Atmel AT76C502A User manual

WLAN PC CARD (AR)
.........................................................................................
User Guide

Table of Contents
Section 1
Introduction ........................................................................................... 1-1
1.1 Package Contents.....................................................................................1-1
1.2 System Requirements...............................................................................1-1
1.3 AT76C502A Features ...............................................................................1-1
1.4 Firmware Features....................................................................................1-2
1.5 Driver Features .........................................................................................1-2
Section 2
Installation Overview............................................................................. 2-1
Section 3
Installation and Configuration Procedures Under Windows
98/Me/2000........................................................................................... 3-1
3.1 What You Need to Know About Windows 98/Me/2000.............................3-1
3.2 What You Will Need..................................................................................3-1
3.3 Installing the Application and Drivers Under Windows 98/Me/2000 .........3-1
3.4 Uninstall Procedure Under Windows 98/Me .............................................3-6
3.5 Uninstall Procedure Under Windows 2000 ...............................................3-7
Section 4
Configuration & Monitor Utility .............................................................. 4-1
4.1 How to Install the Configuration & Monitor Utility......................................4-1
4.2 Using the Configuration & Monitor Utility ..................................................4-1
4.3 How to Uninstall the Configuration & Monitor Utility .................................4-7
Section 5
Firmware Upgrade Utility ...................................................................... 5-1
5.1 Firmware Upgrade Utility ..........................................................................5-1

Section 1
Introduction
The ATMEL PCMCIA Fast-VNET-R (5V) based on ATMEL AT76C502A Wireless Media Access
Controller is a network card with a rate of 1, 2, 5.5, and 11 Mbps operating in the ISM
band using Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum (DSSS) transmission implementing the
IEEE 802.11b standard. For this card ATMEL currently provides Device Drivers for MS
Windows® 98/2000, and Windows® Me. ATMEL also provides tools for the configuration
and firmware upgrade of the cards. These tools, as well as the installation procedure for
the MS Windows 98/2000, and Windows Me operating systems are described in this
document.
To install the adapter and operate under an operating system two pieces of software are
needed. The first one is the driver, which provides the necessary mechanisms to the
operating system in order to use the adapter as any other networking adapter. The
driver communicates with the firmware using exchange of commands (Set MIB, Get
MIB, Scan, Sync, etc.). The other piece of software needed is the code written on the
MAC chip, which is responsible for the interface with the driver, and for the implementation
of the IEEE 802.11b functions.
1.1 Package
Contents
Please make sure that your received the following with your AT76C502A-Evaluation Kit:
• One (1) PCMCIA Fast-VNET-R (5V) card
• User Guide
• Firmware, Drivers, and Software Tools CD
1.2 System
Requirements
• Operating System: MS Windows 98/2000, Windows Me with Service Pack 4 or later
• Desktop PC or notebook PC with CD-ROM drive
1.3 AT76C502A
Features
AT76C502A based Fast-VNET adapters offer compliance with the IEEE 802.11b specification.
This feature allows them to communicate with wireless devices from other
manufacturers that support the standard. Among the features of the AT76C502A WLAN
MAC controller are the following:
– Wireless interface following the IEEE 802.11b standard supporting DSSS 2.4 GHz
wireless PHY
– Wireless LAN MAC Unit with ARM7TDMI RISC processor
– Integrated 128-byte transmit and 128-byte receive FIFOs, for wireless MAC layer
functions
– 16-bit PCMCIA bus interface
– Glueless SRAM interface for all MAC operations, supporting up to 16 MB of external
memory
– Integrated 6Kx32 bit internal SRAM, used for fast program code execution and
temporary storage of data
– Glueless Flash memory interface, supporting up to 16 MB on non volatile memory
for permanent storage of program code
– Enciphering/deciphering of wireless data by the implementation of the WEP
algorithm
– Supports 11, 5.5, 2, and 1 Mbps rates
1.4 Firmware
Features

The IEEE 802.11b firmware implementation for the AT76C502A-EK supports:
– Distributed Coordination Function
CSMA/CA
Backoff Procedure
NAV Management
ACK Procedure
Retransmission of unacknowledged frames
– RTS/CTS Handshake
– Duplicate Detection and Recovery
– Beacon Generation (ad-hoc mode)
– Probe Response (ad-hoc mode)
– Fragmentation and Reassembly
– Wired Equivalent Privacy Algorithm (WEP-40 bits, 128 bits)
– Auto Rate Fallback
– TSF synchronization
– Short Preamble
1.5 Driver Features The drivers for the AT76C502-EK support:
– Roaming
– Preferred AP
– Dynamic configuration
– Site Survey
– Preamble Type detection
– Firmware Upgrade
– Authentication Algorithm (Open System, Shared Key)

