Hardware

Laird's Wi-Fi product hardware is designed for business-critical mobile devices that operate in challenging environments. Hardware innovations enable Wi-Fi modules and cards to provide superior RF range while minimizing power consumption. Key hardware capabilities include:

• Form Factor: Wi-Fi modules and cards are available in a variety of standard and customized form factors for use in vehicle-mounted terminals to small, light handhelds and wrist-mounted devices.
• Dual-Band Support: While Wi-Fi G solutions operate only in the 2.4 GHz frequency band, Wi-Fi AG solutions support both the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands, maximizing flexibility in how mobile devices are deployed and managed.
• Antenna Diversity: Every Wi-Fi solution supports transmit and receive diversity to maximize performance in high multipath environments.
• Range: The enhanced transmit and receive capabilities and maximized delay spread of Laird's Wi-Fi radio modules and cards maximize RF range of distance from the infrastructure where a reliable connection can be maintained.
• Low Power Consumption: Boosting range often comes at the expense of increased power consumption, but Laird Wi-Fi modules and cards maximize battery life to better provide for full-shift operation.
• Extended Operating Temperature: To allow for operation in extreme environments such as factories, warehouses, freezers, and the outdoors, Wi-Fi modules and cards from Laird provide an extended operating temperature range.

Software

Business-critical mobile devices require specialized software to deliver the security, trouble-free operations, and manageability that customers require. Our Wi-Fi software includes a device driver, an integrated 802.1X security supplicant, and a full-featured management and monitoring utility called the Laird Connection Manager (LCM), formerly the Summit Client Utility (SCU). Key software capabilities include:

• Operating System Support: Laird's software ensures trouble-free operation on a device that runs any supported version of Windows Embedded CE, Windows Mobile, or Windows XP. Click here for a list of supported operating systems for each Wi-Fi radio.
• Connectivity and Roaming: Wi-Fi software ensures that a device obtains a secure wireless network connection quickly and maintains that connection reliably, even as the device moves among the areas covered by different access points. The voice-quality roaming supported by Laird's Wi-Fi software is sufficient for even the most latency-sensitive data application. For details, read our white paper on mobility.
• Security: Every reliable Wi-Fi network connection can be secured with WPA2-Enterprise (IEEE 802.11i) security using one of six popular EAP types and AES-CCMP encryption. Other authentication and encryption methods are supported, too. For more information on Wi-Fi security, read our white paper titled, Wi-Fi Security and PCI DSS.
• CCX: Because Laird Wi-Fi software supports all required features of Version 4 of the Cisco Compatible Extensions (CCX) specification, every Laird Wi-Fi solution is certified for CCX V4. For details on CCX for mobile devices, read our related white paper on this topic.
• Administration: LCM enables a user to view and an administrator to configure all radio operation and security settings. LCM also enables a user or administrator to view status and troubleshoot issues. LCM is built on a published application programming interface than can be leveraged by other applications such as Wavelink Avalanche for remote management.
• Integration: Laird Technologies provides device vendors with a manufacturing utility that allows them to set regulatory parameters such as channel set and maximum transmit power to provide for world-wide compliance across multiple platforms.
• Upgrades: Laird Technologies regulatory provides software upgrades to enhance the features, capabilities, and usability of our radio modules and cards. Laird Technologies provides these upgrades free of charge to qualified device OEMs.

With LCM, users and administrators have complete control over key radio parameters including transmit power and SSID as well as security parameters inclusive of encryption and authentication. LCM supports multiple network profiles to allow for device operation in multiple facilities. For a closer look at LCM, click here.

Certifications

Laird Wi-Fi solutions can be used worldwide because they comply with all applicable regulations as set forth by agencies such as ETSI, the FCC, and TELEC. Laird Technologies provides software for all relevant IEEE and Wi-Fi Alliance standards as well as Cisco innovations. Our wireless solutions are Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™ and certified for CCX V4.

Helping our customers achieve these certifications for their Laird-equipped devices is part of our product, our solution and our responsibility. With the existing grants, test reports and approvals for our family of wireless LAN modules, Laird Technologies can minimize the cost, time and complexity of attaining all required certifications. Please review our product-specific certification pages for more information.

Support Services

Laird Technologies provides engineer-to-engineer integration assistance to device manufacturers, as well as consultation and documentation to aid in custom device driver and application development. In addition, Laird Technologies' support extends to our Wi-Fi radio module and card operation in the field. Laird Technologies' system engineering team provides Level 2 technical support to device vendors and are well versed in radio frequency characteristics, wired and wireless network architectures, and security protocols. To contact Laird Wireless Support click here: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..