Sierra Wireless RAVEN 20080605 - Manual (Page 12)

Introduction to the Raven XE
Rev 1.0 Oct.09 6
Communication
GSM Networks use SIM cards which are smart cards
containing the account holder’s details. A SIM can generally be
moved from one device to another allowing for account porta‐
bility and flexibility.
EDGE
EDGE (Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution) provides end‐
to‐end packet data services with an enhanced connectivity
building on GPRS technology and using the established GSM
networks. EDGE provides higher transmission rates and better
transmission quality for data than GPRS. EDGE can carry data
at speeds typically up to 384 kbit/s in packet mode.
When EDGE is not available, your Raven XE will fall‐back to
GPRS for the connection to your cellular provider to provide
continued connectivity.
GPRS
General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) is packet‐switched with
many users sharing the same transmission channel, but only
transmitting when they have data to send. This means that the
total available bandwidth can be immediately dedicated to
those users who are actually sending at any given moment,
providing higher utilization where users only send or receive
data intermittently. GPRS provides speeds of 30–70 kbps with
bursts up to 170 kbps.
Connection methods
You can connect the Raven XE to a USB or a Ethernet (RJ45) on
a computer. When connected to a USB or Ethernet port, the
Raven XE behaves like a network card.
USB
The Raven XE is equipped with a USB port which increases the
methods by which you can send and receive data. The USB
port can be set to work as either a virtual Ethernet port or a
virtual serial port. A driver installation is required to use the
USB port in either mode.