With the recent introduction of the VX6 and VX7 rugged vehicle-mount computers, LXE Engineering now has a wireless computer for any freezer or cold storage application. Its VX1 and VX2 have been the standard for DOS-based vehicle-mounted freezer terminals since 2001. The VX4 and VX5 vehicle-mounted low-temperature terminals provide users the benefits of the robust and familiar Windows 2000 and XP operating systems. The Windows CE .NET-based VX6 (half-screen) and VX7 (full-screen) vehicle-mount computers enable customers to run the same CE .NET applications on both their handheld and vehicle-mount computers, reducing user training and support costs.
"It takes a specific expertise to design and build wireless terminals for the freezer market," says Doug Brown, LXE senior product manager, "and the tough part isn't the extreme cold, but moving in and out of the cold, which causes condensation to become an issue."
Extreme fluctuations in temperature create condensation, and condensation causes screens to fog up, keyboards to seize up, and internal parts to corrode -- reducing operator productivity levels and increasing operator frustrations and equipment repair costs.
"There are also network issues that one has to overcome in a freezer that aren't as prevalent in the typical warehouse," says Hank Stephens, LXE product manager. "Freezer walls are heavily insulated and lined with stainless steel, which creates an RF environment conducive to multipathing."
RF multipathing is the phenomenon that occurs when radio signals bounce off obstacles and arrive at the receiver at slightly different times, causing the receiver to fail to pick up either signal. LXE's Spire antenna, based on technology originally developed for space applications, reduces the problems associated with RF multipathing.
LXE's heated NEMA 4 enclosure allows operation of wireless access points or wireless bridge in temperatures as low as -22° F (-30° C). It also protects them from ice, snow and hose spray.
For more information, visit www.lxe.com.