Fibre key in 5G rollout says FTTx Council CEO - EngineerIT
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EngineerIT March 2020 combined:Layout 1 2020/03/19 11:17 AM Page 1
MARCH 2020
Automation and Control | Electronics | Measurement and instrumentation | Technology and IoT
Fibre key in 5G rollout says
FTTx Council CEO
The critical role for
satellite in 5G
Emerging technology:
Perovskite solar cells
Solar storms linked to
beaching of whales
Coronavirus: get more
people to work from
home, online
Design a powerful
signal generator
output stage
ISSN 1991-5047
The 4IR starts here
EngineerIT March 2020 Final:Layout 1 2020/03/19 7:25 AM Page 1
FROM THE EDITOR
elcome to our second edition of the “new” make use of these pages to inform our readers, your
W EngineerIT. I trust that you enjoyed our
February edition. If you missed it, it is
available online at www.engineerit.co.za. I also invite
clients and prospective clients.
Technology is on a fast track and we invite you
to send us technical articles, share new
you to comment on what you liked, what you disliked, developments, experimental projects and case
as well as suggestions and ideas. Your opinion studies with our readers.
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published by a new media house, ADP (Pty) Ltd, a products. Our editorial content is aimed at informing
wholly owned subsidiary in the Now Media group, and the industry of the latest technologies and
I am the new editor. Actually we are the same developments, keeping readers abreast of
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years, we have just modernised the way the articles environment at large. Your advertisements will carry
are presented and have added additional benefits by that extra weight to promote your company and
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instrumentation, automation, control and electronics. company and its products or services.
These professionals specify their applications, Merinda Lottering will gladly assist you with
develop new products and consult in industry. your advertising and promotion requirements
ICT covers many aspects and today has a much and can be contacted by email at
wider application than the original acronym for merindal@nowmedia.co.za or telephone
information, communication and technology. ICT 011 327 4062
covers every aspect of industry and business today. When it comes to content, I am your person.
As South Africa is fast moving into the fourth Email or call me. With your support we can grow
Industrial revolution (4IR), it is our aim to support you EngineerIT and be your partner in growing your
on that journey and lead with articles and information company and our economy. South Africa’s future is in
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We have adopted an editorial mix with articles products and services that lead in the world.
and information that will be of interest to very
technically inclined readers, but also to a wider Yours sincerely
sphere of management. Hans van de Groenendaal
Industry news, updates from industry associations 012 991 4662 / 082 781 4631
and information about new and interesting products hansv@nowmedia.co.za
are also covered in our editorial mix. We invite you to www.engineerit.co.za
EngineerIT | March 2020 | 1
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CONTENTS
MARCH 2020
Automation and Control | Electronics | Measurement and instrumentation | Technology and IoT
EDITOR
Hans van de Groenendaal -
MIng Honoris Causa (Stellenbosch)
Tel: 012 991 4662
Cell: 082 781 4631
Email: hansv@nowmedia.co.za
5G
According to the new Cisco Annual Internet Report, 5G will support ADVERTISING
more than 10% of the world’s mobile connections by 2023. The average Merinda Lottering
Cell: 071 765 5702
5G speed will be 575 megabits per second, or 13 times faster than the
Email: merindal@nowmedia.co.za
average mobile connection. With advanced performance capabilities,
5G will deliver more dynamic mobile infrastructures for AI and emerging DESIGNER
IoT applications including autonomous cars, smart cities, connected Adéle Gouws
health, immersive video and more.
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28 20 24
11 23 6
FROM THE EDITOR 1 Copyright
Copyright of all material appearing in EngineerIT
is vested in African Destination Publishing (Pty)
NEWS 4 Ltd. In submitting any article for publication, the
authors confirm that they own the copyright to
the said article, which is ceded to African
NEW PRODUCTS 8
Destination Publishing (Pty) Ltd for publication.
The editor reserves the right to edit or shorten
ICT 5G articles submitted for publication. Editing and/or
shortening is done with due dilligence, where
Optic fibre will be a key element in the roll out of 5G 10 necessary in conjuction with the author(s).
New antenna technology developments to support 5G 11 No part of this publication may be
The critical role for satellite in a 5G environment 12 reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or
transmitted in any form, or by any means,
Rapid data: fast decision-making with the right data at the right time 14 except as described below, without the written
permission of African Destination Publishing
MEASUREMENT (Pty) Ltd. Copying of articles is not permitted
except for personal and internal use, to the
Radar the new development in measurement 17 extent permitted by South African law.
Design of a powerful signal generator output stage 18 Permission is not required to make abstracts, on
Small torque, an essential ingredient for developing the next generation of condition that a full reference to the source is
shown. Requests for permission for other kinds
engineering systems 20 of copying should be addressed to African
5G requires many more sites, more exposure to the elements, new challenges 22 Destination Publishing (Pty) Ltd.
Disclaimer
AUTOMATION Articles published in EngineerIT do not
Siemens supports VW to develop digitised electric car production 23 necessarily reflect the views of African
Destination Publishing (Pty) Ltd or the editor. In
addition, views expressed by the editor do not
ELECTRONICS necessarily reflect the views of African
Emerging technology: Perovskite solar cells more efficient than silicon 24 Destination Publishing (Pty) Ltd or any other
person or organisation associated with
Nanotechnology, a new industry taking off 26 EngineerIT.
It is a condition of publishing material in
SPACE SCIENCES EngineerIT that African Destination Publishing
(Pty) Ltd shall not be liable for any
Solar storms linked to beaching of whales 28 consequential or other damages arising from the
publication in good faith of any article,
AMATEUR RADIO advertisement, picture, comment, view or
opinion. This applies to publishing, failing to
Troubling mains noise: radio amateurs craft their own solutions 30 publish, late publishing or incorrectly publishing
any article, advertisement, insert, picture,
caption, etc.
