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

Electronics worn as a tattoo.

Chaotic Moon company, developing electronics and software, presented a concept of building electronic systems that would be applied directly on the skin. All electronic components should be sufficiently small so that not to cause discomfort when stuck to the skin. The connections between them could be made with a conductive paint. The electronic circuits placed on the skin could be used for various purposes.

A visualization of the electronics tattoo from Chaotic Moon
(source: www.wired.co.uk)

The primary application of the device can be diagnosis of diseases - the temporary tattoo will collect characteristic biometric data. The next step will be uploading the data to the cloud in order to analyze them. Based on the specific data, e.g. body temperature, heart beat, blood pressure, etc, it will be possible to automatically detect a disease in the early stages. It will also help doctors in the diagnostic work-up.

The intention of the creators is also the integration of other, more controversial features, such as payment card or GPS. Such applications, on one hand, can facilitate payments (the card on the skin cannot be lost), on the other hand, however, they can lead to an increased level of surveillance by service providers. With proper regulations in the field of privacy and data security, this type of devices is likely widely used in the future.

Transmission of 12 VDC supply voltage via UTP cables.

Due to a lower cost, UTP cables are often used for transmission of analog video signals. Compared with the use of CCTV cables with additional power wires, the savings grow with the lengths of the transmission lines (in the case of very short distances the cost of additional baluns/power injectors practically eliminates the profits).

However, the lengths are in practice limited by the physical characteristics of UTP cables. The diameter of the wires is ca. 0.5 mm, so the cross section is only about 0.2 mm², 2.5 times less than the cross section of the "thinnest" power wires of CCTV cables (0.5 mm²). With the maximum allowable voltage drop of 3 V, a compact camera with typical current consumption of 0.5 A could be located max. 33 meters from the power source. Happily, the distance can be doubled or tripled by connecting two or three pairs in parallel. In any case, the total current carried by a UTP cable should not exceed 1 A.

Video monitoring of a home and home office with 3MP Signal IP cameras.

Currently we offer two models of 3 MP Signal cameras characterized by very good image quality and low price. They are perfect devices for simple and low cost HD video surveillance systems in single-family homes. Both the indoor camera HDV-190 K1827 and outdoor model HDC-230P K1885 have been equipped with 2.8-12 mm varifocal lens with viewing angle adjustable within 90°-26° range. The built-in IR illuminators allow for operation without visible light. Using the POE-802.3AF/C M1896 48/12 VDC converter for the K1827 camera, the installer can power all system components from N29982 PoE switch. The video streams can be recorded by the 8-channel IP NVR Hikvision DS-DS-7608NI-E2/A K22081. The indoor camera monitors a home office room. The spare 2 channels of the NVR can be used in the future for connecting two additional cameras. Thanks to a router, e.g. TL-WR1043ND N3253, the access to the NVR is possible via the LAN or Wi-Fi.

Video monitoring of a home, based on 3-megapixel Signal IP cameras

Broadband amplifiers in shared antenna systems.

Building amplifiers are used in shared antenna systems (MATV/CATV) to distribute antenna signals within passive networks. They compensate the attenuation of the distribution networks caused by splitters, taps, cables and antenna outlets. The amplifiers have one input and one output, and often a test output (the level of the test signal is usually decreased by 20 or 30 dB). They also have built-in power supplies and circuits compensating the differences in cable attenuation at various frequencies (slope adjustment). The maximum output level of the amplifiers is usually at least 100 dBμV.

High power RF amplifier HA-131L R82304, with gain up to 36 dB and output level up to 106 dBμV,
equipped with LTE filter

Depending on actual needs, the installer can choose between models with different levels of maximum gain, output signal, frequency range (including the option of the return channel).

Providing HDMI signal to multiple monitors/TVs.

In situations where an HDMI signal from a computer, DVR, NVR etc. should be displayed on multiple monitors/TVs, the optimum solution is to use HDMI converters ( H3604 or H3606) and distribute the signal over an IP network. The IP signal coming from the transmitter may be applied to an Ethernet switch to split it among multiple receivers (the converters employ multicast technology).

