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

AI will support medicine again.

Finnish scientists from the University of Jyväskylä and the Healthcare District of Central Finland have developed an AI-based neural network that allows the detection of early knee osteoarthritis based on X-ray images. Early diagnosis of the disease is extremely important because it can protect the patient from unnecessary examinations, procedures, and even knee replacement surgery. It should be mentioned here that osteoarthritis of the knee joints can already be included in the group of lifestyle diseases, which are becoming more and more common every year.

Osteoarthritis is the most common joint-related ailment worldwide. The ailment is estimated to cause as many as 600,000 doctor visits a year in Finland alone and cost the national economy up to €1 billion a year. The objective of the project, conducted by the researchers, was to train artificial intelligence to recognize osteoarthritis from an X-ray image. This is something that experienced doctors can see and distinguish from the image, but until now it has not been possible to do so automatically. In practice, artificial intelligence tries to detect whether or not tibial nodules in the knee joint are spiky. Tibial spikes can cause arthritis. About 700 X-rays were used to develop the AI model, after which the model was verified with about 200 images. The effectiveness of the model compared to the doctors' assessment was estimated at 87% which is a very good result.

Attempts to use artificial intelligence in this area of diagnosis have been made before, but until now the automaton has only correctly identified severe cases. It was not possible to detect early signs of degenerative disease, which is the greatest innovation of the algorithm created by the Finns.

Access point for building a WiFi network in the building.

TP-LINK EAP610 N25690 for business applications is a flexible, easy to install and manage, and secure solution for wireless networks. Mounting the device on the wall or ceiling is extremely easy. WLAN configuration and management has been made simple with central management software and web browser management (no controller required). Automatic radio band management and landing page authentication make the EAP610 ideal for demanding environments such as campuses, hotels, shopping malls and offices. The device operates in the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands, using the 802.11ax (WiFi 6) standard.

Key features:

• Management software allows you to centrally manage your wireless network
• 802.11ax Wifi 6 standard
• Maximum transmission rate 574+1201 Mbps (total 1775 Mbps) in parallel on two bands 2.4 and 5 GHz.
• PoE 802.3at 100m support
• Easy wall or ceiling mounting
• Landing page authentication
• Multi-SSID allows you to create subnets for different users
• Enterprise-class security protects your WiFi network from attacks
• Smooth roaming
• Gigabit Ethernet port allows you to use demanding applications or transfer multimedia files.

Why multimode fibres?!

Despite the huge popularity of single-mode fiber optics, the multimode fibers are still on the market and are used in selected applications. In theory, the multimode fibers are considered "less future-proof" – on short and medium distances they are not able to match single mode fibers in terms of throughput, while on distances longer than 2 km they are not used at all due to the phenomenon of so called modal dispersion. What is more, it turns out that multi-mode cables, despite their capacity limitations, are more expensive than single-mode cables. This is due to the fact that multimode fiber core, having gradient structure (refractive index changes and is not homogeneous like in single mode fiber core) is more complex and therefore more expensive to manufacture. So why use multimode fibres?

Oddly enough, multimode cabling is often used in server rooms to connect cabinets containing operator equipment. Special lasers and the latest standards of multimode fibers (OM4, OM5) work well there for high throughput transmissions on short distances. Moreover, when extending systems implemented a few or more years ago, installers often decide to use the same type of cabling – there is no point in changing it if it works.

Other reasons for choosing multimode cables include popular opinion that they are easier to splice (due to larger core). This ceased to hold true long ago – in the era of precision core centering splicer, the size the core no longer matters. According to other theories, multimode cables should be used for short distances and single-mode cables for long distances (> 2 km). This is no longer true either in the era when the single-mode devices offered can operate without overdriving on links of any length.

