Wireless Networking, Wireless Bridges, Wireless How-Tos and more

In Q4 of 2009 Motorola announced the release of the AP-7181 dual radio, dual band, 802.11n wireless mesh access point. This AP is built specifically with video surveillance in mind as it bumps up the effective throughput dramatically. Using a datarate of 300Mbps and true 3×3 mimo you can expect the AP-7181 to achieve 100 to 125 Mbps of throughput (guessimate) between nodes. This is 5x more than their previous generation mesh AP the MotoMesh Duo. Along with speed Motorola added some other very cool features that also extend the range of the mesh AP dramatically.

Motorola’s exclusive intelligent ADEPT (ADvanced Element Panel Technology) antenna system was developed specifically for the AP 7181. The ADEPT system allows the AP 7181 to achieve maximum data rates by enabling dual data stream communication via integrated dual polarization antennas. Leveraging multiple transmit and receive RF chains, dual polarized antennas and software configurable down tilt, the AP 7181 achieves excellent coverage without the self-shadowing caused by multiple dipole antennas. This is great news for operators of mesh networks because better range mean fewer APs and more importantly fewer hops between them. Less hops means the less you must rely on backhaul networks to inject throughput back into the mesh.

Management of the entire Motorola Wireless Broadband portfolio including the AP-7181 happens via the one point wireless management suite. Some features of the one point wireless suite are:

• Device discovery
• Inventory management
• Alarm/event management
• Google Maps network view
• Over-the-air upgrades
• Fault, Configuration, Administration, Performance and Security (FCAPS)

The AP-7181 is available for order today for pre order and units should be shipping in March.

The Motorola PMP 430 builds on the success of the original PMP 400 Canopy OFDM platform released last year. The PMP 430 uses the same OFDM radio as the 400 but allows for a total per access point aggregate throughput of 45Mbps instead of 21 Mbps. This jump in throughput is achieved by doubling the channel bandwidth from 10Mhz (PMP 400) to 20 Mhz. However for those who are not keen on using up all that airspace the PMP 430 is rather agile and allows the operator to drop back to a 10MHz channel where needed. Like it’s predecessors, the PMP 430 is deployed in clusters of four access points using 90 degree sector antennas and GPS Synchronization to mitigate self interference, allow for a organic growth of the broadband network and increase cluster capacity to 180 Mbps.

The PMP 430 also comes with a variety of subscriber module choices allowing operators to “pay as they grow”. This allows them to scale the platform to meet the specific needs of their project requirements and budgetary restrictions. The SMs come in the following throughput 10, 20, 40 Mbps. The 10 and 20 Mbps SMs can be upgraded to 40 Mbps in one or two steps by simply purchasing a new license pack (no need to replace hardware!).

The PMP 430 is ideal for high throughput video surveillance applications.

Canopy PMP 430 Access Point:

• 5780APUS: PMP 430 OFDM Access Point, Integrated Antenna
• 5781APUS: PMP 430 OFDM Access Point, Integrated Antenna with AES

PMP 430 Subscriber Modules

• 5790SM10: PMP 430 OFDM Subscriber, Integrated Antenna – 10Mbps
• 5790SM20: PMP 430 OFDM Subscriber, Integrated Antenna – 20Mbps
• 5790SM40: PMP 430 OFDM Subscriber, Integrated Antenna – 40Mbps
• 5791SM10: PMP 430 OFDM Subscriber, Integrated Antenna, AES – 10Mbps
• 5791SM20: PMP 430 OFDM Subscriber, Integrated Antenna, AES – 20Mbps
• 5791SM40: PMP 430 OFDM Subscriber, Integrated Antenna, AES – 40Mbps

Canopy PMP 430 Subscriber Bulk Packs

• HK1867A: PMP 430 OFDM Subscriber Module – 10Mbps – 25 Pack
• HK1868A: PMP 430 OFDM Subscriber Module – 20Mbps – 25 Pack
• HK1869A: PMP 430 OFDM Subscriber Module – 40Mbps – 25 Pack

Canopy PMP 430 SM Upgrades

• SG00PL3023AA: PMP 430 Subscriber Module Upgrade 10 to 20 Mbps
• SG00PL3024AA: PMP 430 Subscriber Module Upgrade 10 to 40 Mbps
• SG00PL3025AA: PMP 430 Subscriber Module Upgrade 20 to 40 Mbps

PMP 400/430 Accessories

• SGPN4063A: PMP 400/430 56 VDC SM power supply (Req. Line Cord)
• SGKN4427A: US power supply line cord for SGPN4063A
• ACPSSW-13B: Motorola Canopy AP and SM (US)

Note: Keep in mind of course that when using the 10MHz channel the PMP 430 access point has a maximum aggregate throughput of 21 Mbps not 45.

With the proliferation of outdoor wireless broadband the unlicensed bands 900 Mhz, 2.4 Ghz, 5.8 Ghz are getting so crowded that in some places they are completely unusable. So in 2006 the FCC opened up the once restricted 5.4Ghz band giving 250 MHz of open air to the public. The problem with the new air space is that it came with a lot of restrictions, namely low EIRP and radar avoidance rules that can bring down your wireless automatically for 30 min. This meant that the legal use of the 5.4 GHz band was limited to short distances in areas far away from military installations.

