FreeWave Technologies is introducing a new, board-level, wireless spread spectrum radio designed specifically for military applications. The module weighs 74.4 gram. The IM-E500 enables manufacturers of military systems to incorporate wireless communications into a wide variety of applications, such as unmanned vehicles, robotics and UAVs. The new radio uses spread spectrum frequencies between 2.372 to 2.4 GHz, with a 230 Khz. bandwidth, communicating over distances up to 20 miles. Each radio provides both repeater and slave functions, effectively bridging communications over longer ranges. The radio offers effective (true) throughput of 115.2 Kbps, (188 Kbps over the air). It uses frequency hopping (15 per band, 105 total user selectable patterns over 75 – 80 selectabnle channels) and 32 CRC bit to enable high reliability and secure data transfer. The radio can operate in transmit, receive idle or sleep mode, to conserve power. A unit in sleep mode will wake up, synchronize with the network, and accept data in less than 150 milliseconds.
