The BARWN (Bay Area Research Wireless Network) project drafted a number of requirements for wireless node routers. These brainstorm sessions led to the necessity of an outdoor weatherproof design. Additional specifications were added, such as access to the unit’s operating system and external antenna support. Few commercial products existed at the project conception time (mid 2001) to meet these demands.
Bored?
The project’s first hurdle was sourcing a motherboard that met a number of technical desires. “Must haves” included DC power input, PCMCIA or PCI interfaces, serial console, and limited extras (such as parallel port, onboard sound or VGA). SBC’s and PC104 boards were evaluated from local and foreign suppliers.
The Soekris Engineering net45xx product line was chosen for its attractive pricepoint (half of comparable boards), dimensions and local company headquarters. These advantages allowed us to begin testing the board immediately along with helpful suggestions from the board designer.
This relationship has also grown to a number of project member “day time” jobs utilizing Soekris products.
