Why worry about the complexity of RF design, security and
network compatibility of WIFI?
Version 1.2 (20110905)
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Overview
• WLAN overview
• Make or Buy
• Advertisement
• Questions and Answers
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WLAN difficulties
• Media
• Security
• Certification
• Field support
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WLAN Media
• Shared with non-802.11 devices
• Shared with unwanted 802.11 devices
• Interferences and RF noise
• Reflections and multipath
• Used as advantage by 802.11n for spatial streams
• Hidden station problem
• One way path
• No physical security
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Reflections and Multipath
• Radio waves find the way, despite there is no line of sight
• Receivers gets the same data through multiple paths at slightly different times
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Hidden Station
STA 1 AP STA 2
• Access point can hear both stations
• Stations can hear only access point, but not the other station
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One way path
STA 1 AP
• Access point can hear station, but station can‘t hear access point due to
• Better antenna diversity in access point
• Better receiver sensitivity in access point
• Temporary disturbances
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WLAN Security
• A lot of security options
• None
• WEP
• WPA, WPA-2
• WPA Personal (PSK)
• WPA Enterprise (EAP, PEAP, LEAP)
• Security is driven by access point, not the device
• Security is defined by IEEE, but
• The standard is interpreted differently
• There are bugs in the implementation
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Throughput
• All official throughput numbers are the gross rate (payload and overhead)
• Usually the payload is half of the brute rate
• It is either high throughput or long distance, but not both
• 54 Mbps for a couple of meters
• 300m with 1 Mbps only
• WLAN and real-time doesn‘t work well
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Certification
• Certification is needed
• Different certifications in different areas
• FCC allows module certification
• Japan is very picky (software version is included)
• ETSI doesn‘t allow module certification
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Field Support
• WLAN requires a lot of software
• A lot of software means a lot of bugs
• Some of them shows only
• At certain customers
• With certain environment
• At certain times
• Once every month
• Bug analysis in the field is required
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Design Requirements – Make or Buy
• Price / Volume
• Power requirements – AC powered or battery
• WLAN security – Personal or Enterprise
• Level of customization – WEB, SNMP, Protocol, …
• Operating temperature – Standard or extended temp
• Radio spectrum – 2.4Ghz and/or 5Ghz
• Size of the package – Does it fit into the available space
• Ease of integration/development – Tolerance for risk
• In-house technical expertise – Learning curve
• Time to market – Project schedule
• Product lifetime availability – EOL concerns
• WLAN radio certifications – Local or world wide
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Build vs. Buy – Implementation Options
• Chip Set
• SW and HW Integration of a WLAN chip set
• Processor must run all WLAN functions
• PCMCIA, CF or USB based WLAN radio
• Hardware intregration is easier due to standard interface
• Processor must run all higher level WLAN functions
• Module
• Hardware integration is easy
• No software integration neededonly configuration of the module is needed
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WLAN Radio Control
Implementation - Chip Set
WLAN Chip SetMicrocontroller "WLAN driver"
WLAN Radio
WLAN Driver
SupplicantWPA, EAP,
LEAP ...
TCPIP
ConfigurationWeb Manager
CLIFirmware update
SNMP
8 / 16 / 32 microcontroller
customer specific firmware
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Build vs Buy – Chip Set
• Advantage
• Lowest hardware cost
• Disadvantage
• High development cost (HW and SW)
• Long time for getting into the market (12-18 months)
• Difficult to get WLAN Chip Sets in small to medium numbers
• Deep WLAN know how needed
• Fast changing PC market (EOL of chip sets)
• Support in the field
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Implementation - PCMCIA, CF or USB based WLAN radio
WLAN Radio
WLAN Driver
SupplicantWPA, EAP,
LEAP ...
TCPIP
ConfigurationWeb Manager
CLIFirmware update
SNMP
8 / 16 / 32 microcontroller
customer specific firmware
PCMCIA, CF or USB based WLAN radio
Microcontroller
WLAN Radio Control
"WLAN driver"
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Build vs Buy – PCMCIA, CF or USB based WLAN radio
• Advantage
• Low hardware cost, due to high volumne PC market
• Easy integration as long as
• interface (PCMCIA, CF or USB) exists already in the processor
• provided driver fits to the used OS
• Disadvantage
• Most offers are for the PC consumer market (temp, reliability)
• Still deep WLAN experience is needed
• Fast changing PC market (EOL)
• Support in the field
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Implementation - Module
WLAN Radio
WLAN Driver
SupplicantWPA, EPA,
LEAP ...
TCPIP
Tunnel Application
UART/SPI/USB/Ethernet
DriverConfigurationWeb Manager
CLIFirmware update
SNMP
8 / 16 / 32 microcontroller
customer specific firmware
UART/SPI/USB
UART / SPI / USB
ModuleMicrocontroller
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Build vs Buy – Module
• Advantage
• Easy integration through standard interface (UART, USB, SPI)
• Proof of concept typically works within 1 week
• High density package
• Fast time to market
• Limited WLAN experience needed
• Being isolated from fast changing PC market (EOL)
• Support in the field by the Module manufacturer
• Disadvantage
• High hardware cost
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Sample Calculation WLAN
• Assumptions
• Integrating WLAN, WLAN expert 12PM+ $200k
• Maintenance 25% of development $50k/y
• Additional HW cost, radio module, memory, CPU $40/unit
• Calculations
• 1k units per year over 4 years
- $200k/4k + $50k/1k + $40 --> $140/unit
• 100k units per year over 4 years
- $200k/100k + 50k/100k + $40 --> $42.5/unit
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PremierWave EN
• WLAN 802.11abgn (2.4GHz & 5GHz, single stream)
• 10/100 Mb Ethernet (RJ45 and magnetics external)
• High Speed SPI, I2C, USB, Serial RS232, 920kbps
• 9 GPIO pins + dedicated pins for RTS/CTS
• WEP, WPA, WPA2 Personal
• WPA/WPA2 Enterprise (EAP-TLS, EAP-TTLS, LEAP, PEAP )
• ARM9, 64MB RAM, 64MB Flash
• Linux based (full Linux)
• FCC certified, EU precertified
• -40°C - +85°C
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PremierWave Demo Board
• All you need to start in 5 minutes (almost)
• PremierWave demonstration board
• serial cable
• Ethernet cable
• power supply
• antenna
• PremierWave EN must be ordered seperately
• Same board for the PremierWave family
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Utilities
• DeviceInstaller
• Detect Device Servers
• Assign IP
• Update firmware and web pages
• Recover Firmware via serial port
• Redirector
• Provides a virtual COMx on the PC
- Needed for legacy programs
- New programs use WinSocket directly
• SDK
• Available through Timesys
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PremierWave EN Advantage
• Fast time to market
• Reduces project risk
• Eliminates the need for WLAN expertise
• Frees up resources to focus on your application solution
• Supports WPA Enterprise & 5GHz
• Security, SSH, SSL
• Cisco like CLI, XML, flash file system
• Easy customization
Lantronix Europe Neerloopweg 254814 RS BredaPhone: +31 76 5236744E-mail: [email protected]
ACAL TechnologyLuchthavenweg 535657 EA EindhovenPhone: +31 40 2507400E-mail: [email protected]