COMMENT It is acknowledged that errors in transcript,
How will the soon-to-be-implemented Employment Equity Amendment Bill human and technical errors can and do occur,
affect your business? 32 but that reasonable effort will be made to
minimise their occurence, and to acknowledge
Keep up the fight for survival in times of low business confidence 34
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Get organised now. Even if South Africa is dealing with the coronavirus, to the attention of African Destination Publishing
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EngineerIT | March 2020 | 3
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NEWS
Africa Automation Technology Fair 2021
aims at bringing the African Continent
to South Africa
eadlined as a new immersive of Reed Exhibitions’ technology and major African countries will be selected,
H industrial automation and
technology experience, the 2021
Africa Automation and Technology Fair
business events said the company is
planning several new innovations for
2021. “With the fourth industrial revolution
with buying power as a key element, and
invited as VIPs to the fair. They will be
matched with South Africa companies to
will be focusing on bringing industrialists (4IR) having taken hold in South Africa, we discuss export potential for South African
and entrepreneurs from African countries believe that there was a gap in the show’s products and services.
to South Africa. The exhibition will be held offering which has prompted us to add The fair will offer three different
at the Ticktetpro Dome in Northgate, technology and communication to the workshops and has created a technology
Johannesburg from 18 to 20 May 2021. event. We have appropriately renamed the demonstration zone and a business
The exhibition and associated fair African Automation Technology Fair.” connection zone. It supports several
workshops have for the past few years As part of bringing the continent to initiatives to bring exhibitors and current
shown wide acceptance and support from the event, a Hosted Africa Buyer and future customers, both local and
industry and have grown year-on-year in Programme has been introduced. African, together. n
size and attendance. The project manager Industrialists and entrepreneurs from For information call 011 549 8300
VMware Announces Expanded Portfolio of New focus
Products and Services to Help Customers on Unified
Modernise Applications and Infrastructure Communications
Mware is introducing the newly
as 5G edges closer
V expanded VMware Tanzu portfolio for
modern applications, and VMware
Cloud Foundation 4 with Tanzu, the
T
he last decade has seen the
unified communications and
collaboration (UCC) market
automated, turnkey hybrid cloud platform that
evolve, transforming the way
now supports both traditional VM-based and
businesses communicate. Coupled to
container-based applications. These feature
the advent of 5G technology, the
the new VMware Cloud Foundation Services
unified communications (UC) market
using Tanzu Kubernetes Grid and the new
is expected to expand at a faster
VMware vSphere 7 to drive developer productivity. With the most comprehensive
pace. Acknowledging this growth
software stack for modern applications — spanning application to infrastructure —
trajectory, local UC provider,
VMware is uniquely positioned to enable and guide customers to develop new
BuzzBox, has announced a
modern applications as well as modernise existing applications and infrastructure. n
collaboration with Kathea, a leading
value-added distributor of voice and
video systems.
New UPS for coalmines Jini Guru co-founder and
developer of BuzzBox, Jason Penton,
ecker Mining South Africa has developed an says that the partnership brings an
B uninterruptable power supply (UPS) back-up
system to protect plc systems which control critical
functions at mines.
all-encompassing UC solution to the
local market, backed by concrete
communications technology skills:
“These operations include all conveyer belt safety “The solution will address all
systems installed, such as gas monitoring and speed, business, functional and device
slippage and load control instrumentation,” explains Nico de requirements, ensuring that the
Lange, Vice President: Operations & Systems, Becker necessary hardware required is also
Mining South Africa. “In the event of a power outage, the addressed. Kathea is a gold certified
PLC would not be able to function without the back-up of a partner in the Buzzbox technology
reliable UPS system. The interruption of belt system and and provides a holistic solution that
sensor monitoring would prevent normal operations and caters for all aspects of the
lead to costly downtime and could also become a major communication in the fields of both
safety issue.” n business and personal use.” n
EngineerIT | March 2020 | 4
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NEWS
with the EU post-GDPR.”
By 2023 Artificial Intelligence will Privacy leaders are under pressure to ensure that all
personal data processed is brought in scope and under
make up 40% of technology to control, which is difficult and expensive to manage without
the aid of technology. This is where the use of AI-powered
manage privacy compliance applications that reduce administrative burdens and manual
workloads come in.
At the forefront of a positive privacy user experience
ver 40% of privacy
O
(UX) is the ability of an organisation to promptly handle
compliance subject rights requests (SRRs). SRRs cover a defined set of
technology will rely on rights, where individuals have the power to make requests
artificial intelligence (AI) by regarding their data, and organisations must respond to
2023, up by 5% on the current them within a defined time frame.
35% level. This is according to According to the 2019 Gartner Security and Risk Survey,
predictions by Gartner’s many organisations are not capable of delivering swift and
research vice president, Bart precise answers to the SRRs they receive. Two-thirds of
Willemsen. respondents indicated it takes them two or more weeks to
“Privacy laws, such as respond to a single SRR. Often done manually as well, the
General Data Protection average costs of these workflows are roughly $1,400, which
Regulation (GDPR), present a pile up over time.
compelling business case for “The speed and consistency with which AI-powered tools
privacy compliance and is can help address large volumes of SRRs not only saves an
inspiring many other organisation excessive spend, but also repairs customer
jurisdictions worldwide to trust,” said Willemsen. “With the loss of customers serving as
Bart Willemsen
follow. More than 60 privacy leaders’ second highest concern, such tools will
jurisdictions around the world ensure that their privacy demands are met.”
have proposed or are drafting postmodern privacy and data The privacy-driven technology market is still emerging.
protection laws as a result. Canada, for example, is looking to What is certain is that privacy, as a conscious and deliberate
modernise their Personal Information Protection and Electronic discipline, will play a considerable role in how and why
Documents Act (PIPEDA), in part to maintain the adequacy standing vendors develop their products. n
Vodacom drops data cost by 30% and zero rates access to
educational and job application portals
he recent agreement between on reducing data costs aligns with their common interest and mandate of affordable
T Vodacom and the Competition
Commission to reduce data prices
at the retail level of the market is
communication for all South Africans.
