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Sentry™ Spectrum Monitoring
- Provides auto-anomaly detection and notification (e.g. audible, visual, via email) to draw immediate attention to and resolution of a serious problem
- Offers a flexible, affordable approach to spectrum monitoring while still providing the user a full set of monitoring tools.
- Is vendor agnostic: Advantest®, Agilent®, Anritsu®, Dominion Test Instruments® ("DTI"), LP Technologies®, Rohde and Schwarz®, and Tektronix® are all supported.
- Provides a common interface overlay to multiple SA types (the user sees the same easy-to-use interface whether controlling an Agilent or an LP Tech SA).
Example of Summary View of Carriers Being Monitored
With Sentry™, users may:
- Take the first step to eliminate carrier interference: once one has archived interference data, patterns can be identified - a vital step along the path to ultimate interference resolution.
- Automatically capture irrefutable evidence of interference. Armed with this evidence, one can command (from a satellite service provider) the attention your problem deserves.
- Tailor the user interface ("UI") - Crystal understands that systems need to be customized to give one just the information and operator presentation to best suit the application needs. No longer must operations be shoe-horned into a "one-size-fits-all" application.
Sentry™ System Architecture
One Click Cross-Pol
One-click cross-pol overlay speeds and simplifies operational use.
Multiple Real-Time Interfaces
Virtual remote control interfaces for command of a Spec An ("VSA") can be accessed simultaneously.
Scenario: an operator at an Atlanta facility where the Sentry™-enabled Spec An is located. That operator will operate the Spec An through a browser user interface: Crystal's Sentry™ web interface.
An operator at a London, UK facility wishes to operate this same Spec An: That operator will operate the Spec An through a VSA web interface.
In similar fashion, that same Atlanta-located Spec An can be operated from any location (provided connectivity, permissions, and Sentry™ licenses allow).
Sentry™ is enabled with three (3) virtual spectrum analyzers (VSA). This means that there can be at any given time:
- 3 individual users each accessing a shared Spec An
- 3 VSA windows accessed through the web UI
More VSAs may be added to Sentry™. Additional costs may apply.
VSA windows can, with a single mouse-click, show or hide all the Spec An controls and readings.
Trace windows can be re-sized to view as a thumbnail or larger (see example at top right-hand side of this page for and example of thumbnail view).
At right is a trace-only view with controls hidden while the photo immediately above shows the view with full Spec An control and readings.
User-configured Alarming Limits
Sentry™ alarm configuration portal is flexible, full-featured, and intuitive:
- Flexible: Configure carrier limits on an unlimited number of carriers for both TDMA (time division multiple access) and FDMA (frequency division multiple access) applications.
- Full-featured:
- Supports up to eight alarm limits per carrier, limits may be individually designated as major or minor alarms.
- Each limit can be configured to notify selected users via email.
- Intuitive: Capture a reference for each carrier and describe the limits in dB of deviation from the reference.
These user-configurable limits yield immediate notification upon limit breach, via:
- audible operator annunciation
- email of carrier and fault condition
- visually
Using Recorded Traces
Recorded traces are stored until cleared or transferred. Sentry™ play-out interface includes:
- leap-to-anomaly: Users need not endure the drudgery of viewing minutes of trace recordings in search of an anomalous blip.
- frame-by-frame advancing: Capture even the most brief of interference events.
- export of the recording: Export (e.g. to avi format) and email to satellite provider to immediately communicate the evidence they need to see.
Early Detection of Signal Interference from:
- Weather
- Rogue carriers
- Hijacked transponders
- Equipment failure
Monitor Several Carriers on One Screen
Once carriers have been configured for monitoring, as many as ten (10) can thereafter be continuously viewed as thumbnails on a single screen (see example at left: click on image to enlarge).
Should a carrier's limits be breached the frame changes color (from green to yellow for a minor alarm and red for major).
Sentry™ Full Featured Spectrum Monitoring Brochure
- Select image to download data sheet
Applications
- TV network broadcasting
- Network operation centers
- Beacon signal monitoring
- Data/Internet monitoring
- Non-24-hour repeatable carrier monitoring
- ENG/microwave monitoring
- Cell tower monitoring
- Interference diagnostics
- Uplink power control
- Disaster detection and recovery
- Wi-Fi and Wi-Max
- Transportable / small footprint
Trace Recording
Sentry™ can be set up to record continuously or On Anomaly.
On Anomaly recording is a user-selectable mode whereby trace recording takes place only on breach of any limit. When On Anomaly recording is active and a limit has been breached:
- users are both audibly and visually alerted to the breach
- recording automatically occurs
- recording includes a memory cache (user-configurable) of spectral trace(s) immediately preceding limit breach
- recording continues until the breach has been cleared (for the user-configurable number of spectral traces)
Optional Features
- Increase virtual spectrum analyzers (VSA) to five
- L-Band router or switch control
Specifications
Sentry™ Server:
- Dual CPU 2.0 GHz minimum
- Hard Drive: 20 GB
- RAM: over 1 GB
- Dedicated NIC
- OS: Linux Redhat® Enterprise 5.5 or CentOS 5.5
Sentry™ Client:
- OS: Windows® XP, 7 or Linux Redhat® 5.5
- Browser: Explorer®, Chrome®, Safari®, or Firefox®