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No.32/2015 (Oct. 12, 2015)
IoT devices powered out of thin air...
The concept to charge low power IoT (Internet of Things) devices via ambient radio frequency waves (RF) is not new, but it is still developed and refined. The small electronic devices could really add "intelligence" to homes and buildings, offices, factories. Due to low energy requirements, they could harvest energy from WiFi, cellular and broadcast networks, i.e. the "electrosmog" around us.Freevolt is a technology developed by Drayson Technologies company in cooperation with Imperial College London. It utilizes radio waves with frequencies from 0.5 to 5 GHz to absorb their energy, and achieves instantaneous power level up to about 100 microwatts. Depending on the power density of the waves and the surface and type of the antenna, it is possible to achieve output power of the order of milliwatts.
Drayson Technologies offers licenses to Freevolt and its related patents, as well as guidance and technical support to interested parties. According to the announcement, this technology is addressed mainly for applications connected with ecology. The company has already created a first device of this kind - CleanSpace air pollution sensor that monitors in real time the concentration of harmful particles (carbon monoxide), to send the collected data via Bluetooth to a smartphone. The sensor can already be bought in the UK for the price of 55 GBP.
Signal LCD mounts.
The selection of a suitable mount must be based on the required load capacity, mounting standard, and screen size. The most important parameter is the load capacity, which has to be at least the same as the weight of the TV/monitor (a safety margin is highly recommended). This issue is basic for the security of the display and the viewers.The second criterion is the mounting standard (FDMI/MIS). TV/monitor mounts/brackets usually have hole patterns that are compliant with VESA mounting standards. Although it is possible to use adapters, the users should definitely purchase brackets that fit the patterns of their flat panels.
The third important parameter is the screen size range. It may happen that a mount meets the first two conditions, but the diagonal of the TV is greater than that declared for the mount. Then, there is a risk that the TV cannot be tilted and/or rotated to the desired position. In the case of small monitors, a bracket intended for larger panels may stick out of the contour of the screen.
Each of the mounts presented in the following table can be adjusted horizontally, i.e. the TV can be rotated around its vertical axis. However, due to the construction and design, cheaper solutions are intended for use in fixed positions, without frequent changes of them. Adjustments on a daily basis can cause instability, usually leaning to the left or right. Customers who want to change the position of their televisions frequently, e.g. depending on whether they watch them sitting by the table or lying on the sofa, they should choose the LPA16-444A E93160 or LPA19-442 E93168 models. The structures of the mounts ensure suitable rigidity and the bearing bushes allow for easy and frequent adjustments of the TV position, meeting the requirements of even the most demanding customers.
The table above lists popular Signal mounts with wide adjustment range, designed for large-screen TVs/monitors. The full offer of flat panel mounts is available here.
Intelligent building system - remote control of a garage door.
Extra Free is a wireless (radio) system for control of electrical appliances at homes, offices, businesses. The system consists of a large group of cooperating devices operating in 868 MHz band. Exta Free solutions can be fast and easily installed, are cheap and can be freely extended with new items. The management and operation of the systems are very intuitive.The ROB-01/12-24V radio gate controller allows for operating any garage doors and similar electric drives via EXTA FREE wireless controls/transmitters. An advantage of the EXTA FREE system is possibility of using one remote to control entry gate, garage door, room lighting, etc. With an additional unit, the users can control the lighting, heating, air conditioning, window blinds and other devices in the home, apartment or workplace not only by radio transmitters, but also from smartphones and tablets.
Flat optical cables inside buildings.
Implementations of FTTH installations based on fiber optic subscriber lines arranged in a star topology are currently the most popular way of deploying fiber optics in multi-family buildings. The main advantages of the solution include a relatively low cost and a simple installation. The reasons of the low cost:- application of cheap distribution cables – the most popular indoor distribution cable Ultimode L7102 is nearly two times cheaper than good quality Cat 5 UTP cable
- no need for additional installation activities such as splicing fibers in some intermediate boxes, making breakout windows, pulling out fibers, installation of breakout units (necessary in the case of breakout/easy access cables)
A disadvantage of this solution can be problems with holding multiple cables in proper arrangement in the distribution frame (to preserve the minimum bending radius for each cable/fiber). In some cases, the solution requires the application of additional distribution frame(s) for getting more space, despite the fact that the number of connections would be sufficient.
