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

No. 35/2024 (October 28, 2024)

5G glass antennas.

It has been more than five years since the global deployment of 5G began. It has brought superfast, low-latency Internet to hundreds of millions of users. However, the expansion of the 5G network has not been without its difficulties – higher-frequency signals have a shorter range, which means more base stations need to be built compared to the 4G network. Faced with the limited availability of attractive locations, Japanese telecom operators attempted to find an innovative solution.
Futuristic glass antennas, created through a collaboration between glass manufacturer AGC, operator NTT Docomo and the company JTower, came to the rescue. The innovative antennas, dubbed Waveantenna, turn ordinary windows into discreet 5G base stations. A special transparent conductive material – similar to that used in laminated windshields – is sandwiched between two sheets of glass.
In the photo provided by JTower, the antenna almost completely blends into the surface of the window. Shota Ochiai, marketing director at AGC, describes the solution as “the world's first antenna that turns a window into a base station, allowing coverage to be extended to the outside of a building without spoiling the cityscape or the appearance of the building itself.”
A glass antenna designed to create operator base stations.
In terms of connectivity, AGC stresses that the antenna has been optimized to work with frequencies in the 5G band, between 3.7 and 4.5 GHz. In addition, the lower frequencies provide better range in penetrating building walls. The glass antennas have applications beyond cities. AGC has developed versions for vehicles – they will help reduce the loss of connections while driving. The technology has already reached the US, where one of the customers is the Halo platform (remote-controlled cars) in Las Vegas.
It's worth noting that the technology was launched in 2020. The new version, unveiled last year, allows multiple operators to use the same window infrastructure. The first of the improved antennas was launched last month in the window of a building in Tokyo's Shinjuku district.

Which Hikvision video door entry system to choose: 2-Wire IP, 2-Wire HD or maybe IP?

Hikvision currently offers three video intercom systems: 2-Wire IP, 2-Wire HD and an IP system. The choice of the right system for a customer can be dictated by two factors, which include functionality and the type of communication bus between devices.
If the system is built from scratch, including wiring, it is best to use twisted pair and choose an IP system. This system is distinguished by the greatest functionality and immunity to interference. Due to network communication between devices and PoE power supply in accordance with the standard, the range of communication and power supply to devices is guaranteed up to 100 meters. The IP system allows, among other things, the construction of large and functional systems, control of two relays in the door station, integration with the monitoring system, remote operation via the Hik-Connect application and much more.
If you want to upgrade an old intercom system with straight or paired wiring, you can use either 2-Wire IP or 2-Wire HD. In both cases, the power supply and establishing communication between devices is done using two wires of the cable, but the systems are slightly different. The 2-Wire IP system is actually an IP system that uses two strands of straight or paired cable and a special distributor (switch) for communication between devices. The switch makes it possible to establish communication between connected devices and supply them with 24 VDC. The distributor has a network interface, which allows you to connect to a switch, router or directly to a PC and activate, set IP addresses and configure. Once activated, the system is basically no different from an IP system from the user's perspective. However, before selecting it, you should study in detail the installation requirements and communication ranges between devices, as they are different from those of a typical IP system.
Presentation of the 2-Wire HD system
The latest video intercom solution from Hikvision is the 2-Wire HD system, which is a slightly different approach. Power supply and communication between devices is implemented via a two-wire bus using the DS-KAD7060EY G74828 main distributor and DS-KAD7061EY G74830 floor distributors. It is also possible to power monitors within a given premises from another monitor. The approach has also been changed in terms of configuring the addressing of the devices, which is carried out using DEC switches located on the rear of the door station and monitors. Once the addresses are properly set on the switches and connected to the power bus, the system is immediately operational. So there is no need to think about what IP address and premises number has been assigned to the monitor, because such configuration can be done directly at the premises before the monitor is installed, without the need for a PC. This system, thanks to the use of floor distributors and the ability to feed monitors from other monitors, is very flexible in terms of design. Additional configuration is possible when the door station is in Access Point mode and connected to it wirelessly using a smartphone or computer equipped with a WiFi interface. In the 2-Wire HD system, the voltage on the communication bus is 48 VDC and is not compatible with the 2-Wire IP system. This system has the ability to be operated remotely using the HikConnect app when the monitor is connected to the Internet via a WiFi interface, but it cannot be integrated into the monitoring system. When choosing it, too, you should pay attention to the installation requirements and communication ranges between devices.

Sunell monitoring system management software.

