Psion-Dacom leads PCMCIA way

Psion-Dacom is set to unveil a range of gold card PCMCIA cards that not only support analog modem and GSM data features, but add Ethernet facilities.

The move makes the Ethernet gold card PCMCIA cards unique in the comms marketplace.

Sources suggest that the Milton Keynes-based company has a lead of several months before the competition catch up on the integrated PCMCIA cards.

Kicking off the gold card range is the $199 gold card Ethernet that offers Ethernet functionality.

Next up is the gold card V34 + Fax + Ethernet card at $319, while the $399 flagship is the gold card V34 + Fax + Ethernet + GSM card.

As with previous gold cards, the range is highly robust and cased in a durable aluminium casing with strong connectors.

The cards are also claimed to be future-proof, with users being able to flash-upgrade the firmware using software downloaded from the company's BBS or Internet Web pages.

The Ethernet connections of the gold card series are through thin coax 10Base2 isolated ground BNC and twisted pair 10BaseT RJ45.

A 16K network buffer is built into the cards, as is automatic Ethernet port functionality.

As with previous incarnations of the gold card series, Psion-Dacom is offering an upgrade path for purchasers of both older cards, as well as the entry-level and mid-range cards.

All the Ethernet-enabled versions of the gold card support 10 Mbps Ethernet 802.3 functions.

- Psion-Dacom can be contacted at www.psiondacom.com.