Section 2
Installation Overview
This is a quick step by step guide on how to install your PCMCIA Fast-VNET-R (5V) card.
Please follow the steps described below and refer to the appropriate sections for further
details:
• Power on the computer (laptop).
• Please make sure that you don’t insert your PCMCIA CARD yet.
• Install the drivers and application:
Insert the given Installation CD into your CD-Rom drive. Select the Utilities & Drivers
folder.
Locate the executable file “setup.exe” and double click it.
Follow the installation instructions from the installSheild Wizard by pressing the
“Next” button.
Choose the type of installation you are going to perform (Application Only, Application
& PCMCIA Drivers, Application & USB Drivers or Application & PCMCIA & USB
Drivers).
Give the destination path of where the application will be installed. To set the path
of your choice select Browse and then Next.
Choose the Mode of Operation (Ad-Hoc or Infrastucture):
In Ad-Hoc Mode, set the ESSID of all station participating to be the same and
choose the channel of operation.
In Insfrastucture Mode, set the ESSID to be the same with the ESSID of the AP to
which you will be associated with.
Confirm the current settings of ESSID, Network Mode and Utility directory and click
Next.
Finish the installation.
• Plug your PCMCIA card.
• The “Add New Hardware Wizard” automatically loads the Drivers.
• Refer to sections 3 for more details on the installation and configuration under
Windows 98/2000 and Windows Me. Section 4 gives detailed instructions on how to
use the Configuration Utility while section 5 given detailed instructions on how to use
the Firmware Upgrade Utility.
Upgrading your Wireless LAN Software when a new setup is released:
For Windows 98/Me
• Power on the computer (laptop).
• Uninstall the application by running the uninstall program.
• When prompted for reboot select “YES”.
• After rebooting run the new setup.exe.
• When the setup of the application (see instructions above) is completed, you can then
plug your PCMCIA card.
Note: If you select the ”Application Only ” Installation option the installation procedure
will only install the Utility while selecting any other option it will also install the
latest drivers for your wireless card without prompting you.
For Windows 2000
• Power on the computer (laptop).
• Uninstall the application by running the uninstall program.
• When prompted for reboot select “YES”.
• Run the new setup.exe.
• When the setup of the drivers and application (see instructions above) is completed,
you can then plug your PCMCIA card.

Section 3
Installation and Configuration
Procedures Under Windows
98/Me/2000
Use the procedures described in this chapter to install and configure the Fast-VNET
PCMCIA card under MS Windows 98/Me/2000.
3.1 What You Need
to Know About
Windows
98/Me/2000
Although similar in appearance, Windows 98/Me/2000 have different philosophies when
installing a new hardware.
Throughout this section it is assumed that you have a basic working knowledge of Windows
98/Me/2000 and of how to install new network cards on them. However, in this
paragraph, some specific features of Windows 98/Me/2000 are briefly explained.
Windows 98/Me/2000 operating system supports the “Plug & Play” feature. That means
that once you plug the Fast-VNET card for the very first time, the operating system will
detect the card and automatically install the driver assuming that you have already
installed the application utility.
Another feature is the “Hot Swapping”. With this feature, you can unplug and plug again
the card whenever you want.
3.2 What You Will
Need
During the installation, you may be prompted to load operating system files from the
Windows installation disk. Please have this disk handy.
You will need the Firmware and Software Tools CD provided with your Evaluation Kit.
Note: In order to be able to install the Fast-VNET card on to your PC running under
Windows 2000, you will need to log on as “Administrator”.
3.3 Installing the
Application and
Drivers Under
Windows
98/Me/2000
Note: Please do not plug your PCMCIA card until the Application setup has been
completed. The setup procedure described below installs the drivers, the
Configuration & Monitor Utility and the Firmware Upgrade Utility.
1. Insert the Firmware and Software Tools CD into your CD-ROM drive and locate
the executable file “setup.exe”.
2. Follow the installation instructions from the InstallShield Wizard by pressing the
“Next” button.
3. During the setup process, the window of Figure 3-1 will appear prompting you to
select the adapter type you are going to install. If you plan to install an ATMEL
PCMCIA (A) card only, then you must choose the “Application & PCMCIA Drivers” option.
However, if you plan to install an ATMEL USB (A) card in the futureI, select the
“Application, PCMCIA & USB Drivers” option.

