TETRA IPC Systems

When implementing IPC in wide spread territories, and especially in the conditions of absence of any radio communication or a complicated relief of the district, there are questions how to choose optimal wireless technology of transmission of telemetry data and control commands with sufficient degree of reliability and security.

The use of public cellular communication systems or broadband wireless access for wireless IPC systems require significant capital and operating costs. The same time there is a risk of dependency on the mobile operator commercial policy, quality of service and fault tolerance, the timing of response to accidents and their elimination, etc.

There are also private technical monovendor solutions of individual manufacturers based on LoRaWAN technologies, but they do not have a full-featured direct channel of remote control, which makes their use impractical in systems where constant monitoring with guaranteed operational control is needed. Their purpose – only the removal of accounting data, without the possibility of transmitting control signals with a sufficient degree of reliability.

The solution offered by our company on the organization of digital wireless system of automatic control system on the basis of radio communication system of the TETRA standard is the optimal solution if:

you build IPC system "from scratch" to cover a large area or production facility, which has difficulties with the organization of the cable transport network;

there is no or not reliable infrastructure (radio coverage) of public networks of mobile operators in the region: oil and gas production facilities, mining, power supply networks;

you have previously built and maintained the network of the TETRA standard for operational production networks and the desire make the most of it "to capitalize", organized on the same wireless IPC system . At the same time, the network infrastructure (base stations, etc.) can be of any vendor.

a high degree of reliability of the independent system (in this case, it is its own) with guaranteed delivery of the management team is required: facilities of particularly dangerous production, oil production facilities, transportation and processing of oil products, traffic management systems, local and regional emergency warning systems;

upgrade the existing system of automated process control systems due to the need to provide more bandwidth through the digitization of radio technology, as well as the need to reduce the specific capital and operating costs by eliminating the laying of cables over long distances;

The solution based on the digital standard TETRA, will allow to receive telemetry data from automation objects and quickly manage them, process data in a SCADA system (system of aggregation, processing and visualization of data on the screen). There is a possibility of consecutive transfer of the existing telemetry systems on the basis of "zoo" technologies, including outdated analog, on the uniform technology of digital radio access TETRA. Additionally, you get your own digital wireless data and voice network.

One of the advantages of this technology is the availability of its own radio frequency resource in the range of 420 MHz for any legal entity and individual entrepreneur for the organization of its own infrastructure of IPC system (own base stations and user terminals).

The composition of the wireless IPC system:

1. SCADA - Schneider Electric «Wonderware InTouch», or other similar system of aggregation, processing and visualization of data, control and automation signals.

2. Database system «TETRACOM» - the SW pacкage, developed by TISSCOM, containing:
«SDS-server» SW, providing communication and SDS messaging with TetraFlex system;

MySQL database, containing structured directories and tables of IPC objects, information table for SCADA system about the status of IPC system parameters, table of radiocontrollers parameters enquires;

External database configurator – the instrument for creation and visualization of directories and tables of IPC objects.

3. TetraFlex system – existing TETRA radio network for voice and data transmission.

4. Control units for industrial automation TETRA – the units, produced by TISSCOM or uses these units, having in-built TW1m radiomodem from Airbus. Radiocontrollers send the information in event-driven mode and handle the incoming requests (control commands and other).

The construction of a fully functional system is possible in the configuration from one base station. The radius of radio coverage of one base station can be up to 53 km, depending on the height and terrain. The maximum number of connected radio controllers to one BS - up to 10 000 PCs. To cover large areas, the organization of systems in large cities, complex terrain, requires a larger number of BS.

TISSCOM has sufficient experience in designing, construction and operation of networks of TETRA standard. Some of the projects are reflected in the Portfolio(Works) section of the site. For the organization of the process control system of production and transportation of oil, to date, built and operated TETRA network covering almost half of the territory of the Republic of Tatarstan, it is about 30 000 sq. km of rugged terrain with difficult relief and with more than 50 base stations.

TETRA radio network. Coverage Area in the Republic of Tatarstan

Telemetry information collection network of PJSC TATNEFT

telemetry data collection network

The block diagram of the dispatching system of data transmission by means of SDS-messages: information transmission through SDS (short text message Service) has a bidirectional character – both from the radio controller in the direction of the SCADA system, and in the opposite direction.

Block diagram of a system for scheduling data transmission via SDS messages

Mobile repair welding station based on “KAMAZ” truck

TETRACON installed inside MWRS shelter

Radio controllers for process control systems of TETRA standard manufactured by TISSCOM

Airbus TW1m - TETRA Voice and Data Modem

Small but powerful TETRA Voice and Data modem

TW1m is designed for solutions requiring high availability and low power consumption.

TW1m integration capabilities include all types of embedded systems, including SCADA, user telemetry, location tracking, access control, voice applications and much more.

The TW1m modem is small-sized and energy-efficient, has great performance. It boasts a 3L TETRA power class transceiver and advanced GPS positioning found on TETRA devices. Its high reception sensitivity provides excellent network coverage.

Universal connection

TW1m comes with third-party ready-made interfaces that allow the integrator to use the preferred connection method.

The board has a system connector for data transfer (PEI interface and voice) and a choice between a serial RS-232 connector and a USB connector. It also has separate interfaces for programming and power.

Industrial radio controller TETRACON

TETRACON is dedicated for automated technological process controlling, sensor’s data collection and forwarding to SCADA level via TETRA network channel.

Industrial radio controller TETRAMAX

TETRAMAX is dedicated for:

autonomous telemetry data acquiring from monitored devices with pre-analysis option and transmission of acquired data to SCADA level in event driven mode over TETRA radio channel;
actuating devices signals translation;
automated technological process controlling.

Primary processing of telemetry data from connected sensors or devices by the controller allows to reduce the flow of incoming data from object controllers by sending only changed values of registers or ports to SCADA systems, reducing the load on their processing.

For control systems that require the receipt of information in full, the controller operation mode is provided in "transparent" mode, i.e. all information is sent with a specified period of time or data is sent at the request of the control system.

Data acquisition and transmission unit TETRAHUB

TETRAHUB is dedicated for independent data acquisition from external devices via RS485 port, acquired data analysis and selective event-driven data relaying to TETRA network. TETRAHUB provides telecontrol command relay for external device with executed command acknowledgment forwarded to upper SCADA level.

Comparision table for TETRA control systems

Mr. Vladimir Stepanov

vladimir@tisscom.ru

We take on complex projects and non-standard tasks