This agreement comes at an opportune time as ICASA is currently undertaking two
critical regulatory processes that have a bearing on the pricing of data services in the
welcomed. Vodacom beats the other medium term i.e. the licensing of the International Mobile Telephony (IMT), also known
mobile service providers who, according as high demand spectrum, as well as an inquiry into mobile broadband service markets.
to the Competition Commission, are still “The reduction in the cost of data will stimulate demand. This means that network
in discussions. operators will need more capacity and/or spectrum to meet the increased data traffic
Vodacom has also agreed to expand and facilitate the consumption of the free offerings and/or zero-rated data services.
its zero-rated services through a prepaid “The announcement by the Competition Commission is an important milestone in our
tariff plan called Connect U. These quest to ensure that data prices are affordable for the majority of South Africans as this
include free access to education, health is a key driver for the Fourth Industrial Revolution. In July 2019, we issued the Policy on
and various government websites, High Demand Spectrum which culminated in ICASA kick-starting the licensing process,”
including Wikipedia. In addition, Minister Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams told the media.
Vodacom will allow customers to apply “It is our concerted view as a regulator that the licensing of high demand spectrum is
for job opportunities on seven zero-rated one of the critical components that will facilitate deployment of digital infrastructure as
job portals. well as building an inclusive digital society, with the goal of ensuring that all South
The Ministry of Communications and Africans participate meaningfully in the opportunities emanating from the Fourth
Digital Technologies and the Industrial Revolution”, said ICASA Acting Chairperson, Dr. Keabetswe Modimoeng.
Independent Communications Authority The spectrum auction will take place by no later than the end of the year (2020) as
of South Africa (ICASA) said that the announced by the President during the State of the Nation Address (SONA). However, the
agreement reached between the licensing of the Wireless Open Access Network (WOAN) will be concluded in 2021. ICASA
Competition Commission and Vodacom said the authority is committed to the time lines agreed upon for spectrum licensing. n
EngineerIT | March 2020 | 5
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NEWS
Exciting update to electrical catalogue brake chopper, RS-485 (Modbus), and support for
both induction motors (IM) and permanent
lectroMechanica (EM), a specialised importer and
E
magnet (PM) motors.
wholesale distributor of products for energy The CPT PSM series of surge
management, automation and switchgear, launched protection devices monitors the earthing
the latest edition of its biannual product catalogue recently. system from within the surge protection
The company introduced an Internet-based service which device and gives an indication of the
enables customers to place their orders online and monitor status of the earth loop via multi-state
the progress from order placement to delivery in real-time. LEDs, confirming that the device is
The company plans to open this service to the installed properly, and how effective the
public in the coming months. surge protection is. The new
The latest brands in the 2020 catalogue Socomec A40 panel-mounted
include Chauvin Arnoux, a European power-monitoring device has
manufacturer of portable test and measurement been designed for
instruments. New products include an upgraded measuring, monitoring,
Lovato contactor range, and the introduction of and reporting electrical
a new frame size. The Delta ME300 drives are energy, and can be
a range of economic, compact, vector- used with both
controlled drives which offer essential built-in single- and three-
functionality, including multi-pump control, built-in phase loads. n
trange but true! A University of
“Raar maar waar!” World's smelliest fruit
S Sydney researcher has developed
a new method using the world's
most repulsive smelling fruit. Turning
could charge your mobile phone
durian waste into super-capacitors could
"substantially reduce" the cost of energy “The durian and jackfruit super-
storage and charge devices very quickly. capacitors perform much better than
Imagine if we could use naturally grown the materials currently in use and
products such as plants and fruit to store are comparable, if not better, than
the electricity that charges commonly used the expensive and exotic graphene-
electronics such as mobile phones, based materials.
tablets, laptops or even electric cars? “Durian waste, as a zero-cost
Researchers from the University of substance that the community wants
Sydney have done just that and have Credit: Pixabay to get rid of urgently due to its
developed a method that uses durian and repulsive, nauseous smell, is a
jackfruit waste to create energy stores for What are super-capacitors? sustainable source that can transform
rapid electricity charging. “Super-capacitors are like energy the waste into a product to
reservoirs that dole out energy smoothly. substantially reduce the cost of
How does it work? They can quickly store large amounts of energy storage through our chemical-
“Using durian and jackfruit, we converted energy within a small battery-sized device free, green synthesis protocol.”
the fruits’ waste portions (biomass) into and then supply energy to charge
super-capacitors that can be used to electronic devices, such as mobile phones, What could this technology be
store electricity efficiently,” said Associate tablets and laptops, within a few seconds," used for?
Professor Vincent Gomes. said Associate Professor Gomes. “We have reached a point where we
“Using a non-toxic and non- “Compared to batteries, super- must urgently discover and produce
hazardous green engineering method capacitors are not only able to charge ways to create and store energy using
that used heating in water and freeze devices very quickly but can handle more sustainably sourced materials that do
drying of the fruits’ biomass, the durian charging cycles than conventional devices. not contribute to global warming,” said
and jackfruit were transformed into stable "The current super-capacitors are Associate Professor Gomes.
carbon aerogels — an extremely light and made from activated carbon which are “Confronted with this and the
porous synthetic material used for a nowhere near as efficient as the ones world’s rapidly depleting supplies of
range of applications. prepared during this project." fossil fuels, naturally derived super-
“Carbon aerogels make great super- capacitors are leading the way for
capacitors because they are highly Why durian and jackfruit? developing high efficiency energy
porous. We then used the fruit-derived “Durian waste was selected based on the storage devices,” he said.
aerogels to make electrodes which we excellent template nature provides for Although considered by some to be
tested for their energy storage properties, making porous aerogels,” said Associate a delicacy, durian fruit is infamous for
which we found to be exceptional.” Professor Gomes. its repulsive odour. n
EngineerIT | March 2020 | 6
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NEWS
Invitation to apply to the
WS ZA is inviting qualifying 100
A percent black-owned exempted
micro enterprises (EMEs) and
qualifying small enterprises (QSEs)
within the ICT sector to apply to be part
of the Amazon Web Services Equity
Equivalent Investment Programme (AWS
EEIP). The AWS EEIP was announced in
AWS Equity Equivalent
2019 and will see over R365 million
invested over a seven-year period in the
development and growth of black-owned
Investment Programme
small businesses in South Africa. This
will help entrepreneurs and business
owners develop and enhance their skills through AWS Academy and AWS Educate.
