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

The next great leap - LTE-Advanced.

At the beginning of last year, Google advanced the idea: "Think Big With a Gig", announcing the intensification of building fixed broadband networks allowing end-user to transmit data at speeds above 1 Gbps. For consumers, this means about 100-fold acceleration relative to the average speed of broadband Internet in the U.S.
The challenge is serious, but no longer impressive in comparison with a standard which promises 1 Gbps connectivity but for ... mobile phones!
It is LTE-Advanced, the development of LTE standard currently entering the market. At Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Agilent Technologies Inc. demonstrated a system to generate and analyze LTE-Advanced signals (3GPP release 10). This will speed up the work on this technology, allowing engineers to test new devices.
NTT DoCoMo, a Japanese mobile operator which has reached 1 Gbps download and 200 Mbps under laboratory conditions, has obtained the necessary permits, and plans to test the technology in real-world conditions.
Industry experts estimate that in 2015 there will be deployed commercial networks based on LTE-Advanced standard.
It is difficult to overestimate the importance of the new standard for the development of IT and communication technologies. While LTE, entering the market, allows for approximately 10-fold acceleration of data transmissions, LTE-Advanced equipment is to provide almost 100 times faster Internet access than currently offered in the best solutions based on HSPA and HSDPA (downlink 15 Mbps, uplink 5 Mbps). Such a wireless infrastructure will enable to take full advantage of cloud computing, with today's computers transformed into terminals using software resources of huge data centers.

Until recently, it was be a challenge to reach 1 Gbps in LANs, urban fixed networks with such a rate seemed a dream. Within three years, such parameters will be available on mobile phones.

A home wireless router supporting LTE technology - FRITZ!Box 6840 LTE - presented at CeBIT 2011

The need to build broadband cellular networks results from the changing way of using mobile phones. A user who used to talk on the phone 300 minutes per month generated about 20 MB of data transfer, whereas the current smartphones can consume several GB. The demand will further increase, hence the need for rapid modernization of the infrastructure.
According to the report published in May by the Global mobile Suppliers Association (GSA), 208 operators in 80 countries have already made investments in LTE. Today, LTE networks operate in 14 countries: Austria, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Lithuania, Norway, Philippines, Poland, Sweden, USA, Uzbekistan.

"Engagingly about Antennas" photo contest.

The first entries to the contest.

The rules of participation

Antenna field - J. Herein

Antennas in Wadi Musa.

The town of Wadi Musa has a population of about 25 000 inhabitants, but there are more than 50 hotels there. Just in its vicinity there is one of the most famous and most visited monuments of the world.
Wireless connectivity is of a great importance for the country where the town is located, being a cost-effective solution in sparsely populated desert areas.
What famous monument is located near Wadi Musa? - answer at the end of the review.

Lightning flashed... and all conked out!

Spring and summer time is a period of violent storms, during which all electrical devices are vulnerable to damage. Antenna equipment (both for terrestrial and satellite reception) is at the highest risk, similarly to all devices connected to antenna systems. Below there are examples of effects caused by lightning strikes.

Please note that in accordance with the provisions of the European standard for protection of structures against lightning (EN 62305-3:2009), antenna masts on roofs should be protected against direct lightning strikes. Such protection can be ensured by installing the mast with antenna array in a protected area (adequately lower than the lightning rods) or by using an individual lightning protection system. An example of such a protection is shown in the figure below.

Protection of the mast and antenna from direct lightning current

Such a solution is the basis for the protection of the antenna system and connected devices, greatly limiting the possibility of penetration of lightning current to the system.
However, in many cases it does not guarantee complete protection. There is also a risk of lightning branching and induced surge voltages. A good practice is to use surge suppressors at the inputs of the first active elements in the system, such as amplifier(s) for terrestrial TV and/or amplifier(s) for multiswitch systems.

TV-Sat Surge Protector SIGNAL R48602 can be operated in the whole FM/TV/SAT frequency range (5-2400 MHz). It can handle surges up to 8000 A.

Cottage CCTV network.

Protection of cottages is generally a serious problem. The diagram below shows a cost-efficient solution based on TREND 250x04 M72504 DVR.

A cost-efficient solution for protection of a cottage,
based on TREND 250x04 DVR, TP-LINK router, and a USB HSPA/UMTS modem

DVRs do not directly support USB UMTS / HSPA modems, so it is necessary to to use a 3G router, e.g. TP-LINK N2957 TL-MR3420 3G/3.75G. Communication with the Internet via a 3G network is done through the USB interface, which has to be connected to the suitable 3G modem.
The minimum broadband necessary for remote monitoring is around 200 kbps for one video channel (auxiliary video stream), the service must have a unique public IP address. To limit data transfers, the recorder may transmit video only in alarm situations.
Thanks to the router, the owner and guests staying in the cottage can access the Internet wirelessly throughout the whole property.

