To cope with its business expansion, Altai Technologies has moved its office from phase I to phase II at Hong Kong Science Park. The new expansion substantially increases the size of its R&D facilities and office space, allowing the company to expand its sales force and technical staff for the increasing demand on its Super WiFi technologies.
Despite the challenging economic times, Altai has continued its investment on research and development. Over the last few years, the market has been explosive for advanced wireless broadband solution. In view of this, Altai has expanded its R&D facilities so that the company can stay at the forefront of advanced wireless technologies and made further enhancement on existing products for the ever changing market. Furthermore, the additional space will allow the company to grow and expand the business over the next several years.
The office expansion has improved the operating efficiency as well as the resources utilization, these help the company to cope with the dramatic changes now underway in the telecommunications industry.
Company Update
Leading Asia Aircraft Engineering Company HAECO Upgrades its Network Using Altai Technologies Super WiFi Solution
Hong Kong Aircraft Engineering Company Limited (“HAECO”, HKSE Stock Code: 044), the world’s leading aeronautical engineering and maintenance services company upgrades its wireless maintenance network using Altai’s Super WiFi Solution. The performance of the old wireless network is not able to cope with HAECO’s expanding operational needs, therefore HAECO demands a product that can provide longer range wireless network coverage to both inside and outside aircraft.
Powered by Altai’s Super WiFi Solution, the new network enables engineers to access host-based computer systems at remote maintenance bays. The site environment of HAECO is a challenge for wireless network coverage because the metallic cockpit windows of airplanes impose high blockage to WiFi signals and there are constraints on site installation. Benny Tse, Assistant General Manager of HAECO said, “It has been a big challenge to facilitate access to corporate information systems by our field engineers when they are servicing aircraft parked at some distance from our hangars. Altai Super WiFi technologies has overcome the used-to equipments coverage constraints and proved more flexible than any other WiFi solutions in the market.”
Altai Super WiFi technology contributes towards improving the wireless connectivity in the aviation MRO sector by addressing our customers needs. Altai Super WiFi Solution helps facilitate MRO process, reduce aircraft turnaround time (TRT) and support digital workflow. Over the coming months, a comprehensive upgrade and expansion program will be continued. This will further enhance the aircraft maintenance efficiency for both the hanger and apron areas.
Tse added, “Aircraft Maintenance Manuals nowadays are largely digitized, and host or Internet based. Connectivity to the corporate computer network is, therefore, a critical factor to the efficiency of our engineers. Altai’s Super WiFi Solution has dramatically improved the network coverage and performance not only in the outdoor environment but also inside of the aircraft which is heavily shielded by metal. We are impressed by the performance of Altai’s smart antenna technologies.”
Company Update
Altai Super Wi-Fi Exceptional User Capacity Impresses Leading Wireless Service Provider Tomizone
The Altai A3 Smart WiFi was deployed by Tomizone to provide WiFi services at Web09 Conference -- a 2-day event at Langham Hotel in Auckland, New Zealand for 190 delegates.
The single Altai A3 access point was positioned at the back of the conference venue and provided coverage over 1,800 sq. ft. of ballroom space which was set up in a conference floor plan configuration. During the conference, a peak of around 230 devices were utilizing the Altai A3 access point without a hiccup. Although dimensioned for many more connections, the Altai A3 handled the total traffic with ease, which was much appreciated by the speakers, sponsors and delegates.
Altai A3’s innovative multi radio design vastly improves the user capacity and provides an ideal solution for high density environments. Altai A3 is the world’s first gigabit 802.11n multi-radio WiFi outdoor/indoor product with built-in controller.
Product Update
Altai Technologies Unveils Carrier Grade Outdoor Super WiFi System with Smart Antenna Array and Beam Forming Technology
Altai Technologies has developed the market’s first Extended Range Multi-beam Antenna Array. Altai A8-E, the new Super WiFi antenna array system is pushing coverage further to 20 times more than a conventional industrial outdoor AP. With Altai A8-E, it will enhance Altai’s product portfolio for its carrier grade Super WiFi cellular architecture for next generation network (WiFi NGN).
Equipped with multiple antennas in a single panel, the A8-E has adopted the beam-forming as well as smart antenna signal processing technologies to increase the average signal-to-noise ratio to improve the signal coverage and data throughput performance. This antenna is specifically designed for Altai A8 Super WiFi Base Station and enhances the overall performance of the Altai Super WiFi Solution.
Combining the Extended Range Multi-beam Antenna Array with A8’s interference mitigation system, the coverage area can be significantly increased through the optimization of signal strength under noisy RF environment.
Deployment Tips
Site Surveys
In order to evaluate whether a site is suitable for an installation, two types of site surveys should be performed: physical site surveys and RF site surveys.
Physical site surveys examine the physical environment of the building or tower where you want to place a base station. The physical site survey helps you accomplish the following tasks:
Verify that the location will actually allow you to place the base station there.
Determine where and how to mount your antennae to get enough clearance over the surrounding buildings and trees.
Determine how to protect against damage from lightning by properly grounding the base station.
Document your findings and make further recommendations for additions or changes to your preliminary network design.
RF site surveys examine the RF environment of the building or tower where you want to place a base station. The Purpose of an RF site survey is to accomplish the following tasks:
Determine if signals already present in the area that are strong enough to cause interference to your new base station.
