By Naomi Graychase

February 04, 2008

With rugged exteriors, a variety of power options, including solar, and a slew of other helpful features, the new AP-85 Dual-Radio Outdoor Access Point family is perfectly suited for military, industrial, and outdoor deployments in extreme environments.

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Aruba Networks announced today that it has produced a new series of high-performance, explosion-resistant access points (APs). The new AP-85 Dual-Radio Outdoor Access Point family features dual, high-power radios that deliver up to 200mW (23dBm) for wide area coverage. The weatherproof enclosures and ATEX Zone 2 safety rating enable the access points to operate in explosion-hazardous environments and across temperatures from -30 to +55 degrees Celsius (-22 to 131 degrees Fahrenheit) without extra-cost housings.

To reduce set-up and maintenance time, over-the-air management enables the access points to be configured, updated, and repurposed without physically accessing the hardware—helpful for APs deployed in rugged or dangerous environments.

According to Aruba, the high-intensity data, signal, and power LEDs that are mounted behind a front panel window can be seen from a distance, providing a means of verifying RF signal, link alignment, and status without needing to approach the equipment.
Both 10/100BaseT and single/multimode fiber optic data interfaces are available. The Fiber optic data interfaces are designed for hazardous environments; wire connections are expected to be deployed to retrofit applications. Power options include standard 802.3af Power-over-Ethernet and 12VDC, or in the case of fiber models, auto-ranging 90-288VAC. 12VDC low voltage power can be drawn from either plant bus power sources used for industrial sensors and actuators, vehicular power cells, or a solar panel array. The solar option is most useful in wire-free tactical deployments.

The AP-85 can also operate in a secure, self-healing mesh network, rendering data cabling unnecessary. The AP-85 Dual-Radio Outdoor Access Point family will be shipping in the first quarter of 2008.

Naomi Graychase is Managing Editor at Wi-FiPlanet.com