Selecting an IR illuminator.

When choosing a suitable IR illuminator, we should remember that the light intensity decreases inversely to the square of the distance from the source.

For example, if the object is placed at a distance of 10 m from the light source and the intensity of the light on its surface is 90 lx, after moving the object away to a distance of 30 m, the light intensity falls to 10 lx (3 times larger distance = 9 times lower light intensity).

Light intensity as a function of the distance from the source

Cameras with lenses with a wide angle of view need adequate IR illuminators with similar or wider angle of radiation, such as Redbeam IR40 M1640 (total operational angle of 60^o, range of 30 m).
In accordance with the described above relation, the range can be doubled by using 4 such illuminators (preserving the same direction/angle).

Compact camera Redbeam IC40 M1130 with two IR illuminators.
They have range of 40 m, with a half power angle of 45^o.

IP CCTV cameras have never been so cheap!

The new 1.3 MP IP camera from TP-Link, TL-SC3430 K1155, can be used for responsible tasks in IP-based CCTV systems in homes, shops, banks, offices etc., providing clear and more detailed picture than traditional analog cameras. K1155 has the functionality of high-end IP CCTV cameras, being affordable for everyone.

Connectivity options of the K1155 camera

Main features of the camera:

HTTPS protocol and IP address filtering protects against data leaks, allowing the user to log on to the camera through wireless networks.
The camera is supplied with management software capable of handling up to 16 cameras. It allows live viewing of the video, recording of the video stream/s, and playback of the recorded material on any modern PC, eliminating a need for buying comparatively expensive NVR.

IP door phone.

The investor had a VoIP telephone exchange in his building, also cooperating with the door phone available from any phone there. IP camera (Pixord PL-621E K1533) mounted over the gate could be monitored on any computer. He wanted a similar functionality in another building located 600 meters away - the problem was the lack cable connections between the buildings.
The problem has been solved by DAW company. The transmission between buildings has been based on TP-LINK TL-WA5210G N2350 wireless access points. One of the access points has been connected to to the switch (see the diagram below) cooperating with the PBX and IP camera. The second access point located at the remote building cooperates with VoIP Gateway/Router 8level IPG-802 ( N4002).

Installation diagram

The video is smooth in both buildings, the users can simultaneously talk via VoIP gateway with people at the gate.
The project has been completed with full satisfaction of the client, both in terms of functionality and very reasonable price.

DAW company gets our "Chameleon mug".
We invite installation companies to submit descriptions of systems based on the products we offer.

Petra, Jordan.

Petra is now a ruined city of the Nabataeans, located in southwestern Jordan. It is situated in a rocky valley, accessible only through a narrow pass between the rocks - al-Siq gorge. In ancient times, the city experienced its glory days from the third century BC to the first century AD, being the capital of the kingdom of the Nabataeans. Petra has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985.

Worth reading:

Wider coverage of wireless network. It happens that in a large apartment or house the residents cannot use their WiFi network in some rooms due to high attenuation of the signal through walls and ceilings. The solution to this problem is to install an additional device in the midway point between the main access point and the area without adequate wireless coverage. The installed device should operate in repeater mode...

Economically and professionally with TREND DVRs. CCTV installers often have to live up to the high expectations of customers that do not have a budget allowing to install top quality equipment.
The solution can be the professional TREND DVRs of 250 series. TREND 250X16 M72516 is a 16-channel DVR that provides recording capabilities of 4CIF (704 x 576) - in the maximum resolution provided by analog cameras. H.264 compression and compatibility with hard drives of capacity up to 2TB enable recording of very large amounts of video data...

Lossless splitting of cable TV signal. Multi-room reception of cable TV signal, as a rule, requires to use an amplifier to ensure signal levels between 62 and 80 dBuV. Most of antenna amplifiers cannot be used for this purpose, due to unspecified parameters in the special cable channels ("S" channels between VHF and UHF bands).
The void is filled by the RF amplifiers AWS-1145 B117028 and AI-223 R90452. Both amplifiers have been equipped with return channel that allows to use them in cable TV networks with Internet services. Gain adjustment is combined with correction of cable loss...

AI-223 R90452 is used as a signal distribution device, including cable TV networks

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