|
Introduction
One of our goals with the SWAP project is to use commodity
components that can be sourced from multiple manufactures.
With the exception of the prism chipset used in the radios,
everything has been installed, tested, and is in live use
on at least two platforms.
Components listed below are broken apart into interchangable
modules. Select various modules to meet your needs.
Electronics
SWAP requires an x86 PC with:
- 2 ethernet ports
- 1 PC Card slot
- Power Over Ethernet (POE)
- Boot from Compact Flash
- Low Power
- Small Form Factor
Soekris Engineering and MikroTik both make Single Board Computers
(SBC) that work well with the SWAP distributions. Choose one item
from each section.
| Module |
Item |
Estimated Cost |
Vendor |
| Single Board Computer | |
Soekris |
|
| P/N 10452131 net 4521-30 Board & Case |
$223.00 |
Soekris Engineering |
| MikroTik | |
|---|
| RB/230: RouterBOARD 230 with 266 MHz CPU |
$195.00 |
RouterBOARD |
| 64/SDRAM: 64MB SDRAM |
$20.00 |
RouterBOARD |
| Power Over Ethernet Injector | |
| Soekris |
|
| P/N 31954804 Power Supply, 48V, 0.4A |
$20.00 |
Soekris Engineering |
| MikroTik | |
|---|
| 48POE: 'RouterBOARD 51' 48v Input POE injector |
$20.00 |
RouterBOARD |
| 48POW: 48v 30w Power Adapter + Power plug |
$18.00 |
RouterBOARD |
| PC Card Radio (Prism II or greater chipset) | |
| Senao | |
| Engenious, NL-2511CD PLUS EXT2 |
$75.00 |
Netgate |
| CA-MMNFBCN19, MMCX to N-Female Bulkhead pigtail, 19 inch |
$20.00 |
HyperLink |
| SMC | |
SMC, SMC2532W-B, EliteConnect 802.11b PC card
CDW# 487884 |
$60.00 |
CDW |
| CA-PHCABLE2, RP-MMCX to N-Female pigtail, 19 inch |
$25.00 |
HyperLink |
| Compact Flash | |
Viking, CF128M, 128 MB
CDW# 235735 |
$32.00 |
CDW |
| Kingston Technology, CF/128, 128MB |
$35.36 |
Memory4less |
Antennas
We used Hyperlink 15 dBi omnidirectional antennas at the
University of Hawaii installation, both at their marine
facility and aboard the R/V Kilo Moana, as both are very
stable platforms, and should not be as affected by the
narrow vertical radiation pattern of the 15 dBi Omni.
On less stable platforms, it may be advisable to use an
antenna with a wider vertical radiation pattern, such as
a 12 dBi omni.
All of the omnis we have used and tested have been
vertically polarized. It is rumored that horizontally polarized
omnis yield further distances over water, but we have yet
to test a horizontally polarized antenna, as they are much rarer.
Smaller antennas are useful in a dock setting where you might
NOT want to broadcast long distances. Directional antennas
are useful in fixed installations.
Choose an antenna for your application.
| Item |
Estimated Cost |
Vendor |
| HG2415U-PRO, 15 dBi Omni-directional with an
N-type Female Connector |
$140.00 |
HyperLink |
| HGV-2409U, 8 dBi Omni-directional with an
N-type Female Connector |
$50.00 |
HyperLink |
| HG2414P-NF, 14 dBi Flat Patch, 30 degree beam, directional |
$38.00 |
HyperLink |
You will probably also need some mounting hardware to attach
your anntenna.
The omnis need a Stationary Mounting Kit.
The directionals need a Tilt-and-Swivel Mounting Kit.
| Item |
Estimated Cost |
Vendor |
| HGX-PMT07, Stationary Mounting Kit for mounting to
1-1/4" to 2" dia. masts. Includes U-Bolts, nuts and
mast clamp.
|
$5.00 |
HyperLink |
| HGX-PMT06, 60 Degree Tilt-and-Swivel Mounting Kit
for mounting to 1-1/4" to 2" dia. masts. Mounting
hardware included.
|
$9.00 |
HyperLink |
If you are doing a shore based installation in a lightning
prone region, you should probably use a lightning suppessor.
| Item |
Estimated Cost |
Vendor |
| AL-NFNFB Lightning Protector,
Bulkhead N-Female to N-Female
|
$22.00 |
HyperLink |
Enclosures
It is important to mount the computer and radio card box
close to the antenna, as microwave signals have a huge
attenuation problem the longer the antenna cable is.
However sometimes the signal loss is worth the convenience
of accessability. If the electronics are to be mounted close
to the antenna, a weathertight enclosure is necessary.
Stahlin J1210HLL fiberglass watertight enclosures were
used in Hawaii. Scripps uses Hammond, PD Series enclosures.
