WiFi Solution Extends Integrator's Reach To New Markets
When a wireless systems integrator mixed Wi-Fi knowledge with tracking expertise, the end result opened up a new market in mining safety.
Business Solutions, May 2009
Barrett said building such a wireless network was a tough challenge. “As a VAR, we intended to bundle existing solution components, but then we realized to achieve Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) approval, we needed intrinsic safety, so we ended up manufacturing our own system; that is the solution we sell,” says Barrett. (Intrinsic safety means the electronic network components — and accessories operating in conjunction with them — must not create sparks that might ignite fumes.) Another challenge Active Control had to remediate included signal reliability. From a practical standpoint, because a wireless network doesn’t work through solid rock, the network is mesh, meaning it is linked node to node along lines of sight. The challenge in mines is threading the signal through tunnels — which act as wave guides — as narrow as 20 feet wide and 4 feet high, which requires highly detailed design. Making the design efforts even more complicated, the underground wireless network needed to have low latency (latency describes how long it takes to stream a packet of data through a node) in order to serve as a voice pipe. That means many more nodes, since nodes located underground have a range below half a mile. For example, in the first deployment of this system, more than 50 nodes were used, with more scheduled for installation once the mine opens and expands.
Before deploying any networks, Active Control had to face MSHA approval, a painstaking process that took 18 months. As part of that certification, Active Control submitted three devices for MSHA approval — a phone, a wireless node, and a tracking tag. The MSHA evaluation typically involves repeated testing and documentation cycles, thus the length of the approval process. As it traversed the MSHA process, Active Control decided to create its own stringent testing for any partner applications that might ride on the wireless network in order to guarantee the applications didn’t infringe on the data hierarchy necessary to keep the network viable. “About 25% of the pipe is consumed by voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and tracking applications, so we need to ensure the other applications sit below those and don’t interfere,” explains Barrett. For example, Active Control is partnering with Snively (a solutions provider that specializes in data capture solutions) on a rugged handheld and custom software for use in the mines (see page 4). Not only will that solution have to meet MSHA standards, it has also been vetted by Active Control.
The opportunity for Active Control to roll out its wireless network in other industries is immeasurable. The demand for intrinsically safe wireless network extends beyond mining and into other industries such as oil and gas, furniture manufacturing, and commercial paint manufacturing.
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