in advanced technologies such as cloud Hundreds of students in South Africa are
computing, Internet of Things (IoT), benefitting from the AWS Academy programme,
Machine Learning (ML), mobile an introductory course that provides a detailed
technologies and more. overview of cloud concepts, AWS core
The announcement follows AWS’s services, architecture, security and support.
attainment of Broad-Based Black The course also prepares students to pursue
Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) Level an AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner
1 status. As part of the B-BBEE Level 1 certification, one of the most popular technical
status, AWS ZA achieved maximum certifications in the world today. In addition,
points for enterprise development, AWS ZA has provided cloud skills development
supplier development and ownership to youths from previously disadvantaged
elements of the scorecard, upon first communities and townships, via the the AWS
verification. AWS ZA’s other initiatives, eKasi programme. Through AWS eKasi, Prabashni Naidoo,
contributing to its Level 1 status, include students complete an intensive one-year Director at Amazon
funding for small businesses, the training course, which provides fundamental Web Services
South Africa
Amazon Web Services Equity Equivalent understanding of software development and
Investment Programme (AWS EEIP), and cloud computing technologies, giving them skills for the jobs of the future.
skills development programmes delivered
through AWS Academy and AWS Build a new business
Educate. The AWS EEIP will enable entrepreneurs and technical professionals in South Africa to
“We are thrilled to attain a B-BBEE build businesses that will play a key role in the country’s digital transformation. Successful
Level 1 status,” said Prabashni Naidoo, applicants will undergo an 18 to 24-month enterprise development and incubation
Director at Amazon Web Services, South programme, where they will receive technical training and support from AWS ZA; this will
Africa. “This is a continuation of our result in AWS EEIP members becoming AWS Certified Developers and Solutions
commitment to support the Architects. These businesses will also receive business enablement support such as
transformation and economic coaching, mentorship and funding to help take their business to the next stage of growth.
development of South Africa. Our As these businesses complete their training and gain AWS competencies, they can
Enterprise and Supplier Development become Select Amazon Partner Network members and move up a tier in the Amazon
programmes will enable small businesses Partner Network (APN), becoming an advanced partner, to further strengthen their
to flourish. As these businesses grow, business. Upon completion of the programme, these businesses will have access to AWS’s
AWS cloud services will help transform ecosystem of millions of active customers, of every size, across virtually every industry. n
their operations and allow them to
compete on a global scale. In addition, Eligible EMEs and QSEs can visit
our skills development programs will help www.awseeipthinkbigchallenge.splashthat.com for more information
grow the next generation of highly skilled and to submit their applications, by 10 April 2020.
South African developers and engineers.”
A priority element in the B-BBEE
scorecard is skills development, which is About Amazon Web Services
helping to increase youth skills and
employability across the country. For over For almost 14 years, Amazon Web Services has been the world’s most comprehensive and
two years, AWS ZA has been working broadly adopted cloud platform. AWS offers over 175 fully featured services for compute,
with education institutions such as the storage, databases, networking, analytics, robotics, machine learning and artificial intelligence
Durban University of Technology, (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), mobile, security, hybrid, virtual and augmented reality (VR and
Stellenbosch University, University of AR), media, and application development, deployment, and management from 69 availability
Cape Town and many more to help train zones covering 22 geographic regions, there are plans for 16 more availability zones and five
the next generation of cloud professionals more AWS regions in Indonesia, Italy, Japan, South Africa, and Spain. n
EngineerIT | March 2020 | 7
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NEW PRODUCTS
Traco Power reinforced, chassis
mount solutions
T
raco Power announced new models of encapsulated DC/DC
power solutions under the TMDC family. The TMDC family of
compact 6-60 Watt DC/DC chassis mount modules are
designed with reinforced isolation for industrial applications in New device offers more security for
harsh environments. The units are fully encapsulated and are
available in chassis mount module configuration. GNSS applications
The units have high input voltage ranges of 80-160 VDC and
the reinforced I/O-isolation is up to 3’000 VAC. The internal
G
NSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) is used to
filters limit conducted and radiated emissions (EN 55032 class A)
pinpoint the geographic location of a user's receiver
but also increase the module’s EMC immunity (EN 55035).
anywhere in the world. Three GNSS systems are currently
The modules come in fully encapsulated plastic packages
in operation: the United States' Global Positioning System (GPS),
and feature a high temperature
the Russian Federation's Global Orbiting Navigation Satellite
range from –40° up to 85°C
System (GLONASS) and Europe's Galileo. Each of the GNSS
without derating. n
systems employs a constellation of orbiting satellites working in
conjunction with a network of ground stations.
U blox (SIX:UBXN) has extended its SARA R4 family of LTE
M/NB IoT and EGPRS cellular modules to include variants with
the hardware and software features necessary to enable end
to end security features and services for Internet of Things (IoT)
data, devices and ecosystems.
The new SARA R422 product series offers superior security
protection, industrial output power to grant best coverage even
in weak signal conditions, and wherever locations use state of
the art u blox GNSS technology. These represent valuable
functionalities tailored specifically to the Low Power Wide Area
network (LPWA) IoT market. U blox is represented in South
Africa by RF Design. n
Indigo Broadband brings Carlson
Wireless TV White Spaces
network systems to SA
I
ndigo Broadband has been appointed the authorised
sub-Saharan distributor of TV White Spaces (TVWS)
network systems developed by Carlson Wireless of
Eureka, California.
Broadband networks operating in “Television White
Spaces” allow cost-effective connectivity for communities
not serviced by the current market offerings that are
either not available or unaffordable to them.
