Highlights

• M!DGE
• Leak detection System
• Open VPN
• Customized Software
• Modbus TCP protocol
• Marine environment

PT Starcom Solusindo has been a telecommunication operator in Indonesia since 2000, continually developing its capabilities and expertise, designing solutions for technology and network problems. It has a large customer base including National industries for whom it provides licensed and unlicensed networks.

One such network Starcom recently provided is the Pemasangan Leak Detector System on the submarine pipelines for SPM at PERTAMINA (Persero) for three of their refineries.  SPM (Single Point Mooring) is a floating buoy/jetty anchored offshore to allow handling of liquid cargo such as petroleum products for tanker ships.

These subsea pipelines carry crude oil to the refineries so it is important to ensure there are no leakages at any place in the pipeline.

It was decided that Cellular routers would be ideal to communicate data if they had an industrial hardened design and heavy duty industrial components, robust security features and firmware that could be adapted using programmable scripts.

After fully exploring products currently on the market it became clear the RACOM M!DGE cellular router was best suited to meet all end user requirements.

Each pipeline has two M!DGE units, one positioned offshore and the other onshore. For all data transmissions an open VPN is used with an encrypted tunnel between two M!DGE units.

One crucial solution that M!DGE delivered was the ability to operate with customized software, generated using RACOM’s Software Development Kit (SDK), a simple and fast way to implement customer-specific functions and applications.

In this application SDK script listens on a given TCP port and accepts connections.  It reads the current WWAN1 and WWAN2 states and MOBILE1 signal. It replies to requests with the required information in ModbusTCP format, a pre requisite from the customer. Provided values (WWAN, SIM) are sent back on particular registers/bytes, also as per customer’s requirements.

The implementation of the network was seamless thanks to local expertise provided by Starcom working with the end user and remote back up provided by the RACOM Technical Support team in Czech Republic.

Highlights

• RipEX, 400 MHz
• M!DGE
• Water Management
• Hybrid network
• Flexible protocol
• Back up routes
• Fully redundant data centres

Vodovody a kanalizace Hradec Králové, a.s. (VAK HK, a.s.) is a municipally owned water utility company that is responsible for clean water supply and wastewater disposal. With its headquarters in Hradec Kralove in the East of Czechia, it provides water utilities to over 170,000 inhabitants using more than 1350 km of pipes and 550 km of sewers. VAK HK, a.s. infrastructure is operated by Královéhradecká Provozní, a.s. a member of the global Veolia group.

The legacy communications network, used to help manage its resources, used CONEL CDA radio modems with serial RDS protocol. Because of  the end of support for all CONEL based devices, VAK HK, a.s. used this as an opportunity to source a modern, robust, IP network to provide reliable data communications now and in the future.

Current and future requirements were analysed and it was agreed the optimal solution would be best achieved using a Hybrid network with fully redundant data centres. In order to minimize disruption at any time during installation, the choice of Migration solution was also an important factor.

After comparing available options from different manufacturers, VAK HK, a.s. quickly realised that RACOM products and solutions ticked all the boxes.

The RipEX Radio modem and M!DGE Cellular router, both market leaders in their fields, share many SW and logic features. A central RipEX manages the routing of traffic, so an application can be implemented with one network interface. RipEX and M!DGE make ideal bed partners in any Hybrid network.

The RACOM Migration solution, too, is designed to ensure there is no network outage and that migration can be implemented as part of a regular maintenance program. And RACOM also manufacture the cabinets required to house all the new equipment – A complete one stop shop!

During migration, VAK HK, a.s. opted to use a parallel operation of legacy radios and RipEX, set up using two frequencies. Key repeater points were equipped with a duplexer allowing the network to operate on both frequencies simultaneously; one for the legacy network and the second for traffic on the RipEX.

27 primary sites, identified as critical infrastructure, are now equipped with M!DGE and RipEX working in parallel, making use of the RipEX Backup routing functionality to achieve high accessibility.

As the RipEX radio segment provides the highest availability, legacy RTU’s are connected to RipEX. However, when RipEX backup routing recognises there is an LTE connection available, traffic is routed through M!DGE to make best use of the connection. The M!DGE segment uses GRE tunneling within a private APN segment, terminated to a Cisco ASR box in the customer’s server house. This set up provides near 100% site connection availability.

An additional 69 points, identified as secondary sites, are radio only and have been migrated to RipEX with the legacy RDS serial or Modbus TCP protocol.

All the equipment is housed in cabinets, manufactured and supplied by RACOM.

Phase two of the project, already planned, will include two fully redundant data centres at different locations in case there is ever a need for disaster recovery. A private MPLS customer network will also be established to interconnect the data centres and relay points.

Highlights

• M!DGE
• Power Distribution
• Ethernet and Serial Interface
• Cisco, Vigor… in the centre
• Sub-tropical climate
• IEC101 and IEC104
• Over 1000 remotes

Vietnam Electricity (EVN) is the largest state-owned power company in Vietnam, providing electricity generation, transmission and distribution throughout Vietnam.

After researching various technologies that could be used for data transfer in their SCADA telemetry network connecting mainly reclosers, it was decided that cellular routers were the most appropriate and would provide the optimal solution whilst allowing costs to remain within the budgetary constraints of the project.

