Wireless MESH System case study

November 15, 2008

Wireless MESH System case study

A natural gas storage site operator company approached Extronics to design and provide a wireless MESH system for CCTV monitoring.

A UK based company in the Northwest needed to increase its site surveillance of a large area of fenced off country side which was used for the underground storage of Natural gas. Stretching out across an area of over one square mile, the site operator had to maintain a high level of security and safety and avoid unwelcome visitor intrusion and movement across the site, either malicious or accidental. To address the logistics of site surveillance a wireless CCTV system was proposed as a solution with cameras located across the site.

Extronics services were engaged in the planning of an extension to the existing hardwired CCTV layout by providing the capability to secure video signals back from the remote locations of the plant to a central control room.

The newly installed mesh system provided the operator of the site with a CCTV system that integrated seamlessly into the existing operational matrix.

Each of the wireless links across the site operated at data transmissions in excess of 20mbits/second which accommodates a high level of picture quality. (4mbits/second per camera.)

The advantages of installing a wireless MESH based system include greater site surveillance without the major costs of cable routing, the capability to expand the system in the future by attaching other Ethernet enabled devices to the mesh, and also allowing for the distribution of a wireless LAN across the plant.

The major benefits of such a system being greater operator efficiency with real time operation and data exchange across the site eliminating data islands hence providing significant economic returns on the investment, both in terms of the systems functionality by eliminating manual roving surveillance in vehicles but crucially the elimination of miles of cable.