Carlson Wireless Technologies achieved the CE
mark certification in April 2019, indicating that the
Carlson Generation 3 RuralConnect base stations and
customer premises equipment (CPEs) meets European The product range includes the Carlson Wireless Gen3 and Gen3
Union standards for telecommunications systems Mini RuralConnect products. The big brother in the range is a three-
certified by ETSI, the European Telecommunications radio/three-sector base station, providing an aggregate capacity of
Standards Institute. up to 96Mbps.
Indigo Broadband worked extensively with the The long-range capabilities under difficult terrain makes the
Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) to TVWS systems from Carlson ideally suited to rural or underserviced
ensure these systems also meet ICASA requirements areas. Other radio technologies have limited or no range in a “near-
for interaction with the required reference Geo- line-of-sight application”, making their deployment cost-prohibitive
Location Database (the GLDB or GDB). in many applications. n
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NEW PRODUCTS
The VEGAPULS instrument series are
Radar is the better ultrasonic! compact devices, but they are
Introducing VEGAPULS complemented by the optional VEGAMET
controllers. These feature a large graphic
display that can be used to visualise all
V
EGA adds to its portfolio of level sensors with a new non- measured values. They have also been
contact radar instrument series for standard measuring tasks particularly designed to meet the special
and price-sensitive applications. requirements of the water/wastewater
A new era in radar level measurement began a few years ago industry. VEGAMET controllers allow
when VEGAPULS sensors based on 80 GHz technology were introduced. simple implementation of pump control,
Thanks to the more precise focusing of the radar beam, the sensor flow measurement in open channels and
virtually eliminates any unwanted or interfering reflections – the level overfill protection according to WHG.
measurement therefore becomes much easier and more reliable. Many These are designed for operation in
difficult measuring tasks for ultrasonic sensors are now becoming outdoor environments, and are supplied
standard practice with radar technology. in a weather-resistant housing.
VEGA has added a new compact 80 GHz instrument series to its portfolio of radar
sensors. It is especially suitable for price-sensitive applications, such as those found in Simple setup thanks to wireless
the water/wastewater industry or in auxiliary process loops in process automation. operation
VEGA designed a new radar microchip especially for this purpose, which is Both the sensors and the controllers can
characterised by its extremely small size, fast start up time and low energy be operated easily via Bluetooth with a
consumption. The result is a particularly compact and versatile radar sensor. smartphone or tablet. This makes setup,
display and diagnostics considerably
Robust, unaffected and weatherproof easier, especially in harsh environments
The new VEGAPULS instruments are ideal for both liquids and bulk solids. They are or hazardous areas. The new VEGAPULS
available both as a compact version with cable connection housing and as a standard radar instrument series offers many
version with a fixed IP68 cable connection. The radar sensors maintain steady, accurate advantages over current ultrasonic level
measurements without effect or loss of echo from external influences such as solar measurement technologies. n
gain, air temperature fluctuations, weather conditions, vapours, build-up or
condensation. Users can choose from 4 ... 20 mA, HART, SDI-12 or Modbus as the direct More information available at
output signal. ATEX versions are also available. www.vega.com/vegapuls.
C
OMTEST has introduced the
Tektronix Inc.’s expansion of its
Comtest -Tektronix expands performance
scalable DPO70000SX series oscilloscopes with new 13 GHz and 16 GHz models
performance oscilloscope to include
new 13 GHz and 16 GHz models. The
new offerings allow engineers to take
advantage of the high sample rate and
low noise floor of Tektronix’ highest
performance family of oscilloscopes at
lower bandwidth levels and more
affordable price points.
The DPO70000SX series
oscilloscopes were initially developed to
test the highest performance, highest
speed serial and optical interface
standards. With this platform extension,
Tektronix is bringing these high-end The new 13 GHz and 16 GHz models offer four 50 GS/s sample rate input channels
capabilities to lower speed interfaces with the unique ability to synchronise up to four scopes for a total of 16 input channels.
such as USB, Display Port, HDMI, LPDDR, The UltraSync architecture provides precise data synchronisation and convenient
MIPI C-PHY and D-PHY plus legacy operation across multi-unit systems to support applications that require more than four
server storage applications such as PCI channels. The low-profile size fits in a single 3U rackmount space, or two oscilloscopes
Express Gen 3 and SATA that are widely can be stacked in the same space as a single standard bench. n
used in consumer, automotive and
military/aerospace applications. For more information: sales@comtest.co.za
NEW PRODUCTS: Send your new products releases with a high resolution illustration to
engineerit@nowmedia.co.za
EngineerIT | March 2020 | 9EngineerIT March 2020 Final:Layout 1 2020/03/19 7:25 AM Page 10
ICT 5G
Optic fibre will be a key element
in the roll out of 5G
n the hype surrounding 5G, the role that optic Our mission is to see the adoption of
I fibre plays is seldom written about, yet without a
solid fibre backbone, 5G will not take off. There
are other alternatives, such as wireless millimetre
fibre deployments by all broadband
stakeholders, thereby enhancing the
lives of all people living on the continent.
wave point-to-point systems, but from an efficiency
and cost point of view there is nothing that comes The wayleave problem
as close as optic fibre. While the main metros are well supplied
However, when fibre is mentioned many people with fibre, the focus is now shifting to
conjure up the vision of roads being dug up. That is more outlying suburbs and smaller
an unlikely scenario as major cities are well towns. They will benefit from the
served by underground and overhead fibre cable. experience gained over the past decade,
There are two good reasons why no new trenching with streamlined trenching using
will likely be required for 5G in metro areas, machinery that will trench a small
says Juanita Clark, CEO of the FTTX Council, an channel, lay the sleeves and rehabilitate
organisation that represents the fibre industry. Juanita Clark the road or pavements at the same time.
“Many more wavelengths can be fired up on existing There is however one major problem,
fibre infrastructure; also more fibres can be blown into existing ducts.” wayleaves! Municipalities are not always
The FTTx Council Africa is an independent, not for profit organisation and is co-operative, delaying the issuing of
focussed on the fibre industry and all stakeholders affected by the industry, wayleaves, at times for as long as nine
including national and local governments, private companies, regulating bodies and months, creating unnecessary
industry organisations. paperwork and charging excessive fees.
