Quatech Launches 802.11b/g Wireless Networking Products for OEMs

May 12, 2006
Airborne and AirborneDirect embedded and external products build secure wireless capabilities
Hudson, OH, May 8, 2006 – QuaTech Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of DPAC Technologies Corp. (OTCBB: DPAC) and a leader in high performance device networking solutions, announced the launch of the next generation of its entire family of Airborne 802.11 embedded wireless modules and AirborneDirect 802.11 external wireless networking products for OEM machine-to-machine (M2M) applications.

The new line of products features the higher connection rates of the 802.11g standards, plug-n-play compatibility with Quatech’s existing 802.11b product line, advanced security features and extended environmental specifications. They are also fully compliant with RoHS standards.

“This new family of 802.11b/g products extends our leadership position in 802.11 wireless embedded networking that DPAC began with the industry’s first module in 2003,” said Steve Runkel, president and CEO of Quatech. “We’re excited about the opportunity to bring the additional benefits of the 802.11g standard to our customers and partners. We see a demand for the performance and security features enabled by these new products, and we believe our customers will continue to experience the industry’s best combination of cost, ease-of-deployment, performance and throughput.”

Over the past three years, the Airborne and AirborneDirect products have been integrated into a wide variety of M2M communications applications, from transportation and industrial automation to medical diagnostics and warehouse/logistics. The product family is designed to be quickly and easily integrated by OEMs to build secure 802.11 wireless capabilities into virtually any M2M device. The product line offers features such as extended environmental specifications (operating temperature range of -40ºC to +85ºC), advanced Security protocols (WEP—64 & 128 bit, WPA, 802.1x-LEAP, integrated AES/CCMP), RoHS compliance, and Regulatory pre-certifications across the globe (like U.S. Federal Communications Commission certification) allowing OEMs to leverage Quatech’s license grant and bypass most or all regulatory testing.

The Quatech Airborne and AirborneDirect products that feature the 802.11b/g functionality are:

- Airborne 802.11b/g embedded Wireless Device Server Module — This compact drop-in module is interoperable with 802.11b and 802.11g access points and provides a cost-efficient infrastructure for a LAN or Internet connection. This module’s built-in TCP/IP stack, Real-Time Operating System and application firmware permit instant connectivity to a LAN or the Internet, with no device driver or host processor firmware development required. The module offers power management capabilities, integrated web server, general purpose I/O, and embedded interface support for UART, I2C, SPI, and industry-standard RS-232/422/485 protocols.

- Airborne 802.11b/g embedded Wireless Ethernet Bridge Module — This embedded module features an industry-standard interface to OEMs seeking to add wireless 802.11b/g connectivity to products with a built-in Ethernet interface. The module includes a built-in web server that provides full configuration capabilities and embedded command line interface.
- AirborneDirect 802.11b/g external Wireless Device Server — A multi-protocol serial-to-802.11b/g device server, this external product simplifies the process of adding wireless connectivity to existing products with existing serial interface. The product supports industry-standard RS-232/422/485 interfaces, and incorporates a specific command set for OEMs who need to add 802.11b/g connectivity to products with a built-in serial interface.

- AirborneDirect 802.11b/g external Wireless Ethernet Bridge — This external unit creates a connection between an 802.11b/g wireless LAN and a device with an Ethernet port. The product can be configured through a built-in web server or from the embedded command line interface.

Quatech Airborne and AirborneDirect 802.11b/g product shipments will begin in June 2006. For more information, please visit: www.quatech.com/products/embedded.php