKET, NDIS2, NDIS3 and ODI drivers allowing operation under DOS, Windows 3.x, Windows for Workgroups, Windows 95, Windows NT, and Novell Netware. The PC3500 is fully IEEE 802.3 compliant with the Ethernet standard for frame types and addressing allowing it to function as a standard network interface card.
The driver disk shipped with the PC3500 is organized as follows: Table 3.1 - Driver Disk Structure README.TXT DIAG FLSH3545.COM 35C???.BIN NDIS2 AWC2N35C.DOS OEMSETUP.INF PROTOCOL.INI PROTOCOL.AHC PKT AWCP35C.COM AWCPKT.INI AWCPKT.AHC NDIS3 PC3500.INF PC3500.SYS PC3500.DLL VXD3500.VXD OEMSETUP.INF ODI AWCO35C.COM NET.
Windows 95 NDIS3 Installation To complete the installation of the PC3500 under Windows 95, make sure that the Windows 95 PC Card driver is installed and PC Card 32-bit support is enabled. NOTE: To find out more about PC Card and PC Card 32-bit support, follow the instructions found in the Windows 95 Help menu section titled Enabling 32-bit PC card support (under PCMCIA). i 1. 2. 3. Power on your computer and boot Windows 95. Insert the adapter into one of the PC Card slots.
Windows NT NDIS3 Installation To complete the installation of the PC3500 using Windows NT, verify PCMCIA card and socket services are enabled using Devices in the Control Panel. 1. 2. 3. 4. Shutdown the Windows NT workstation. Insert the PC3500 adapter into one of the PC Card slots. Power up the Windows NT workstation. From the control panel, select the Network icon. For Windows NT 4.xx 5. Select Adapters. 6. Select Add. For Windows NT 3.51 Select Add Adapters.
Windows for Workgroups NDIS2 Installation 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. Power on your computer and start Windows for Workgroups. Go to the Network program group and click on Network Set-Up. Under Network Setup, choose Networks..... Under Networks choose Install Microsoft Windows Network. Select OK. Under Network Setup, choose Drivers.... Under Network Drivers, choose Add Adapters. If the drivers were already copied to the hard disk, they will be displayed in the list.
DOS NDIS2 Installation The PC3500 LAN Adapter can be installed in a NetBIOS compliant DOS environment such as MicroSoft LAN Manager or PC LAN. The installation of this driver includes creating or editing a configuration file (PROTOCOL.INI). It is required that this file contains the following lines: Table 3.2 - Minimum PROTOCOL.
DOS Packet Driver Installation The installation of this driver includes creating or editing a configuration file (AWCPKT.INI). It is required that this file contain the following lines: Table 3.3 - Minimum AWCPKT.INI Driver Settings INFRASTRUCTURE MODE AD HOC MODE [AWCPKT] [AWCPKT] If INFRASTRUCTURE is INFRASTRUCTURE = “NO” omitted the default will be “ON” SSID = “your_SSID_here” SSID = “your_SSID_here” Additional variables defined in the following section may also be used.
ODI Driver Installation The PC3500 can be installed in an ODI compliant DOS environment such as Novell NetWare. Table 3.4 - Minimum NET.CFG Driver Settings INFRASTRUCTURE MODE Link Driver AWCO35C If INFRASTRUCTURE is omitted the default will be “ON” SSID = “your_SSID_here” 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Power on your computer. Copy the \ODI\AWCO35C.COM driver from the Aironet Driver diskette to the directory containing the network files. Copy the \ODI\NET.
General Information • • • i • • • • • • i AWCPKT.INI file must have a section header of [AWCPKT]. PROTOCOL.INI file can have any section header, but the section must contain the keyword and parameter DRIVERNAME=“AWC2N35C$”. NET.CFG file must have a section header of [Link Driver AWCO35C]. NOTE: These lines may appear anywhere within a section. Only the sections that contain these lines will be parsed. Multiple sections are supported. Blank lines are supported.
• For Packet string parameters, the string can be enclosed with double quotes or single quotes. If a string is quoted, any character except a “null” and the quote delimiter itself can occur between the quotes. i NOTE: If double quotes are used for a delimiter, a single quote may appear in the string, and vise versa. If the string begins with an alphabetic character and contains no special characters, the quotes may be omitted. • For numeric parameters, the value can be hexadecimal or decimal.
Driver Keywords and Settings The default PC3500 configuration is set to: • Constant Awake Mode. • Infrastructure Mode. This allows association with any Aironet Access Point matching the SSID supplied by the user.
