Specifications

autopsy
51
maximumpc.com JUL 2011
MAXIMUMPC
PRETENDER TO THE THRONE
As if we haven’t had enough of competing stan-
dards over the years, the 802.11 Working Group
is also working on an 802.11ad specifi cation that
operates in the 60GHz bandwidth spectrum.
Fortunately, it and 802.11ac are not competitive.
They can, in fact, be used in complementary situ-
ations. For example, using both 5GHz and 60GHz
interfaces, it’s possible to carry typical network
data on the 802.11ac portion throughout the house
while using the 802.11ad specifi cation for stream-
ing media within rooms. Assumptions, at this
point, indicate that 802.11ad and its potential 6Gb/s
transfer rate should be able to handle as many as
three HD videos simultaneously.
The semi-bad news is that 802.11ad parallels Wi-
Gig’s goals. And while 802.11ad is still to come, WiGig
already enjoys support from Atheros, Broadcom, and
Intel. Despite the considerable stature of these three
companies, this is only semi-threatening to 802.11ad
because support and alliances are routinely aban-
doned and/or assimilated with frightening regularity
for a variety of reasons.
As always, backward compatibility is a mixed
bag. Its presence is understandable, but insisting
on it often ensures that weaknesses built into prior
technology limits performance. With 802.11n equip-
ment already in use, it would be interesting to see
the spec architects draw a line in the ether and offer
a fresh starting point for a new class of WLAN. This
is not likely.
WHEN IS IT COMING?
Assuming that the ISPs don’t start throttling band-
width—a valid concern given the recent data limit
edicts by AT&T—the implications of real-world data
transfer rates of 350Mb/s are potentially revolution-
ary, particularly when used in tandem with 802.11ad
devices. Video transmission, networked virtualiza-
tion, remote control, and basic large-fi le transfers
all suddenly become much more practical.
So when will we get our hands on 802.11ac tech?
The sad answer is not anytime soon. The standard
will likely be fi nalized in late 2012. Assuming this is
the case, Working Group approval probably won’t
come until a year or so later in late 2013, which
means we probably won’t see the release of offi cially
sanctioned 802.11ac consumer devices until then.
But, just like with 802.11n devices, it is likely that
we’ll be faced with confusing standards before the
fi nal 802.11ac spec is approved. Remember “draft-n”
and its variants? We’ll probably face the same coin
toss with the same probability of buying noncompat-
ible gear. Our take is that it’s a small price to pay for
doubling our wireless transfer rates.
RESISTIVE TOUCH
SCREEN
The Sentry LXE’s 5.27-
inch touch screen rests
above the actual LCD
display; a faint grid of
dots allows the touch
screen to interpret fi nger
location; that information
is fed via ribbon cable to
the fan controller.
LCD SCREEN
The custom LCD isn’t
fully pixilated; instead
it consists of a number
of individual segments
that show fan speed,
temperatures, and
other data.
PCI EXPANSION BOARD
The business end of the
Sentry LXE, the PCB fi ts
in a spare PCI expansion
slot. The actual fan con-
troller is on this PCB, as
is the CMOS battery that
enables it to store prefer-
ences, as well as the leads
for the fi ve temperature
probes and fi ve 3-pin fan
connectors.
MICROCONTROLLER
(NOT SHOWN)
An Elan EM78P520N 8-bit
microcontroller on the
underside of the PCB is the
brains of the operation. It
contains a timer, LED driver,
LCD driver, display RAM,
and more, all on a tiny chip
.
8-PIN CONNECTOR
An 8-pin cable carries
power and data from the
PCI expansion board to
the external screen.
TEMPERATURE
PROBES
These fi ve bimetal
probes can be
attached anywhere
inside your chassis
and can measure
temperatures
between 0 C and
99 C.
NZXT SENTRY LXE
FAN CONTROLLER
Fan controllers don’t just control fans—although they do that, too. High-
end ones, like the NZXT LXE, show case temperatures and fan speeds,
not to mention add a bit of fl air to the outside of your case. Most mount in
fan bays, but the Sentry LXE stands alone outside the case, attached by
a cable, so the information and controls are always within reach. Here’s
what’s inside.
NZXT SENTRY LXE
FAN CONTROLLER