News & Events
Harris and Partners Report Successful Interoperability And Coexistence of Wireless Systems

MELBOURNE, FL, March 10, 1999 — Harris Semiconductor and seven customer companies demonstrated that multi-vendor and multi-platform wireless LAN’s can coexist and work together; this evidenced by simultaneous product demonstrations which took place in the Harris booth at the 1999 Wireless Symposium & Exhibition in San Jose, California.

Aironet, Applied Integration, InTalk/Nokia, No Wires Needed, Samsung, ShareWave and Zoom Telephonics all demonstrated their newest wireless networking products within the confines of Harris’ booth. These wireless devices, plus many wireless-equipped laptops Harris personnel used, operated simultaneously throughout show hours for most of the week. All products featured in the booth use Harris’ PRISM WLAN Chip Set technology.

"What’s significant is that these devices operated at various data rates, on different platforms and using several operating systems," said Chris Henningsen, director of marketing for Harris Semiconductor’s Communication Products Business. "Speeds included 2, 4, 5.5 and 11 megabits-per-second. Computers from Compaq, IBM, Dell, Samsung, Toshiba and Apple were employed in the demonstrations, using operating systems such as Microsoft Windows 95, 98, NT and CE and the Apple Mac OS. Equipment compliant with the IEEE 802.11 standard worked trouble-free beside non-compliant equipment. It’s good evidence that standards are solid and that many different kinds of wireless products will be able to operate in close proximity in our homes and offices."

Also demonstrated was interoperability between different brands of IEEE 802.11 standard-compliant products from Zoom, Samsung and InTalk/Nokia. Each of these OEMs had access points and WLAN PC cards at the show. For example, one company’s PC card could operate through another company’s access point with no difficulty.

To complicate operating conditions even more, Harris used a microwave oven to pop corn for booth visitors. Microwave ovens produce radio waves in the same spectrum (2.4 GHz) as that used by wireless devices using the unlicensed ISM band (as did the products demonstrated). Typically, microwave ovens leak radio waves that can disrupt less robust wireless devices. The direct sequence spread spectrum technology that Harris PRISM-equipped devices use make them much more robust in the face of this, and other kinds of interference.

About the company demonstrations:

• Aironet premiered its 4800 Turbo DS™ Series, the first FCC-approved 11Mbps WLAN PC Card in the unlicensed 2.4 GHz band delivering high-speed connections up to five times faster than existing solutions.
• Applied Integration demonstrated its AN-2400 wireless video camera that is currently being adopted by security companies for its remote surveillance capabilities. Applied Integration develops a wide range of innovative electronic computer and communications-related products.
• InTalk, Inc. – recently acquired by Nokia – premiered its InPoint Pro Internet Access Point, designed to support the next generation of multimedia wireless technology. InTalk’s solution enables computers to network wirelessly at effective speeds and focus on high-speed data communications.
• No Wires Needed (NWN) demonstrated its Swallow™ 550 Wireless PC Card and Parrot™ 550 Access Point. NWN, based in Bilthoven, Netherlands, leads the market with the fastest IEEE 802.11compliant product, operating at 2.4 GHz and delivering a data rate of 5.5 Mbps for superior bandwidth.
• Samsung demonstrated its MagicWave™ line of products. Incorporating the complete line of Harris’ PRISM-based wireless LAN products, MagicWave™ includes all of the components needed to install a complete 2Mbps WLAN system. Samsung recently partnered with Harris in October, 1998 to install a wireless network at the National Press Club (NPC).
• ShareWave, Inc., an ingredient technology supplier of multimedia digital wireless home networking technology, demonstrated its Osprey reference design. Osprey allows manufacturers to provide high-speed, wireless, PC-to-PC, PC-to-TV connections to the consumer at 4 megabits per second and at affordable price points.
• Zoom Telephonics demonstrated its recently unveiled ZoomAir* solution based on Harris’ PRISM* WLAN Chip Set. For the first time, PRISM-based products are available through resellers and distributors, including Ingram Micro, Tech Data and mail order catalogues.

Harris continues to work closely with standards committees and interoperability labs to ensure interoperability of PRISM-based wireless products. Harris has been an active participant in studies conducted by the University of New Hampshire’s Interoperability Lab. In addition, Harris teamed with the University of Florida and the University of Central Florida in the installation and test of WLAN pilot projects.

Harris Corporation's Semiconductor sector manufactures discrete semiconductors and integrated circuits. Product development efforts are focused on innovative "next level solutions" for the communications and power markets. The company’s portfolio of high-value products serve many market segments – automotive, industrial, PC computing, wireless networking, signal processing, telecommunications, PC multimedia, consumer electronics, defense and space. The worldwide website is http://www.semi.harris.com.