Johannesburg, 29 Jun 2004
With wireless networks gaining greater acceptance both in the public domain and in the corporate office, adherence to standards, driving innovation and ensuring that signal quality is maximised are of paramount importance.
"Pre-empting the need for quality wireless connectivity, Acer has come to market with an innovation called SignalUp technology. This technology utilises an innovative antenna design, where more than one antenna and locating antennae at strategic points on a notebook, ensures WiFi signal quality is maximised and usable, even at the edge of an access point`s coverage," says Traci Maynard, Acer product manager at Tarsus Technologies.
In terms of the antenna design used for SignalUp technology, a PIFA (planar inverted-F antenna) is used to create an exceptionally uniform 3D signal sphere which delivers an omni-directional signal field. PIFA is a proven and compact antenna technology that is currently used in mobile phones. As with mobile phones, a notebook`s wireless performance depends largely on the antenna used," says Maynard.
"SignalUp technology`s use of a three dimensional antenna in comparison to two-dimensional antenna designs, guarantees users of the highest antenna efficiency available today," Maynard continues.
To further add to signal efficiency, SignalUp technology makes use of two antennae located at the top of the notebook LCD panel. This dual-antennae strategy creates a perfectly-shaped omni-directional signal sphere, which ensures that the user`s wireless connection remains strong even at the outer limit of an access point`s range.
"An added bonus is the fact that the top-panel placement of antennae used in SignalUp notebooks reduces the interference caused by shielding, mechanical parts and electric/thermal noise from the notebook`s components," explains Maynard.
However, maximised signal strength is not the only benefit. "SignalUp technology is safer, since the panel-top design has been endorsed and recommended by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) due to the fact that it minimises the signal absorption rate (SAR) by the human body," Maynard concludes.
Acer SignalUp technology is standard on both the TM6000 and TM8000 notebooks.
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