DIPOL Weekly Review - TV and SAT TV, CCTV, WLAN

No. 13/2011 (March 28, 2011)

How does Google want to become a banker?

Within the next four months we will witness the testing of a Near Field Communication (NFC) based mobile payment system in New York and San Francisco. Neither the idea nor the technology is new, but Google's involvement brought about a serious revival in the industry. The basis for the new implementation is the NFC - a radio communication standard allowing for wireless exchange of data over distances up to 20 centimeters.
Test systems based on this standard exist in many countries, the largest mobile operators and payment card operators work together to set final standards. Analysts at Frost &Sullivan predict that by 2015 the systems will have more than 800 million users, generating an annual turnover of USD 110 billion.
Just a few days ago it seemed that the continued development of NFC-based payments might be hindered by Apple's decision not to introduce this solution to the iPhone 5. This information has been denied by the U.S. magazine Forbes, so probably the two rivals - Google and Apple - will contribute to the spread of these payments via mobile phones.

Carrying out its plan, Google has introduced support for the NFC in its Android 2.3 Gingerbread operating system. The first phone that runs the system with the new functionality is the Samsung Nexus S. The terminals prepared to perform the contactless transactions have been prepared by VeriFone Systems Inc.
In this way, Google is entering the market which until now was dominated by PayPal (owned by EBay Inc.) and ISIS.
The market leader in payment software for mobile phones is VIVOtech
(picture from www.vivotech.com)
NFC is a radio technology that enables data exchange with bit rates 106 kbps to 848 kbps, using the carrier frequency of 13.56 MHz. It is based on inductive coupling, where loosely coupled inductive circuits share power and data over a distance of a few centimeters, typically up to 10 cm.
The NFC technology allows two communication modes: active and passive. In active mode both devices participating in the exchange of data emit electromagnetic fields. In passive mode, one device generates electromagnetic field to power the second device (passive), enabling the exchange of information. Examples of passive devices are RFID tags, poster tags, contactless smart cards.

Antennas in the country that comes back to life.

The country is recovering after the dramatic events that were taking place between 1975 - 1979. In these years the bloody regime which took control of the country killed about 30% of its population. They evacuated the cities and sent the entire population to the countryside and into the jungle. Even now, the inhabitants of cities make only about 15% of the population of the country, and illiteracy rate is about 50%.
The last years are a very good period for this country, high birth rate helps rebuild the nation, the economy and tourism have also greatly increased.
Where are the mobile base stations shown in the picture? - the answer at the end of this issue.
Wireless systems make the backbone of telecommunications in this country

Second generation headends allow selection of channels in multiplexes.

After analog TV switch-off, manufacturers of televisions do not supply on the market TV sets with analog tuners. So, the currently installed headends must be able to convert 8PSK/QPSK satellite broadcasts into digital terrestrial COFDM signals. To meet technical specifications, the choice of the channels in the multiplexes required by the owner of a SMATV/CATV system has to be agreed with the installer/installation company.
Planning the set of channels in a multiplex, the installer has to take into account the bit rates of the channels that are to be distributed in the network. This is mainly due to the limited capacity of digital multiplexes. The maximum capacity of a DVB-T multiplex with the guard interval of 1/32 and FEC of 7/8 is 31.66 Mb/s.
The www.linowsat.de website provides bit rate statistics of satellite TV channels
So, how many SD or HD channels can be put in a single multiplex? There are several ways to solve the problem. The simplest one is to visit the LinowSat.de website. This service offers a range of statistics for Hotbird and Astra satellites. After free registration, it is possible to view the parameters of all the transponders, including information on individual identification numbers of the available services. But the most important parameters for this case are the bit rates of the satellite channels.
The biggest advantage of this service is the possibility to view archive statistics. The above figure presents bit rate values recorded for 7 days for the following channels: Eurosport HD, Canal+ Film HD, Canal+ Sport HD. It is obvious that the instantaneous values of the bit rates can be very changeable. Therefore, it is necessary to perform long-term analysis of this parameter prior to completing the components of digital headends.

