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Wireless card kit takes antenna onboard

A FCI product story

Edited by the Electronicstalk editorial team Mar 4, 2002

FCI has launched an extended PCMCIA card kit for wireless antenna applications.

FCI has launched an extended PCMCIA card kit for wireless antenna applications.

Based on its Rocard PC Card, this complete solution comprises antenna cover, end-caps, receptacles and card shields.

The kit offers customisation opportunities and is supported by manual, semi- and fully-automated assembly processes.

Conforming to the PCMCIA Type II standard, this 5mm deep wireless card kit can be equipped with either a 68-position or a Card Bus receptacle at one end, with an antenna cover or custom I/O end-cap at the other.

For an extended PCB equipped with an integral antenna, a two-part plastic antenna cover is employed.

Requiring no welding or gluing, the press-fit cover slots directly into the open end of the card shield to assure a rugged card construction.

Tooling is also provided to open the card for in-field repairs.

When an external antenna module is used in conjunction with the PCMCIA card, a variety of I/O end-caps can be fitted, including single and dual RF ports or the 15-pin PCMCIA connector.

Further options are provided by a card shield variant featuring an opening for a SIM card, particularly useful in card phone products.

The two-part stainless-steel card shield ensures excellent protection against EMI and is clipped together using integral metal-to-metal snap-fit latches.

A plastic frame bar within the card shields adds rigidity and maintains PCB alignment.

In a matt finish, the shields are available with or without a recess for product labelling.

FCI's Rocard wireless card kit will address a wide range of applications in communication, consumer electronics, industrial instrumentation and mobile computing sectors and across a broad selection of technology platforms and methodologies including WLAN (IEEE802.11), HomeRF, Bluetooth and HiperLAN2.