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1887

Communications Engineer

Volume 2, Issue 4, August 2004

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Volume 2, Issue 4

August 2004

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    • Editor's letter
      News
      WiMAX is coming
      Wi-Fi mania
      High-tech factory
      Dashing blades [advanced telecom computing architecture]
      • Author(s): J. Walko
      • Source: Communications Engineer, Volume 2, Issue 4, p. 11 –14
      • DOI:  10.1049/ce:20040401
      • Type: Article
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      • p. 11 –14 (4)
        The article introduces the open board, backplane and software architecture making its way into the next generation of telecom equipment. The telecommunications industry is putting increasing hope and emphasis on the AdvancedTCA (advanced telecom computing architecture) to help pull it out of the recent slump and as a driver for future growth. Also known as PICMG 3.x, ATCA is a family of specifications that defines new board, backplane and software for next-generation telecommunications equipment. It is being heralded as the first really open industry specification for carrier-grade equipment that incorporates high-speed switched fabric technology capable of switching and processing 2.5 Tbit/s in a single shelf. Other major advantages over existing, and mainly proprietary, architectures include a larger form factor, high availability features, the 48 V redundant power, the specification for cooling capabilities (up to 200 W per slot) and the standardised system management. From a commercial standpoint, a huge potential bonus is that the specifications contain sufficient information to allow board, backplane and chassis suppliers to develop interoperable products independently. All this should lead to reduced development costs and time-to-market.
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      Telecom fabrics go fine-grain
      • Author(s): M. Franco
      • Source: Communications Engineer, Volume 2, Issue 4, p. 16 –19
      • DOI:  10.1049/ce:20040402
      • Type: Article
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      • p. 16 –19 (4)
        ATCA (advanced telecom computing architecture) baseboards equipped with advanced mezzanine cards (AMCs) are poised to become the dominant platform. for high-availability telecom applications. ATCA's high throughput, multi-protocol support, high power capability, hot 'swapability' and integrated system management provide an ideal baseline telecom fabric. AMC enhances the flexibility of that fabric by enabling designers to customise, scale, upgrade, and service their ATCA-based telecom systems with a finer degree of granularity. The resulting fabric structure offers an unprecedented level of flexibility, helping to reduce not only the cost of product development, but also the time to market, cost of repairs, upgrades, spare maintenance and the impact of individual component failures. By combining general-purpose ATCA carrier cards with application-specific AMC modules, designers can create versatile telecom systems that can be readily upgraded, scaled and serviced in the field. It is expected that blades combining an ATCA carrier with AMC modules will be the best fit (vis-à-vis fixed-function ATCA cards) for up to 80% of telecom applications.
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      Cells set sail
      • Author(s): M. Fitzgerald
      • Source: Communications Engineer, Volume 2, Issue 4, p. 20 –23
      • DOI:  10.1049/ce:20040403
      • Type: Article
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      • p. 20 –23 (4)
        The omnipresent advance of personal wireless communications is not making any less progress on deep waters than it is on firm land and skies. A range of innovative applications from established transmission technologies is providing the maritime industry with new opportunities, from which ship owners, shipping lines and communications service providers are all likely to benefit. Up until now, only vessels with large numbers of passengers, such as cruise ships and ferries, have justified the business case for offering personal onboard mobile communications, particularly because of having to rely on continuous signalling/always-on satellite bandwidth at considerable cost to the ship operator. Yet, in a world where most passengers or crew now expect access to personal mobile communications anytime, anywhere, overcoming the costly technological barrier of continuous signalling has been a major factor in enabling delivery of such services to merchant vessels with relatively low numbers of people on board. New technology has now emerged to make this possible, and has been pioneered by Irish company Altobridge in the form of their AM (aeronautical and maritime) Gateway solution. This wireless networking technology can deliver a personal communications service for crew/passenger sizes of less than 100, and as low as 10. The article describes the technology and architecture involved.
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      Advancing the messaging interface
      • Author(s): J. Curtis
      • Source: Communications Engineer, Volume 2, Issue 4, p. 24 –27
      • DOI:  10.1049/ce:20040404
      • Type: Article
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      • p. 24 –27 (4)
        Although AT commands played a key role in early GSM systems, today's handsets would be better off without them. Mobile handsets are facing a sea change and a paradigm shift as advances in technology enable a new wave of usages and capabilities. Among the technological advances are new bearer technologies, such as EDGE and W-CDMA, increases in performance from the CPU while still maintaining low-power demands and the developing battle between standard operating systems. The resulting paradigm shift is that, whereas mobile handsets have historically been voice-centric devices, they are now becoming complex data communications terminals. Historically, AT commands have been used to provide the interface between a dial-up modem and applications. Although many handsets still use them, today's always-on data connections from GPRS, EDGE and UMTS have rendered AT commands insufficient. New solutions, such as the advanced messaging interface, enable a software architecture that can overcome the issues with AT commands and support applications orientation, multiple and single processors, while addressing a variety of market segments from a universal platform. Software development for handsets requires investment in advanced architecture to build systems that fulfil the needs of the technological advances.
