No. 35/2013 (Oct. 28, 2013)
Important innovations in satellite services.
Eutelsat Communications is one of the world's leading satellite operators. The company manages 32 satellites covering Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia, large parts of North and South America and the Pacific Ocean. In June 2013, Eutelsat satellites were broadcasting more than 4600 television channels to over 200 million households with satellite dishes and to cable networks - in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The satellites owned by Eutelsat Communications provide a wide range of services in television broadcasting and broadband transmissions. In both cases innovations in signal feed which could revolutionize the services were in the focus of the International Broadcasting Convention (IBC) 2013 in Amsterdam.For the first time, visitors to this year's fair could see the demonstration of "smart LNB". The "intelligence" means the ability to establish a return link, so far unworkable in direct-to-home (DTH) satellite TV services . This will allow the implementation of a number of interactive services, such as HbbTV, pay-per-view, social networking, live show participation. A significant difference is the ability to provide VoD services in which the subscriber does not have to download in advance the entire movie package onto the PVR receiver - the return link enables free selection of the required content at any time. According to Eutelsat, "smart LNB" can reuse existing coaxial cabling, being fully compatible with satellite equipment that complies with DVB-S2.
Smart LNB will also provide support for the recently established SAT> IP standard. The satellite signals can be converted to IP stream accessible via a wired network (LAN) or wirelessly (WiFi) and enabling independent viewing of satellite broadcasts on IP devices such as PCs, laptops, tablets, and smartphones equipped with suitable applications.
Smart LNBs are now in implementation phase, scheduled for commercial availability in the first half of 2014. The estimated cost of the device for the end user is a few dozen euros.
An emergency mechanical splice.
Very often installers use mechanical splices in the case of fiber optic cable damage, where there is a need for cutting off the damaged cable segment and the fibers are not long enough to use conventional fusion splicing methods. In general, fusion splicing requires larger cable reserve than mechanical splicing.The best protection of mechanical splices is provided by dedicated casings. The L5559 protector has been specially designed for the ULTIMODE FAST-MS1 mechanical splice. It is intended for mechanical splices installed on optical cables with diameters of 2-3 mm. The special construction of the cable clamps on both sides of the tray ensures that any longitudinal stress is fully transferred onto the protector, not to damage the fiber. Additionally, the 91mm long casing does not allow for bending the cable near the splice.
DVB-T encoder-modulator in a chain of electronics stores.
There are two main methods of distributing HD content to multiple televisions. The first of them is based on HDMI splitters and HDMI cables, and in the case of distances above 20 meters, also HDMI extenders. The second, becoming increasingly popular, makes use of DVB-T encoders-modulators.HDMI->DVB-T modulators are used in shopping malls, electronics stores, cinema multiplexes, pubs, restaurants, train and bus stations, airports. The advantages of this solution include:
- easy distribution of the RF signal via typical coaxial cables and RF splitters
- no problem with connecting next televisions to the network
- lower cost of larger distribution systems compared to HDMI solutions
- high reliability due to simple cabling and connectors
An implementation of such a system is shown in the following pictures:
The system implemented by TELERADIOMECHANIKA company in one of the electronics stores. The application of Signal-751 R86751 DVB-T encoder-modulator allows for distribution of HD commercials to dozens of televisions located throughout the store. The MT-47 TERRA R871747 modulator is used to inject SD signals from devices with A/V outputs, whereas the MA-024 R821101 multi-input amplifier combines and amplifies signals from the both modulators.
How to increase the sensitivity of security cameras - "Sense-up".
The range of IR LEDs in CCTV cameras is limited, usually to 20-30 meters. Stronger IR light sources cause overexposure of objects located close to the cameras. Therefore, many installers look for solutions without infrared illuminators which can provide acceptable image quality in poor lighting conditions. In this case, an option is to use cameras with slow shutter speeds. The function can significantly increase the sensitivity of the cameras.The proper performance of that function depends on the kind of environment and the slow-down factor - e.g. x4 will allow for four times more light than normally gets into the camera. By default, the majority of CCTV cameras generates images at frame (field) rate of 50 fps (PAL). The factor becomes the divisor that decreases the actual frame rate, so it is not recommended to set this parameter above x8 in the case of objects moving close to the camera - it would effect in blurred images. The highest values (there are cameras with the maximum factor of x512) can be used only for static scenes.
So, the Sense-Up function cannot eliminate the need for cameras operating with infrared illuminators. In total darkness or in the case of fast-moving objects they are indispensable. But in some environments cameras with Sense-up function can also provide effective solutions.
We offer two models of Sunell cameras with Sense-up function:
Alert notifications in IP NVRs.
Hikvision IP NVRs DS-7600NI-SE K2204 and K2208 have the ability of self-diagnosis and can notify the operator of problems relating to the operation of the IP CCTV system. The included software ensures detection of emergency situations and initiates appropriate actions related to the detected problems.The operation systems detects the following problems:
- disk overflow
- disk write error, not formatted disk etc.
- no communication with LAN e.g. disconnected cable
- duplicated IP address
- invalid login or password
- video loss or incompatibility
- video capturing/recording error
Alarm response actions include:
- displaying full screen image from the active channel
- beep sound
- notification of the monitoring center (with the server running IVMS - 4200 software)
- email notification to predefined recipients
Simple configuration tool for RACK cabinets.
When choosing accessories for rack cabinets the user should pay attention to their compatibility with the specific models of the cabinets. Some components may be dedicated to other models, e.g. with greater depth or with a different way of mounting the accessory (e.g. a fan).The www.dipolnet.com website provides a simple mechanism that provides the list of compatible accessories for a selected RACK cabinet. The user should simply open the site with the required RACK, e.g. R912018, and then click on the "Add accessories" button in the right section (in the picture below the button is surrounded by a red line).
The new window presents the list of compatible accessories:
New products offered by DIPOL:
DIPOL company news:
Fall training session in DIPOL
Worth reading:
High-speed LAN based on fiber optics. The task of the installer was to deploy a simple local area network based on optical media in two separate buildings of a company. One of the buildings had no network infrastructure, the second was equipped with copper network which had to be supported by fiber-optic solutions. The installer decided to create an active optical network based on switches with SFP modules and Ethernet media converters... more
Diagram of the optical network based on TP-Link switch with interchangeable SFP modules
and Ethernet media converters
and Ethernet media converters
Super Flux IR LEDs in Sunell cameras. Super Flux LEDs are characterized by a high intensity of the light beam. These LEDs have a square cross-section and 4 pins. This construction provides high resistance to shock and vibration, so they are often used in modern automotive lighting... more
The IR illuminator with Super Flux LEDs mounted in Sunell cameras
consists of seven 3 mm diodes with 60o beam and 5 flat diodes with 90o beam.
consists of seven 3 mm diodes with 60o beam and 5 flat diodes with 90o beam.
All-in-one wireless router. It often happens that the change of the ISP is associated with the necessity to replace the router. TD-W8968 N2909 wireless N router supports ADSL or Ethernet WAN (EWAN), which allows the user to select the type of connection to the Internet without a need for changing the device... more
Networking options of the N2909 wireless router