SunView CMS is professional, free CMS (Central Management Software) for monitoring system management. It works within a client-server architecture, which makes it a scalable and centralised system. This means that it can be easily adapted to different sizes and monitoring needs, while being managed from one central point. With a variety of features, it is able to meet a wide range of requirements for video surveillance solutions. The basic functions include live video viewing with configurable views, viewing and downloading of video recordings, access and user management, real-time alarm handling, event retrieval from smart camera functions or system visualization in the form of e-maps (image files and online and offline GIS maps – OpenStreetMap).
Key features:
  • Supports up to 10,000 channels of Sunell IP cameras and up to 4 channels of Onvif.
  • Support for up to 500 users with ability to assign permissions.
  • View video on configurable 1/4/6/8/9/16/32/64 split.
  • Support for H.264 and H.265 compression.
  • Playback of recordings from up to 16 channels with rewind (-8x~8x), support for fisheye cameras, and search by event type with graphical presentation of the event time.
  • Batch downloading of recordings possible.
  • Real-time alarm support with searchable alarm archive.
  • Alarm widget display when window is minimized.
  • Built-in face recognition (requires face detection camera).
  • Event linking – in response to an event, the application can send an email, trigger a PTZ or activate an alarm output.
  • PTZ camera support.
  • Support for multi-level E-maps with the ability to apply camera images (PNG/XPM/JPG formats) and apply to OpenStreetMap. The maps are interactive – change color of camera icons (after alarm, no connection, play live video after double click).
  • Configurable keyboard shortcuts.
  • Support for LPR cameras (license plate recognition) and thermal imaging cameras.

Meter for measuring SMATV systems.

There are various quality meters on the television system market. From the cheapest and simplest indicators showing successively lit LEDs indicating the strength of a given signal to meters measuring the most important parameters of a digital signal without/with a preview of a given channel. In addition, a big advantage of using a professional measuring device is the calibration certificate issued by the manufacturer. This document, issued during the manufacturing process of the meter, confirms the maintenance of measurement consistency. It is issued only for brand new measuring instruments.
In residential buildings, before the inspector's acceptance, it is necessary to verify the correctness of the completed RF/SAT system – whether the devices have been connected properly and whether no mistakes have been made in the design of the network. These errors can be caused by, among other things, inadequate distances from heat-emitting devices or the system of networks in rooms exposed to high humidity. During the first stage of the inspection, it is determined whether there is any visible mechanical damage. The condition of wires and connections is also checked. All this information should be included in a report prepared before commissioning the system. The next step is to measure TV/SAT signals and the most important parameters of digital signals.
A professional meter for a TV/SAT system should make it possible to measure such parameters as:
  • RF Level expressed in dBμV
  • Modulation Error Ratio (MER)
  • Link Margin
  • Bit Error Rate (BER)
DIPOL recommends the AS07STCA-4K R10206 certified signal meter. It can measure DVB-S/DVB-S2 (4K) satellite signal, DVB-T/T2 (4K) terrestrial TV signal in HEVC 10 Bit compression and C/J.83B/ISDB-T cable signal.

Alpsat AS07STCA-4K - feature overview
Alpsat AS07STCA-4K certified meter designed for measurements in SMATV systems. More about the meters and their use:
Measurement of DVB-T2 and DVB-S/S2 signals in TV systems.

RACK cabinet in a multi-family building – termination of cabling for TV, LAN and fiber optic systems.

In the following photos, we present an example of the implementation of the termination of wiring in a multifamily building with 102 apartments. According to the current regulations, the cabinet located in the technical room is to be the point of convergence of cables from all apartments. Each apartment should be provided with 2 coaxial cables, 2 twisted-pair computer cables and 1 dual-fiber optic cable.
SIGNAL RACK Cabinet R912016 used to terminate cabling in a multi-family building.
At the rear of the cabinet, a Terra multiswitch system was installed.
When selecting a RACK cabinet for such a scenario, of course, the number of panels that will be the proper termination of cables should be foreseen. However, this is not all. In addition to the height of the cabinet itself, it is worth thinking about:
  • an adequate amount of space for mounting active devices; in the case of a typical multi-family building, this will be the set of amplifiers and multiswitches shown in the picture, performing RF/SAT signal distribution. Adequate width and depth of the cabinet will allow to mount the above devices on the side or rear. This saves valuable space on the front.
  • vertical cable organizers – since the number of cables that enter the cabinet is large, the number of cables that cross the operator's devices (LAN switch, optical splitter, etc.) with termination panels will also be large. Therefore, choosing a cabinet model equipped with vertical cable organizers seems to be the only right one. Without this element, sooner or later, there will be a huge mess on the front of the cabinet.
  • the possibility of convenient and safe introduction of cables from external operators – vertical cable organizers can also be used by external operators to safely and as conveniently as possible introduce their own cabling into the cabinet. Here we are talking about multipatchcords, cables feeding optical splitters, etc. If this issue is not carefully considered, and operators are left with a free hand in this regard, they will end up with a mess, which in turn will affect the possibility of failures.
The cabinet used in the above example and meeting the requirements described above is the SIGNAL RIGNAL R912016 19" 42U 800x1000 mm standing RACK cabinet.

