SCADA Radio Networks
Mission Critical RF Consulting
Office Phone: 954 961 2642
| Home | Choosing SCADA Radio Technology |
FCC License, License Free or
Cellular |
Design, Test, Then Build It | In-Field Radio Study | How to Build it Reliably | Photo Gallery |
Whether
to use FCC licensed SCADA radio spectrum, popular license-free
equipment, or 5G cellular is a challenging question. There are many
important design questions to consider before making a choice — network
vulnerability, reliability, interference from other license-free users,
best practices in design and implementation, and how long an FCC
license takes and what it costs.
It's our job as RF communications designers and consultants to know the answers. We know the available SCADA and telemetry radio spectrum extremely well — when license-free is a good match and when it isn't. When a SCADA system requires an FCC license, we have a methodology for selecting the best frequency for the client: one with good co-channel and adjacent-channel characteristics, and knowing which SCADA radio bands have crowding in which parts of the country. We couple real-world, on-site spectral analysis with FCC Universal Licensing System database records to select the clearest possible radio channel available.
Decision factors: A good place to start is defining the proposed SCADA radio network's current operating area while also considering any future expansion. Generally speaking, if the operating radius is large — more than about a one-to-two-mile radius — or difficult terrain exists, licensed spectrum becomes increasingly attractive. Licensed SCADA radio networks can use central sites communicating to remote sites up to ten, even forty, miles away. Data bandwidth is another key factor: if you need to share more than twenty kilobits per second between your RTUs and the SCADA master, license-free is where the greater bandwidth is available.
License-free radio networks generally use less transmitter power, typically require stronger signals at the receiver to carry the wider bandwidth of payload data, and are limited in antenna system EIRP — effective isotropic radiated power. There are many types of radios to choose from, and technology selection can leave a designer with more questions than answers. Having an unbiased third party filter through the manufacturers' sales data can be a great asset when specifying a SCADA radio network.
Cellular caution: If you think SCADA over cellular is the holy land for your mission-critical network, consider the potential downsides. Cellular infrastructure is an early target of nation-state cyber warfare. Cellular is not a private autonomous network — with cellular, you're dependent on Ma Bell, and they're now your business partner. Consider the number of devices that have to work flawlessly for your data to get through: tower site power systems, microwave or fiber backhaul circuits, cell antenna systems, the Mobile Telephone Switching Office with its power systems and backhaul, routers, internet infrastructure — and more. All of this gear has to work to transport your data. It's also vulnerable to hackers, both foreign and domestic, and now your network is too.
If you have any questions or a specific project or application you'd like to discuss, call Mark Lavallee at 954-961-2642 or email mark.lavallee@advantage-com.com. I enjoy sharing my thirty years of experience and knowledge. My organization is often used to subcontract with consultants, assist controls system integrators, and work with end users directly.
954-961-2642
or email : mark.lavallee@advantage-com.comIt's our job as RF communications designers and consultants to know the answers. We know the available SCADA and telemetry radio spectrum extremely well — when license-free is a good match and when it isn't. When a SCADA system requires an FCC license, we have a methodology for selecting the best frequency for the client: one with good co-channel and adjacent-channel characteristics, and knowing which SCADA radio bands have crowding in which parts of the country. We couple real-world, on-site spectral analysis with FCC Universal Licensing System database records to select the clearest possible radio channel available.
Decision factors: A good place to start is defining the proposed SCADA radio network's current operating area while also considering any future expansion. Generally speaking, if the operating radius is large — more than about a one-to-two-mile radius — or difficult terrain exists, licensed spectrum becomes increasingly attractive. Licensed SCADA radio networks can use central sites communicating to remote sites up to ten, even forty, miles away. Data bandwidth is another key factor: if you need to share more than twenty kilobits per second between your RTUs and the SCADA master, license-free is where the greater bandwidth is available.
License-free radio networks generally use less transmitter power, typically require stronger signals at the receiver to carry the wider bandwidth of payload data, and are limited in antenna system EIRP — effective isotropic radiated power. There are many types of radios to choose from, and technology selection can leave a designer with more questions than answers. Having an unbiased third party filter through the manufacturers' sales data can be a great asset when specifying a SCADA radio network.
Cellular caution: If you think SCADA over cellular is the holy land for your mission-critical network, consider the potential downsides. Cellular infrastructure is an early target of nation-state cyber warfare. Cellular is not a private autonomous network — with cellular, you're dependent on Ma Bell, and they're now your business partner. Consider the number of devices that have to work flawlessly for your data to get through: tower site power systems, microwave or fiber backhaul circuits, cell antenna systems, the Mobile Telephone Switching Office with its power systems and backhaul, routers, internet infrastructure — and more. All of this gear has to work to transport your data. It's also vulnerable to hackers, both foreign and domestic, and now your network is too.
If you have any questions or a specific project or application you'd like to discuss, call Mark Lavallee at 954-961-2642 or email mark.lavallee@advantage-com.com. I enjoy sharing my thirty years of experience and knowledge. My organization is often used to subcontract with consultants, assist controls system integrators, and work with end users directly.
Thank you for visiting SCADA Radio Networks
Since 1993, 33+ Years of Exelence