Office of Emergency Communications Gateway Training Workshop Module One Basic Gateway Overview.

Office of Emergency Communications

Gateway Training

Workshop Module One

Basic Gateway Overview


Basic Gateway Overview

General Interoperability Methods Urban Area’s Specific Interoperability

Technologies Gateway Operations

Deployment Considerations Activation / De-activation Limitations Best Practices


Interoperability Methods SAFECOM Interoperability

Continuum


Interoperability Methods (Continued)

Radio Communications Interoperability Strategies

Same Radio SystemSystem-to-System

Gateways

Swap Radios

Shared System

CommercialServices

CommonFrequencies

MultimodeRadios

ConsoleInterface

Multi-System

Controllers


Interoperability Methods (Continued) P25 Standards

Will Fix Common Air Interface Modulation Schemes

Conventional radios Digital radios Trunked radios

Internet connectivity (Phase 2) Data Transfer (limited) Narrowband Requirements

Will NOT Fix Different Frequency Lack of Coverage


Urban Area’s Specific Interoperability Technologies

Insert Slide from TICP Information


Gateway Operations

ICRI

InfiniMux

RIOS Rack Mount

RIOS Portable

ACU-1000

TRP-1000

ACU-T


Deployment Considerations

Incident Area Network (IAN) – Small, temporary network

created for a specific incident

Incident Area Network (IAN) – Small, temporary network

created for a specific incident

Transportable

Fixed

Jurisdiction Area Network (JAN) - Main communications network for first responders; provides connectivity to the Extended Area Network (EAN). Extended Area Network (EAN) - Links city, county, regional, state, and national systems

Portable

Portable


Deployment Considerations

PSTN

Remote Sites

Interface Devices

Cellular VHFNetwork UHF 700/800

MHzIridium

802.XLAN

Interface Devices

Network

AudioGateway

Note:

The Audio Bridge/Gateway doesn’t transmit or receive any signals. All modulation and demodulation is accomplished by the interface devices.


Deployment Considerations: Gateway Placement

Good Signal

Out of Range

GATEWAY

SmartNet

EDACSConventional


Deployment Considerations: Extending Coverage Area

Gateways interfaced to radios using talk-around frequencies requires a

smaller coverage area and can work well for Incident

Area Networks

Gateway


Activation/De-activation

Insert information from TICP


Gateway Limitations: Overview

Gateways retransmit across multiple frequency bands and/or systems providing an interim interoperability solution as agencies move toward shared systems. However, gateways have the following limitations: No Encryption

Inefficiencies Geographic Area Portable Battery Life Set-up Time Frequency conflicts/interference


Gateway Limitation: No Encryption

The Gateways don’t transmit or receive any signals

Gateways pass baseband audio (audible voice)

All modulation / demodulation and Encryption/Decryption is accomplished by the interface devices

Example: An encrypted signal comes into an interface device, it decrypts the signal and passes the baseband audio to the devices patched to it. If the other devices are encrypted the audio is re-encrypted and sent out. However, if a device isn’t encrypted the audio is still retransmitted in the clear. Remember, at a minimum the audio can be monitored in the clear at the gateway.


Gateway Limitation: Inefficiency

Additional Assets To provide interoperability on the scene of an incident

each agency needs to provide a mobile radio in advance or a portable on the scene of the incident

This ties up one radio asset for each system/channel, the more channels you tie together in a talk group the more radio spectrum being utilized

Example: If we share a common frequency and everyone turns to that frequency we have interoperability, no extra radios or radio frequencies are being used. If we are patched through a gateway, we are still using our radios on the scene but now there are two extra radio assets patched through the gateway and we are using twice the radio spectrum.


Gateway Limitation: Coverage Area

Gateway's effective geographic coverage area is limited to the area that is common to all systems participating in that link.

CommonArea

Note: In this usage the Gateway does not increase your coverage range. Your radio must be able to hit you normal network to communicate


Some gateways require significant time to configure, others are a matter of simply hooking up radios and turning the system on.

It doesn’t matter the type of gateway you use, it is imperative the gateway be configured in it’s standard operating configuration prior to deployment

Example: The gateway will be used to connect an 800 MHz trunked system to a conventional system on a regular basis. The trunk channel requires time to get an acknowledgement tone back from the system prior to transmission; the gateway must be configured to allow for this delay so none of the message is lost during transition. All gateways must pass the shoot/don’t shoot rule loosing one word can ruin someone’s day.

Gateway Limitation: Set-Up


Gateway Limitation: Battery Life

Battery Life of Portable Radios have a Limited Use Time

Mobile gateways are designed to enable interoperable communications for short duration events.

In the event that the mobile gateways will need to be used for an extended period of time, precautions should be taken such as an additional power supplies, radio chargers, and/or batteries should be considered.


Gateway Limitation: Frequency Conflicts / Interference Antennas must be properly positioned to prevent

radio interference or desensitizing the radio receivers In regions where multiple mobile gateway devices are

accessible, it is critical to coordinate the use of these devices to ensure that multiple gateways do not “step-on” each other

Example1: Patching multiple VHF channels on the same Gateway (GW) can raise the noise level in the immediate area of the GW so the effective range may be reduced.

Example 2: If GW 1 has 12 radios interfaced to it and the radios are programmed to frequencies 1-12. GW2 has 5 radios interfaced to it and they are programmed to frequencies 1-5. GW1 creates a patch between 1, 6, and 8. GW2 creates a patch to 1, 3, and 5. This is the same as if you had one GW patching channels 1, 3, 5, 6 and 8 together. At best this scenario will add confusion, at worst the radio chatter will make both systems unusable. Coordinate all patches through the Incident Communications Leader (COML).


Best Practices No Encryption

Treat all conversations as if they are in the clean

Inefficiencies To prevent excess chatter, only patch those systems that

really need to talk to each other for the time they need to talk. Remember, just because you can patch someone doesn’t mean you should

Never patch talkgroups on the same trunked system together; you could cause your own system busy.

When using an audio gateway with a trunked system, its best to have a high priority talkgroup on the system dedicated for gateway use


Best Practices (Continued)

Geographic Area Use talk-around frequencies for localized incidents

Portable Battery Life Use mobile radios whenever possible

Set-up Time Interface radios should be tested and adjusted with the

audio gateway prior to initial deployment. Some mobile radios require special programming, others may require hardware modification


Best Practices (Continued)

Setup Time (Continued) All gateways require special interface cables to

connect to the various types of radios. If a radio must be added ad hoc, the requesting organization should provide a portable radio, additional batteries, charger, and the interface cable

Frequency conflicts/interference Coordination is the key, always go through the

Communications Leader prior to creating a patch and know what is being patch


Questions

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Office of Emergency Communications Gateway Training Workshop Module One Basic Gateway Overview.

Documents

basic gateway overview

type of gateway

ticp slide

main communications

ticp information slide

acut slide

radio system swap radios

common area note