DASH7 is a new wireless sensor networking technology using the ISO/IEC 18000-7 standard for active RFID, operating at in the 433 MHz unlicensed spectrum.

DASH7 provides multi-year battery life, range of up to 2 km (potentially farther), low latency for tracking moving objects, small protocol stack, sensor and security support, and data transfer of up to 200 kbit/s. DASH7 is the name of the technology promoted by the non-profit consortium called the DASH7 Alliance.

What is The DASH7 Alliance?

The DASH7 Alliance was formed to advance the use of DASH7 wireless data technology by developing extensions to the ISO 18000-7 standard, ensuring interoperability among devices, and educating the market about DASH7 technology. Formed in 2009, the Alliance now has more than 20 members. Manufacturers, systems integrators, developers, regulators, academia, and end-users all work together to promote the use of DASH7 technology in a wide array of industries and applications. (source www.dash7.org)

The goals of the DASH7 Alliance are to:

• Develop improvements and extensions to the ISO 18000-7 standard
• Work to ensure that products claiming DASH7 capabilities comply with DASH7 specifications
• Encourage the development of products using DASH7 technology
• Educate consumers and enterprises globally about DASH7 technology

The DASH7 protocol combines a low power wireless sensor networking (like Zigbee) with RFID. It operates in the 433 MHz unlicensed spectrum, communicates at 100 kbps, penetrates concrete and water, and connects over long distances at low power.

The DASH7 protocol features:

• Multi-kilometer range and excellent penetration of walls, floors, and things made of water
• Extremely low power draw (measured in microwatts) and multi-year battery life
• A maximum bitrate of 200kbps
• Supports tag-to-tag or “multi-hop” communications, sensors, and public key encryption
• Multi-channel architecture for real-time locating capability
• Extremely low latency for tracking moving objects
• Operation in the license-free and globally available 433 MHz spectrum
• “Out of the box” interoperability using a single global frequency
• The brand given to the ISO 18000-7 standard for active RFID

]]> http://blog.testequipmentconnection.com/dash7-and-rfid/feed 0 http://blog.testequipmentconnection.com/iptv-testing-tools http://blog.testequipmentconnection.com/iptv-testing-tools#comments Fri, 03 Sep 2010 14:59:44 +0000 http://blog.testequipmentconnection.com/?p=1037 Read More →]]> What is IPTV?

Since its inception in 1994 many different definitions of IPTV have appeared, including elementary streams over IP networks, transport streams over IP networks and a number of proprietary systems. The official definition approved by the International Telecommunication Union focus group on IPTV (ITU-T FG IPTV) is as follows:

“IPTV is defined as multimedia services such as television/video/audio/text/graphics/data delivered over IP based networks managed to provide the required level of quality of service and experience, security, interactivity and reliability.”

Another official and more detailed definition of IPTV is the one given by Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions (ATIS) IPTV Exploratory Group on 2005:

“IPTV is defined as the secure and reliable delivery to subscribers of entertainment video and related services. These services may include, for example, Live TV, Video On Demand (VOD) and Interactive TV (iTV). These services are delivered across an access agnostic, packet switched network that employs the IP protocol to transport the audio, video and control signals. In contrast to video over the public Internet, with IPTV deployments, network security and performance are tightly managed to ensure a superior entertainment experience, resulting in a compelling business environment for content providers, advertisers and customers alike.”

One definition for consumer IPTV is for single or multiple program transport streams (MPTS) which are sourced by the same network operator that owns or directly controls the “last mile” to the consumer’s premises. This control over delivery enables a guaranteed quality of service (QoS), and also allows the service provider to offer an enhanced user experience such as better program guide, interactive services etc. In commercial environments IPTV is widely deployed for distribution of live TV, video playout channels and Video on Demand (VOD) material across LAN or WAN IP network infrastructures, with a controlled QoS. In 1994, ABC’s World News Now was the first television show to be broadcast over the Internet, using the CU-SeeMe videoconferencing software. The number of global IPTV subscribers is expected to grow from 28 million in 2009 to 83 million in 2013. Europe and Asia are the leading territories in terms of the over-all number of subscriber. But in terms of service revenues, Europe and North America generate a larger share of global revenue, due to very low average revenue per user (ARPU) in China and India, the fastest growing (and ultimately, the biggest markets) in Asia. The global IPTV market revenues are forecasted to grow from US$12 billion in 2009 to US$38 billion in 2013

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ParaScope mPA Product Page and Data Sheet

Raytheon embraces the power of lasers to deliver innovative solutions that help support customer missions. We focus on driving innovation in laser technology and in constantly seeking new ways to apply lasers within customer solutions.

With dozens of laser firsts to their credit, Raytheon has fielded thousands of laser designators and delivered tens of thousands of laser systems. Raytheon’s laser innovation enables capabilities across sensing, designation, communication and more.

Examples include:

• Adaptive Photonic Phase-Locked Elements – a DARPA development program at Raytheon: APPLE’s goal is to develop a directed energy weapon that achieves high powers through beam combining. This high-power laser may be realized by combining multiple low power beams into one single high power beam. Raytheon’s APPLE program focuses on enabling laser-based weapons applications to be integrated into unmanned aerial vehicles.
• Advanced Targeting Forward Looking Infrared: Laser technology enables Raytheon ATFLIR to locate and designate targets at all times of day and at ranges exceeding 40 nautical miles. These capabilities allow aviators to perform missions in even the harshest conditions.
• Beam Technology Steering Demonstration: The goal of the BTSD project is to develop optical communications for satellite that enable high-bandwidth communication to support war-fighters, such as real-time sensor video. A specific objective is to provide gigabit communication to remote units, as opposed to the megabit communication that is currently possible.
• Directed Infrared Countermeasures (DIRCM): Raytheon uses laser technology to protect war-fighters as part of a comprehensive aircraft protection system.
• Experimental Free Electron Laser: In June 2009, the Office of Naval Research awarded Raytheon a 12-month contract to develop the preliminary design of a 100 kilowatt experimental Free Electron Laser for the U.S. Navy that will also demonstrate parameters necessary to scale to an MW-class laser system.
• Laser Area Defense System: Part of a directed energy program, Raytheon LADS uses lasers to improve the precision and accuracy of the Phalanx system.
• Laser Guided Maverick Missile and Paveway Laser Guided Bomb: Raytheon’s munitions with integrated laser technology improve the accuracy and precision of these systems in combat.
• Quantum Sensors: Raytheon BBN is participating in the DARPA-STO Quantum Sensors Program, which is exploring concepts for using quantum states in remote sensing applications. Successful development of such concepts would allow radar, LADAR (laser radar) and other remote sensing systems to exceed the performance limits of today’s technology. (source www.raytheon.com)