MCA’s CNS Team Keeps Durham Flowing With SCADA Water System
Upgrading A Complex City Water System On A Tight TimelineWhen the Department of Water Management in Durham, North Carolina, upgraded the City’s water system to keep pace with population growth, it constructed two new water towers, which collectively store 4.5 million gallons of water.
he new equipment within the towers needed to be incorporated into the existing supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system used to monitor and control the City’s water system.
Adding to the complexity of the system design, the City operates two water treatment plants, and the pumps, controllers, and other equipment needed to communicate directly to other components within each tower and each water plant.
The City of Durham was referred to MCA’s CNS Team for assistance in designing the sophisticated data communications the project network topology required and doing so on a compressed timeline.
Innovative Solution Using SemTech Devices Keep Projects On Time and On Budget
Once engaged, MCA's CNS Team determined that a commonly used one-modem-to-one-location network architecture would not work. The Allen-Bradley programmable logic controllers (PLCs) and control panels pre-existing in Durham’s infrastructure were incapable of Port Address Translation (PAT), and without this functionality, the network design would need to change.
Without PAT, each piece of equipment on each tower’s LAN would require its own wireless gateway, data line, static IP address, and other equipment to facilitate cross-network communication. This development was a major hurdle due to the costs of the equipment. Additionally, the Verizon Wireless 4G data plans required for the system would need to be increased, subsequently increasing Durham’s overall project budget, which was not a welcome change.
However, faced with this technical challenge, MCA’s CNS Team devised an innovative solution that solved the problem and avoided increasing the project budget. The solution used a combination of a Verizon Private Network and SemTech AirLink GX450 (today we would have recommended the AirLink RX55) wireless network gateway paired with strategically placed Mobile Mark RM-WLF Antennas with custom ground planes.
Since the GX450’s operating system supported a network technology protocol called Dynamic Mobile Network Routing (DMNR), MCA was able to leverage this functionality. In turn, DMNR enabled each individual component within the LAN to communicate directly with other components of the SCADA water system in near real-time.
After MCA's CNS Team implemented DMNR, the network topology proved effective. MCA’s solution was completed after a detailed wireless network coverage analysis led to specific antenna recommendations.
Leveraging MCA’s expertise, Durham’s Department of Water Management completed this enhancement to its water SCADA on time and within budget.
NOTICE: This article was originally published on JULY 12, 2016, but has since been remastered and republished as the application is still sought after by our current client base today.
About MCA and Our CNS Team
MCA is one of the largest and most trusted integrators in the United States, offering world-class voice, data, and security solutions that enhance the quality, safety, and productivity of customers, operations, and lives. More than 65,000 customers trust MCA to provide carefully researched solutions for a safe, secure, and more efficient workplace.
Our Cellular Networking Solutions (CNS) team (formerly known as USAT) is made up of certified experts in designing and deploying fixed and mobile wireless data connectivity solutions for public and private enterprises nationwide - complete with implementation, training, proof of concept (POC), system auditing, and on-site RF surveying services with optional engineering maintenance contracts.
Our extensive Semtech catalog of world-class routers, gateways, and software designed for remote monitoring and management in even the harshest environments allows us to deliver a full suite of reliable technologies capped with a service-first approach.
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