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      Coach potato [TV on mobile phones]
      • Author(s): J. Henriksson  and  P. Talmola
      • Source: Communications Engineer, Volume 2, Issue 4, p. 28 –32
      • DOI:  10.1049/ce:20040405
      • Type: Article
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      • p. 28 –32 (5)
        The inevitable arrival of TV broadcasts on mobile phones moves a step closer. The DVB-T (digital video broadcasting-terrestrial) transmission system has proven its ability to serve both fixed and portable terminals in the various networks it has been deployed. In some networks such as Berlin and Singapore, even mobile terminals are supported. What the standard has been missing is support for handheld terminals, which require specific features from the transmission system. In January 2003, work began on a new version of the standard: DVB-H (DVB handheld). Following a period of consultation and proposals from various industry players, work was completed in January 2004, and the draft standards sent to ETSI for final approval. The article describes the properties of the draft DVB-H system. The specification has been verified via computer simulations, but real-world measurements and tests are yet to be made. Once the pilot phase is complete, it is expected that countries which have adopted DVB-T will see the introduction of commercial services complementing the emerging technology within two to five years.
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      Look closer [RF spectrum analysis]
      • Author(s): D. Miles
      • Source: Communications Engineer, Volume 2, Issue 4, p. 33 –35
      • DOI:  10.1049/ce:20040406
      • Type: Article
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      • p. 33 –35 (3)
        Much has been said about the transition to a wireless world, with mobile networks usually cited as the defining example. But wireless telephony is only the first large step among many We are seeing wireless technologies displacing older wired and even infrared architectures just about anywhere people need to communicate with one another or with electronic systems. Inevitably, this has had an impact on the characteristics of wireless signals, requiring them to support more applications and services. Today's RF signals carrying digital content are far more complex than their predecessors, with many of them featuring time varying modulation schemes, appearing only in short, non-repeating bursts. The basic amplitude- and frequency-modulated signal formats of the past simply cannot deliver the required information-rich data streams that may carry digitised voice, text, pictures and even video. It all adds up to a challenging environment for the designer who just wants to get a new product to market on time. Today's complex signal formats contain details that can only be understood by reliably capturing brief, momentary events and analysing changes over time. The article looks at the advantages of real-time spectrum analysis over conventional swept spectrum techniques.
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      Last mile, light speed
      • Author(s): R. Low
      • Source: Communications Engineer, Volume 2, Issue 4, p. 36 –39
      • DOI:  10.1049/ce:20040407
      • Type: Article
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      • p. 36 –39 (4)
        The long-predicted arrival of fibre optical networks to our own doorstep may not be as away as some suspect. What comes next after DSL? That is a big question being asked by telecom providers and infrastructure suppliers alike. In Europe, and indeed most of the world, DSL (digital subscriber line) has been the most popular option for the local loop or last-mile link to the home and business up until now. The large cable infrastructure in the US has given cable modems a distinct advantage there. What comes next will have to satisfy emerging services such as IP telephony, higher-speed data and video on demand. But will it use copper or fibre? The article concludes that PON (passive optical networking) is certainly making a strong case.
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      Search party [digital media retrieval]
      • Author(s): S. Waddington
      • Source: Communications Engineer, Volume 2, Issue 4, p. 40 –43
      • DOI:  10.1049/ce:20040408
      • Type: Article
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      • p. 40 –43 (4)
        Service providers store and offer endless amounts of video content, but is anybody thinking about how users find what they want? Huge investments are being made in broadband wireless and wired IP networks, which enable users to access, large archives of video content. In order to stimulate the market for video services, there is a need for user-friendly video indexing and retrieval. This objective has been addressed by the EC IST project BUSMAN (bringing user satisfaction to media access networks). The article looks at the methods BUSMAN uses to make it easier for digital media users searching for the needle in the video haystack.
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      What exactly is ZigBee?
      • Author(s): I. Poole
      • Source: Communications Engineer, Volume 2, Issue 4, p. 44 –45
      • DOI:  10.1049/ce:20040409
      • Type: Article
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      • p. 44 –45 (2)
        A new wireless technology named ZigBee is being launched onto the market. However, with Bluetooth, 802.11a, b and g, ultra wideband (UWB) and many more, there may seem to be a surfeit of wireless systems. Already a number of standards, such as HomeRF, have gone by the wayside, and others are sure to follow. But can ZigBee live up to its expectations? Aimed at control and sensor applications, ZigBee is a superset of the IEEE 802.15.4 specification, which defines the physical and MAC layers. Above this, ZigBee defines the application and security layer specifications that enable interoperability between products from different manufacturers. ZigBee supports three network topologies - star, mesh and cluster tree or hybrid networks. The article outlines the specification's foundations. It concludes that, in view of the size of this market, and the way in which considerable wiring cost savings can be realised, ZigBee has a good chance to carve out its own niche in the marketplace. Having already made an impact in the US, it is likely to be around for some time to come.
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      Book reviews
      Hot silicon from the oven

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