The architecture of an FTTH system based on star topology
The most popular cable used in these applications is ULTIMODE ILB-2SM-A L7102. A special construction of the cable with rectangular cross-section of the jacket plus built-in FRP reinforcing rods naturally limit the bending capability in one plane to a safe bending radius range. Thanks to reduced minimum bending radius of the G.657.A single-mode fibers, the cable and individual fibers can be formed into tight coils (the minimum bending radius is only 7.5 mm).
Intelligent intrusion detection.
Hikvision cameras, aside from basic functions (Basic Event) like motion and tampering detection have "intelligent" functions (Smart Event), crossing of a virtual line and intrusion detection. For example, the Hikvision DS-2CD2042WD-I K1777 camera belonging to the R6 platform (which defines the resolution and hardware version) can offer four virtual lines and four intrusion detection areas. To activate Smart Event, the user should log on to the camera and enter Configuration->Advanced Configuration->Smart Events submenu and configure the required option, set up the schedule, and confirm the settings by clicking Save button (not visible in the fragment of the screenshot).In the case of using the Intrusion Detection function for a defined area, the configuration options include:
- Threshold: 0...10 s (the period of intrusion),
- Sensitivity: 0...100,
- Percentage: 1...100 (the percentage size of the violated area).
An alarm event can trigger the following actions:
- Notification of monitoring center (that runs e.g. IVMS4200 software)
- Sending email(s) with a screenshot
- Sending images to an FTP server
- Activation of video recording (of the one or more channels)
- Activation of camera alarm output (if exist)
Configuration of Intrusion Detection function in Hikvision DS-2CD2042WD-I K1777 camera
In the case of violation of the protected area, the camera can activate video recording (also in other channels), send email with a screenshot to defined email address, activate its alarm output. In the case of other Hikvision cameras, the number, kind, and sophistication of the intelligent features depend on the hardware platform of the camera.
View of Batch Upgrading menu
Hikvision provides Batch Upgrading application, contained in Hikvision Tools. The application saves time that the administrator would have to lose for individual logging on to each device, entering the menu, selecting update option. It searches the devices in the LAN, allows the administrator to add new devices to the list and/or import them from the iVMS-4200 software application. The devices can be added manually to the list by entering their IP addresses. Different groups of devices can be updated independently. The update file can be specified directly or through a catalog, which may include the update files for different devices. The compliance of the new software with each device is automatically checked before updating.
 | Optical Node TERRA OD-005P R81760 is an FTTH optical receiver, a component of TV antenna systems involving fiber optic technology. DVB-T and FM radio / DAB signals provided via optical fiber are converted by the device into RF form and distributed in the building via coaxial cabling. The optical receiver features high sensitivity (-6...0 dBm), thus it can be used at the end of comparatively long optical links or with low-power transmitters. | |
 | Wireless Access Point TP-LINK EAP110 N2562 provides a flexible, easy-to-install, manageable and secure business-class wireless network solution. It can be easily mounted to a wall or ceiling. WLAN configuration and management are simplified through centralized management software. TP Link EAP devices also provide captive portal and automatic RF management, making them ideal for high-density, demanding business environments, such as campuses, hotels, shopping malls, offices. | |
 | Surface TV Outlet: GIS-F1-2M (2x F-con.) R62189 has been designed for surface mount applications. The distribution of RF signals is carried out by the angle F-f to F-f adapters embedded in the housing. Coaxial cables carrying RF signals, terminated with F plugs, are to be screwed on to the rear parts of the two adapters. | |
Worth reading
Connecting optical fibers at the entrance to the building - an example of implementation. Under the current rules, cables for indoor applications must meet stringent requirements for flammability. The cable jacket has to be non-flammable, halogen free (LSOH) and should meet the safety requirements in compliance with IEC 60332-1 and IEC 60332-3 standards... >>>more
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Coaxial cables for the construction industry