Document the signal type, strength, direction, and polarization of the other signals present.
Evaluate the site to see if the wireless environment has a low enough level of interference and noise to allow your new base station to operate reliably there.
RF site survey test equipment ranges from PC-based utility programs to full-featured RF spectrum analyzers. You need the following equipment to perform an RF site survey:
A spectrum analyzer that covers the frequency bands that you plan to use. In some cases, a PC-based site survey utility can be used in place of a spectrum analyzer.
A 30 dB attenuator that can be placed in the coaxial cable between the antenna and the spectrum analyzer.
A 6 dBi omni-directional antenna to check for signals coming from all directions.
A 10-14 dBi panel antenna to check for signals coming from specific directions.
A wireless sniffer, or site survey utility.
Noise and Interference Reduction
One of the key challenges in operating an outdoor Wi-Fi network is how to minimize the throughput-reducing effects of interference and noise. Remember that noise is defined as “everything other than the desired signal.” Therefore, noise includes all the following:
Interference from your network – Interference caused by signals coming from your own Wi-Fi network. This interference occurs when you are using the same frequency more than once, or using channels that do not have enough spacing between them.
Interference from other networks – Interference caused by other signals coming from other nearby wireless networks. The signals can be either in-band or out-of-band.
Although noise has many potential causes, there are also many techniques that you can use to minimize the impact of noise on your network.
Minimize Noise from Your Own Network
To eliminate self-interference between your base stations, make a frequency plan before you deploy your network. The frequency plan should show all of the following information:
Location of each base station
Geographic area covered by each base station
Frequency used by each base station
However, at 2.4 GHz, there are only three non-overlapping frequencies (channels 1, 6, and 11). Thus, it is important to design your network to ensure adequate isolation between your base stations that operate on the same frequency. Use a combination of distance, antenna directivity, antenna down tilting, horizontal separation, and obstruction isolation to improve isolation.
Minimize Noise from Your Own Network
The best way to minimize noise from other networks is to do an RF site survey before you commit to placing your AP in a specific location. If your base station is already in place and cannot be moved, you can try to change channel. If the interference source can be located, reconfigure the antenna system’s direction and down tilt to reduce the noise. If the noise cannot be reduced, it might be necessary for you to move your base station to a new location.
Market Application
Altai super Wi-Fi Network for Aircraft Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO)
1. The Use of Wireless Network in Aircraft MRO
The use of wireless network in aircraft MRO can allow maintenance crew and supervisor:
To access on-line manuals anywhere in hangars, at apron and inside the aircrafts
To have mobile MRO process such as looking up task cards, updating log books and completing reports
To know the spare parts availability for better time scheduling and alternative planning
To have email, Internet browsing and server applications on site
To monitor overall MRO status and planning, and to accomplish more tasks in a day.
The Use of Wireless Network in Aircraft MRO
Long range and large coverage area required – at least 300 m NLOS coverage radius is required. Traditional APs cover only 100 to 150 m and signal strength at 300 m is too weak to provide usable throughput.
Limited sites for AP installation – usually there will not be any mounting posts in the open areas but the distance to aircraft parked at apron may go up to 700 m or 1000 m.
Blockage of WiFi signal by aircrafts and metallic cockpit windows – traditional AP WiFi signals can hardly penetrate inside the metallic aircraft body or cockpit windows.
Unstable signal reception – the movement of aircrafts and mobile hangars will cause unstable signal reception at far end and even disconnection.
Limitation on Available Wireless Solutions – aircraft maintenance companies could not find traditional AP that can completely solve all the above problems. This left them no choice but to use 3G/HSPA service which is expense and yet the throughput is limited and unstable.
The Altai Solution
With special care to the aircraft MRO market, Altai has developed a Super WiFi solution that has been field-proven to solve all the problems above and exceeds customers’ expectation.
Primary apron and hanger coverage – Altai A8 Super WiFi Base Station will be used for primary coverage. Its range of coverage is around 300 to 500 m in Non-Line-of-Sight (NLOS) and up to 1000 km in Line-of-Sight (LOS) environment.
Mobile in-aircraft coverage – Altai A2 WiFi Repeater will be used for in-aircraft coverage. A2 is designed to be portable, it can be powered by car battery and therefore it can be hand-carried or equipped in maintenance vehicle.
Remote area coverage – A8-E Super WiFi Base Station can be used for longer range but narrower beamwidth coverage. With standard laptops, A8-E can work up to 800 m NLOS and 1.7 km LOS with standard laptops or 3 km LOS with A2.
Backhaul and termination point –the built-in 802.11a radio of A8 can be used for wireless backhaul connection if necessary.
1. The Altai Advantage
Up to 1 km near LOS coverage distance – by using multiple radios and multiple smart antennas technology which provides extra antenna array and diversity gain.
Well performed in NLOS environments – multi-beam transmission and reception at one time allows higher throughput capability because the time to re-try is less.
Mobile repeater for ad-hoc coverage – by using Altai A2 WiFi repeater, coverage can be extended at any positions to 2 km from A8 with mobility.
Flexibility in installation – each of the 4 sector antennas can be installed at different orientations and down-tilted angle.
Industrial build quality – A8, A8-E and A2 are built with IP-67 compliant weatherproof quality targeting for telecom operators as well as for enterprise outdoor campuses.