Why use the outdoor twisted pair?

Outdoor telecom cables usually have a sheath made of polyethylene (PE). This material is tougher and has greater mechanical strength than the polyvinyl chloride (PVC) used in indoor cables. What is also important, this material is much more resistant to UV rays, so the lifespan of outdoor cables exposed to sunlight is much longer compared to indoor cables operating under the same conditions.
The video below shows typical problem of using PVC-coated cable to connect an outdoor antenna with a router. The cable laid along the facade, exposed to high and low temperatures, as well as to sunlight and rain, cracks after several years at the latest. Afterwards, water gets inside, and after a short time, due to gravitational force, it "flows" down to the router. This may of course damage the router itself and, in case of large accumulation of water in the area of the router, damage of other elements, such as furniture.
Water leaking from the cable can be the result of using an indoor twisted-pair cable on the outside of the building. Installers mitigate the effects of cable breaks by creating loops that prevent water from flowing downward, but this is an ad hoc measure. It will be more reliable to combine these measures with the use of the right kind of cabling.
DIPOL offers the following types of outdoor twisted pair cables:
Code Type Category Shielding Gel Carrier cable
 E1410 U/UTP 5e   Yes  
 E1412 U/UTP 5e      
 E1517 F/UTP 5e Yes    
 E1519 F/UTP 5e Yes   Yes
 E1610 U/UTP 6      
 E1611 U/UTP 6   Yes  
 E1613 F/UTP 6 Yes Yes  

New products offered by DIPOL

Anchoring clamp for fibre optic cables with support cable (3-5.5 mm) I-05.PAT
Lashing bracket for fiber optic cables with support line (3-5.5 mm) I-05.PAT E8579 is a high-quality mounting accessory designed for the system of cables with a support line with a diameter of 3 mm to 5.5 mm. It is designed to provide reliable attachment and optimal durability in harsh weather conditions. This mount is commonly used in FTTH (Fiber to the Home) network construction and other fiber optic infrastructure projects where stability and resistance to dynamic loads are required.
Tubular IP Camera: Hikvision DS-2CD2T47G2H-LISU/SL (4 MP 2.8 mm, 0.0005 lx, hybrid. 60 m, Audio, LED, ColorVu)
Hikvision DS-2CD2T47G2H-LISU/SL IP tube camera (4 MP, 2.8 mm, 0.0005 lux, hybr. illumination up to 60 m, Audio, LED, ColorVu) The K03725 is a Hikvision IP tube camera with hybrid illumination, equipped with ColorVu and AcuSense (2nd gen) technology. With ColorVu technology, the camera can capture images at night in color mode while retaining important identification details. The AcuSense technology increases the effectiveness of the surveillance system by eliminating false and nuisance alarms through human/vehicle object filtering.
Patch panel 10
Patch panel 10” 12x Keystone R9120309 provides termination of structured cabling for network cables. The panel allows mounting Keystone standard modules in a RACK cabinet.

Worth reading

Cost-effective monitoring of a single-family house. The following diagram shows a monitoring system for a single-family house built with Hikvision VE-NC140F-LIU K03036 IP cameras with human object filtering function. The cameras are equipped with image sensors with a resolution of 4 MP and a fixed focal length ensuring a wide viewing angle of 104°. This model uses a hybrid illuminator, which allows it to operate with IR illumination in night mode and turn on white light illumination when a person is detected in a motion detection event. This type of solution makes it possible to deter an intruder and to record important details for identification at night...>>>more
IP NVR: Hikvision DS-7104NI-Q1/M(C) (4 ch, 40 Mbps, 1xSATA, VGA, VGA, HDMI, H.265)K22024 HDD 3,5” Western Digital PURPLE 2TB SATA III 6 Gbps 256MB WD22PURZM89270 Gigabit Router: Mercusys AC12G (AC1200, 2.4GHz, 5GHz, 3xLAN (GE), 1xWAN(GE))N2933 PoE Switch: ULTIPOWER 0064afat (65W, 6xRJ45 incl. 4xPoE 802.3af/at)N29978 Compact IP Camera: Hikvision VE-NC140F-LIU (4 MP 2.8 mm, 0.01 lx, hybrid illuminator up to 20 m, Audio, IK08, H.265)K03036 Junction Box DS-1280ZJ-XS (for Hikvision ceiling and compact cameras)M57192 Monitor HIKVISION DS-D5022FN00 (21,5", 16/7, VA, FHD, HDMI, VGA)M29121
Using four 4 MP (2560 × 1440 p) cameras, 20 fps continuous recording, H.265 compression set and a profile selected for medium scene complexity, the recordings on the 2 TB hard drive will be kept for about 14 days.
A series of ULTIMODE devices for testing and measuring fiber optic installations.
Ultimode – new range of optical path measurement equipment