Communication devices

The EC-8560/PXI-8565 extends more PXI slots from an ExpressCard-based laptop computer via a shielded cable connection up to 7m in length. PXI devices installed in the extension PXI chassis behave and work as if they are directly installed in the host system and do not require any additional driver or software installation.

An eSATA port might not have been your first priority when specifying your latest notebook PC, but as external storage gets cheaper and files get bigger you may end up regretting that. Greenhouse have a possible solution in the shape of their EXC-ESA2 ExpressCard. With two eSATA ports, it’s a straightforward way of adding the high-speed connection to your laptop.

Sonnet has released three new Gigabit networking products for both older and new Macs: Presto Gigabit Pro PCI network adapter card, the Presto Gigabit PCIe Pro PCI Express network adapter card, and the Presto Gigabit Ethernet Pro ExpressCard/34 network adapter card. These Sonnet Gigabit Ethernet cards expand or add Gigabit Ethernet connectivity in any compatible computer, and offer enhanced performance through support for link aggregation with onboard Ethernet ports, and jumbo packet data transfers. Sonnet says the Presto Gigabit Pro network adapter cards deliver enhanced networking support as well as offer gigabit speeds over common CAT-5 cabling; they also support 1000/100/10BaseT auto-negotiation and full/half duplex communication.

Aaxeon released ExpressCards to provide a reliable solution for notebook PCs to connect serial peripherals such as GPS receivers, serial printers/plotters, barcode scanners, PDAs, cellular phones, and fax/modems over its ExpressCard slots. These ExpressCards provide a scalable, high-speed, serial I/O bus that maintains backwards compatibility with CardBus applications and drivers.

The new ExpressCards are compact in size and has low power requirements to support major serial portable devices. These cards are ideal for a wide variety of applications including field data collection, industrial control and monitoring.

The Express Card Gigaset SE68 WiMAX permits mobile broadband access at up to 20 Mbps and thus enables the use of very rich media and data applications on the road. As a result, it increases mobility and flexibility for professional and private users alike.

Sierra Wireless has a new HSPA ExpressCard - supports tri-band HSPA/UMTS and quad-band EDGE/GPRS/GSM with data speeds of up to 7.2 megabits per second on the downlink, and up to 2.0 Mbps on the uplink. The modem will work with OSX and Windows – availability in mid 2008.

Sony Ericsson has launched its first HSPA 7.2/2.0 devices with the ExpressCard form factor, the EC400 and EC400g, allowing up to 7.2Mbps DL and 2.0Mbps UL.

Additionally, the EC400g is equipped with an in-built GPS receiver, which automatically shows the user's current location on Google Maps or a similar service or can feed into any other location-based service.

The EC400 / EC400g are HSPA/UMTS, Tri-band 850/1900/2100 MHz, EDGE/GPRS, Quad-Band 850/900/1800/1900MHz ExpressCards that will be available globally by mid-2008.

iBurst has launched a new ExpressCard modem after its Japanese technology partner Kyocera Corporation developed the device for use in new generation laptops featuring ExpressCard Slots instead of PCMCIA slots.