Cost-effective video surveillance systems with ATU DVRs.

The market launch of ATU digital video recorders at a very attractive price is a breakthrough for everyone wanting a professional video monitoring system for low costs.
ATU DVR M71000 offers recording of four 4CIF (704 x 576) channels at 12 fps or four 2CIF (704 x 288) channels at 25 fps. It is recommended for video surveillance systems requiring high resolution recordings, real-time monitoring and high level of video compression.
Compact CCTV Camera: n-cam 690 (550 TVL, Sony Super HAD II CCD, 0.5 lx, 4-9mm, IR 30m)  Compact CCTV Camera: n-cam 690 (550 TVL, Sony Super HAD II CCD, 0.5 lx, 4-9mm, IR 30m)  Compact CCTV Camera: n-cam 690 (550 TVL, Sony Super HAD II CCD, 0.5 lx, 4-9mm, IR 30m)  Compact CCTV Camera: n-cam 690 (550 TVL, Sony Super HAD II CCD, 0.5 lx, 4-9mm, IR 30m)  Network DVR: ATU H.264 (4ch)
ATU M71000 has built-in web server enabling remote monitoring
via Internet Explorer or dedicated application
H.264 compression and support for hard drive up to 2TB allow for storing large amounts of surveillance data. The VGA output with maximum resolution of 1024x768 can cooperate with an LCD or CRT monitor. An alternative is the BNC video output (CVBS).
The most important features include:
  • High image quality, H.264 compression
  • Many configuration settings, independently for each channel
  • Simple, intuitive graphical menu. Easy access to additional functions
  • 4CIF at 12 fps (each channel)
  • E-mail notification option
  • Ability to archive data on external flash memory
  • Support for SATA HDD up to 2TB.
  • Built-in web server - remote monitoring via Internet Explorer or dedicated application
  • Motion detection - implementation of zones and sensitivity adjustment
High performance ATU DVRs can be employed in a wide range of surveillance systems and are able to meet the expectations of even the most demanding users.

Compensation of voltage drops on power supply lines of CCTV cameras.

For proper operation, the cameras need stable and efficient power sources. The voltage tolerance at the cameras do not normally exceed 1 Volt, so it is important to compensate for larger voltage drops on the lines. It is possible when the power supplies allow for adjustment of the output voltage.
An example is the stabilized power supply AWZ05122 M18286. The unit has 5 outputs providing stabilized DC voltage adjustable within the range of 11.0÷15.0 V, each of them with rated capacity of 0.4 A and separately fused with 500 mA cut-outs or PTC current limiters. The selection of protection elements is performed by setting jumpers. This solution is suitable in situations when the powered cameras are at similar distances from the power supply, because the output voltage is adjusted simultaneously at all five outputs.
In the case of cameras located at different distances from the power supply, a much better solution is to use the AWZ09123 M18290 device. It has 9 outputs, each with 0.33 A capacity, which are divided into three sections. Each of the sections is supplied with an independent stabilizer with adjustable voltage range between 11.0 V and 15.0 V.
The cameras in the system should be divided into 3 groups with similar lengths of power lines, which will allow for optimum adjustment of the voltage for each group.
Day/Night Box Camera: u-cam 575 (550TVL, CCD Sony Super HAD, 0.01 lx) Ceiling Color Camera: CAM-612D (550 TVL, Sony Super HAD CCD, 0.8 lx, 3.6mm)Color CCTV Camera: CAM-500 (420 TVL, Sony Super HAD CCD, 3.6mm, IR 25m, mounted in drywall) Stabilized power supply: ZS 12/9x0.33A AWZ09123 (metal casing)
The application of the AWZ09123 M18290 power supply solves the problem
of different lengths of power lines to different groups of cameras

Control of IP PTZ cameras.

