The advanced TRIO Datacom frequency hopping spread spectrum radios include a unique SmartPath™ feature to enhance connectivity and redundancy in both fixed and roaming applications.

SmartPath™ is a feature that allows these radios to identify and intelligently rectify a problem within a network with minimal interruption to the SCADA data flow. Where other Mesh applications constantly attempt to search for various paths (increasing bandwidth, latency and power consumption), SmartPath™ has been optimized to find an alternate path only when it is necessary to do so.

SmartPath™ is optimized for SCADA and Telemetry systems, providing an ideal balance between connectivity, latency, bandwidth and system design effort.

Features include:

• Enhances connectivity and redundancy in both fixed and roaming applications.
• Creates the ability for remotes (or bridges) to associate with multiple Access Points.
• Creates a MESH network topology with multiple radio link paths.
• Network topology re-configures only when required resulting in significantly lower network management overhead.
• Provides the ability to build a warm standby redundant master (Access Point) site with co-located Masters (either with separate or common antenna).
• Requires little configuration. 
• Full utilization of all available over-the-air bandwidth.
• Optimizes radio path connectivity using a preferred/alternative arrangement.

The advanced technology behind the SmartPath™ feature provides a solution for a range of systems that include Point to Point and Point to Multipoint in both fixed and roaming situations.

Typical SCADA and Telemetry systems require a high degree of radio link reliability. Using SmartPath™ features together with a small amount of system planning, the system designer can create a network topology that provides for multiple alternative radio link paths. This type of network is often referred to as a MESH network and a typical example is shown below. 

Smartpath™ Overview

SmartPath™ has been optimized for SCADA and Telemetry systems, providing an ideal balance between connectivity (i.e.: link reliability), latency, bandwidth and system design effort. Many peer to peer MESH networks are optimized for short range, high density networks. As a result, much of their over-the-air bandwidth can be consumed in radio protocol management overhead (i.e.: keeping track of where peers are in the network, re-configuration of priority paths, etc). The difference between SmartPath™ and other Mesh networking systems is that SmartPath™ only re-configures the network topology when it is required.  This feature produces significantly lower network management overhead.

During normal operation, the system designer can utilize all of the over-the-air bandwidth and minimize message latency. Should one of the critical path radios loose connectivity, those radios dependent on that radio will search for alternative paths via other radios. The system designer can optimize radio path connectivity using a preferred/alternative arrangement.  In applications where radios are roaming, SmartPath™ can provide an unlimited number of coverage areas including the ability to reliably hand-over coverage from one radio to another based on usable received signal strength.

SmartPath™ and Preferred/Alternative Masters

SmartPath™ allows the system designers to create redundant connection paths that help to negate single point failures. The system designer requires that Remote radios quickly re-synchronize to an alternative Master should the preferred Master fail. When the failed Master has been restored to full operation, the network needs to resolve itself to match the preferred topology with a balance in the number of remotes associated with each Master.

SmartPath™ PTMP using LinkXTend™ Bridges

SmartPath™ allows for the creation of multiple redundant connection paths in complex PTMP systems using LinkXTend™ bridges. A system can be designed so that each unit synchronizes to the network as quickly as possible, even if the topology is not initially the preferred one.

The system’s designer can configure a preferred Master, but may also specify up to three alternatives should the preferred Master fail. The alternative Masters for a specific site would be any other Master or Bridge radios that have adequate signal strength. All sites in the network (except Masters) should be configured as Bridges. The Bridges can be single or dual antenna bridges depending on RF requirements.

The use of SmartPath™ preferred/alternative mode ensures that during normal operation, the network remains in the optimum or preferred topology. This assists the network’s design in balancing connectivity vs latency. Only during a failure of a site in the preferred topology will other sites that are dependent on that failed site need to reacquire alternative paths. When operating via alternative paths, the user would observe an increase in response time (i.e.: increase latency due to the larger number of hops via bridges). This outcome is preferred in SCADA and Telemetry applications as otherwise there is a total loss of remote site connectivity. 

Bridge (Half-Master/Half-Remote) each Bridge site in the network is capable of providing an alternative path to the Master for any other radio in the network.

SmartPath™ and Hybrid Networks - (Redundant infrastructure with configerationless remotes).

SmartPath™ allows the system’s designer additional flexibility to create a redundant backbone based on preferred and alternative paths while deploying remote radios where no configuration is required. 

Two Masters are installed to provide redundancy at the Master radio level. These Masters may be located at different sites, or they may be co-located. If co-located, the user should implement Multi-Master synchronisation to prevent interference between Masters.

Three key sites in the network (typically sites where good RF coverage can be provided) are configured as Bridge radios. The system designer will configure preferred and alternative paths between the Masters and Bridges as required.

Configurationless Remotes 

In some system designs radios located on the fringe of the network do not need to provide an alternative path. Since these radios will not be carrying additional network traffic, there is no need to configure a preferred or alternative path. Instead the Remote radio is configured to synchronize to any available Master radio that has the configured Network name. The system designer can deploy Bridge radios to provide overlapping RF coverage which would allow a remote to have two possible paths to a Master. There is no limit to the number of possible Masters (or Bridges) a Remote radio can associate with in this mode of operation.

Remotes in this mode of operation require very little configuration. The user does not need to enter preferred or alternative Masters and this allows Remote radios to be pre-configured before deployment into the system.

SmartPath™ and Roaming Remote

SmartPath™ allows for the design of networks that require roaming Remote radios.  In a roaming network, a remote is typically installed on a moving vehicle or object, such as a truck or a train. Master radios are installed at key locations where good RF coverage can be provided. If the trusted Master list remains empty the roaming remote radio will associate with any available Master it can find that has the appropriate network name.

WATCH A DEMO OF SmartPath™ (requires Flash)

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