The RACOM M!DGE was tested against other products and showed itself to provide the most robust solution for the network, hosting unique features such as IPsec, VPN tunneling and an ability to maintain high link integrity with end to end functionality in a stable environment.

The network is made up of VPN concentrators such as Cisco, Vigor, Juniper,… in the control centre with M!DGE units connected using IPsec tunnel or NAPT. The network uses two types of communication. Some of the remotes communicate using RS232 serial communications and IEC 101 protocol whilst the others use IEC 104 over Ethernet and TCP/IP.

M!DGE routers of all generations, including the latest M!DGE3, are continuously deployed in the EVN network since 2017. Installation and configuration of the routers is running smoothly and with minimal support from RACOM.

Highlights

• M!DGE
• Leased services network
• Mission critical applications
• Ethernet and serial interface
• Mountainous arctic environment
• Extreme temperatures up to -30 ^oC
• Over 500 units deployed

LMC (Last Mile Communication) has delivered enterprise-critical communication solutions with high focus on quality and reliability to customers since 1999. During that time LMC has become aware of a large demand for remote management, monitoring, tracking, alert, and remote access at customer installations with emphasis on security, that did not have a solution available on the market.

IOG, an LMC company, was formed with the commitment to meet that demand and provide solutions and expertise, making it possible to use cellular networks for these critical industrial installations. IOG makes it easy to establish and operate robust M2M solutions. The IOG network operates as a leased service for virtual private networks with typically 2-70 sites.

With the remoteness of many locations requiring these services, in Northern latitudes and rugged mountainous landscape, it has been important to develop robust solutions and use only the highest quality hardware. Adding to the challenge is the fact that many applications are mission critical, including pumping and power stations.

The IOG business model provides leased services and a commitment to provide high SLA provision to their customers; it has been essential for IOG to ensure that every part of the infrastructure meets the stringent demands placed on it.

Years of experience has proven that the RACOM M!DGE is the best choice in such an environment, providing excellent levels of stability. IOG customers also appreciate the serial SCADA protocol implementation.

As of 2017, IOG has over 500 M!DGE units in service and is delighted with the reliability offered by the device, helping IOG develop and maintain a justifiable reputation for quality in the Scandinavian market and beyond.

Dag Nielsen, Technical Director, states “LMC cooperation with RACOM dates back to 2001. During this time LMC has used different RACOM products and has always been happy and satisfied with levels of performance and reliability. RACOM technical support has also been excellent. It is why M!DGE is our product of choice.”

Highlights

• M!DGE
• Power distribution
• Fault indicators
• Reclosers
• Tropical environment
• Serial & Ethernet
• Over 100 units by 2017

Palembang is the capital of Indonesia’s South Sumatra province and a port city on the Musi River. This extremely low lying district has a population of over 1.5 million.

Electricity supply is provided by PLN, the nationally owned company in Indonesia that has been managing electricity distribution throughout the country for over 50 years. The current network was materialised by PT Surya Total Pertiwi, RACOM’s partner in Indonesia.

Due to the demanding tropical conditions it was important that the routers used in the network were extremely reliable and able to perform to the highest standard. With previous experience of RACOM’s M!DGE cellular router, PT Surya knew they could rely on this unit and chose it above all competition; it has been specially designed for SCADA and telemetry applications, maintaining reliable and secure connections from an unlimited number of remote locations to a central server.

The serial network in Palembang has over 100 remotes by 2017 and growing. M!DGE is used for communication with fault indicators and also for reclosers.

It is envisaged that in the future, the existing legacy radio network could be replaced or expanded with RipEX using RACOM’s tried and tested Migration solution. When this work is complete, PT Surya will have provided a RACOM hybrid network with RipEX and M!DGE working seamlessly together; a tried and tested solution already proving to be so effective in different applications around the world.

Highlights

• M!DGE
• Oil & Gas
• Wellhead monitoring
• Desert environment, +50 oC
• Mission critical application
• Installed with outdoor antenna
• Integrated with Rockwell RTUs

Growing global demand for natural gas has pushed oil and gas companies to increase the development of hazardous, sour gas fields containing Hydrogen Sulphide [H₂S] and Carbon Dioxide [CO₂]; the higher the concentrations of sour gas the more intensive, expensive and dangerous the development process becomes.

In the Middle East, developing sour gas fields has become a priority because of soaring regional gas consumption. In addition, companies in the region are also facing the issue of increasing levels of sourness in operating fields; H₂S and other contaminants that were negligible on startup have become a problem as production continues.

Abu Dhabi Company for Onshore Petroleum Operations Ltd. (ADCO) now trading as ADNOC Onshore is using RACOM M!DGE routers to support a toxic gas leak detection system at sour H₂S wells.

As you can imagine, this is a mission critical application requiring very high levels of reliable communication. Having to operate regularly in temperatures over 50⁰C only adds to the challenge. The M!DGE units, chosen specifically for reliability and ability to operate in these temperatures are integrated with Rockwell RTUs as a single assembled unit and installed using an outdoor antenna. Any gas leak alarm (10ppm) must be also notified through SMS by the RTU to a number of mobile telephones through M!DGE routers.

