User's Manual

Table Of Contents
1-1
Rev. A-4/20/01
Section 1
Introduction
The Fast-VNET USB (A) adapter based on Wireless Media Access
Controller is a network card with a rate of 1, 2, 5.5, and 11 Mbps operating in the ISM
band using Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum (DSSS) transmission implementing the
IEEE 802.11b standard. For this card currently provides Device Drivers for MS
Windows
®
98/2000, and Windows
®
Me. also provides tools for the configuration
and firmware upgrade of the cards. These tools, as well as the installation procedure for
the MS Windows 98/2000, and Windows Me operating systems are described in this
document.
To install the adapter and operate under an operating system two pieces of software are
needed. The first one is the driver, which provides the necessary mechanisms to the
operating system in order to use the adapter as any other networking adapter. The
driver communicates with the firmware using exchange of commands (Set MIB, Get
MIB, Scan, Sync, etc.). The other piece of software needed is the code written on the
MAC chip, which is responsible for the interface with the driver, and for the implementa-
tion of the IEEE 802.11b functions.
1.1 Package
Contents
Please make sure that your received the following with your AT76C503A-Evaluation Kit:
Two (2) Fast-VNET USB (A) cards
Two USB Cables
Two antennas
User Guide
Firmware, Drivers, and Software Tools CD
1.2 System
Requirements
Operating System: MS Windows 98/2000, Windows Me with Service Pack 4 or later
Desktop PC or notebook PC with CD-ROM drive
1.3 AT76C503A
Features
AT76C503A based Fast-VNET adapters offer compliance with the IEEE 802.11b speci-
fication. This feature allows them to communicate with wireless devices from other
manufacturers that support the standard. Among the features of the AT76C503A WLAN
MAC controller are the following:
Wireless interface following the IEEE 802.11b standard supporting DSSS 2.4 GHz
wireless PHY
Wireless LAN MAC Unit with ARM7TDMI RISC processor
Integrated 128-byte transmit and 128-byte receive FIFOs, for wireless MAC layer
functions