MN10 - Managing Wireless Networks

Building Large Scale Wireless Water Control Networks

Eric MarskeProduct ManagerESTeem Wireless Modems

Presentation Overview

• Project Overview– Water/Wastewater SCADA

• Network Installation• Updates to Network

– Expansion• Wireless Network Design

– RF Design– Radio Site Survey– Site Commissioning

• Wireless Network Management– RF Design Tools– RF Configuration Tools– Management Tools

• Conclusions

Project Overview

• Portland Water District– Water, Wastewater and Environmental Services– 11 Communities In and Around Portland, Maine– 100+ Year Company– 190 Employee– Servicing 200,000 People– Service Area = 140 Square Miles– 21 Million Gallons Average Daily Delivery– 1000 Miles Water Mains– 95 Miles of Wastewater Pipe

Water/Wastewater SCADA

• Water and Wastewater SCADA– 112 Remote Locations Throughout 140 Square Miles– All Report to Central SCADA HMI at Headquarters– Licensed Narrowband UHF Wireless Network

• Rockwell Automation Controllers– HMI Software for SCADA– Main ControlLogix Processor– Remote RTUs

• ESTeem Wireless Modems– ESTeem Model 192C– 450-470 MHz 4 Watt Licensed Wireless Modems

Network Installation

• Water System– First Side of Network to Apply Wireless SCADA– Antenna Height From Owned Water Tanks– Started 28 Remote Site System 2001

• Wastewater System– Used Existing Water Locations for Repeaters

• Water Tanks• Existing Repeater Sites

– Lowest Locations in Hilly Terrain

Network Updates

• Network Expansion– Water System Provided Easier Access for Wastewater– Total Number Increased over Last 10 Years to Current 100+– Three RF Frequencies Used to Segment Network

• Approx 35 Remotes on Each Network Segment• Allowed Quicker Response Times with Simultaneous Polling

• Second Generation of ESTeem 192C Wireless Modems– Analog and Digital Squelch Levels

• Narrow Band Operation– Required 2013 Update

Future Projects

• Continued Expansion of Wireless Network– Fourth RF Frequency Added– Increased Update Speed from Remote Sites– Adding New Water/Wastewater Locations for City Expansion

• Wireless Ethernet– High-Speed Ethernet Backhaul

• Licensed 4.9 GHz• Unlicensed 900 MHz, 2.4 GHz or 5.8 GHz

– Licensed UHF Frequencies• ESTeem 210C

History of Wireless

• Wireless Has Come a Very Long Way– ESTeem has been wireless over 25 years– Patent on first wireless modem in 1984

• First Generation for Serial Networks– Lower data rates 2,400 bps– Latest hardware 19,200 bps

• Next Generation Narrowband– Ethernet Interface– 54,000 bps

• Spread Spectrum– Higher data rates in wideband channels

• Wireless Ethernet (WLAN)– Latest generations closing in on wired speeds– Open protocol standards

Primary Uses of Wireless

• Mobile Applications– Moving Hardware– Maintenance Vehicles– Factory Floor Machines– Overhead Cranes– Public Safety

Primary Uses of Wireless

• “Inaccessible” Areas– Difficult or Too Costly to Run Cable– Across waterways– Communication across roadways– Airfield lighting

Primary Uses of Wireless

• Long Distance Communication– City or County Coverage– Impracticable to Cable– Water Distribution– Wastewater Systems

Reliability

• System Reliability Is Only As Good As the Network Design• Wireless Networks Can Be As Reliable as Wired Network

– Time spent on wireless network will pay for itself many times over• Each Radio Application is Unique

– Wireless is being applied in many applications but few have a working knowledge of designing a successful wireless system

• Building The Network Backbone– Any hardware on poor communication link will have problems

Hardware Selection

• No one frequency or wireless standard will solve all applications

• Each frequency has its place• Correct selection for the specific application is key

RF System Design

• Phase 1 – RF Design Program– Computer program to estimate RF results– Point in design to make system changes

• Phase 2 – Radio Site Survey– On-site analysis– Confirming results in RF design phase

• Phase 3 – Site Commissioning– After final installation– Building system backbone

• Phase 4 - Network Monitoring– System monitoring over time

RF Design Program

• Conservative computer model of expected radio results– Perform RF Design Program analysis for each link in the system

• Anticipated Antenna Heights Needed• Expected Signal Strength • Projected Data rates• Antenna options

• RF Design Program Available on CD

Wildcat WWTP

Booster Station

Buffalo Park Tank

Repeater Site

Arizona Snowbowl Resort

Sample Network Design Diagram

RF Design Program

RF Design Program

• Step 2 – Radio Site Survey• Confirming results in RF design phase

– Evaluate and Test each location in the proposed system• RF Background noise and spectrum analysis to choose the

correct channel for operation• Identify LOS obstructions not seen on mapping (buildings,

etc) and possible repeater locations• Measure actual Signal Strength and Data Rates• Data transmission testing• Document findings and results for future reference

RF Site Survey

Installation and Commissioning

• Step 3 – Installation and Commissioning– Final installation of equipment

• RF Background noise and spectrum analysis to choose the correct channel for operation

• Identify LOS obstructions not seen on mapping (buildings, etc) and possible repeater locations

• Measure actual Signal Strength and Data Rates• Data transmission testing

Wireless Ethernet Design

• New way of thinking when designing radio system• Network designed from Ethernet data flow• Back-hauls on primary links• Backup (MESH) links must follow same rules• Multiple frequencies available in same wireless network

Ethernet Design Diagram

Internet

Main Office

Repeater & Remote Site

Highest Data Rate

2nd Highest Data Rate

Mesh Technology

• Redundant Repeater Routes– Configured Priority Routing

• Manual Input• Direct Control Over Routing

– Auto Configuration • Shortest Path to Root Bridge• Highest Signal Strength

• Priority Routing Configuration– “Meshing” Technology– “Self Healing Networks”

Redundant Path Overview

Wireless Network Management

• RF Design Tools– RF Design Program– Provides point to point and data rate analysis

• RF Configuration Tools– ESTeem Network Configuration (ENC) Utility– Visual network configuration utility

• Management Tools– ESTeem Network Monitoring (ENM) Utility– Wireless HMI interface

• Support Tools– Remote support utilities

ESTeem Network Configuration Utility

• Greatly simplified network configuration• Visual point and click RF link connections• Simplified Mesh network layout• Network layout prior to receiving hardware

– Network design for client– Network review by ESTeem

• System wide network updates– Configuration updates– Firmware updates

• Programming through wireless network

ESTeem Network Configuration Utility

ESTeem Network Monitoring Utility

• Wireless network monitoring– HMI interface– Configuration utility import– SNMP protocol

• Critical network information displayed on-screen– Signal strength– RF Data rates– Redundant routing

• Database trending– Alarms– Graphs

ESTeem Network Monitoring

Remote Site Support

• Allows wireless network technical support world wide– No travel required– Real-time access to working network

• Allows support specialists to view and troubleshoot customer network

• Provides remote access to customer’s configuration utilities and monitoring utilities

• Only internet connection required– No corporate firewall access required– No VPN or dial-up necessary

Steps to Reliable Network

• Training– Understanding Capability/Limitation of Wireless– Selection of Correct Hardware for Application

• RF Network Design– Critical Steps to Reliable Network

• RF Design• Site Survey• Site Commissioning

• Flexibility of Wireless Hardware– Frequency Agile– Narrowband Capable

Additional Questions?

• ESTeem RAOTM Booth• RF Design Program Disk

– Available to all attendees• Web Site - www.esteem.com• ESTeem Support 509-735-9092