Meteorology, Italy

HIGHLIGHTS

• MR400, 400 MHz
• Avalanche protection
• Hydrometric services
• Solar powering — Sleep mode
• Temperatures below -30 °C
• Altitude up to 3400 m
• 7500 km², 100 units

Reliable and durable modems of MORSE system enabled the construction of a data network in the demanding high-altitude conditions of the Italian Alps. This hydrometric network operated by the Department of Civil Protection of the Bolzano region transmits data needed for avalanche protection, meteorological services and hydrometric services. The highest altitude station is placed on Mount Wilder Freiger at an altitude of 3400 m and is one of the highest located meteorological stations in Europe.

• 400 MHz, 1 simplex channel
• Covered area of 7500 square kilometers
• 17 backbone and 70 terminal sites
• Fully redundant backbone network; 2 MR400 radio modems at each location
• Surrounding temperature frequently below -30 °C

MORSE system replaced and merged 5 legacy systems into one network:

• HYDRO98 radio network: the network is not transparent (only partially expandable, with difficulty, low-speed, but good coverage)
• Fixed telephone lines: high fixed costs and limited choice of sites, which can be covered
• GSM dial-up connection: high cost and limited reliability in case of a disaster
• GPRS: lower costs, but limited reliability in case of a disaster
• Radio Network CAE: difficult management and configuration, high maintenance costs

MORSE system was selected for this application because it fulfills the requirements of the contractor:

• Ability to connect all existing stations
• High sensitivity, resp. maximum range
• High climatic resistance: -25 to 55°C
• Maximum number of possible user interfaces: Ethernet, RS232 max. 4x, RS422/485 max. 2x, GPS, M-BUS, I/O
• Remote diagnostics
• Sleep mode for solar power