Quatech has expanded its device networking line with the industrial grade Airborne 802.11 b/g access points with options for embedded modules for integration into OEM designs and external metal enclosures.
The Airborne AP access point technology enables M2M equipment to become the centre of a self sufficient Wifi network, allowing access to equipment data or resources from Wifi-enabled devices, including laptops, tablets and handhelds powered by Android, Ios or Windows.
The technology includes secure authentication using WPA2 (AES-CCMP) and a DHCP server to provide unique addresses for each authenticated client.
They have been designed to address the functional and packaging demands of M2M providers. As an example, an integrated access point can turn an isolated piece of equipment in a service truck into a wireless gateway; this creates a Wifi network around the vehicle that enables multiple handhelds and tablets to talk to each other. This local Wifi network can also enable access to other equipment with embedded Wifi capability in the truck, and even provide access to the internet using a cellular modem.
They support Ethernet and serial interfaces. The Ethernet interface can be placed in bridge mode to support connection to an existing network of devices, effectively extending access to the network for wireless devices. Alternatively, the Ethernet interface can be set to wireless router mode, enabling networking to wide area network and internet connections. Using the serial interfaces, wireless clients can access the serial devices using the wireless network.
The access points can be switched from access point to client mode through the web or command line interfaces. In client mode, the device provides WPA2-Enterprise class extensible authentication protocols (EAPs) with support for authentication certificates.
Advanced security including WEP, WPA (TKIP), WPA2 (AES – FIPS 197), WPA2 Enterprise, 802.11i and 802.1x (EAP) are standard over the entire family. The units include support for EAP-TLS, EAP-TTLS, PEAP, EAP-Fast and Leap with AES-CCMP supported in the hardware.
The embedded Airborne AP modules and external ruggedised access points have an operating temperature range of -40 to +85˚C.
The embedded APMG-Q551 module lets OEM customers incorporate Airborne AP technology into 802.11 wireless designs. The ruggedised external APXG-Q5420 includes a 10/100 Ethernet port and up to two serial ports.
The Ethernet port supports both bridged and router modes. The serial interfaces provide compatibility with RS232, 422 and 485 devices and allow simultaneous use of all the ports in any serial data configuration. The external access point also includes a wide range power supply input (5-36V DC) with terminal block and barrel jack connections packaged in a rugged metal enclosure.
All the 802.11 b/g access point products have an integrated remote web browser based configuration and administration interface software for installation and setup.
