Montreal-based Eicon Technology Corp has launched a new addition to its Diva family of ISDN adapter boards, which is designed to act as a drop-in replacement for users’ existing modems. The new Basic Rate Interface Diva Terminal/Adaptor is also claimed to be the first adapter board to be compatible with both Windows personal computer and Macintosh systems. To make the switch from modems to ISDN easier, the new Diva Terminal/Adapter supports the Hayes AT command set, along with ISDN extensions, in order to provide users with a familiar installation process. Similarly, it is designed to appear to the host system as a fully compliant 16550 COM port so that existing software applications can still be run. It uses a PC Card Type II slot, and provides full 128Kbps ISDN Basic Rate Interface (two B channels and one D channel) support at speeds up to 128Kbps. Protocols supported include the Point-to-Point Protocol; the Serial Line Internet Protocol; and, using V.120 and V.110 rate adaptation, asynchronous protocols. Multilink Point-to-Point Protocol will be added as a free upgrade around June. The Diva Terminal/Adaptor has either an S/T or a U interface, and is certified as compliant with the National ISDN-1, AT&T Corp 5ESS Custom, Euro-ISDN, JATE and TPH standards. It will ship next month for $500. Although the Diva takes the same name as the range of products acquired through Eicon’s takeover of Diehl ISDN GmbH, it does not use Diehl’s technology, according the company, but is based on research at Eicon that was already under way when the Diehl acquisition went through.
