Axell Wireless Launches World’s First Digital TETRA SDR Repeater
27 May 2009
Axell Wireless, the wireless coverage specialist, today launched the world's first terrestrial trunked radio (TETRA) digital repeater based on software defined radio (SDR) technology.
The CSR438 digital channel selective repeater will provide quick, cost-effective and secure radio coverage in any TETRA network, and can be used to easily expand a base station's service area by filling in coverage gaps caused by terrain, buildings or tunnels, or simply extending coverage into rural or remote areas.
SDR is a collection of hardware and software technologies that enables reconfigurable system architectures for wireless communications. Traditional hardware-based radio devices limit cross-functionality and can only be modified through physical intervention. SDR enables new wireless features and capabilities to be added to existing radio systems through software upgrades rather than a hardware upgrade.
The CSR438 is a further extension of Axell's existing next-generation products based on SDR, and can be easily upgraded and optimised with the minimum of service interruption as new TETRA network developments emerge.
Ian Brown, CEO of Axell Wireless, said: "Technologies and standards are rapidly evolving, demand for services, applications and access is increasing and the volume of traffic across wireless networks is expanding exponentially. Public safety service providers and operators are naturally keen to meet that demand, but the rapid changes we now experience require a new approach to protecting the investment made in capital equipment.
"The adoption of SDR-equipped TETRA repeaters provides that protection. It maximises the value of the capital invested and provides an adaptable platform that allows networks to be reconfigured rapidly to match new service and technology standards including the TETRA Enhanced Data System (TEDS), due to be launched this year. The addition of this new TETRA repeater into our existing SDR portfolio is a positive move for the ongoing evolution and growth of the TETRA industry."
The CSR438 is the first TETRA product to offer low-delay and high-selectivity filter configuration parameters and alarm monitoring within the same hardware. This means service providers are uniquely able to configure the repeater between low-delay (such as rural areas with little radio interference) or high-selectivity filter parameters (such as urban areas with large quantities of RF 'noise') to ensure the most effective signal delivery, rather than buying separate pieces of equipment.
The CSR438 also offers a new way to provide rural or remote TETRA coverage through the use of frequency shifting technology. This is a concept that Axell Wireless pioneered in the cellular world and it has now been applied to the world of TETRA. It enables networks to be deployed more cost effectively by lowering the number of base stations required to achieve a stated level of coverage. Axell's frequency shifting technology can extend TETRA base station coverage by up to 57km from the base station site, the actual distance limit within a TETRA system.
The CSR438 also offers a large coverage footprint and currently supports up to eight TETRA carriers, with a 16-channel version available in the future.
