Intersil Unveils the World's First Complete Wireless LAN Driver Suite for Microsoft Windows CE Devices

- Complete driver suite for wireless LAN designers targeting handheld Internet appliances for home and enterprise markets

- Includes drivers for three versions of Microsoft(R)'s Windows(R) CE operating system; supports many different microprocessor platforms

Intersil (Nasdaq:ISIL), the world's leading developer of silicon technology for Wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs), today unveiled a new suite of software drivers supporting PRISM-based WLAN products for Windows CE-based sub-notebooks and handheld PCs, including Microsoft's PocketPC(R). The new driver suite is the world's first complete set of PRISM-based software drivers that enable Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) to design IEEE802.11-compliant wireless LAN products using Microsoft's Windows CE for home and enterprise markets.

Intersil's Windows CE Driver Suite provides the direct link between firmware on a PRISM II- or PRISM 2.5-based wireless LAN card and Windows CE (Versions 2.0, 2.1 and 3.0). The driver suite also includes drivers to support several microprocessor-based platforms, including SH3, SH4, MIPS, plus Intel's StrongARM and x86 family of microprocessors. The drivers are fully compliant with the IEEE802.11 standard's feature set, including automatic rate shifting from 11 megabits per second (Mbps) to 5.5Mbps, 2Mbps and 1Mbps.

"Small handheld Internet appliances will proliferate and Windows CE is an ideal operating system for these devices, so our driver suite is critical for the quick deployment of CE-based wireless LAN solutions," said Larry Ciaccia, vice president and general manager of PRISM Wireless Products at Intersil. "This is further evidence of our commitment to wrap complete solutions around our advanced PRISM technology, allowing our customers lightning fast time-to-market."

The suite consists of two software offerings. The first is binary executable code (driver files) that enables end-users to easily install WLAN cards. The second is the source code, written in Microsoft CE language, for OEM developers. Both include complete documentation for implementing the software. Intersil also plans to release a Windows CE customization software package in the fourth quarter of this year to give OEMs a tool set for customizing the install utilities to their company's standard look and feel.

Adoption of PRISM WLAN Technology

Since introducing the PRISM WLAN chip set in 1996, over fifty companies have incorporated PRISM chips in more than 100 product designs. In a May 2000 report, the Cahners In-Stat Group called Intersil "the dominant force in the WLAN chip set marketplace with their PRISM chipsets holding the majority of market share." PRISM technology is designed to comply with the IEEE's 802.11b global standard, and Intersil is a founding sponsor of the Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance (WECA), whose Wi-Fi(TM) brand is a mark of compatibility for 802.11b-based systems. PRISM chips are used in WLAN systems from industry-leading companies including Alcatel, Cisco, Nokia, Siemens, Compaq, 3Com, Dell, Nortel, Samsung, SpectraLink, Symbol Technologies and Zoom.


[ Home | Contact | MobiChat | Experts database | Let's do it ]

Comments to the content of this page can be posted on the MobiChat discussion group

logo.gif (1569 bytes)