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

No. 42/2024 (December 16, 2024)

Machine learning supports the discovery of materials for film capacitors with exceptional performance.

The U.S. Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, in collaboration with several institutions, has successfully applied a machine learning technique to accelerate the creation of new materials for film capacitors – key components of electrification and renewable energy technologies. The method allowed the company to search a library of nearly 50,000 chemical structures and identify the compound with the highest performance. Demand for film capacitors is growing rapidly, especially in high-temperature and high-power applications such as electric vehicles, electric aviation, power electronics and the space industry. They are also key components in inverters, which convert solar and wind power into alternating current used by electrical grids.
Polymers, which are large molecules composed of repeating chemical units, are ideal insulating materials for film capacitors. Their lightness, flexibility and resistance to applied electric fields make them ideal for this role. However, at high temperatures, the insulating properties of polymers deteriorate, leading to degradation and limiting their applicability in many power systems.
Although batteries are often in the spotlight as key components of renewable energy systems, electrostatic film capacitors also play an important role. These devices consist of insulating material sandwiched between two conductive metal sheets. While batteries store and release energy through chemical reactions over a long period of time, capacitors use electromagnetic field, allowing them to charge and discharge energy much faster. Film capacitors are used to stabilize power quality in various power systems. For example, they prevent ripple currents and eliminate voltage oscillations, ensuring stable, safe and reliable operation of devices.
Traditional research into high-performance polymers has relied on a trial-and-error method of synthesizing several polymers simultaneously and characterizing their properties in detail. Faced with the urgent need to develop better capacitors, the traditional research approach is too slow to effectively identify promising molecules from among hundreds of thousands of possibilities. To speed up the process, the research team developed a set of machine learning models using neural networks. The models searched a library of nearly 50,000 polymers to find optimal combinations of properties, such as resistance to high temperatures, resistance to strong electric fields, high energy storage density and ease of synthesis. Algorithms identified three particularly promising polymers. Scientists at the Scripps Research Institute synthesized these polymers. Capacitors made from one of the selected polymers achieved exceptionally high heat resistance, excellent insulating properties, high energy density and efficiency. The high-performance capacitors have minimal energy losses during charging and discharging. Additional testing of these capacitors has proven their superiority demonstrating higher material quality, operational stability and long-lasting performance, making them ideal for applications in demanding environments.

SMATV system – installation of multiswitches in a RACK cabinet.

RACK cabinets have become a standard in the installation of teletechnical systems in multi-family buildings, thanks to their functionality, versatility and aesthetics. They allow orderly installation of devices such as multiswitches, network switches, amplifiers, power supplies or patch panels, which provides easy access to the infrastructure during maintenance or expansion. Thanks to their standard dimensions (19 inches wide) and various heights (specified in U units), RACK cabinets allow flexible adaptation to the needs of a particular system. Their use in multi-family buildings facilitates the organization of RF/SAT networks, intercom systems, monitoring or computer networks, and ensures a professional and aesthetic appearance of the system. In addition, RACK cabinets ensure the possibility of integration with ventilation and power supply systems to increase the durability of equipment and stability of operation of the entire infrastructure. They are also key to meeting technical requirements and safety standards in modern buildings.
The pictures above show the installation of multiswitches of the MV-9xx series from TERRA in a SIGNAL R912016 standalone 19” 42U 800x1000 mm RACK cabinet. All devices are easily accessible in one place and protected from mechanical damage. RACK R912016 cabinet allows you to neatly arrange devices and cables. The cabinet contains a fan panel R9120262, a 19” ULTIMODE MT-524 L5124 pull-out switcher with a tray, ULTIMODE P-12SC-DUPLEX L5543 front panel and ULTIMODE P-24SC-DUPLEX L5544 front panel, and a horizontal cable organizer (7 brackets) for the R9120242 standing cabinet. In addition, a RACK 19" 230 VAC power strip 9 outlets R9120231, patch panel 1U, 24 F-type ports R9120312 and patch panel 0.5U, cat 6A R9120317.