Use of cabling with multimode fibers seems to be reasonable when the system is installed in difficult environmental conditions, e.g. in industrial facilities where there is a risk of exposure to dust or dirt. A larger core of a multimode fiber is beneficial here – the same contamination (see figure above) will have a much greater negative impact on transmission in a single mode fiber (9 μm core) than in the multimode fiber (50 μm core). This difference may not become apparent in fiber splicing, where the operator cares for cleanliness and reduces the influence of external factors. However, it may be important in a switchgear and when connecting, disconnecting or rewiring equipment, if the installer fails to properly clean the ferrule face of the connector.

TERRA ultra selective channel amplifiers.

DIPOL offers 2 models of TERRA brand channel amplifiers: PA420P R82516 PA321TP R82513. The first one has 2 VHF/UHF inputs, 1 UHF input, FM input, and built-in power supply. The second one has 2 VHF/UHF inputs and FM input, and is powered from an external power supply so it has a compact design and can be easily installed in cramped TV cabinets.

There are several competing solutions for channel amplifiers on the market. TERRA has focused on two aspects: good performance related to processing of TV signals (use of ultra-selective SAW filter) and quick and intuitive configuration, which is done using the TERRnet application installed on a mobile device or laptop.

A three-stage amplification circuit connected to the AGC circuit automatically adjusts the signal gain at selected frequencies to the set output level. This gain can reach up to 63 dB, assuming a maximum output level setting (113 dBμV) and a minimum input level of 50 dBμV. The range of acceptable levels for the input signal is wide, 50-100 dBμV. This means that the amplifier can be used in amplifying both, weak and strong signals directly from the antenna, as well as used at the output of other active devices as additional amplification element. Moreover, the AGC circuit is capable of compensating signal fluctuations at the input of the amplifier within the range of up to 46 dB.

The PA series channel amplifiers are really competitively priced. So they win not only in technical terms but also the cost of installation.

TERRA channel amplifiers, due to their specifications and setup, can be used in virtually any type of antenna system, by any installer, a beginner or a pro, also by those who are afraid of technical innovations and have been using the same solutions for years not always to the benefit of the customer.

What does SMD+, SMD 3.0, SMD 4.0 mean?

SMD stands for Smart Motion Detection, or Intelligent Motion Detection (IMD). It is a function that can analyze motion detection events for human or vehicle detection. Thanks to that, alarm notifications are filtered and unnecessary alarms are blocked. In a system with a compatible NVR, the recordings can be filtered in terms of human or vehicle detection.

SMD/SMD+ is the basic version of intelligent motion detection. Its operation requires less powerful AI chips, so it is present in the basic camera series. If a more accurate analysis is needed, SMD 3.0 or 4.0 should be used.

A comparison of the different generations of SMD functions is shown in the table below:

SMD 4.0 also has a Quick Pick function, which allows you to search for a person of interest (car) by the color of the clothes (body). It works in conjunction with the DVR, when playing back the recording, all you have to do is select an object of interest like a person or vehicle. The AI-based algorithm will search and mark recordings with objects in a similar color scheme.

Saving photos from cameras in the series I Hikvision IP recorders.

Series I Hikvision IP recorders, e.g. DS-7608NI-I2 K22083 have the ability to take snapshots of camera images according to a schedule or triggered by an alarm event. For time triggering, it is possible to set the time interval in the range from 3 seconds to 24 hours. For event triggering, you can set the time and frequency for taking post-event snapshots. The photos will be taken using the second stream. This solution can be used, for example, to create a history of a construction progress. When scheduled to record continuously on all days, snapshots will be taken at the specified interval for 24 hours a day. It is possible to define up to 8 time intervals for each day of the week and define the method of taking snapshots (continuous, motion detection, event, , etc.) for each interval.

Why cannot UPC and APC fiber optic connectors be combined? Installers new to fiber optics often overlook the fact that fiber optic connectors can come in two versions of ferrule bevel: UPC (Ultra Physical Contact) and APC (Angled Physical Contact). This difference affects the connector's ability to attenuate reflected signals and is used in systems operating in transmission window III and higher...>>>more