Figure 3-1. Selection of adapter type
Application & PCMCIA Drivers:
• By selecting this installation option, you will install the Applications (Configuration &
Monitor Utility and Firmware Upagrade Utility) and the latest PCMCIA drivers. If the
PCMCIA drivers have been previously installed and they have not been uninstalled
prior to the new installation the new drivers will ovewrite the old ones without
prompting you.
Application & USB Drivers:
• By selecting this installation option, you will install the Applications (Configuration &
Monitor Utility and Firmware Upagrade Utility) and the latest USB (A) drivers. If the
USB (A) drivers have been previously installed and they have not been uninstalled
prior to the new installation the new drivers will ovewrite the old ones without
prompting you.
Application, PCMCIA & USB Drivers:
• By selecting this installation option, you will install the Applications (Configuration &
Monitor Utility and Firmware Upagrade Utility) and the latest PCMCIA & USB (A)
drivers. If the PCMCIA & USB (A) drivers have been previously installed and they
have not been uninstalled prior to the new installation the new drivers will ovewrite the
old ones without prompting you.
Application Only:
• By selecting this installation option, you will only install the Applications (Configuration
& Monitor Utility and Firmware Upagrade Utility).
4. After you have assigned the Destination Location option where the application
will be installed (by Default this option is set to C:\Program Files\ATMEL\802.11
Wireless LAN), you can then choose the mode of operation:
3a. Ad-Hoc (Figure 3-2, Figure 3-3)
3b. Infrastucture (Figure 3-4, Figure 3-5).
Ad-Hoc Mode
In Ad-Hoc Mode the wireless stations can directly communicate with each other.

Figure 3-2. Operating Mode Dialog
When selecting the Ad-Hoc mode you have to specify the ESSID and the Channel
parameters (Figure 3-3).
• ESSID: Select the ESSID of the Ad-Hoc network. All stations participating in the Ad-
Hoc network should have the same ESSID.
• Channel: Select the channel to be used. There are 14 channels available.
Figure 3-3. ESSID and Channel Dialog
As soon as you have set your selections, press the “Next” button and a window appears
with a review of your installation settings. Please make sure that these values are the
desired ones. In case you have made a mistake you can always select the “Back” button
to make a correction. Press the “Next” button to continue with the installation, and finally
select the “Finish” button for the installation to be completed.

Infrastructure Mode
In Infrastructure Mode the use of an Access Point is necessary in order for the wireless
clients to communicate with each other.
Figure 3-4. Operating Mode Dialog
When selecting the Infrastructure mode you need to specify the ESSID (Figure 3-5).
• ESSID: Select the ESSID of the access point to which the wireless station will be
associated with in infrastructure mode.
Figure 3-5. ESSID Dialog
As soon as you have set your selections, press the “Next” button and a window appears
with a review of your installation settings. Please make sure that these values are the
desired ones. In case you have made a mistake, you can always select the “Back” button
to make a correction. Press the “Next” button to continue with the installation, and finally
press the “Finish” button for the installation to be completed.
Notes: 1. You can now safely plug your PCMCIA card. The “Add New Hardware Wizard”
automatically loads the Drivers for your PCMCIA card. As soon as the
procedure has been completed.

2. In the Windows 2000 installation procedure an extra window appears
prompting you to select whether you would like to install the “Digital Signature
Not Found” or not. You can safely select “YES”.
3.4 Uninstall
Procedure Under
Windows 98/Me
In order to uninstall the Configuration & Monitor Utility from Windows 98/Me, you must
select the “Unistall Configuration & Monitor Utility” option (Start -> Programs -> Atmel
802.11 Wireless LAN -> Unistall Configuration & Monitor Utility). It is recommended to
stop the PCMCIA card and “Exit” the application prior to starting the unistallation procedure.
If during the unistall procedure you receive an error message, please insert the
CD which contains the setup program and try to uninstall the Utility again.
The above procedure uninstalls the Configuration & Monitor Utility, but not the card
itself. In order to uninstall the Fast-VNET card from Windows 98/Me, you must double
click on the “Network” option in the “Control Panel” (Start -> Settings -> Control Panel).
Select the “ATMEL PCMCIA FastVNET (A)” card from the list and press the “Remove” button.
The system will prompt you to re-boot. Press "Yes" to re-boot.
3.5 Uninstall
Procedure Under
Windows 2000
The procedure in order to remove the Monitor & Configuration Utility is the same with the
one described for Windows 98/Me.
In order to uninstall the Fast-VNET card from Windows 2000 you must select it in the
Device Manager of Windows 2000 and press “Uninstall”. The “Uninstall” procedure
can be performed only if the Fast-VNET card is plugged in.