The following tables contain keywords and parameter settings common to both the NDIS2 PROTOCOL.INI, ODI NET.CFG, and the PKT AWCPKT.INI configuration files. Basic system operation can be adjusted with the following parameters. Table 3.
Network performance can be optimized with the following variables. Table 3.
Additional system performance adjustments can be made with the following group of variables. Table 3.7 - Fragmentation Keywords Keywords FRAGTHRESHOLD Value 256 – 2312 (must be even) 39 Description Optional - specifies the fragmentation size in bytes. Frames longer than this value will be transmitted using multiple packets (default is 700).
PC3500 power management can be adjusted with the following group of variables. Table 3.8 - Power Management Keywords Keywords Value POWERSAVEMODE CAM, PSP, FASTPSP ATIMDURATION Between 0 and less than the beacon interval. SLEEPFORDTIM ON, OFF LISTENTIME 0 – 0xFFFF Description Optional - specifies a particular operational mode (default is CAM). CAM = Constant Awake Mode PSP = Power Save Mode FASTPSP = Fast Power Save Mode Note: In Ad Hoc Mode, ATIMDURATION must also be set.
Table 3.8 - Power Management Keywords (Continued) Keywords Value FASTLISTENTIME 0 – 0xFFFF LISTENDECAY 0 – 0xFFFF FASTLISTENDELAY 0 – 0xFFFF 41 Description Infrastructure only - determines how often to awaken for beacons. Note that the PC3500 will always awaken to receive DTIMs when in Fastpsp Mode (default is 100 Kµsec). Rate at which the listen interval grows (default is 2). Rate at which the listen interval grows (default is 200 Kµsec).
Additional system performance adjustments can be made with the following group of variables. Table 3.9 - Scanning Keywords Keywords Value SCANMODE ACTIVE, PASSIVE, ADVANCED BEACONLISTENTO 0 – 0xFFFF PROBEENERGYTO 0 – 0xFFFF PROBERESPONSETO 0 – 0xFFFF STATIONARY PROBEDELAY ON, OFF, YES, NO 0 – 0xFFFF OFFSCANINTERVAL 0 – 0xFFFF OFFSCANDURATION 0 – 0xFFFF 42 Description Optional - parameter to determine the current scanning mode to be used by the PC3500 (default is ACTIVE).
Additional system performance adjustments can be made with the following parameters. Table 3.
Table 3.10 - Infrastructure Keywords (Continued) Keywords Value SPECIFIEDAPTO 0 – 0xFFFF AUTHTIMEOUT 0 – 0xFFFF AUTHTYPE OFF, OPEN, SHAREDKEY, ENCRYPTONLY 0 – 0xFFFF ASSOCIATIONTO 44 Description Time in Kµsec to attempt to associate to a specified Access Point before searching for any available Access Points (with matching SSID) (default is 10,000 Kµsec [10 sec]). Time to attempt to authenticate to an Access Point (default is 2,000 Kµsec [2 sec]).
Ad hoc system operation is accomplished with the following group of variables. Table 3.11 - Ad Hoc Keywords Keywords Value JOINNETTO 0 – 0xFFFF BEACONPERIOD 0 – 0xFFFF CURRENTSET 1, 2, 3 CURRENTPATTERN Valid patten for the current set DWELLPERIOD 19 – 390 Kµsec ATIMDURATION Between 0 and less than the beacon interval Description Optional - determines the amount of time that an ad hoc station will scan before starting its own network (default is 10,000 Kµsec [10 sec]).
The following is a list of keywords that will control the host system hardware resources the PC3500 requires. i NOTE: At a minimum, the PC3500 requires 64 consecutive 16-bit I/O ports, one non-sharable Interrupt and one PC Card type II slot. If you are using card services, these resources will be assigned for you. However, you may override the card services resource assignments by including the PortBase and/or INT/IRQ keywords in the appropriate configuration file.
Table 3.12 - PC Card Keywords Keyword PORTBASE Value 0 – 0xFFFF PORT INT 2 – 15 IRQ SOCKET 0–7 Description Optional – specifies the starting address for a block of 64 consecutive 16-bit I/O ports. Make sure the block of I/O addresses does not overlap the address of another device in the machine. This can be used to override a card service assignment. If card services are not used, this will default to 0x140. Only valid in NET.CFG file (same as PORTBASE).
Section 4 Utilities This section describes procedures for using utilities and updating firmware depending on the operating system used. See Appendix B for detailed configuration procedures for WinDGS using Windows 95. Here’s what you will find in this section: • Using the utilities • Loading new firmware versions Site Survey and Link Test In order to perform a meaningful site survey, it is necessary to conduct a test which will accurately model the intended use of the system.
The link test tool helps determine the RF network coverage. The results of the link test will help eliminate low RF signal level areas that can result in loss of connection between the PC3500 and the Aironet Access Point. It is important to remember the information being displayed is from the Aironet Access Point viewpoint. Therefore, packets sent are from the Aironet Access Point to the PC3500 client. Packets received are from the PC3500 to the Aironet Access Point.
9. Navigate through the Aironet Access Point menu to the link test option. See the AP3500 Technical Reference Manual for more information. 10. Set up the test options to accurately model the system. 11. Set the test for continuous operation with a 1 second delay. 12. Begin traversing the area around the Aironet Access Point to determine its coverage. If logging and notes are not possible with the telnet application, maintain a manual log.
1. From the link test command menu, enter the following parameters: • IP address of Aironet Access Point: This parameter specifies the IP address of the Access Point with which you want to test the RF link. Set this value before running the link test. • Number of Packets: This parameter specifies the number of packets the link test will attempt to send. The display will show the number of packets of the specified size that are successfully transmitted and received.
Linkscope Linkscope provides a graphical display of: • Signal Quality • Signal Strength Linkscope determines the performance of the RF link between a PC3500 and an Aironet Access Point. Any Windows 95 or Windows NT unit associated to an Aironet Access Point can run the linkscope test. Signal strength is displayed along the vertical axis of the graphical display. Signal quality is displayed along the horizontal axis. The combined result is represented by a diagonal line.
Loading New Firmware Versions The PC3500 firmware is contained in the card’s flash memory. Flash memory allows for easy updating of the firmware as necessary. To Upgrade Firmware for Windows 95: The WinDGS program is used to load new firmware into the PC3500. To load new firmware: 1. Make sure the PC3500 is up and running 2. Select Commands. 3. Select Load New Firmware. 4. Select Look In…Use the drop down button to select the appropriate path and image file. 5. Select Open.
If Loading Firmware for Windows 3.11 and DOS: The FLSH3545.COM program is used to load new firmware to systems operating under DOS and Windows 3.11. To load new firmware: 1. Before upgrading the firmware, uninstall the driver or reboot the computer and do not load the driver during the boot process. 2. Type FLSH3545 at the DOS prompt. 3. Enter the option (see Table below). i 4. 5. NOTE: If using card and socket services, no options should be required. Type the filename of the new firmware. Press Enter.
Section 5 Error Messages and Trouble Shooting The PC3500 provides LED messages and error codes. This section provides the general procedures for correcting common problems encountered when installing the PC3500 system. Indicator LEDs The PC3500 has two indicator LEDs (green and amber) located on the face of the card. The green indicator is the Link Integrity/Power LED. It lights when the card is receiving power and flashes when the PC3500 is linked with the network.
Table 5.1 – Green LED Operating Messages Greed LED Condition Off No power or error Flashing Quickly Power on, self-test OK, scanning for network Flashing Slowly Associated with an infrastructure network Table 5.
If Your Radio Fails to Establish Contact • • • • • • Change your location or the location of the antenna by a few feet and transmit again. Make sure the antenna is securely attached. Make sure the PC3500 is securely inserted in the PC Card slot. Make sure the receiving equipment is turned on and operating. Make sure the receiving equipment is properly connected to the host computer. Check that all parameters are set properly for both the PC3500 and the Aironet Access Point.
Appendix A - PC3500 Specifications LAN Drivers Supported Protocol ODI NDIS 2 NDIS 3 Packet Table A.1 - Supported Drivers Operating System DOS based driver for Novell Netware MS DOS, Windows 3.xx Windows 95, Windows NT MS DOS, Windows 3.
Radio Specifications Table A.2 - Radio Specifications Item Specification Description Radio Type Frequency Hopper 2.4 GHz ISM Band Operating 2400-2495 North American, Frequency ETSI, and Japan channel coverage, factory configurable FCC ID LOZ102033 FCC approval Channeling 1 MHz increments Programmable for IEEE 802.11 Type of 2GFSK (1 Mbit/s) Nominal 1 MHz BW Modulation 4GFSK (2 Mbit/s) (-20 db) 50 mW, 100 mW, Meets FCC Part Power Output 200 mW (hi, min) 15.
Power Requirements Table A.3 - Power Requirements Specification Value Operational Voltage 5.0 ±0.25 Volts Receive Mode Current 300 mA High Power Transmit Mode 650 mA Current Standby Mode Current 5 mA Physical Specifications Table A.4 - Physical Characteristics Description 3.37" L x 2.13" W x .20" H (8.56 cm L x 5.41 cm W x .51 cm H) Enclosure PC Card Type II Weight 2 oz.
Mechanical Description Figure A.1 - Mechanical Outline 3.370 .750 RF CONN. (2) 2.126 LED LOC'N (2) .196 J1 and J2 provided for diversity antenna connections. If a special single-coax diversity antenna is required, use J1 exclusively.
Appendix B - Using the WinDGS Utility Overview of WinDGS WinDGS is used to perform user level diagnostics on your Aironet Wireless LAN Adapter Card in the Windows 95 or Windows NT operating system environment. Commands Menu The Commands Menu includes: • Select Card • Loading New Firmware • Edit Properties • Statistics • Status • Linktest • Radio Off/On • Exit Select Card This allows another installed Aironet Wireless LAN Adapter Card to be chosen.
Edit Properties WinDGS allows you to change the configuration parameters of your currently installed PC3500. Depending on the preferences you have set, WinDGS can save the current properties to the registry. See Save Properties Options for more information. Statistics The Statistics screen shows the current statistics from the PC3500. Statistics are updated at the rate specified by the Screen Update Timer. Clear the current statistics by clicking on Reset.
Options Menu The Options Menu includes: • Preferences • Screen Update Timer • Save Properties Options Preferences The WinDGS Preferences allow you to customize various parameters that control the operation of WinDGS. For example, you can set the rate at which the values are updated in the status and statistics screens via the Screen Update Timer. You can also set the Save Properties Options, which controls what is done with changes to the current settings.
• Always Prompt the User: This option, when checked, will prompt the user to save the current settings to the Registry. If the box is not checked, the operation will default to “Save Properties to the Registry”.
SSID The Service Set Identifier (SSID) controls access to a given wireless network. This value MUST match the SSID of any/all Access Points that you want to communicate with. If the value does not match, access to the system is not granted. The SSID can be up to 32 characters (case sensitive). Network type (Infrastructure Mode) This mode is used to set up a connection to a wired network, such as Ethernet or Token Ring. This mode requires an Access Point to gain access to the wired network.
Power Save Mode Power Save Mode is recommended for devices where power consumption is a major concern, such as small battery powered devices. Power Save Mode causes the Access Point to buffer incoming messages. The PC3500 must wake up periodically and poll the Access Point to see if there are any buffered messages waiting. The PC3500 can request each message and then go back to sleep. Fast Power Save Mode Fast Power Save Mode (Fast PSP Mode) switches between PSP and CAM based on network traffic.
RF Network Parameters RF Network Parameters include: • Fragment Threshold: This parameter defines a threshold above which the RF packet will be split up or fragmented. If a packet is fragmented or transmission of part of it is interfered with, only the portion that was unsuccessful would need to be re-sent. The throughput will generally be lower for fragmented packets since the fixed packet overhead consumes a higher portion of the RF bandwidth.
Advanced (Infrastructure) The following parameters are contained in both the Infrastructure and Ad Hoc Modes: • Antenna Mode • Specified Access Point • RTS Threshold • RTS Retry Limit Antenna Mode Three options are available for the type of antenna you have connected to the PC3500: • Antenna Diversity: This allows the PC3500 to use the stronger signal from the two antenna ports. Diversity can help the radio maintain the RF connection in areas of interference.
Specified Access Point This parameter is the MAC address of the preferred Access Point you want to associate with. It is important to note that if you specify the Access Point, you MAY associate to another Access Point if the Specified Access Point is not found. If you roam out of range, you will probably associate with another Access Point. Setting a Specified Access Point will slow down the roaming process. Thus, for normal operation for the majority of users, leave this field blank.
Advanced (Ad Hoc/IBSS) In Ad Hoc Mode, you can also modify the following parameters: • Hop Set • Hop Pattern • Hop Dwell Period • Beacon Period • Wake Duration Hop Set The IEEE 802.11 Standard specifies three hop sets, which are pre-defined sets of frequencies that IEEE 802.11 Frequency Hopping systems MUST use.
Hop Dwell Period This parameter specifies how long the system will stay on one frequency before hopping to the next frequency in the pattern. The maximum duration is set by the regulatory body for your country. The limit for the United States is 400 ms (approximately 390 Kµsec). The default for Infrastructure Mode systems is 200 ms (approximately 200 Kµsec). Refer to the IEEE 802.11 Standard for more information on the hopping mechanism.
Technical Support Aironet Wireless Communications, Inc. 367 Ghent Road, Suite 300 PO Box 5292 Fairlawn, Ohio 44334-0292 Telephone - (800) 705-5555 Fax - (330) 664-7990 e-mail - techsupp@aironet.com http://www. aironet.