As a follow up, one year after the initial install at Hawaii
I opened the enclosure to upgrade the CF. Although everything
was still working I noted a large amount of sweating in the
enclosure. As with all enclosures in a marine environment
it's probably a good idea to include a dessicant, and to
periodically check for water. - Toby
Cables
Cabling varies widely per installation. Listed below are some
recommended cables for specific purposes.
-
Pigtails are short cables that convert from one connector
type to another. Since many antennas use a big N-type
connector and most radios have something like a small MMCX,
a pigtail is called for. In this document pigtails have
been listed in the
electronics
PC Card radio section.
-
If you are running cat-5 outdoors, especially in a marine
environment, you should probably get an outdoor grade gel
filled cable.
-
If you are running antenna cable more than a few inches
it is very important to get low loss cable, for the frequency
being used. Spending a few extra dollars on good cable
can reduce the signal loss in cable by more than half.
LMR600 or WBC600 is recommended.
LMR400 or WBC400 is probably as low as you want to go.
Buying precut, terminated, and tested cables is usually
the way to go. However stuffing a big N-type connector
through an MCT might not be practical. If you terminate
your own antenna cabling, get a good stripping tool!
| Item |
Estimated Cost |
Vendor |
| Belden, BC1002-1000-010, Cat-5 Outdoor grade gel-filled |
$182/1000ft |
Newark |
| LMR600 Cable, 4.33 attenuation / 100 ft at 2.4 GHz |
$1.15/ft |
RF Linx |
| LMR400 Cable, 6.61 attenuation / 100 ft at 2.4 GHz |
$0.60/ft |
RF Linx |
| WBC600 Cable, 4.4dB attenuation / 100 ft at 2.5 GHz |
$0.79/ft |
HyperLink |
| WBC400 Cable, 6.8dB attenuation / 100 ft at 2.5 GHz |
$0.46/ft |
HyperLink |
| CA6N050, Pre-terminated Cable, N-male to N-male,
50 ft, WBC600 |
$100.00 |
HyperLink |
There are some handy calculators related to antennas at
http://www.rflinx.com/Support/Calculations.htm
Connectors
N-type connectors are extremely common in RF (Radio Frequency)
cabling. Along with the recommendation that all antenna
cabling be LMR600 or WBC600, we recommend that all these cables
be terminated as N-type male.
Pigtails terminating in N-type females come in standard
and bulkhead styles.
If you have multiple brands of radio with different
micro-connectors you might want two use
an N-type female-female bulkhead connector and terminate your
pigtails in N-type male.
Watertight bulkhead RJ-45 connectors can be used to penetrate
the enclosure for the two ethernet connections.
The same can be used in conjuntion with RJ45-to-DE9 adaptors
for the serial connection.
Passing cables directly though the enclosure wall requires
something like a cable gland to seal the hole.
| Item |
Estimated Cost |
Vendor |
| ANM-2602, N-Male Clamp Connector for Cable Types:
WBC600, LMR600 |
$74.90/10 pack |
HyperLink |
| AXA-NFNFB, N-Female to N-Female Bulkhead Bullet Adapter |
$6.00 |
HyperLink |
| CA-MMNFBCN19, MMCX to N-Female Bulkhead pigtail, 19 inch |
$20.00 |
HyperLink |
Woodhead, ENQAM315, harsh duty, RJ45 field attachable connector
Newark# 73C1017 |
$11.00 |
Newark |
Woodhead, 67-0300, harsh duty, Closure cap for RJ45
Newark# 40C1381 |
$6.50 |
Newark |
Woodhead, ENSP1F5, harsh duty, RJ45 passthrough to std female recptacle
Newark# 19C0437 |
$27.75 |
Newark |
Woodhead, ENSP1F5-C305, RJ45 passthrough 12"cord with RJ-45
Newark# 19C0438 |
$31.00 |
Newark |
Unicom, DEM-45F, Convert DE9S-to-RJ45
Newark# 50F9356 |
$2.00 |
Newark |
| CA-PHCABLE2, RP-MMCX to N-Female pigtail, 19 inch |
$25.00 |
HyperLink |
Bud, NG-9515, Cable Gland, size 16 (for LMR600)
Newark# 83F3336 |
$3.00 |
Newark |
Bud, NG-9512, Cable Gland, size 9 (for ethernet)
Newark# 83F3333 |
$1.54 |
Newark |
Examples
Here are some example configurations.