Software update with HiTool Delivery.

HiTool Delivery is a software that facilitates the startup and configuration of IP CCTV systems based on Hikvision devices, among others. By integrating the functionality of the SADP program, the software enables device detection, one-click activation, network configuration and password reset. It also provides the ability to perform a number of other activities, such as updating firmware, setting parameters, changing passwords and IP migration. You can also use the tool to update the software in cameras individually or in groups, which greatly speeds up the process of setting up a new system. To do this, add devices under Device Management after running the program. Once correctly added, select the device or devices to be updated and press Upgrade. After indicating the path to the firmware, the upgrade process will begin, the progress of which can be followed in the Task Center tab.
View after adding the camera to the program
View of the upgrade progress window

Can splice amplify the signal?

Installers performing reflectometric measurement of a fiber optic line can sometimes notice a certain anomaly on the reflectogram and in the event table. Here, we are talking about the so-called "gainers", i.e. places where fibers are connected (usually it will be a splice), on which one can notice an amplification of the signal backscattered in the direction of the OTDR.
The apparent boost in signal power can be seen on the reflectogram, in the form of a spike in signal power, and in the event table (in the "attenuation" column such an event will have a minus sign in front of the attenuation value). Most often, such an event will be recognized correctly by the OTDR and marked as the "gainer", or "amplifier".
Splicing two fibers (splice) will always be an additional source of signal attenuation. While this attenuation may be close to zero as a result of increasingly accurate splicers with better refined splicing programs, there is no physical possibility that splicing fibers will allow signal gain. The apparent boost obtained on the reflectogram is a consequence of the OTDR's operating principle and occurs in a well-defined situation – when fibers with different mode field diameters (abbreviated as MFD – Mode Field Diameter) or with different indexes of refraction (IOR) are spliced. Such differences are most often highlighted when combining fibers in different standards – e.g., G.652.D and G.657.A1/A2/B3 – although differences can also occur when combining the same fibers from cables from different manufacturers.
Signal amplification on the reflectogram will appear when the measurement is made from the side of the fiber with the larger MFD (G.652.D) toward the fiber with the smaller MFD (G.657A1/A2/B3). In order to properly measure such an event, it is necessary to take a measurement in the opposite direction. Then the attenuation will be recorded, and it will certainly be greater than the apparent gain value. The final splice attenuation is calculated as the arithmetic average of the two measurements.
Example of a measurement showing the splice of G.652.D and G.657B3 fibers. In one direction, the attenuation of the event of -0.119 dB (i.e. gain) is recorded, while in the opposite direction, the attenuation of the same event is already 0.264 dB. Thus, the final attenuation of the splice is: (-0.119 dB + 0.264)/2 = 0.0725 dB. The measurement was made with an Ultimode OR-20 L5830 reflexometer.

Twisted-pair cable – marking.

Twisted-pair is a signal cable type used to transmit information over telecommunications links and computer networks. Currently it is most often used in analog telephony and in Ethernet networks. It is made up of one or more pairs of conductors twisted together. The twist is intended to eliminate the influence of electromagnetic interference and mutual interference, so called crosstalk.
The description method of twisted-pair cable is provided by ISO/IEC 11801:2002. According to the information provided, the cable description should follow the xx/yyTP syntax where yy denotes a single pair of conductors in the cable, and symbol xx refers to the entire cable.
The xx and yy symbols can be as follows:
  • U – unshielded
  • F – foiled
  • S – shielded
  • SF shielded and foiled
  • U/UTP – unshielded
  • F/UTP – foiled
  • U/FTP – each pair foiled separately
  • F/FTP – foil screened cable with foil screened balanced elements
  • SF/UTP – overall braid and foil screened cable with unscreened balanced elements
  • S/FTP – overall braid screened cable with foil screened balanced elements
  • SF/FTP – overall braid and foil screened cable with foil screened balanced elements
CAT 5e UTP Cable: NETSET BOX U/UTP 5e [305m], indoor
One of the most popular twisted pair cables for indoor applications.
NETSET U/UTP 6 cable E1608_305.