“Established in 2010 as the FTTH (Fibre to the Home) Council, it was later changed Government, on several occasions, has
to FTTx (fibre to anywhere)”, Clark said. talked about a rapid deployment policy
The FTTx Council Africa is one of five separate but closely co-operating and regulation which would ease the
organisations representing the fibre to the home industry in regions across the world. wayleave burden. It made it as far as the
“Our four sister organisations promote fibre to the home in Europe, the Americas, the draft Electronic Communications Act
Middle East, North Africa, and Asia-Pacific. We are an active member of the Fibre (ACA) Amendment Bill which after two
Council Global Alliance (FCGA). FCGA meets regularly to collaborate on general topics revisions, was scrapped.
of interest within the fibre community, including publishing a Global Definition of Terms”. “The FTTx Council is continually working
FTTx Council Africa members sign a code of conduct and pledge that they will pay on resolving the situation. On the one
respect to the quality of their services, products and operations with a reputation for hand, government wants all South
honesty, fairness, respect, responsibility, integrity, trust and sound business judgment. Africans to be broadband-empowered
“We believe that the development and deployment of fibre based broadband access but on the other, it fails to create a
networks will enhance the quality of life for citizens in South Africa and Africa as a conducive environment for industry to
whole, providing African countries with an infrastructure which will increase their make it happen at a reasonable cost.
effectiveness and competitiveness within the global marketplace”, Clark said. “While there are many issues around
“The council’s charter is to educate African governments, policy makers and political 5G that still need to be clarified,
leaders on why and how high-speed fibre connectivity can be delivered to citizens within spectrum that needs to be made
the coming years. Through consultation with all major stakeholders and understanding available and licensing regulations that
their strategies and concerns, we endeavour to be the voice of the industry and to help need to be finalised, I am confident that
create a better future for all involved. In turn we support government with issues such as our members are ready to support the
policy and regulation, best practice and minimum standards through an independent roll-out of 5G”, Clark said.
voice. Member engagement is encouraged on all levels and participants are kept The FTTx Council Africa celebrates
informed on industry trends and success stories. We offer members an opportunity to its tenth anniversary in September this
network, collaborate and discuss best practise frameworks that are in the best interests year and is planning to celebrate its
of all.” Clark said. support and collaboration with the telco
“We encourage dialogue between government and the private sector from a platform industry at its annual conference which
that is independent and product-agnostic. We do not subscribe to any set of products will be held at the Cape Town
and will often engage with our international counterparts for advice on policy and International Conference Centre from
regulation issues, using international best practise as the basis for our approach. 29 September - 1 October 2020. n
EngineerIT | March 2020 | 10EngineerIT March 2020 Final:Layout 1 2020/03/19 7:25 AM Page 11
ICT 5G
For several years, antennas
with MIMO and carrier aggregation
(CA) capabilities have been fielded
providing, most commonly, 2×2
New antenna technology MIMO. This required two antenna
elements for transmit and two for
receive at the base station, as well
developments to
as two antenna pairs on the user
equipment. Using spatial
multiplexing, users are able to
experience a boost in throughput
support 5G
from data transfers through two
spatial streams. In this case, these
2×2 MIMO antennas typically just
involved antennas with multiple
coaxial feeds to the base
transceiver station (BTS), or later
ccording to the new Cisco Annual to a digitised version of the BTS, the digital unit (DU), and a remote radio head
A Internet Report, 5G will support more
than 10% of the world’s mobile
connections by 2023. The average 5G speed
(RRH). Typically, these types of antennas used cross-polarised elements. For
later 4×4 MIMO installations, the DU was typically connected to two RRHs that
fed two 2×2 MIMO antenna systems.
will be 575 megabits per second, or 13 times Continuing this trend would require 32 RRHs and complex interconnect to
faster than the average mobile connection. feed each RRH and 2×2 MIMO antenna to feature 64×64 MIMO established in
With advanced performance capabilities, 5G 3GPP Release 15. Hence, a new antenna and MIMO approach has been under
will deliver more dynamic mobile infrastructures development with some early releases for the initial, largely experimental,
for AI and emerging IoT applications including 5G deployments. The result is antenna systems with integrated radios and
autonomous cars, smart cities, connected other active elements, including digital control and signal processing
health, immersive video and more. technology. These so-called active antenna systems (AAS) have been regarded
For the past 50 years, each decade as the most likely method of producing high order MIMO antennas economically
introduced a new mobile technology with and within the constraints of practical installation on already crowded antenna
cutting-edge innovations. Mobile bandwidth towers and platforms. In this latest generation of cellular antennas for
requirements have evolved from voice calls infrastructure, the digital processing for MIMO, modulation and demodulation
and texting to ultra-high definition (UHD) video are integrated into the antenna systems, along with the signal distribution and
and a variety of augmented reality/virtual reality RFFE hardware. These components often include power combiners/dividers,
(AR/VR) applications. Consumers and mixers/upconverters/downconverters, analogue -to-digital converters/digital-to-
business users worldwide continue to create analogue converters (ADCs/DACs), switches, filters, power amplifiers (PAs),
new demands and expectations for mobile low-noise amplifiers (LNAs), circulators/isolators, attenuators, tuning elements
networking. This is also driving continuous and a myriad of RF and digital interconnect. These AAS also include a high
innovation at all levels of the infrastructure. density of antenna elements, up to 128 if separate antenna elements are used
With the advent of the later 4G LTE releases for transmit and receive. However, some modern AAS divide the elements into
(3GPP Release 13 and 14) and the latest 5G sub-arrays only requiring transmit/receive modules (TRMs) for each sub-array,
standard (3GPP Release 15), antennas for instead of each transmit/receive pair. To produce full 64×64 MIMO, some of
wireless telecommunications have begun to these AAS may be split into several modular sub-systems, such as 8×8, 16×16,
change substantially. Beyond the addition of or 32×32 that can be assembled into a full 64×64 MIMO system.
