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Harris/Intersil PRISM II/2.5/3

Programmable Radio for the ISM band
MACBPPQ IFConvPA
PRISM IIHFA3841
HFA3842		HFA3861BHFA3783HFA3683AHFA3983
PRISM 2.5HFA3842HFA3863HFA3783ISL3685ISL3984
ISL3873B
ISL3874 *
PRISM 3ISL3871
ISL3872 *		ISL3684ISL3984
ISL3985
NOTE * PCI bus

PRISM 2.5 reference design shows the transmit path to one antenna only. Receive path is through diversity switch. Both PRISM II and PRISM 3 reference designs show transmit path to either antenna via the diversity switch.

Many PRISM 2.5 MINI-PCI adapters include hardware for a 56k BPS WinModem. The modem hardware appears to be included on the ISL37400M reference design as well.

Firmware

There is always a risk of "bricking" the card, so upgrade only if necessary. In other words "if it ain't broke, don't fix it!" Latest versions required for WPA support.
All PRISM II/2.5/3 firmware copyright © Conexant Systems, Inc.
Firmware originally developed by Harris/Intersil with portions developed by and copyright
© CHOICE Microsystems and
© AT&T/Lucent.
CHOICE Microsystems became part of Harris, February 22, 1999.
IDINTERFACEMACNVRAMRAMinitialprimarysecondarytertiary
FLASHRAMFLASHRAMRAM
8003PCMCIA3841 (PRISM II)AMDx8 (byte)1 0.3.0 1 0.3.0 1 1.7.1 1 1.7.1 1 1.4.0
8008PCMCIA3841 (PRISM II)x8 (byte)4 0.3.0 4 0.3.0
800B, 8012,
8016, 801A		PCMCIA/PCI3842 (PRISM 2.5/3)AMDx? f 1.1.1 f 1.1.4 f 1.8.4 f 1.8.4 f 2.0.4
800C, 8013,
8017, 801B
8022, 8023 ?		PCMCIA/PCI3842 (PRISM 2.5/3)SSTx? k 1.1.1 k 1.1.4
800F, 801EPCMCIA/USB3842 (PRISM 2.5)AMDx?u 1.1.4 u 1.8.4 u 1.8.3 n/a
8010, 801FPCMCIA/USB3842 (PRISM 2.5)SSTx?o 1.1.4
NOTE: Read the old firmware with the firmware tool so there can be no question what version to use, f, k, u, or o. 
      Filename Convention:
          x y vvvvvv.hex
          | | \____/
          | |   ++
          | |    +-- version
          | +------- Platform ID (1,4,f,k,o,u)
          +--------- i=initial,
                     p=primary-FLASH,
                     a=primary-RAM,
                     s=secondary-FLASH (station),
                     r=secondary-RAM,
                     t=tertiary

Harris/Intersil Documentation and Software

All documentation ©Harris/Intersil/Conexant and were originally located at www.intersil.com.
2007: Conexant has discontinued all further standalone wireless technology development.

Errata

AN9926
"The internal clock rate of the HFA3841 (PRISM II MAC) for WEP at 11Mbps cannot handle worst case short preamble under PCF (Point Coordination Function)."

This errata primarily affects real time data transfer. The HFA3841 internal clock is not quite fast enough to decrypt WEP at 11Mbps in all cases when operated in a time-bounded mode. In practice however, this errata is rarely an issue.

Data Sheets

Application Notes

Technical Briefs

Other Documents

Software

Schematics


©2012 Dave J. Barnes
10/24/2012 18:02:48

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