|
An internal installation using an SMC radio and
MikroTik computer
|
| Quantity |
Item |
Unit Cost |
Extended Cost |
Vendor |
| 1 |
RB/230: RouterBOARD 230 with 266 MHz CPU |
$195.00 |
$195.00 |
RouterBOARD |
| 1 |
64/SDRAM: 64MB SDRAM |
$20.00 |
$20.00 |
RouterBOARD |
| 1 |
48POE: 'RouterBOARD 51' 48v Input POE injector |
$20.00 |
$20.00 |
RouterBOARD |
| 1 |
48POW: 48v 30w Power Adapter + Power plug |
$18.00 |
$18.00 |
RouterBOARD |
| 1 |
SMC, SMC2532W-B, EliteConnect 802.11b PC card
CDW# 487884 |
$60.00 |
$60.00 |
CDW |
| 1 |
Viking, CF128M, 128 MB
CDW# 235735 |
$32.00 |
$32.00 |
CDW |
| 1 |
CA-PHCABLE2, RP-MMCX to N-Female pigtail, 19 inch |
$25.00 |
$25.00 |
HyperLink |
| 1 |
HG2415U-PRO, 15 dBi Omni-directional with an
N-type Female Connector |
$140.00 |
$140.00 |
HyperLink |
| 1 |
HGX-PMT07, Stationary Mounting Kit for mounting to
1-1/4" to 2" dia. masts. Includes U-Bolts, nuts and
mast clamp.
|
$5.00 |
$5.00 |
HyperLink |
| 1 |
CA6N050, Pre-terminated Cable, N-male to N-male,
50 ft, WBC600 |
$100.00 |
$100.00 |
HyperLink |
| Total |
$615.00 |
- |
|
An external installation using a Senao radio and
Soekris computer
|
| Quantity |
Item |
Unit Cost |
Extended Cost |
Vendor |
| 1 |
P/N 10452131 net 4521-30 Board & Case |
$223.00 |
$223.00 |
Soekris Engineering |
| 1 |
P/N 31954804 Power Supply, 48V, 0.4A |
$20.00 |
$20.00 |
Soekris Engineering |
| 1 |
Engenious, NL-2511CD PLUS EXT2 |
$75.00 |
$75.00 |
Netgate |
| 1 |
CA-MMNFBCN19, MMCX to N-Female Bulkhead pigtail, 19 inch |
$20.00 |
$20.00 |
HyperLink |
| 1 |
Kingston Technology, CF/128, 128MB |
$35.36 |
$35.36 |
Memory4less |
| 1 |
HG2415U-PRO, 15 dBi Omni-directional with an
N-type Female Connector |
$140.00 |
$140.00 |
HyperLink |
| 1 |
CA6N010, Pre-terminated Cable, N-male to N-male,
10 ft, WBC600 |
$52.00 |
$52.00 |
HyperLink |
| 1 |
HGX-PMT07, Stationary Mounting Kit for mounting to
1-1/4" to 2" dia. masts. Includes U-Bolts, nuts and
mast clamp.
|
$5.00 |
$5.00 |
HyperLink |
| 1 |
Stahlin, J1210HLL non-metallic boxes (enclosures) |
$65.00 |
$65.00 |
H.D. Campbell Company
|
| 1 |
Stahlin, BP1210AL, aluminium backpanel for J1210 |
$9.00 |
$9.00 |
H.D. Campbell Company
|
| 1 |
Belden, BC1002-1000-010, Cat-5 Outdoor grade gel-filled |
$182/1000ft |
$182/1000ft |
Newark |
| 3 |
Woodhead, ENQAM315, harsh duty, RJ45 field attachable
connector
Newark# 73C1017 |
$11.00 |
$33.00 |
Newark |
| 3 |
Woodhead, 67-0300, harsh duty, Closure cap for RJ45
Newark# 40C1381 |
$6.50 |
$19.50 |
Newark |
| 3 |
Woodhead, ENSP1F5-C305, RJ45 passthrough 12"cord with RJ-45
Newark# 19C0438 |
$31.00 |
$93.00 |
Newark |
| 1 |
Unicom, DEM-45F, Convert DE9S-to-RJ45
Newark# 50F9356 |
$2.00 |
$2.00 |
Newark |
| Total |
$973.86 |
- |
Vendors
-
Soekris Engineering Inc, (831)464-5370, 5400 Soquel Avenue,
Suite E, Santa Cruz, CA 95062-7803
http://www.soekris.com
-
Netgate, PO Box 1680, attn: Janie, (509)280-8999,
Spokane, WA 99204, Fax (509)267-2369
http://www.netgate.com
-
MikroTik, Martin Kengis, mk@mikrotik.com, Pernavas iela 46 Riga,
LATVIA-1009, Fax 011 +371 731 7701 011 +371 731 7700
http://www.mikrotik.com
-
Memory4less, 2622 W. Lincoln Ave., Suite 104,
Anaheim, CA 92801 Fax (714)821-3361, 1-800-821-3354
http://www.memory4less.com
-
Hyperlink Technologies Inc, 1201 Clint Moore Road Boca Raton,
FL 33487, Fax (561)995-2432, (561)995-2256
http://www.hyperlinktech.com
-
Newark-in-One, (800)263-9275, 6443 SW Beaverton Hillsdale Hwy,
Suite 330, Portland, OR 97221
http://www.newarkinone.com
-
H.D. Campbell Company, (206)433-1900, sales@hdcampbell.com,
12301 East Marginal Way South, Seattle, Wa 98168
Last updated 20 Jan 2005 by Toby Martin
|
| Copyright © 2003-5 swap |
|
