The path to staying better connected

Raleigh, N.C.-based Raytheon JPS Communications (www.jps.com) will launch the ACU-2000 IP gateway at IWCE 2007 in Las Vegas. The device converges interoperability, IP and session initiation protocol, or SIP, functions into a single communications system.

The gateway links radios, lets users control interoperability systems over an IP network and interfaces with radios using SIP — a standards-based open protocol used to create, manage and terminate sessions in an IP-based network. Specifically, the gateway supports voice, data and video applications over multiple platforms.

“In addition to all the legacy equipment that we've supported, such as land mobile radios, hand-held radios and consoles, our system can now plug into a voice-over-IP infrastructure,” said Doug Hall, JPS senior scientist. “So it makes it nice for people who want to integrate an interoperability solution with a telephony solution they may already own.”

The gateway modules connect directly to an enterprise's IP telephony system via SIP. After that, an extension is assigned to each portable radio user, which lets employees at the home office connect to a VHF or UHF radio in the field using, for example, six-digit dialing. The gateway also supports conferencing and authentication, which lets businesses choose who is authorized to connect to certain extensions.

With the ACU-2000 IP, JPS believes it now can tap into a growing marketplace of enterprises that are investing significant resources to leverage their IP telephony platforms to integrate network communications, Hall said. Companies in the medical, education and transportation sectors currently have partnered with JPS to test the technology. However, public safety also can use the system because it combines LMR and VoIP functionality in a single system.

The ACU-2000 IP costs $3000 per channel, depending on the configuration. Cost does not reflect installation and input devices.

IWCE 2007 basics

Where:
Las Vegas Convention Center

Technology workshops:
Mon., March 26, and Tues., March 27, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Conference sessions:
Wed., March 28, 11:00 a.m. to 5:45 p.m.; Thurs., March 29, 10:00 a.m. to 5:45 p.m.; Fri., March 30, 10:00 a.m. to 12:10 p.m.

Exhibits:
Wed., March 28, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; Thurs., March 29, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; Fri., March 30, 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Conference tracks:
Interoperability; Land Mobile Radio; Broadband Mobile; Spectrum Utilization; Emerging Technologies

Keynote:
Morgan Wright, global manager for public safety, Cisco Systems, Wed., March 28, 8:30 to 10:30 a.m.

Networking reception:
Wed., March 28, 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.

Dealer Day:
Wed., March 28, 11:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Spotlight sessions:
“800 MHz Rebanding: Are We Any Closer,” Thurs., March 29, 8:30 to 9:45 a.m.; “Point/Counterpoint: Public Safety's Wish List and Technology's Reality,” Thurs., March 29, 1:30 to 2:45 p.m.; “Solving Public Safety's Broadband Wireless Conundrum,” Fri., March 30, 8:30 to 9:45 a.m.

More info: www.iwceexpo.com

HERE'S A SAMPLING OF THE PRODUCTS EXHIBITORS ARE PLANNING TO SHOWCASE AT IWCE:

VHF/UHF mobile radio series

ICOM America's F5061 series of mobile radios offers 512 channels, 128 zones, a 24-channel dot-matrix liquid crystal display and multiple signaling. It operates on the 136 MHz to 174 MHz, 400 MHz to 470 MHz and 450 to 512 MHz frequency bands. It also offers an optional 6.25 kHz digital, narrow-mode operation.
www.icomamerica.com

Wideband antennas

PCTEL's Maxrad wideband VHF antenna measures 21 inches in length and has a no-tune, rugged design built to withstand high-vibration operating conditions. The company also offers a Maxrad high-gain, wideband sector panel antenna for WiMAX base stations.
www.pctel.com

Base station antenna

MTI Wireless Edge's narrow profile, vertical polarization base station antenna covers the 2.3 GHz to 2.4 GHz, 2.4 to 2.5 GHz and 2.5 to 2.7 GHz bands.
www.mtiwe.com

Man-pack transceiver

Codan US' 2110M is a self-contained, high-frequency, or HF, man-pack transceiver — with an integrated antenna tuner and optional GPS receiver — that offers frequency hopping and voice-encryption for secure communications. It is fully compliant with the FCC, National Telecommunications and Information Administration and MIL-STD 810F (dust and immersion) operating standards.