sub-6 GHz frequencies for 5G, there are other The next generation of MIMO may be what is called massive MIMO. This could
technologies for enabling 5G use cases that are result in extremely complex and dense AAS. Massive MIMO systems may need to
being developed that generate substantial be integrated into a single complete module with all the necessary RF, signal
changes for current and future antenna. processing, and even networking hardware built in. As this type of system is likely
Earlier standards released for 4G LTE to be for dense urban and suburban areas, they may also need to be much more
allowed for multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) compact than typical AAS used today, which would allow for their placement on
antenna structures to take advantage of spatial metropolitan infrastructure such as street lighting, traffic light poles, etc.
multiplexing and enhance throughput and The result of high density AAS is the need for RF/microwave hardware that
capacity for cellular installations. With the latest is much more compact and power efficient than previous cellular technology.
release there are advances to MIMO technology Part of these requirements is derived from the need to maintain relatively similar
that are transforming antennas from the cell tower footprints for AAS. Testing such systems is also an emerging
traditional passive design to active devices; challenge within the industry, which may be addressed in future systems that
these are highly integrated with both RF front- include extensive self-diagnostics and other built-in-self-test (BIST) features. n
end (RFFE) hardware and configurable digital
hardware designed to adapt to the latest More information about 5G antenna development by
complex MIMO and network requirements. Pasternack visit www.rf-design.co.za
EngineerIT | March 2020 | 11EngineerIT March 2020 Final:Layout 1 2020/03/19 7:25 AM Page 12
ICT 5G
The critical role for satellite in a
5G environment
By Dawie de Wet, CEO Q-KON
hy even mention satellite in Enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB)
W a 5G context? VSAT is slow,
expensive and has a
latency problem – right? Maybe not.
Satellites already provide high bandwidth distribution for HD and UHD television
networks and this will be further expanded with the planned mega-GEO satellites with
1Tbps capabilities and augmented with the LEO constellation.
If you still remember the satellite Current satellite internet distribution networks are a proven solution for distribution
networks of the 1980’s and 1990’s and are servicing the existing mobile backhaul networks in many parts of the world for
then that was true, however today this 2G/3G. This will be expanded with the new high-throughput GEO satellites that will
is just a myth and no longer valid. support 4G and 5G mobile networks.
Extensive and fundamental
developments in space networks and Massive Machine-Type Communication (mMTC)
ground equipment have changed the With their known high reliability and truly anywhere connectivity strengths, satellite
landscape completely. Satellites networks are already providing winning SCADA and global control network solutions
available over Africa will soon be which can readily be scaled to the planned future machine-to-machine and Internet-of-
capable of 1Tbps capacity and LEO things applications.
constellations will deliver connectivity This will further be strengthened and multiplied when the LEO microsatellite
at less than 40msec latencies. constellations and technologies from companies such as Hiber, SpaceQuest and
In the 5G ecosystem, satellite HawkEye are supported by developments in smaller, lower cost, electronically
broadband and satellite networks will steerable systems to grow into mainstream applications in the 5G “network-of-
have a key role to play. As a reference networks” ecosystem.
we will consider the ITU definition of
the key elements i.e. enhanced mobile Ultra-Reliable Communications (URLLC)
broadband, massive machine type Current satellite broadband customers, government network operators, broadcasters,
communication and ultra-reliable low- mobile network operators and all other satellite users acknowledge the ultra-reliable
latency (EngineerIT March 2020 Final:Layout 1 2020/03/19 7:26 AM Page 13
ICT 5G
the low latency requirement for 5G
network is a big ally in this vertical for
satcom, as many new locations for
content servers will be required. In the
transition to 5G, content needs to be
moved to the edge and many new
locations will be required, densifying
content delivering networks (CDN) and
making satellite multicast a viable option.”
Conclusion
In the planned global “connected future”,
the 5G “network of networks”
architecture will continue to develop and
grow with the initial successes
spearheaded by mobile network
operators. As the requirements expand
to more fully address the key 5G
Source: SES
elements i.e. enhanced mobile
broadband (eMBB), massive machine
Satellites for Sub -1msec Latency type communication (mMTC) and ultra-
The 5G requirement for sub-1msec latency is a challenge for even mobile networks. reliable low-latency (EngineerIT March 2020 Final:Layout 1 2020/03/19 7:26 AM Page 14
ICT 5G
linked to top-notch service and
accessibility, so it’s vital to ensure your
processes aren't cumbersome.
“People remember the experiences
they’ve had. They may not complain or
stop doing business with you
immediately when they’ve had a bad
experience; they will simply not give you
their repeat business in future,” said
Priven Moodley, head of consulting at
TransUnion. “Customers want faster
transactions and less friction – and
Rapid data: here’s where real-time, high-quality
becomes the key ingredient.”
Aside from the benefits that can
come from using real-time data, such
fast decision-making as fostering customer loyalty, the fact is
that immediate service has become the
new norm.
E-commerce platforms like Takealot
with the right data and Amazon ensure that people have
their goods delivered within a few days
of ordering. In the case of some items,
at the right time
such as books, there is no longer any
need to wait for them to be delivered
unless you want a physical copy. You
can simply buy an audiobook or ebook
and start reading it immediately.
n a world where people are demanding instantaneous service and next-day delivery,
I
Services like Uber and Netflix have
the concept of rapid or real-time data is becoming crucial. Synthesis, SEACOM and cemented this expectation of immediacy.
TransUnion recently hosted an event in Johannesburg where experts from various Uber is also an example of giving the
industries deliberated this crucial topic. customer constant, real-time feedback
Real-time data refers to the idea of having information instantaneously available - on the status of the service they
this can help a business and its clients make decisions faster. “It’s a decision requested.
