GE Digital Energy MDS SD2 wireless digital radio for SCADA

GE Digital Energy MDS SD2 wireless digital radio is said to be useful for data acquisition and SCADA applications, monitoring and controlling pole-top transformers; reclosers and capacitor banks for utilities; pumps, compressors and flow meters in oil and gas production; and remote PLCs and measurement devices in water, wastewater and heavy industrial markets.

March 2, 2010
GE Digital Energy MDS SD2 software controlled digital radio allows users to deploy IP/Ethernet and serial communications using 200 MHz.

GE Digital Energy announces the MDS SD2, a software controlled digital radio that provides long distance communications over licensed radio bands and allows users to deploy IP/Ethernet and serial communications using 200 MHz. This industrially hardened wireless data acquisition solution supports flexible, reliable, secure and efficient data transmission with operation between 216-222 MHz in North America and up to 235 MHz in other countries. The SD2 has FCC authorization under Part 80, Part 90 and Part 95, and operates in channel sizes of 5 kHz, 6.25 kHz, 12.5 kHz, 25 kHz and 50 kHz.

This solution said to be ideal for a wide variety of data acquisition and SCADA applications such as monitoring and controlling pole-top transformers; reclosers and capacitor banks for utilities; pumps, compressors and flow meters in oil and gas production; and remote PLCs and measurement devices in water, wastewater and heavy industrial markets.

The MDS SD2 provides high network availability and reliability to support critical communications to remote assets. This solution dramatically increases network flexibility with options that allow users to implement IP/Ethernet, secure AES 128-bit encryption, and multiple protocols on their networks. It supports a wide array of network topologies over varied terrain and can meet user requirements using less equipment, leading to a lower cost of ownership. Multiple applications can operate on a single network simultaneously, including remote device configuration and data polling. MDS SD2 also includes two serial ports, provides broad coverage over distances up to 50 miles, and supports a low-power sleep mode for solar and battery powered applications.

The MDS SD Series of industrial-strength data communications products offer secure, reliable, long distance transmission of data for mission critical applications. The higher transmit power used by the SD to operate in the licensed 200 MHz (MDS SD2), 400 MHz (MDS SD4) and 900 MHz (MDS SD9) frequencies results in a wide area of coverage. The SD’s exceptional receiver sensitivity allows for deployment in applications where obstructions, such as trees and buildings, would limit the effectiveness of other wireless devices. MDS SD Series radios can be directly added to existing MDS x710 and x790 systems, providing both "drop-in" compatibility for expansions and replacements, and adding Ethernet support. www.gedigitalenergy.com

Also read:

– Houston area utility to deploy wireless network for smart metering ;
– GE expects to reduce annual energy consumption by more than 11% ;
Control Engineering industrial network channel ; and
Control Engineering industrial wireless articles .

– Edited by Mark T. Hoske, editor in chief, Control Engineering , www.controleng.com.