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

"Gigabit Wi-Fi" for everyone now.

D-Link Corporation, one of the world's largest network equipment manufacturers, has introduced Wireless AC1200 Dual Band USB Adapter supporting 802.11ac draft standard. Although first 802.11ac devices were offered on the market six months ago and the first company in the world that presented a prototype of 802.11ac router was Buffalo at January's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, the product of D-Link really opens up the market for this kind of equipment. The adapter enables the user to transfer data wirelessly at speeds about 1 Gbps, which is ideal e.g. for flawless HD video streaming.

D-LINK AC 1200 adapter supporting 802.11ac draft.
Although at present the price is rather high (about $90, several times more than the cost of popular 802.11n devices), everyone can expect that D-Link will be followed by other manufactures, including TP-Link,
and the cost of such solutions in 2013 will not be a barrier for most potential users. [dlink.com]

The "Gigabit Wi-Fi" is based both on solutions used in the IEEE 802.11n standard and new ones, which together allow for the unprecedented throughput. The devices compliant with the future 802.11ac standard (the approval of its final specification is expected in late 2013, the current devices are based on draft 4.0) will operate in the 5 GHz band, at data transfer rates at the level of 1 Gbps (multi-station WLAN throughput). However, there are plans for 2015 to launch first chipsets enabling wireless transmission transfer rates up to 7 Mbps, previously unimaginable for this medium.
Such data rates will be possible with the use of high-density 256 QAM modulation, extra-wide 160 MHz channels, and up to 8 MIMO spatial streams. Additionally, Multi-user MIMO (MU-MIMO) technology will allow multiple clients (each with one or more antennas) to transmit or receive independent data streams simultaneously. In the case of using several antennas, the Space Division Multiple Access (SDMA) well known from MIMO applications in n standard can provide higher throughput as well. The 802.11ac chipsets supporting MU-MIMO are expected in 2014.

Comparison of data transfer rates provided by 802.11ac and 802.11n solutions
[dailywireless.com]

Other leading manufacturers, such as Netgear, Cisco / Linksys, also expand their offerings with 802.11ac devices. It is expected that in 2013 - along with the official approval of the standard - the market will also offer laptops with wireless cards in this this technology. The response of smartphone industry can be even quicker - in late 2013 probably 70% of smartphones will be equipped with the appropriate chipsets. The next two years will show how quickly the 802.11ac standard penetrates the WLAN market. The 802.11n standard, approved in 2009, and winning real popularity in 2012, would have to go to early retirement. So, it seems that wireless standard developers and equipment manufacturers are slightly ahead of the current needs of the users.

Multimode or single-mode fiber?

In recent years, due to the wide use of fiber optic technology for data transmission, the market has experienced large declines in prices of optical cables and devices, so they have become accessible to many users. They often consider which kind of the cables and equipment will be optimal for their applications, multimode or single-mode?

The best solution is to compare the total prices of the materials and devices for a particular application. Let's think of a 100 Mbps fiber-optic link. This task can be carried out with the use of a pair of media converters. In the case of using multimode fibers, it can be L10021, with range up to 2 km (requires two fibers). Similar pair of media converters for a link with two single-mode fibers is L11041.

Chart showing comparison of costs of fiber optic links based on multimode and single-mode fibers,
taking into account the prices of the mentioned active devices

The pair of media converters for multimode cables costs ca. 20% less than that of the single-mode equivalent. However, due to lower prices of single-mode cables, the difference in total costs is compensated even in the case of comparatively short links (50 meters). The comparison is based on the prices of universal cables with 4 fibers, L7644 and L7354.

The conclusion is that installations based on multimode fibers are cheaper only in the case of very short links, but generally the difference is no so large. Due to larger potential of single-mode fibers, the choice of single-mode solutions is more prospective. Multimode fibers should only be used for very short links, in server rooms etc. Single-mode fibers are basically the only reasonable solution for data transmission over greater distances.

Quickly and professionally - PCT compression connectors.

Connectors do not have significant impact on the cost of antenna or CCTV systems, but are crucial to signal quality, labor intensity, and reliability of the systems. The most popular kind of connectors used in professional applications are compression connectors, much quicker to mount and much more reliable than the rest. High screening efficiency and protection against penetration of water ensure stable transmission parameters.

American construction and high precision of the product enable easy installation on the cable. Precise thread eliminates problems with screwing the connectors on sockets, which happens with other plugs. Double compression rings (on the cable) and the O-ring seal (connection side) fully protect the cable and the connection (the equipment) against water penetration. The connectors are to be compressed with PCT-AIO-CT E80075 universal compression tool.

Impact protection rating.

The impact strength of a vandal-proof CCTV camera is one of the most important parameters of this device category. Despite that fact, many manufacturers do not provide direct information on the protection level. The resistance can be described by IK code indicating the strength of the camera based on the resistance to impact energy of a defined value, produced with a striking element with definite radius and hardness (IK09 and IK10 - 50 mm steel ball). The following table contains the list of IK codes and corresponding impact energy levels:

Sunell vandal-proof cameras M10775, M10780, K1690, K1691 have the highest IK rating (IK10).

Vandal-proof dome camera SN-FXP59/50UDR M10780
(650 TVL, Sony Effio-P, ICR, 0.03 lx, 2.8-10mm, IR up to 20m)
has the highest IK10 impact rating (resistance to impact energy of 20 Joules,
e.g. released by free fall of 5 kg body, striking with 50 mm steel ball, from the height of 40 cm above)

Remote access to analog CCTV systems.

There are situations where the live CCTV images and recordings should be available from several locations at the same time, e.g. because the surveillance video has to be provided to the security staff, police and municipal police. With the use of Trend M72616 DVR, local access to the video can be provided by connecting the M3027 monitor with HDMI or VGA cable. The DVR can be controlled locally by the enclosed mouse.

Components of a video monitoring system with remote access to the system resources

The access to the system resources from remote buildings may be provided by connecting access points ULTIAIR 423KC N2301. With free CMS application installed on any computer, both the monitoring and configuration functions are available via the Ethernet network. Additionally, the TP-Link TD-W8901G N2902 router allows for remote operation via the Internet (Internet Explorer). Its built-in access point provides wide Wi-Fi coverage, which can be very useful for guards making rounds of the facility.

How to solve compatibility problems between a TP-LINK 3G router and some 3G modems?

For a wide compatibility, TP-LINK company tests its routers with all popular 3G modems and continually updates the firmware and the list of compatible modems. Despite these efforts, there may be some items that present compatibility problems.

To solve such a problem, the user can perform the following actions:

Channel conversion of DVB-T broadcasts in old MATV systems. Many multifamily buildings are equipped with old shared antenna systems based on coaxial cables that cannot operate on higher UHF channels. The replacement of the cabling is often possible only in the case of a major overhaul... more

Video transmission over longer distances through coaxial cable. The range of video transmission over standard coaxial cable (the inner conductor diameter of 0.59 mm) is limited to about 300 meters. In systems requiring longer links, it is necessary to change the transmission medium or use special video amplifiers... more

Video signal amplifier VCA-1/2000 M1842 can extend the transmission range up to 2 km

How to maximize the capabilities of home routers? Thanks to alternative software available on the Internet, many Wi-Fi routers can provide extended functionality. For example, the software may transform home router into NAS and print servers, increase forwarding performance, provide advanced analytical options... more

Home wireless network based on TP-LINK devices