Artimi RTMI-100PKIT UWB PCI Development Kit

Manufacturer: Artimi Ltd.

Model: RTMI-100PKIT

Date: Mid-2000s

Category: Wireless Networking Development Hardware / PCI Expansion Kit

The Artimis RTMI-100PKIT was a development platform designed for experimentation and software development using Ultra-Wideband (UWB) wireless networking technology. Produced by UK-based company Artimi, the kit provided engineers and developers with a PCI-based hardware platform for testing high-speed short-range wireless communication systems during the early years of next-generation wireless research.

Ultrawide-Wideband technology emerged in the early 2000s as a promising alternative to conventional wireless networking standards, offering very high data transfer rates over short distances while using extremely low transmission power. The RTMI-100PKIT enabled desktop PCs to interface with UWB hardware through a PCI expansion card and assocated software development tools, supporting experimentation with multimedia streaming, wireless peripherals, and cable-replacement technologies.

The packaging highlights intended applications such as digital media transfter, mobile connectivity, and wireless desktop computing - reflecting industry interest in reducing dependency on physical cables before the widespread adoption of high speed Wi-Fi and Bluetooth standards. Although UWB networking did not become a mainstream replacement for conventional networking, aspects of the technology later influenced modern wireless ranging and location systems.

This development kit represents and important period in wireless computing history, when manufacturers and researchers explored multiple competing standards for the future of high-speed personal connectivity.

Key Fetures

• Technology: Ultra-Wideband (UWB) wireless communication
• Interface: PCI expansion card for desktop computers
• Purpose: Hardware and software developed platform
• Applications: Wireless multimedia, peripheral connectivity, cable replacement research
• Included Media: Driver and development software CD-ROM

Historical Significance

• Demostrates early experimentation with high-speed wireless technolgies
• Reflects the transitional era between wired desktop peripherals and modern wireless ecosystems
• Illustrates the diversity of competing networking standards during the 2000s

Provenance :
The Artimi RTMI-100PKIT UWB PCI Development Kit has been preserved as part of the Centre for Computing History's networking and communication collection. It documents an experimental phase in wireless technology development prior to the dominance of modern Wi-Fi and short-range wireless standards.