NVR programs usually have a graphical representation of the buttons to control PTZ cameras, however, in the dynamic situations the control performed via the computer becomes very uncomfortable.
USB Control Unit (PTZ)
USB control unit for PTZ IP cameras
K9153
The problem is easily solved by using USB control unit (K9153), a peripheral device designed for control of pan-tilt cameras. The joystick operates in x, y axes - Pan &Tilt, whereas its knob controls Zoom. The device is equipped with 12 programmable keys which can control functions of the PTZ camera (zooming, rotating) or set it to the previously defined positions. The unit is connected via USB port. It is a universal device that can cooperate with various applications, such as ULTISYSTEM, NUUO, ACTi NVR, Digifort.

Web smart TP-Link switches.

This series of professional Gigabit Ethernet TP-Link switches, fully compliant with IEEE 802.3/802.3u/802.3ab/802.3 standards, is designed for middle and large corporate computer networks.
TP-Link switches are equipped with powerful processors ensuring stable flow of data and setting port priority (static port priority as well as QoS, based on IEEE 802.1p). QoS enables administrators to prioritize network traffic. This process ensures smooth and free from interference VoIP and video conferencing.
VCT function detects line-to-line faults and wire breaks in both directions of transmission and estimates the distances between ports and fault places. Dynamic management of MAC addresses enables the administrator to easily control access to individual ports of the switch. In addition, at any time, it is possible to restore the system and create backup copies of configuration files. All these functions are manageable via a convenient Web browser interface.
Distinguishing features of Web smart TP-Link switches:
  • Quick and easy setup via an Internet browser
  • Support for Port-Based VLAN and IEEE 802.1Q Tag VLAN
  • Support for static MAC address and MAC address filtering
  • Port bandwidth control
  • Support for Port Trunking
  • Support for Port Security, Broadcast Storm Control and Port Mirror
  • Virtual Cable Test (VCT)
  • Support for Static Port Priority and IEEE 802.1p Class of Service (CoS) with 4-level priority queuing
  • Possibility of firmware upgrade, backup and restoring of configuration
  • Rack-mountable steel case
  • Built-in power supply (AC/DC adapter)
SFP expansion slot(s) supporting MiniGBIC modules can be equipped with suitable optical module(s) (single or multimode, with various connectors, lasers, parameters) to connect remote switches via optical fibers. This solution ensures high bandwidth and great flexibility.
The offered web smart switches:
Web Smart Switch: TP-LINK TL-SL2218WEB 16+2G 1xSFP
Web Smart Switch: TP-LINK TL-SL2428WEB 24+4G 2xSFP
Web Smart Switch: TP-LINK TL-SL2452WEB 48+4G 2xSFP
TP-LINK TL-SL2218WEB
16+2G 1xSFP
N29950
TP-LINK TL-SL2428WEB
24+4G 2xSFP
N29951
TP-LINK TL-SL2452WEB
48+4G 2xSFP
N29952

Cambodia.

The rule of the Khmer Rouge was a national tragedy. Currently, the driving force behind growth of the country's economy is tourism. The tourist attractions include the ruins of Angkor city, the capital of the Khmer Empire which existed between 802 - 1432 A.D. It is believed that it was the largest city in the world during the Middle Ages, with over one million inhabitants (in the eleventh century Paris had about 200 000 inhabitants), dozens of temples and more than 1000 water storage tanks. Angkor Wat, the greatest temple, had been built by 120 000 slaves for 37 years.
In 1432 the capital was moved to Phnom Penh and Angkor was covered with jungle.
Angkor Wat in the times of glory
Angkor today
New products offered by DIPOL:
Stabilized power supply: ZS 12/9x0.33A AWZ09123 (metal casing)
Stabilized power supply: ZS 12/5x0.4A AWZ05122 (metal housing)
Network DVR: ATU H.264 (4ch)
Cat 5e UTP Cable: NETSET UTP PE (outdoor) [305m]
Regul. power sup.
ZS 12V/9x0.33A
M18290
Regul. power sup.
ZS 12V/5x0.4A
M18286
DVR ATU H.264
M71000
UTP PE cable
E1412_305
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DVB-T Receiver Signal HD-507 (MPEG-2/4, PVR Ready)