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A site survey is a critical first step in ensuring the proper performance of an industrial wireless network.
For several years, ENCOM Wireless Data Solutions has provided an essential tool with its EP6500 site survey kit for 900 MHz frequency-hopping radio networks. Now, ENCOM is eliminating the guesswork on the 2.4 GHz, 4.9 GHz and 5.8 GHz radio frequencies with the introduction of its broadband site survey kit (BBSSK).
"This allows our customers to get real on-the-street data to determine whether broadband radio is going to work for the application," says Doug Carter, senior technical sales representative for ENCOM.
"It allows them to determine the exact quality of the radio path, eliminates the guesswork, and saves time and money down the road by confirming the overall feasibility of the project."
The broadband site survey kit (BBSSK) includes:
- Two battery-powered POE (power over Ethernet) devices;
- Two broadband radios, one with an integrated 23dB-gain panel antenna, and one with an external sectoral antenna, to simulate both point-to-point and point-to-multipoint topologies;
- Two 75-foot lengths of Cat-5 e cable;
- Two recharging units, giving each POE device 10 to 12 hours of battery life;
- Mounting hardware for temporary positioning of POE devices;
- Waterproof pelican cases for both POE devices, and large pelican case to hold the entire kit and allow for easy transport of the gear.
The broadband site survey kit (BBSSK) is also equipped with ENCOM's ControlPAK 4.3.2 Software, the most powerful configuration and diagnostics software in the company's history.
ControlPAK software allows ENCOM's customers to determine antenna alignment and signal strength between radios. Its advanced network health monitoring gives a clear picture of available bandwidth and network reliability, while its improved spectrum analyzer allows users to choose optimal frequencies for their wireless systems based on real-world information.
"Our software also has the ability to automatically generate test reports, which is very helpful in a site survey situation," says Carter. "It gives our users the tools they need to make informed decisions, and it also simplifies the documentation process." |