Why worry about the complexity of RF design, security and ... · Why worry about the complexity of...

Why worry about the complexity of RF design, security and

network compatibility of WIFI?

[email protected]

Version 1.2 (20110905)

2Lantronix, Inc. Confidential & Proprietary

Overview

• WLAN overview

• Make or Buy

• Advertisement

• Questions and Answers

WLAN Difficulties


WLAN difficulties

• Media

• Security

• Certification

• Field support


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


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


Hidden Station

STA 1 AP STA 2

• Access point can hear both stations

• Stations can hear only access point, but not the other station


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


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


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


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


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

Make or Buy


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


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


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


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


Implementation - PCMCIA, CF or USB based WLAN radio

WLAN Radio

WLAN Driver

SupplicantWPA, EAP,

LEAP ...

TCPIP

ConfigurationWeb Manager

CLIFirmware update

SNMP



PCMCIA, CF or USB based WLAN radio

Microcontroller

WLAN Radio Control

"WLAN driver"


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


Implementation - Module

WLAN Radio

WLAN Driver

SupplicantWPA, EPA,

LEAP ...

TCPIP

Tunnel Application

UART/SPI/USB/Ethernet

DriverConfigurationWeb Manager

CLIFirmware update

SNMP



UART/SPI/USB

UART / SPI / USB

ModuleMicrocontroller


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


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

PremierWave EN (Advertisement)


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


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


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


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]

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