TV-SAT, CCTV, WLAN Dipol Weekly Review

Artificial eyes could revolutionise autonomous systems.

Researchers at Penn State have developed a new type of photomemristor – a miniature electronic component capable of simultaneously detecting light, processing information and adjusting its sensitivity to changing lighting conditions. The researchers argue that this solution could help machines cope better in situations that pose a challenge to current vision systems, such as driving at night when there is a stark contrast between the dark surroundings and the headlights of other vehicles.

The new device works in a way that resembles human vision. In the human eye, the rods and cones are responsible for adapting to different light levels; they alter their activity depending on the environmental conditions. The research team has replicated this mechanism using a combination of the conductive polymer PEDOT:PSS and titanium oxide. The material automatically absorbs or releases water depending on light intensity, thereby regulating its own sensitivity without the need for additional control.
During testing, the photomemristor was connected to a neural network to create a simple vision system. The device was tasked with recognising the shape of the letter ‘F’ displayed against a background of varying brightness. After just seven training iterations, the system achieved an accuracy of over 95 per cent, and adaptation to new lighting conditions took merely a few seconds. By comparison, it can take between 20 and 30 minutes for human eyes to fully adapt to darkness (known as dark adaptation).

Although the technology is still at the research stage, its potential applications are very wide-ranging. They include not only autonomous vehicles and industrial robots, but also future systems to assist people with visual impairments. According to the authors of the study, the development of such ‘artificial eyes’ could bring machines closer to the human way of perceiving the world, whilst offering greater speed of operation and lower energy consumption.

Ballast masts for mounting on flat surfaces.

Ballast masts are structures designed for mounting antennas, lighting, signalling equipment or other devices on roofs and other flat surfaces, without the need to alter the underlying structure. Their stability is ensured by appropriately selected ballast (usually concrete weight plates), which prevents the mast from toppling over due to wind or vibrations. Ballast masts are widely used in both temporary and permanent installations, particularly where it is not possible to permanently anchor the mast or where the integrity of the roof covering must be maintained. Depending on requirements, masts of various heights are available, and the weight of the ballast is selected to meet the safety requirements for the relevant wind zone. The size of the ballast frames / ballast has been chosen so that they can be carried onto the roof even through a small roof hatch.

Name	ZB-1000/38 +RAM2/415*265	ZB-1500/38 +RAM4/415*265	ZB-1100/50 +RAM6/415*265
Code	E8746	E8745	E8748
Length [m]	1	1.5	1.1
Mast diameter [mm]	38	38	50
Number of frames	2	4	6

Features and benefits of ballast masts:

Problems with fibre positioning in the fusion splicer.

A standard fibre-optic pigtail is fitted with an outer sheath with a diameter of 900 µm, also referred to as a buffer, tube or insulation. Its purpose is to protect the fibre from mechanical damage and moisture. In a conventional design, the sheath adheres tightly to the fibre, which is why special tools, such as stripers, and the necessary skill are required to remove it. When preparing such a pigtail for splicing, it is recommended to strip the insulation gradually, in sections no longer than 2–3 cm.

‘Easy strip’ pigtails are also available, in which the sheath is less firmly bonded to the fibre. This makes preparing them for splicing easier and quicker. These designs are often referred to as semi-tight or loose-tube pigtails. Due to their ease of use, they are a popular choice amongst installers.

However, when splicing ‘easy strip’ pigtails, problems may arise, such as difficulties in positioning the fibre, increased splice attenuation or the formation of splice defects. The cause is often not the splicer itself, but the way the pigtail is prepared. During the stripping process, the fibre is subjected to tension and may subsequently retract, as it is not rigidly secured to the insulation. This makes it difficult to centre the fibre correctly in the fusion splicer.

In such situations, it is worth paying attention to the design of the fibre clamps. If they have two independent clamping points, a larger section of the coating should be removed so that one clamping point grips the 900 µm insulation and the other grips the bare fibre. However, experience shows that there are clamps which, despite this design, have difficulty holding both pigtail coatings correctly. In such a situation, the pigtail should be stripped as for clamps with a single clamping point, where it will always be necessary to expose the fibre along the entire length of the clamp, thereby ensuring its stable fixation during the splicing process.

Cameras on poles – how to complete the network infrastructure?

Feeding a separate cable to each pole (mast, lantern), on which the cameras are to be installed, is the most universal and the least labor-consuming solution when it comes to attention welding and protection of optical fibers. However, this involves a greater amount of work when laying cables and the need to provide more space on the cable route.

In this topology, the design of the cable itself, i.e. the method of securing the fibers in it, is of no great importance. It is, of course, to have all the parameters necessary for proper operation in the given environmental conditions and be adequately resistant to tearing when the cable is pulled into the ducting.

Opting for a star topology also saves space on the pole itself – the fibre-optic cable can be routed directly into the junction box where devices such as a media converter, PoE switch, video converter, power supply, etc. will be installed. Of course, the fibre-optic cable must be properly terminated with a pigtail, and the splice itself must be secured in a splice tray or a dedicated fibre-optic junction box. The pigtail should then be plugged into a fibre-optic adapter, and the connection to the signal conversion device should be made using a patch cord. Do not plug the cable directly into the device! In the future, during any servicing or maintenance work, the installer will only risk damaging the patch cord, not the cable itself, which might otherwise necessitate re-splicing the fibres.

SIGNAL CCTV 210/230/145 mm sealed box is R90601 designed for mounting on a pole, mast or wall. Inside, there is a mounting plate which can be easily removed, and two DIN rails for easy installation of components such as switches, power supplies, media converters or mini fiber optic distribution frames. Additionally, the box has protective wires which can be connected to active devices.

The box can easily accommodate, among others, an industrial switch, power supply, main switch and mini distribution frame in the case of systems based on fiber optic cabling (if this is the case, we recommend the use of ODF-DIN L5312 mini distribution frame). All these elements can be mounted on DIN rails or aluminum mounting plate. Thanks to adequate number and size of cable gland holes, it is possible to lead in and out the cabling for: power supply, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, for connecting up to 4 surveillance cameras.

HDMI and USB signal transmission via fibre optic cable. In situations where the recorder is to be monitored and controlled from a remote room (e.g. a surveillance centre), it is necessary to transmit HDMI and USB signals. If the cable length does not exceed 100 m, H3613 converters can be used and connected using standard Cat 5e twisted-pair cable...>>>more