Now people have been using licensed microwave bands (6Ghz, 11 Ghz, 14 Ghz, 18 Ghz & 23 Ghz) for what seesms forever however the radios that use those frequencies have historically been big, heavy and expensive.  With the release of the Motorola PTP 800 licensed microwave radio the cost of entry has been reduced significantly.  The Motorola PTP 800 currently operated in the 11 GHz, 18 Ghz and 23 Ghz bands and allows users to grow their throughput as needed.  For instance the base radio comes with a 10Mbps throughput CAP which can grow in  steps to 368 Mbps of full duplex throughput and if you need more Motorola has come up with a super slick coupler that allows the combination of 2 PTP 800 radios to be used in either redundant or additive scenarios.  That is 736 Mbps of full duplex data throughput or in marketing terms 1.472 Gbps (half duplex).

The Motorola PTP 800 is created of several parts.

1)  The CMU (Compact Modem Unit) or IDU (Indoor Unit):  The PTP 800 CMU is the brains of the operation and and comes in a 1/2 RU form factor so that you can easily fit 2 units (for redundancy or for more throughput) on a single RU with the optional rack-mount kit.  Two CMUs are required to create a link (one on each end).

2) The ODU (Outdoor Unit): This is the unit that coverts the signal coming from the CMU into RF of a particular frequency.  Currently the PTP 800 support 11 GHz, 18 Ghz and 23 GHz.   Like the CMU it takes 2 ODUs to create a link and becuase the PTP 800 is an FDD radio each ODU operates on a slightly different frequency.  So you will need to purchase a Hi and Lo version of each ODU.  For example if you want a 11 GHz link you will need 1 x 11 GHz Low B5 ODU and 1 x 11 GHz Hi B5 ODU.

3) PTP 800 Antennas:  You can either attach the ODU directly to the back of an antenna that has a special flange built for the Motorola PTP 800 ODU or you can use an antenna that has a standard wave guide connector (PBR220 & PDR100).  If using a standard antenna flange then this is called remote mounting the ODU and will require a remote mounting kit and some accessories to make sure all is connected properly.

Direct Attached ODU	Remote Mount ODU

Motorola is releasing their first every outdoor dual radio 802.11n mesh access point the AP-7181. With innovative antenna array design the AP-7181 will provide longer distances and better performance then standard mesh APs with simple “stick” or “dipole” antennas.

Features include:

• Full Power Dual Radio 802.11n Access Point
• Radio 1: 2.4 GHz 3×3:2 MIMO
• Radio 2: 5.4-5.8 GHz 2×2:2 MIMO
• 802.11 a/b/g/n (draft 2.0)
• 20 MHz and 40 MHz channels
• 802.11s (WiFi Mesh) ready at launch
• Meets All European DFS Standards
• ADEPT Antenna System
• System capacity of up to 300 Mbps
• WPA-2 Client and Intra-mesh Security
• Robust IP67 with NEMA 4x enclosure
• Powers Local Devices (PoE 802.3af)
• One Point Wireless Manager/Broadband Planner
• Seamless indoor/outdoor networks with AP 7131

To get a sneak peak at the AP-7181 technology click here.

The Motorola wireless broadband Point-to-Multipoint (PMP) 320 is a low-cost fixed licensed outdoor distribution and access solution that delivers fast, affordable connectivity in a variety of environments and applications.

Around the world, service providers and enterprises that hold licensed spectrum in the 3 GHz band are investigating deploying 802.16e WiMAX to provide reliable, cost-effective data, voice and video connectivity for business and residential customers. There is a significant investment required for equipment and installation of a full mobile WiMAX network, with many providers finding it difficult to build a business case for reaching subscribers in low-density locations at the edge of their networks or for building a new network in a low-density greenfield environment that only requires reliable fixed connectivity. The Motorola PMP 320 changes all that. The PMP 320 offers a fixed, outdoor solution that is easy to deploy and does not require the significant investment in core network equipment associated with mobile connectivity.

This is perfect for WISPs, Local Government entities who want to use a licensed spectrum for surveillance deployments and more.

Licensed Spectrum. The fixed outdoor PMP 320 solution is designed to allow service providers around the globe to combine the reliability of licensed bands and standards based equipment with an overall low total cost of ownership. The PMP 320 delivers low-cost, high-performance solutions for operators holding licenses in three different frequency ranges: 3.3-3.4 GHz, 3.4-3.6 GHz and 3.6-3.8 GHz. The PMP 320 supports standard WiMAX QoS profiles.

Standards Based. The PMP 320 is interoperable with WiMAX 802.16e CPEs, supports all of the WiMAX QoS profiles, and uses standard AAA/RADIUS servers for authentication.

Performance. With 2×2 MIMO, 10 MHz channels, and 802.16e coding/error correction the PMP 320 delivers high throughput with excellent coverage and link budgets.

To learn more about the Motorola PMP320 3.65Ghz fixed Wimax product have a look through these two documents.

• PMP 320 Brochure
• PMP 320 Case Study

The PMP 320 is set to be released Q1 of 2010!