PEGATRON CMST173 User Manual

AW-NU173

IEEE 802.11 b/g/n WLAN Wireless Module

User’s Manual

I. Introduction

i. Overview

AzureWave Technologies, Inc. introduces the first IEEE 802.11b/g/n WLAN module Card

-AW-NU173. By using AW-NU173, the customers can easily enable the Wi-Fi embedded

applications with the benefits of high design flexibility, short development cycle, and quick

time-to-market.

Compliance with the IEEE 802.11b/g/n standard, the AW-NU173 uses Direct Sequence Spread

Spectrum (DSSS), Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM), DBPSK, DQPSK, CCK and

QAM baseband modulation technologies. A high level of integration and full implementation of

the power management functions specified in the IEEE 802.11 standard minimize the system

power requirements by using AW-NU173. In addition to the support of WPA/WPA2 and WEP

64-bit and 128-bit encryption, the AW-NU173 also supports the IEEE 802.11i security standard

through the implementation of Advanced Encryption Standard (AES)/Counter Mode CBC-MAC

Protocol (CCMP), Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) with Temporal Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP),

Advanced Encryption Standard (AES)/Cipher-Based Message Authentication Code (CMAC), and

WLAN Authentication and Privacy Infrastructure (WAPI) security mechanisms.

For the video, voice and multimedia applications the AW-NU173 support 802.11e Quality of

Service (QoS).

The AW-NU173 supports USB for WLAN to the host processor.

ii. Features

 USB interfaces support for WLAN
 Multiple power saving modes for low power consumption
 IEEE 802.11i for advanced security
 Quality of Service (QoS) support for multimedia applications

iii. Product Review

1. Connection Mode

◎Infrastructure Mode

Infrastructure mode needs an access point to establish the network, which can provide wireless

accesses within valid range for users to communicate with others or transmit data with a wired

network. There are several benefits of Infrastructure networking:

√ Roaming: a wireless LAN enabled computer can physically move from the operating range of one

access point to the other without losing connection. There is a quick association made between

new access point and wireless device as the computer traverses from the coverage of one access

point to another.

√ Range Extension: each wireless LAN enabled computer within the range of access point can

communicate with other wireless LAN enabled computers within the effective range from the

access point.

√ Wired to wireless LAN connection: the access point will establish a bridge between wireless LAN

and other wired counterparts.

Infrastructure Mode