Plug-and-Play 25 Mbp/s ATM Switching Adapter

The V-NIC is a low-cost, RISC processor-based 25 Mbps ATM switching adapter that brings the many benefits of full-duplex ATM to desktop PCs.

Using a unique three-port "switch-on-a-card" design, the V-NIC enables switching between the PC bus, an ATM network, and First Virtual's optional H.320 videoconferencing MVIP module.

Available in both PCI and ISA bus formats, the adapter features an ARM RISC processor and on-board memory to process multimedia data independently without taxing the host computer's resources. The processor also runs First Virtual's MOS (Media Operating Software), which delivers the quality of service required to support multimedia within existing network environments.

Standards-Based for ATM Interoperability
To insure interoperability with other ATM products, the V-NIC complies with ATM Forum User Network Interface (UNI) Standards. It connects to First Virtual's V-Switch or any ATM Forum-compliant ATM switch over UTP-3 or UTP-5 wiring.

FEATURES AND BENEFITS

• RISC-Based, 25 Mbps Switching Adapter. Provides a full-duplex, ATM Forum-compliant 25 Mbps ATM connection to desktop PCs over existing UTP-3 or UTP-5 wiring.
• Multivendor, Multiprotocol Compatibility. Adheres to the ATM Forum's User Network Interface (UNI) Signaling standard to ensure interoperability with other standards-based ATM products. The adapters include NDIS-3 and ODI-2 drivers to support most TCP/IP and LAN protocols such as Microsoft LAN Manager, Windows for Workgroups, and Novell NetWare, plus First Virtual's native ATM API.
• Software-Based Architecture. An on-board RISC processor performs segmentation and reassembly (SAR), signaling, and LAN Emulation, allowing flexibility to precede and follow emerging industry standards.
• Plug-and-Play PC Bus. Available in PCI and ISA bus formats, the adapter provides automatic configuration of interrupts and input/output (I/O) ports.
• Relieves Demands on Critical Host Resources An ARM RISC processor and on-board memory relieve the PC from multimedia data processing tasks, allowing video to run faster without taxing host resources.
• H.320 Videoconferencing An optional Multivendor Interface Protocol (MVIP) module provides a direct connection between the adapter and video cards, allowing H.320 traffic to bypass the host PC completely. The result is faster, crisper, more reliable video, with applications running simultaneously.
• ATM Classes of Service The on-board RISC processor supports First Virtual's MOS, the critical middleware that enables standard Windows-based applications to take advantage of ATM's guaranteed quality of service capabilities.

Internal Architecture

The V-NIC provides a native data path from the PC bus to the ATM interface, and a direct path between the ATM interface and First Virtual's optional H.320 videoconferencing MVIP module. This architecture enables the adapter to give the proper quality of service for bursty LAN traffic, time-sensitive multimedia traffic, and constant stream H.320 videoconferencing traffic, resulting in high-quality transport services to the desktop. An on-board RISC processor provides SAR (AAL5), switching, signaling and LANE client functions, relieving the PC's main processor from multimedia data processing tasks. This significantly improves application performance.

Integrates Multimedia and Data Traffic

First Virtual's MOS running on the adapter supports ATM Forum-compliant LAN Emulation (LANE) services, enabling both video and data traffic to use a single desktop cable. Clients can communicate with standard network resources connected to other devices, providing integration between switched and shared media traffic. Existing NetWare, Windows NT, and TCP/IP applications work just as they always have with no changes required.

PHYSICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Dimensions: 7.5" L x 4.25" W, single PCI or ISA slot
Power Requirements: 2.0A at +5V maximum
Form Factor: 32-bit PCI bus or 16-bit ISA bus
Indicators: Three LEDs indicate data transmit, receive, and connection status
Ports and Connectors: One 25 Mbps RJ-45 ATM Forum Standard port,
one PCI or ISA bus connector, one 40-pin male MVIP interboard connector
(for optional MVIP daughter card)
Maximum Cable Length: 100 meters for ATM clients
Operating Temperature: 0 to +50 degrees C
Storage Temperature: -10 to +70 degrees C
Relative Humidity: 10% to 90%, non-condensing at +50 degrees C

NOS/APPLICATION SERVER SUPPORT

The following table lists the NOS/Application Servers supported by the V-NIC, and the network
drivers that are provided on the V-NIC installation to support each platform.

SIGNALING AND CONNECTION MANAGEMENT

Architecture: On-board RISC processor with 1 MB memory for SAR (AAL5),
switching, signaling, and LAN Emulation functions
Signaling: ATM Forum Standard UNI or First Virtual fast signaling
Software: Supports SVCs/PVCs, multicasts and broadcasts
VCI Support: Up to 65,000 virtual channel identifiers

STANDARDS COMPLIANCE

• EMC: FCC Class A
• EU Marks: CE mark
• ATM: ATM Forum UNI 3.0 signaling standard for interoperability via PVCs, SVCs, and virtual paths, AAL5 standard
• LAN Emulation: ATM Forum Standard for LAN Emulation over ATM, Version 1.0

ORDERING INFORMATION

• VSA-1000 (FSA-1000): V-NIC (formerly Media Adapter)
  ISA bus 25 Mbps ATM switching adapter
  
• VSA-2000: (FSA-2000): V-NIC (formerly Media Adapter)
  PCI bus 25 Mbps ATM switching adapter
  
• VAM-1000 (FAM-1000): H.320 DVC Client Package
  Add-on MVIP card and software for direct connection to PictureTel PCS 100
  
• VAM-1500 (FAM-1500): H.320 DVC Client Package
  Add-on MVIP card and software for direct connection to PictureTel PCS 50
  

WARRANTY

Three year limited warranty per license agreement.