I can make without having to ask anyone anything,” said Tom Wells, the
chief disruption officer at Synthesis. “As soon as I have to go and query The value of rapid data
some system in order to make a decision, that’s no longer real-time.” To build a real-time data system,
Whether in retail businesses, financial services, or logistics and Wells said that event-driven
supply chain management, the basic idea with real-time data is to give architectures work well.
customers what they want as quickly as possible. “You break your system down
and model it as a stream of events
Fast is the new cheap that occurs over time. When
“Fast is the new cheap,” said the global head of product at SEACOM, someone makes a payment, takes
Robert Marston. out a mortgage, or steers left on a
“That’s a saying that you heard in the telecommunications car — whatever it is, those things are
industry a few years ago,” Marston said. “We are living in a world just events,” he said.
where the average revenue from each user is dropping the You then build all your software to
whole time. Thanks to technologies evolving, there is consume and interpret those events as
always someone doing it faster and cheaper.” they occur.
The revelation was that rather than trying to In addition to enabling rapid
be the cheapest option on the market the whole decision making, real-time data that
time, what people actually wanted was speed. has been gathered can be used to
“Instant gratification. That’s the new norm in gain greater insights into customer
the digital age,” Marston said. “As a consumer needs.
you want something to happen right now. You The data may also be used to
don’t want to wait.” train and invoke machine learning
As a recent TransUnion study shows, models. These could be used to make
today’s consumers demand a seamless rapid decisions more accurately in
onboarding experience and fast, Tom Wells, Chief Disruption Officer future or provide new ways to analyse
personalised service. Loyalty is directly at Synthesis and respond to customer behaviour.
EngineerIT | March 2020 | 14EngineerIT March 2020 Final:Layout 1 2020/03/19 7:26 AM Page 15
ICT 5G
Decentralised data change or need to be assessed but is merely made available for consumption.
To process data in real-time and Examples of this would be ID numbers, models and risk scores.
allow a customer or employee to The second type of data is real-time data, which is data coming into a system,
make rapid decisions, systems need being immediately assessed and being sent out again, with minimal time spent
to be decentralised. assessing that data. An example of real-time data is income, card usage or
“There is a shift to turn Big Data weather. The rules, the process and the decision making occur within a very short
systems into real-time predictive time frame.
systems,” said Tom Wells, the Chief
Disruption Officer at Synthesis. “That Privacy and security of decentralised data
means taking those centralised Big Adopting a technology architecture designed for real-time data does come with different
Data architectures and trying to privacy and security concerns.
distribute them, making them more If personal data is being used to build a profile for someone to assess their
decentralised.” creditworthiness or combat fraud, you must comply with relevant regulations such as the
There are several reasons that National Credit and POPI Acts in South Africa, GDPR in Europe, or CCPA in California.
real-time data requires systems to be An organisation will also have to think differently about information security if it
distributed. The first is if you need your wants to use real-time data.
application to work even when you One major consideration is the fact that to make data available rapidly, it needs to be
have slow or unreliable connectivity. physically close to the place where you will be using it. This could mean that data may
Bank and credit cards are an example be downloaded onto a user’s smartphone, or any other device that is physically near to
of this. Depending on how a shop has where the data needs to be used.
set up its point-of-sale systems, clients The challenge is how to deal with highly personal data, which is essential for
can still pay with their cards even when businesses like banks to be able to provide financial services. To ensure you keep
a connection to the bank’s network is clients’ personal information safe, you cannot send out raw data: it has to be
not available. transformed into information and aggregated insights that can then be used to make
The second major reason is the decisions, said Moodley.
physical limitation of how fast data can
travel through computer networks. Right place, right time, right channel
“It’s almost mind boggling that you One way that real-time data may be used is to communicate offers and useful
can move data from one side of the information to clients. For this to work, timing and context is everything.
globe to the other in under a second. In Real-time data lets a business send out messages that are personalised for clients.
the time it takes to say ‘one’, you can These messages should be delivered to customers when it is relevant to them, rather
send a packet of data from Hawaii to a than simply spamming them with offers.
data centre Johannesburg,” said Banks say that the most predictive data they have about clients is the behaviour on
SEACOM’s Marston. their transactional account and credit card, and their payment profiles at information and
However, there are many factors on insight providers like TransUnion. Wells said that this data may be used to drive
the Internet that you can’t control, behaviour instead of just predicting it.
ranging from network congestion to The bank should be able to detect that you shop at a specific place at certain times.
cable faults. Shortly before you usually leave work, the bank can send you a message to inform you
“The closer the data is to the person of convenient alternatives where you may earn more loyalty points for buying the same
using that data, the better,” said Marston. products or services.
“That’s why we’re seeing AWS (Amazon) “Imagine the bank notices that I regularly stop at a specific petrol station every week
and Azure (Microsoft) setting up data or so. It can make an educated guess that I stop there because it is conveniently located
centres locally.” on my route between home and work,” said Wells.
If the bank has a different petrol station chain signed up to its rewards programme,
Data quality — finding the it can look for one that is close to the one you regularly visit and recommend that you
nuggets fill up there instead, helping you to easily increase the rewards you earn every month.
One of the challenges of gathering real- “If the bank demonstrates to me that it understands me as a consumer, understands
time data is making sure that the quality my lifestyle, and wants to promote better rewards — that is awesome,” Wells said, “That’s
of the data does not degrade, compared why people use services like Google Assistant.”
to more traditional systems. The ability to rapidly access high quality, real-time data dramatically changes
“Our business is focused on the way people interact with companies and services, and how businesses
providing solutions to business problems respond to customers.
using the highest quality of data. As part Rapid, real-time data can offer significant value, but only if it is delivered to the right
of our journey we are well along the path place, at the right time, and through the right channel. n
of speed of delivery of that data, without
compromising its quality,” said
TransUnion’s Moodley. Synthesis, a South African software company, together with SEACOM and TransUnion,
There are two types of data. Static recently hosted an event in Johannesburg where experts from various industries
data, or data at rest, is transactioned in deliberated the topic. Representatives from Synthesis, TransUnion, SEACOM, Standard
real time. This means the data doesn’t Bank and Imperial Logistics participated in the discussion. n
EngineerIT | March 2020 | 15You can also read
