Proteon International Inc, Westborough, Massachusetts has launched the ProNET-4/16 Plus series of Token Ring adaptor boards, which is said to boost performance by up to 122%. All models in the new line include a socket for the Texas Instruments Inc PacketBlaster chip option – the first full line of adaptors to do so, according to Proteon. The chip implements certain packet processing tasks in hardware instead of software code, and is available as a simple field upgrade option on all Plus Series adaptors. Proteon says that boards using this technology will provide users with up to a 102% boost in performance over previous products. The boards also include new versions of Proteon’s RapiDriver software. The company says that these enhancements increase the performance of the ProNET-4/16 Plus adaptors by up to 24% without the PacketBlaster option, and up to 122% when it is included. The new releases also feature VLSI and hybrid circuit technologies to improve reliability and reduce the physical size of the adaptor; the new models are all one-half size adaptors and come with a lifetime warranty, the company says. The ProNET-4/16 Plus model for EISA bus personal computers features a Flash boot memory option that supports diskless workstation applications. The Micro Channel Architecture version also features a new 32-bit Micro Channel address bus interface, said to improve performance in servers with more than 16Mb of main memory. The ProNET-4/16 Plus for AT bus types is available immediately with a list price of $665; the EISA version will be released in November for $750; the Micro Channel adaptor will ship in December for $665; and PacketBlaster chips will list for $95 and be available in the first quarter of 1994. Discounts for packs of 10 and 30 will be available for all models.