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

RFID stickers with force measurement.

Engineers at the University of California, San Diego, have developed wireless, battery-free, small electronic stickers that measure force.

The Force Sticker devices are simple to build, as they consist of only two components: a tiny capacitor and an antenna. The breakthrough here is the design of the capacitor, which is made of a soft polymer layer sandwiched between two conductive copper strips. Under pressure, the polymer compresses, bringing the copper strips closer together, increasing the electrical charge in the capacitor.

The antenna communicates with the radio receiver using a method known from RFID systems, where it accumulates energy in the capacitor under the influence of an electromagnetic field generated by the receiving system (e.g. a reader). When sufficient energy is received, a response is sent. The capacitor in an ordinary RFID tag has a fixed value, whereas the key here is the increase in electrical charge in the capacitor caused by a change in applied force, as this causes changes in the signal sent by the RFID chip. The RFID reader measures these changes and converts them into a specific value of the applied force. Another design feature is that the capacitor can be adapted to different force ranges by replacing the polymer layer with a softer or more rigid one.

Force Stickers can be used to improve virtual reality experiences, design smart biomedical devices, monitor the safety of industrial equipment and equip robots with the sense of touch. A good example is knee implants, where stickers can help measure the forces the implant exerts on the joint. An exciting project involves low-cost, remotely readable barcodes that can provide weight information, increasing the efficiency of stock management in the warehouse.

Winners of the 22nd edition of DIPOL photo contest!

Thank you for all the, many works! Congratulations to the winners and honored participants – you have once again proved that such inconspicuous and seemingly common objects as antennas can be inspirations for creating truly artistic works. We thank all the participants and we invite you to take part in next year's edition!

Fibre optic measurement with full reporting.

Dipol has introduced the functional yet easy-to-use Ultimode OR-20-S3S5-iSMV L5830 fibre optic connection tester. The device allows reflectometric measurements to be made in a traditional manner (with a reflectogram and event table) or in an automated form (iOLA function), in which the device automatically selects the measurement parameters and presents the results in a user-friendly graphic format.

One of the advantages of the OTDR L5830 is the ability to generate a professional report of the measurements taken. The progressive development of fibre optics in the low-current system industry brings with it a greater awareness on the part of investors, who increasingly require the preparation of appropriate measurement documentation, even for relatively small projects. The free application OTDR Assistant for PC allows the reading of *.sor (Telcordia SR-4731 standard) measurement files generated by the OTDR for accurate analysis. It is possible to freely navigate through the reflectogram, zoom in on parts of it, or determine the attenuation of a given section or event using markers (2-point method, 4-point method, LSA method). The application also has an iOLA plugin for reading the *tor files generated when the results of the iOLA module are saved.

The saved files and the above-mentioned software allow the generation of measurement reports in *.pdf or *.xls format. The Measurement Report Wizard gives you a choice as to the format and content of the report. You can choose between a one-page document containing basic information, or advanced reports including such data as a reflectogram, event tables, or graphical representation of the measured link.

DIPOL SMART HORIZON DVB-T2 antenna - reception parameters proven by field tests.

An ideal antenna is one that has high gain, optimum directionality, relatively small size and will not require additional power supply. SMART series antennas have been optimized to meet the above requirements.

IP network separation at home.

The same IP network should not simultaneously contain devices responsible for home security (monitoring, intercom, gate controllers, etc.) and home computer equipment. Separating these devices is one of the factors increasing integrity of the security system.

A way to separate these devices is to create virtual local networks. This requires the use of a managed switch and the creation of dedicated VLANs (virtual local networks). In the example below, by changing parameters on the switch, the user can create two separate networks. The first one will cover monitoring, and the second the home network. The operation of these two networks is independent – devices in different virtual networks cannot communicate unless special exceptions are configured.

It is very important during configuration (and often neglected) to manually assign IP addresses to the devices, without specifying a default gateway. Devices for securing the house should not have direct access to the Internet. Also remember to disable any cloud-based services (e.g. remote viewing). The administrator should only allow access to the internal network from the outside using a VPN (of course, this involves the need for an external IP address).

Sunell is one of the world leaders in the CCTV industry, offering a wide range of security solutions. With their high quality and reliability, the brand's products enjoy a well-deserved reputation and trust among installers and designers around the world......>>>more