Companies collaborate on short-range wireless, do road test

By Control Engineering Staff July 6, 2006

Quatech Inc. , a wholly owned subsidiary of DPac Technologies Corp., announced a joint effort with MTS Technologies Inc. to collaborate on wireless solutions that support Dedicated Short Range Communications (DSRC) standards. The alliance is expected to enable the companies to develop and test DSRC functionality as part of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Vehicle Infrastructure Integration (VII) initiatives.

“ Wireless ePulse solutions have been reporting data over Michigan roadways for the past year and have helped validate Michigan Department of Transportation 802.11 wireless infrastructure deployments,” said Larry Osentoski, MTS’ advanced systems director. “Integration of Quatech’s 802.11 wireless device server module enabled our Wireless ePulse solution to collect data in real-time as vehicles passed by roadside wireless access points. Having a reliable wireless module allowed our team to focus on optimizing wireless connectivity algorithms and developing applications for real-time traffic congestion measurement, recording historical traffic patterns, assessing road driving conditions and monitoring the overall health of the wireless network.”

Quatech 802.11 wireless technology will provide vehicle manufacturers with “robust DSRC functionality at the 5.9 GHz band” and enable successful participation in the U.S. DOT’s VII pilot program, says Steve Runkel, Quatech CEO.

Quatech, a device networking and connectivity provider based in Hudson, OH, merged with DPac Technologies Inc. in February 2006. MTS Technologies Inc., based in Arlington, VA, is a privately held minority and veteran-owned firm that supports diverse government and commercial U.S. entities with engineering, information technology, and professional management support.

–Edited by Mark T. Hoske , Control Engineering editor in chief