The company also offers the 3031 Crosspatch, which interfaces between the HF transceiver and a third-party VHF/UHF radio for interoperability and network extension in remote areas.
www.codanuscorp.com

Close frequency combiner

Comprod Communications' close frequency combiner is built for the VHF frequency band. It incorporates metal-plated brass loops, silver-plated internal components, full-band isolators, temperature compensation mechanisms and RG-393 Teflon double-shielded coaxial cables.
www.comprodcom.com

UHF portable and mobile radios

Kenwood's UHF TK-5310 portable and TK-5810 mobile are capable of Project 25 digital conventional, trunking and FM operation. Both have 50 zones and 512 channels. The hand-held operates in the 380 MHz to 470 MHz frequency band and is available in three different liquid crystal display and keypad configurations. The mobile operates in the 400 MHz to 470 MHz frequency band and has three different mounting configurations.
www.kenwoodusa.com

P25 monitor

Etherstack's Project 25 off-air monitor examines inbound and outbound P25 trunked or conventional channels and displays the results via the company's Air Interface Analysis application. The monitor supports four base-band input lines, which let users monitor up to four channels, or two channel-pairs, simultaneously.
www.etherstack.com

Two-way portable radios

Maxon's SP/SL7000 series of UHF and VHF scanning portable radios operate in the 136 MHz to 174 MHz and 400 MHz to 470 MHz frequency bands. Both radios offer seven programmable keys, data modem, talk around and channels alias. They also are approved to MIL-STD 810F for dust and immersion.

The company also has UHF conventional land mobile radio transceivers with 208 channels and 13 groups. The transceivers operate on the 440 MHz to 480 MHz band.
www.maxoncic.com

Mobile data terminal

WiPath Communications' WDT3000 mobile data terminal offers a built-in job management system, messaging and AVL/GPS capabilities. It is available as a fully integrated communications unit with a mobile-data gateway interface or it can be used with third-party communications equipment.
www.wipath.com

Multi-site radio system

Team Simoco offers the Xfin Multisite, a digital, IP-based, trunked multi-site radio system. It delivers voice and data communications over an IP backbone and includes integrated telephony channel interfaces. It is expandable in modules of one to 32 voice and data channels per site, the company said.
www.teamsimoco.com

Charge tower

Multiplier's new charge tower is a charging, conditioning and monitoring system capable of charging one to six batteries. It features a pulse system that monitors the temperature during charge cycles.
www.multiplier.com

Single-frequency simulcasting solution

Harris Corp.'s SynchroCast3 is a solution for single-frequency simulcasting using multiple transmitters. It works in conjunction with the company's Intraplex T-1/E-1 multiplexer that has a GPS, digital timing mechanism, which increases the coverage area and reduces interference.
www.harris.com

VHF/UHF portable radio

Kirisun Electronics' PT5200 is a VHF/UHF portable radio that operates in the 136 MHz to 174 MHz, 400 MHz to 450 MHz and 420 MHz to 470 MHz frequency bands. It has 16 channels with 2-tone and 5-tone DTMF (dual-tone multi-frequency) signaling.

The company also offers the PT7200 VHF/UHF portable radio that operates in the 136 MHz to 174 MHz, 400 MHz to 470 MHz and 450 MHz to 520 MHz bands. It meets MIL-STD 810F for dust and immersion.
www.kirisun.com

Band-pass filtering

Q-Filter Products' Multi-Q is a receiver front-end system comprised of the company's Ultra-Q active band-pass filters. It was designed to solve interference problems by eliminating unwanted signals before they reach the receiver. The system is expandable to filter up to 128 channels.
www.ultrafilter.com

AC surge protectors

Citel's M Series parallel surge filter is the newest addition to the company's family of AC surge protectors. The device combines electromagnetic interference, or EMI, and radio frequency interference filtering with surge-handling capabilities from 80 kiloampere to 200 kiloampere per phase.
www.citelprotection.com

Self-regulating antennas

Sinclair Technologies' heated yagis antenna series automatically maintains a temperature of between +2° and +5° Celsius (36° to 41° Fahrenheit) by comparing the surface temperature of the antenna to the temperature of the heating unit, according to the company. It self-regulates and will operate in environments with air temperatures as low as -15° Celsius (5° Fahrenheit).
www.sinctech.com

Public-safety band antennas

STI-CO's line of 700 MHz antennas for covert and non-covert use are designed for the public-safety sector and cover the 764 MHz to 806 MHz frequency band. Antennas are available with cover fender mounts specific to the make and model of a vehicle. The company also offers microwave base-station antennas available in omnidirectional, panel, yagis and magnet-mount configurations for the 1.7 GHz or 2.4 GHz bands.
www.sti-co.com