Meter for CCTV – simple cable length measurement and fault localization.

The Alpsat AS33-IPCX M3214 tester is a practical tool for CCTV installers to quickly measure cable lengths and localize faults such as short circuits or breaks. It works by analyzing the propagation time of an electrical signal. The pulse sent by the device is reflected from the end of the cable or from the place of damage, which allows to determine the length of the cable or the distance to the problematic point. According to our tests, the accuracy of the measurement is about 0.5 to 1 meter.
To perform the measurement, the cable must be at least 5 meters long and disconnected from devices and voltage sources. Termination of the cable with another test device is not necessary. The tester analyzes the signal return time, taking into account the speed of signal propagation characteristic of the cable type. The result of the measurement is displayed in meters, and in the case of damage it indicates the distance from the meter to the place of interruption or short circuit.
Example measurement results for an undamaged and correctly terminated cable
If the cable is damaged, e.g. its strands are broken or shorted, the signal does not reach the end of the cable, but is reflected at the place of damage.
Measurement results if the cable's conductors are damaged or shorted – in this case, pairs 4 and 5 have been cut

New products offered by DIPOL

HD-TVI DVR: Hikvision iDS-7204HTHI-M1/S(C)/4A+4/1ALM (8 MP, 12 fps, H.265, 4 × AcuSence, HDMI, VGA)
Hikvision iDS-7204HTHI-M1/S(C)/4A+4/1ALM 4-channel HD-TVI DVR (8 MP, 12 fps, H.265, 4 x Acusence, HDMI, VGA) M76405 is a 4-channel, multi-system DVR for recording video from HD-TVI, AHD, CVBS and IP cameras. The DVR for analog system can record 8 MP resolution video at 12.5 fps, 5 MP at 20 fps, and for lower resolutions it reaches 25 fps.
Dome indoor 4 in 1 Camera: Hikvision DS-2CE76K0T-LPFS (5 MP, 2.8 mm, 0.01 lx, microphone, IR up to 20 m, Audio, AcuSense)
Hikvision DS-2CE76K0T-LPFS 4-in-1 dome camera (5 MP, 2.8 mm, 0.01 lx, microphone, IR up to 20 m, white light 20 m) M74128 can work in HD-TVI, HD-CVI, AHD and analog CVBS systems. The choice of the standard is made by the micro-switch located on the additional cable. The camera generates images with a resolution of 1080p. A distinguishing feature is the hybrid illuminator with intelligent switching, which consists of an IR illuminator and white light. It is possible to select one of three low-light modes: IR, white light or smart mode.
HD-TVI DVR: Hikvision iDS-7216HUHI-M2/X(STD)/4A+16/4ALM (8 MP, 8 fps, H.265, 8 x AcuSence, HDMI, VGA)
Hikvision iDS-7216HUHI-M2/S(STD)/4A+4/4ALM +16-channel HD-TVI DVR (8 MP, 8 fps, H.265, 4 x Acusence, HDMI, VGA) M76317 is a 16-channel, multi-system DVR for recording video from HD-TVI, AHD, CVBS and IP cameras. In a standard mode of operation, 16 analog cameras can be connected to BNC inputs, as well as 8 IP cameras with a resolution of up to 8 MP. If any of the analog channels are not used, they can be turned off, allowing additional IP cameras to be connected. If all analog channels are disabled, as many as 24 IP cameras can be connected.

Worth reading

Powering a camera directly from a fiber optic media converter. Fiber optic cables are the core of the cabling of many surveillance systems. They are usually opted for in cases where the camera points remain at a considerable distance from the monitoring center. In a situation where the camera point includes 1 camera, its implementation usually takes into account the use of a sealed box, in which a media converter is placed together with a power supply, a PoE power supply and a box/tray that protects the place of fiber optic splicing introduced into the box...>>>more
RACK board - vertical mounting system in RACK cabinets
Vertical mounting system in 19" RACK cabinets