CHATTANOOGA ENGINEERS CLUB
http://www.utc.edu/~engrcs/cec/cec.htm
Volume LI March 13, 2000 12:00 noon
Number 9 The Cellar at Union Square
THIS WEEK__________________________________________________________________
> Anda Ray, Interim Director of the TVA Public Power Institute (PPI), will >
provide an overview of PPI. The presentation will describe the working of >
the Institute, the reason for its creation, and how it serves the >
community.
LAST WEEK___________________________________________________________________
Chris Vainrib, Applications Engineer from BreezeCom, presented on wireless
communications as a network alternative. He described the workings of a
wireless network, issues in implementation, mentioned signal interference
and security concerns, and provided some cost comparisons between the wired
and wireless options.
BreezeCom is a leading manufacturer of wireless communications equipment.
BreezeCom's wireless communications devices operate in the radio frequency
range of 2.400 to 2.483 GHz. This represents the "unlicensed" frequency
spectrum granted to anyone by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
The given spectrum allows BreezeCom to allocate 79 communication channels of
3 MHz each. During operation, the transmitting and receiving stations hop
between channels in a synchronized manner. The hopping provides security
from unauthorized interception and also helps overcome interference.
There are two main applications for BreezeCom's wireless devices: one is for
mobile systems. It allows someone traveling in a car to have access to the
Internet. It works similarly to cell phones, but provides much higher access
speed. The second application is for the office environment to replace the
use of network cables. The wireless office installations are generally more
expensive than the cable systems. However, the wireless systems allow users
to move their workstations around an office complex without incurring
expensive re-wiring. The wireless alternative is attractive when the office
environment does not easily lend itself to cable installations.
One of the amazing aspects of wireless communications in this allocated
"free" frequency spectrum is that the maximum transmission power does exceed
10 watts. That "high" power is the maximum allowed by the FCC. It is
generally used in mobile applications. The indoor office transmitters on the
other hand operate at whapping power level of less than one watt! That's
more like a whisper than a breeze.
Please find more information at www.breezecom.com, or contact our speaker,
(760) 517-3159, chris@breezecom.com.
COMMITTEES______________________________________________________________
Jim Couch provided invocation and pledge for the March 6 meeting. Fred
Lupton (266-1329) is organizing a committee to handle the responsibility.
Please contact him if you can serve.
Science Fair is next week, if you are interested to serve as a volunteer,
please contact Jack Wagner (629-3594), or Mary Ellen Sedrick (842-3344).
COMING PROGRAMS________________________________________________________
March 20 - Martha Rollins, TVA Public Power Institute
March 27 - Brian Taylor and Rebecca Williams, UTC Senior Design, Roadtec
Project.
April 3 - Joe Kilpatrick, TVA Public Power Institute
April 10 - UTC Senior Design
April 17 - Greg Brodie, TVA, "Wetland Development for Industrial Clean-up"
April 24 - Arcadis, award winning project, Riverbank Infrastructure,
water intake project at Louisville, KY
QUOTE OF THE WEEK________________________________________________________
Once in a while, you get shown the light, in the strangest of places, if you
look at it right. (Grateful Dead)
---
Chattanooga Technology Council Mailing List | A free service provided by
To unsubscribe, e-mail: ctc-unsubscribe@cdc.net | CDC Internet, Inc.
For additional commands, e-mail: ctc-help@cdc.net | http://www.cdc.net
"