Designing for Reliability and Resilience

In our home market of Southeast Florida, I'm constantly reminded that hurricane season is the event that separates good designs from weak ones. My company has earned a solid reputation for being mindful of extreme weather. We can and should design to accommodate the reality of the world we live in. We specify antenna structures with 150 MPH or even 200 MPH wind survival ratings. The importance of the SCADA system you're building should drive which wind survival rating you choose.

The entire system must be considered so equipment survival isn't limited by the weakest link. That means the antenna, the coaxial transmission line, the antenna support structure or tower, the RTU cabinet, and any other portion that could be damaged in a water or wind event. For example, coaxial cable that isn't secured can come loose in high wind. That single failure most likely takes the RTU off the air and kills reliable communications for that site.

Beyond wind ratings, a reliability review should also check tower guy-wire tension, connector weatherproofing, cabinet sealing against water intrusion, and a spare-parts strategy so a failed component can be swapped quickly instead of waiting on a procurement cycle.

We take great pride in our experience designing SCADA radio networks. We have an arsenal of high-reliability radio hardware that gets SCADA messages through with the highest reliability — from the radio itself through the antenna system. We're regularly hired to provide specialized RF consulting for some of the largest SCADA radio network projects in the United States.

If you have questions on a specific project or application, call Mark Lavallee at 954-961-2642 or email mark.lavallee@advantage-com.com. I enjoy sharing my thirty years of experience. My company is often called upon to subcontract with design-build consultants, assist control system integrators, and work with end users directly. For more on the design process, see Design, Test, Then Build It. For verifying a design before you build, see Radio Study Why?

954-961-2642 or email: mark.lavallee@advantage-com.com
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