Active Wireless Mesh
MST has formed an alliance with Rajant Corporation to incorporate their advanced Active Wireless Mesh & Control systems into our surface mining communication solutions.
Based on robust Wi-Fi based units known as BreadCrumbs®, Rajant's advanced technology provides for the easy establishment of mobile meshed wireless networks. These standards-based wireless networks are highly mobile, self-configuring, and self-healing. Rajant has overcome some of the inherent complexities in wireless networking through the development of its BreadCrumb® Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) devices and its InstaMesh®software that runs on each BreadCrumb® device. Each BreadCrumb® can self-heal and auto-adjust to changing network conditions.
In mining applications, BreadCrumbs® excel in highly dense networks (more than 200 access nodes) and in environments where a high number of devices are moving - see a software display of a complex active mesh network below.
Currently BreadCrumb® radio options are available for 802.11b and b/g, with many security levels from WEP, WPA, WPA2, Type 1 SecNet11 and FIPS 140-2.
BreadCrumbs® operate elegantly with a single switch whereas other mesh solutions require network configuration expertise.
The BreadCrumb Mesh system was develop for rapid deployment in emergencies and military applications. The key features that make it so reliable and widely used in these applications have meant it is ideally suited to installations at mine sites. Three key features in particularly that make its installation and long term use at mines are:
- Extremely robust construction
- Simple installation and network configuration by mine personnel
- Highly reliable and secure communication protocols.
Features:
- Automatic operation. Network management of the wireless system for Rajant is automatic in the way a miner would understand the term. Other mesh networks require significant configuration and management to operate effectively, and are often based on fixed location wireless access points
- Dynamic, real time routing (vehicle – vehicle – Access Point)
- Open systems; safe, less expensive, more flexibility and choice for future expansion
- Services i.e. as an SI or technology partner, track record
- Outsource preventative maintenance; allows mine to get on w the ore removal business
Technical advantage:
- InstaMesh software (algorithm) for uninterrupted communications for mobile nodes in a high density network
Benefits:
- Save money by increasing productivity and/or reducing operational costs
- Increase safety by Tracking, Collision Avoidance, video surveillance
How:
- Mesh network, peer to peer networking, fast algorithm, tags, VIP
Value Proposition:
Reliable, highly robust, redundant, open systems mobile Wi-Fi communications for:
- Tracking; vehicles and personnel
- Collision Avoidance
- VIP vehicle management/health data logger
- Communication services
- Voice; VoIP. QoS sensitive
- Video monitoring. QoS sensitive
- Data
- Vehicle dispatch (Tracking, central office, network and backbone)
- Health monitoring (VIP, network only required for occasional access)
- PDAs, laptops for surveyors etc
A case study of a large Rajant Wireless Mesh installation at Kennecott Copper Mine in Utah can be read by clicking this link: Kennecott Case Study
For more details on the range of BreadCrumb devices please refer to the data sheet links below.