The ability to offer security features in the form of VPN, IPsec and tunneling proved an added bonus to our highly satisfied client who is placing ongoing orders with RACOM.

It is very pleasing to know that the M!DGE router is so adaptable and continually providing solutions in different hazardous situations around the world.

Highlights

• M!DGE
• ATM banking system
• Remote installations
• Desert environment, +50 ^oC
• Over 100 sites and growing
• Security and reliability

With headquarters in Baghdad, Arab Information Technology is a provider of end-to-end electronic payment products and services. It is the first Iraqi company to have had a third party processing switch located in Iraq and the only Iraqi company to hold PCI DSS Certification. This confirms the professionalism Arab Information Technology is recognised for and the strong reputation it has in its market.

Amongst other services, AIT provides hardware and software solutions for ATM machines with full back-up support. Because there is limited access to some installations, the hardware chosen for these ATMs must be extremely reliable as there is little or no possibility of online servicing.  Due to extreme climatic conditions the hardware must also operate seamlessly across a very wide temperature range.

In one current and ongoing project, Arab Information Technology is providing ATM’s to leading banks in Iraq. RACOM’s M!DGE 3G cellular router provides the optimal solution in this environment. Chosen for its reliability, M!DGE also offers key security features including AES data encryption, IPSec and VPN tunnelling to protect the sensitive data that must be transmitted.

Over 100 units are so far operational but this is just a small percentage of the total project number.

Such has been the success of M!DGE within this project it is already being considered for use in a similar application in UAE.

Highlights

• RipEX 300 MHz & M!DGE
• Hybrid network
• Power distribution
• Tropical environment
• Up to four repeating hops
• Multi-master
• IEC101, IEC104 and DNP3

PLN is a nationally owned company in Indonesia that has been managing electricity distribution throughout the country for over 50 years.

PLN chooses RipEX radio modems on a regular basis for networks throughout Indonesia. PT Surya Total Pertiwi, RACOM’s partner in Indonesia works extensively with PLN. They materialised a SCADA telemetry network to manage electricity distribution in Makassar district with a population over 2 million on Sulawesi Island in the East of the country.

Having considered the main products currently on the market that could potentially provide a solution to the problem, RipEX and M!DGE were chosen ahead of competition.

RipEX was the only product that was able to provide coverage to the remote geographical locations within the network and the complexities attached to servicing these endpoints; up to four repeating hops are required to reach some end points. Indeed, only RipEX offers an unlimited number of repeaters on the way; any endpoint can also work as a repeater simultaneously.

M!DGE is used in parts of the network for reclosers and RipEX for reclosers and RTU’s with one SCADA system used to control the entire network, regardless of the communication type.

The customer appreciates other of RipEX’s unique features such as multi-master applications. Thanks to the RipEX anti-collision Flexible protocol on the Radio channel, more applications can run simultaneously while using different SCADA protocols such as IEC101, IEC104 and DNP3. A Terminal server at the centre also allows the combination of Ethernet and serial RTU’s from five different manufacturers; ABB, Nulec, Cooper, Survalent and Kwang Myung.

As an additional control measure, RipEX had been successfully field tested to the top end of its operating temperature of 70 ⁰ C to ensure it operates seamlessly in the extreme climate.

The first 66 RipEX units and 3 RipEX-HS base stations have been installed at key points in the first phase during 2016, with the total number of sites estimated to be over 500.

The Partner view is given by Mr. Irwinho Harlim, CEO of PT Surya Total Pertiwi: “This tender was one of a number of a similar scope we are participiating for with high levels of success due to RipEX features. PLN is a long term customer who have very good experiences with this product over a long time. Both PLN and PT Surya Total Pertiwi really appreciate RACOM’s pre-sales and after sales support.“

Highlights

• RipEX, 400 MHz & M!DGE
• Emergency Early Warning System
• M!DGE used for backup
• MQTT protocol for sirens
• Mesh Network
• Backup routes
• 14 sites in 9 cities

Exxon Mobil is a major operator at the Port-Jerome-Gravenchon-Refinery. The facility is SEVESO classified and as such, stringent health and safety measures must be observed to protect the surrounding environment and infrastructure.

To fully meet their commitment to health and safety, Exxon Mobil chose to have a completely new, extensive, early warning system developed to include a central management system. A theoretical study of the links was produced and from this, it was realized that VHF was necessary to build a robust radio network. RipEX was chosen ahead of its competitors in the market because of its ability to transport MQTT protocol with efficiency and build a mesh network including Backup routes thus enabling the alarm system to remain functional even if the site is partially damaged. 3G is used as an additional backup.

The alarm system covers 9 cities; 25000 inhabitants spread over 28 km². RipEX with Router mode and Backup route features is used over 14 sites. M!DGE is used as backup for RipEX across the network. The advanced diagnostics of RipEX including link testing proved very useful during installation and configuration.

AE&T was the main contractor for this new design of Siren system. Such was the success of this application and interest it has generated that, AE&T and RACOM have implemented similar solutions at other sites in France and Spain.

How the system works: