We say Advanced Wireless Data Radio Communication Systems Design Process not because this is a more in- depth andmoretechnicalprocess,butbecause thesystemsinvolvedarecomplexinnatureandmustbecarefullydesignedand programmed. If anything, what I want to do is teach you a more simplified approach and technique to design a SCADA or Telemetry project, but one which you do the same whether the system is large or small.

By design, I mean we take this specified approach, or Process, which is consistent every time to show us geographically where the sites are and what the terrain challenges are for each site. We think more about one site at a time than the whole forest of sites. We need to visit the area and know the foliage conditions, man made structures and any other issue that may inhibit a good communication “path”. What is a path? I am sure you most likely know this, but a path is the line of site from the end device back to a collection point, whether a master receiver or a repeater or repeaters between each end point and the master collection point. There must be as clear of a straight line path as possible between key points of collection or repeating or no data is consistently transmitted in those com systems which are line of sites technologies.

In the last 10 years the needs and requests of the IT departments in oil and gas companies to have real time data for marketing decisions alone as increased the challenges for those designing Telemetry and SCADA systems. To get the amount of K data back to the offices, many of them in a different state, has meant the end devices and the data radios connected to transmit data have had to have increase capabilities in the amount of throughput data rates and packet sizes. The buffers have had to have increased memory. Because of this, the industry has gone to faster radios that could be designed more immune to RF interference. Therefore the use of 900 MHz systems, both Licensed and unlicensed Spread Spectrum systems have become the technique of choice. Ethernet based com radios are being used as well. The two frequency bands have been the 900 MHz as mentioned as well as 2.4 GHz. Both are line of site communication systems.