Case Study:
Wireless Antenna Positioning System for Ports to facilitate Shipping Container Logistics
Industry
Technology
Services Offered
Executive Summary
The wireless access point project was undertaken for one of the major port operator in India. The client required a solution to enable uninterrupted line- of- sight communication between two access points, easily track and align cranes while they are moving towards or away from each other.
Glide provided the user-friendly and scalable access point system with 32-bit ARM Cortex-M4 based MCU.
Glide team conducted feasibility study to field test under actual environmental conditions at the port. We developed proof-of-concept according to system architecture defined by us and also designed Enclosure with IP66 ratings.
Business Need
Provide solution for intercommunication of access points, tracking location and aligning the movement of cranes towards or away from each other.
Glide Solution
Glide provided the user-friendly and scalable access point system with 32-bit ARM Cortex-M4 based MCU. We developed a system comprising of Wireless Access Point (WAP) which is connected to 2 type of access points:
- Mesh Access Point (MAP) is a 360° rotating access point attached with cranes to communicate with RAP.
- Root Access Point (RAP) is fixed at a static point in line of sight with the MAP and each RAP connects to 2 MAP.
The solution is developed with following hardware specification:
- Creating Standard 802.3af/at Power over Ethernet (PoE) supply used to power pan-tilt base & control board.
- Pan-tilt motor control through RS-485
- EMI Protections to avoid RF/Light interference
- Wi-Fi channel allocation to avoid cross-talk and miscommunication
- Separate sub-GHz network for information sharing among control units
- Bluetooth 3.0/BLE Support
- 3G+GPS/GNSS module is interfaced with Host controller for location details.
Features and Applications of Solution
- Line-of-Sight communication link between two APs (Access Point)
- MAP is flexible and rotates based on the position connected RAP
- Modular Mechanical Design with IP66 ratings
- Lightweight,Plastic/Metal enclosed wall Mountable System
Benefits
- Uninterrupted communication between access points
- Easy location tracking
- Automated alignment of antennas for effective communication