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Office Phone: 954-961-2642
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Serial
or Ethernet? This is a key design question and really is driven
by over the air payload data bandwidth, and transmission protocol
requirements. In the
beginning
telemetry systems were all serial technology 300-1200 baud or bits per
second
and bell 202 modems were the most common for transportation of
data. These modems were often separate boxes that were interfaced
via interconnecting cable to the separate telemetry radio made by
another manufacturer. Now days we have fully integrated radios
that are a single enclosure. These radios can be serial ethernet
or both.
Serial or Ethernet SCADA Radio Technology? A better question to ask is how much bandwidth do I need? Since today's modern SCADA radios can be equipped with a choice of Serial and Ethernet in the same radio so the question may be irrelevant. Generally the relationship between bandwidth and range is that the more range required, the less bandwidth will be available.
Today we have a vast variety of communications technology at our disposal, but the choices leave us with the pros and cons to consider. For example we use radio to communicate to remote probes in space and these radio communication paths are extremely long (millions of miles), so we know technology exists for the long line of sight radio paths. Our project limitations (maximum antenna height, cost, and the aesthetics of the antennas profile) often drive the choice of which radio communication technology we can practically implement.
Over the air bandwidth and range typically have an inverse relationship, the more bandwidth required, the less radio range we can expect in the radio link and the cleaner (less obstructed) the radio path must be, this is evident in the license free radios that provide 100 KBPS or more (often Ethernet capable). In the license free 900 MHz, 2.4 GHz and 5.4-5.8 GHz spectrum, these links can communicate several miles, but require an almost perfect visual line of site between the antenna systems of the radios. The FCC licensed 150, 220, 450, and 928/952 MHz telemetry/SCADA channels are geared for 50 KBPS or less of over the air throughput but have the ability to penetrate non line of sight paths of over 10 miles are achievable. And now there are white space radios that utilize old unused television band channels to carry large data bandwidth in a frequency range that does a good job of traversing longer radio paths. Yet another technology to consider / navigate.
The above paragraph underscores the need for a savvy radio system designer to be consulted when new SCADA system is proposed. Experience is key and a design and test approach is often the best strategy before building on mission critical SCADA operations. Simply put design then you build.
If you have any questions or a specific project or an application you would like to discuss, please feel free to call on me, Mark Lavallee. I enjoy sharing my 20+ years of experience and knowledge. My company is often used to sub consult with consultants, assist controls system integrators, and work with the end users directly.
Our phone number is 954-961-2642 or email : mark.lavallee@scadaradionetworks.com
Thanks for visiting SCADA Radio Networks.
Serial or Ethernet SCADA Radio Technology? A better question to ask is how much bandwidth do I need? Since today's modern SCADA radios can be equipped with a choice of Serial and Ethernet in the same radio so the question may be irrelevant. Generally the relationship between bandwidth and range is that the more range required, the less bandwidth will be available.
Today we have a vast variety of communications technology at our disposal, but the choices leave us with the pros and cons to consider. For example we use radio to communicate to remote probes in space and these radio communication paths are extremely long (millions of miles), so we know technology exists for the long line of sight radio paths. Our project limitations (maximum antenna height, cost, and the aesthetics of the antennas profile) often drive the choice of which radio communication technology we can practically implement.
Over the air bandwidth and range typically have an inverse relationship, the more bandwidth required, the less radio range we can expect in the radio link and the cleaner (less obstructed) the radio path must be, this is evident in the license free radios that provide 100 KBPS or more (often Ethernet capable). In the license free 900 MHz, 2.4 GHz and 5.4-5.8 GHz spectrum, these links can communicate several miles, but require an almost perfect visual line of site between the antenna systems of the radios. The FCC licensed 150, 220, 450, and 928/952 MHz telemetry/SCADA channels are geared for 50 KBPS or less of over the air throughput but have the ability to penetrate non line of sight paths of over 10 miles are achievable. And now there are white space radios that utilize old unused television band channels to carry large data bandwidth in a frequency range that does a good job of traversing longer radio paths. Yet another technology to consider / navigate.
The above paragraph underscores the need for a savvy radio system designer to be consulted when new SCADA system is proposed. Experience is key and a design and test approach is often the best strategy before building on mission critical SCADA operations. Simply put design then you build.
If you have any questions or a specific project or an application you would like to discuss, please feel free to call on me, Mark Lavallee. I enjoy sharing my 20+ years of experience and knowledge. My company is often used to sub consult with consultants, assist controls system integrators, and work with the end users directly.
Our phone number is 954-961-2642 or email : mark.lavallee@scadaradionetworks.com
Thanks for visiting SCADA Radio Networks.