An application of HDMI > IP converter/extender units (point-to-multipoint)

HDMI to IP converter Signal HD H3604 or H3606 (with remote control extender) enables the user to connect a remote (up to 100 m) source of HD content to HD-enabled television/monitor, using one CAT5e/6 cable. The sets include transmitter and receiver units. By employing additional receiver units ( H3605 for the H3604 model, or H3607 for the H3606 set), the user can increase the number of televisions/monitors displaying the same content.

Building a new house - the choice of structured cabling.

Due to technological developments, changes of the offered services, as well as technical innovations emerging on the market, the selection of the cabling for home system is not easier than before. Faced with the task of designing the wiring for the access to the Internet, the designer must take into account several factors that may influence the ultimate layout of the network. Insufficient number of cable links or inadequate kind or category of the of the cables can cause significant limitations in the future. On the other hand, it is necessary to consider the economics of the project and not plan too many cables which may never be used. So, how to wire the house at the current level of technology?

Cable selection. The basic transmission medium used for the construction of a home LAN should be copper twisted-pair cable. The use of fiber optics for home transmission systems seems not to be justified even in the perspective of 10-20 years. In most cases the sufficient medium is a cat. 5e twisted-pair cable. This type of cable supports data transfer speeds of up to 1 Gbps, which should be satisfactory for home users even for decades. More "ambitious" home owners may consider laying twisted pair category 6 cables, which will enable data transmission speeds up to 10 Gbps. Another issue is the choice between the unshielded twisted pair cable (UTP) and the shielded version. It would seem that the more expensive shielded cable is always the better option, but it should be remembered that the use of such a cable imposes shielding of all components such as wall sockets (including grounding) and active devices (which have to be equipped with shielded ports). Considering the higher price of the equipment, additional installation costs, and the fact that the electromagnetic interference from the unshielded cables is not significant in the home environment, the preferred choice is usually the UTP cable.

Cabling solution for a home LAN

Green lines ⇒ E1171 - 50 Ω Tri-Lan 240 coaxial cable
Violet line ⇒ E1410 - NETSET U/UTP 5e gel-filled outdoor cable (black)
Red lines ⇒ E1408 - NETSET U/UTP 5e indoor cable
Blue line ⇒ ISP cable

Topology - the layout of the cables. The optimum solution is when cables are provided to all rooms in the house. This will allow for free selection of the location for a wireless AP in order to ensure access to the Internet throughout the whole house (or, if one AP is insufficient for full coverage, finding a place for a second AP in another room). The possibility of connecting a PC or other device to the wired network in any room is also a great advantage. So far, cable connections provide maximum stability, which may be very important in some applications, such as streaming of high-definition video or online gaming. When planning the wiring, the owner of the house and the designer should remember that today the Internet is used not only on personal computers. The LAN should also be connected to smart televisions, home theater, game consoles. A socket in the kitchen or even in the bathroom is not an exaggeration, either.

Connection to WAN. Creating the home LAN, the owner and designer should take into account all potential Internet service providers (ISPs) in the area. The cabling available on the lowest level of the building will allow for easy connection to services from local ISPs such as telephone or CATV operators. The termination of the LAN on the roof (with one outdoor UTP cable) will allow for the use of services from ISPs providing access to the Internet by radio means (after installing on the roof an AP integrated with antenna). Another option is the increasingly more popular LTE technology. Two coaxial cables (50 Ω) provided to the roof will enable installation of an LTE antenna supporting MIMO technology and taking full advantage of high-speed Internet provided by a cellular operator.

DVB-T and satellite DVB-S/S2 channels in a small hotel. Owners of guesthouses and small hotels wanting to increase the attractiveness of their offer often include additional satellite TV channels to those available from terrestrial transmitters. A cost-efficient solution for small buildings can be the application of typical consumer satellite receivers and digital DVB-T modulators. The number of the satellite receivers and modulators has to be the same as the number of additional channels... >>>more

SMATV system for a small hotel

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