Wireless
Local Area Networks (WLANs) are growing rapidly at both the
consumer and enterprise level and come in a number of flavors.
The majority of the equipment on the WLAN market today is 802.11b.
802.11b operates in the unlicensed 2.4 GHz band and has a maximum
data rate of 11 Mbps. A competing technology is that of 802.11a.
802.11a offers 54 Mbps operating in the unlicensed 5GHz bands,
but has reduced range. 802.11g is the future of the market.
It offers the same data rates as 802.11a, but the increased
distance of 802.11b. 802.11g also operates in the 2.4 GHz band
and is backwards compatible with 802.11b equipment. Dual and
tri-band equipment is available that provides interoperability
with more than one of the standards.
Amphenol's
AMC product line is a family of connectors designed to meet
the needs of the WLAN marketplace. AMC connectors are low profile
(2.5mm off the board), offer an extremely small board footprint
(3mm x 3mm) and have easy snap-on/snap-off mating. With performance
up to 6GHz, the AMC line is intended for use with the entire
group of 802.11a/b/g equipment. AMC plugs are available only
as cable assemblies, with the option of a double-ended jumper,
a single-ended pigtail, or an AMC plug to an alternate connector
(MMCX, SMA, etc.). AMC adapters are available to reverse polarity
TNC, BNC and SMA.
Technologies Supported:
Router
– A device that forwards data packets along networks. A router
is connected to at least two networks, commonly two LANs or
WANs or a LAN and its ISP’s network. Routers are located at
gateways, the places where two or more networks connect. Switches - In networks, the
Switch is a device that filters and forwards packets between
LAN segments. Switches operate at the data link layer (layer
2) and sometimes the network layer (layer 3) of the OSI Reference
Model and therefore support any packet protocol. LANs that use
switches to join segments are called switched LANs or, in the
case of Ethernet networks, switched Ethernet LANs. Access points – AP; a hardware
device or a computer's software that acts as a communication
hub for users of a wireless device to connect to a wired LAN.
APs are important for providing heightened wireless security
and for extending the physical range of service a wireless user
has access to. PCMCIA cards – Personal Computer
Memory Card International Association, and pronounced as separate
letters, PCMCIA is an organization consisting of some 500 companies
that has developed a standard for small, credit card-sized devices,
called PC Cards. Originally designed for adding memory to portable
computers, the PCMCIA standard has been expanded several times
and is now suitable for many types of devices. There are in
fact three types of PCMCIA cards. All three have the same rectangular
size (85.6 by 54 millimeters), but different widths. PCIA cards, Mini-PCI - Peripheral
Component Interconnect, a local bus standard developed by Intel
Corporation. Most modern PCs include a PCI bus in addition to
a more general ISA expansion bus. PCI is also used on newer
versions of the Macintosh computer. Antennas - A conductive structure
specifically designed to couple or radiate electromagnetic energy.
In RFID systems, the antenna may be used to both transmit and
receive electromagnetic energy. Laptops - A small, portable
computer -- small enough that it can sit on your lap. Nowadays,
laptop computers are more frequently called notebook computers.
Market
Overview
| Wireless Infrastructure | WLAN/Internet|
Broadband 
