FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Metric Systems Corporation Delivers Secure, Reliable LMR Networking Solution to Assist U.S. Border Patrol Mission Success

VISTA, Calif., September 10, 2010 — Metric Systems Corporation (MSC) successfully completed phased delivery of its SAFARI™ Wireless Networking Controller to the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Agency in support of the their land-mobile radio (LMR) technology upgrade in the Yuma and Tucson, Arizona sectors.  The SAFARI™ Wireless Controller enabled the CBP to cost-effectively build sector-wide, multi-vendor LMR networks incorporating both network-ready and legacy equipment.  This LMR upgrade is a key component in the Department of Homeland Security’s mission to secure the U.S.-Mexico border.

Completed in September 2010, the CBP SAFARI™-based network consists of one hundred plus sites scattered over some of the globe’s most treacherous terrain.  Interconnected via broadband wireless, microwave fiber, and commercial circuits, this network provides a secure and fault-tolerant system instantly to connect field agents with their headquarters and other field agents.

This is the largest digital CBP LMR network deployed to date.  Its design introduced and proved a number of new productivity innovations which accelerate installation and enhanced operation, effectively reducing labor and operational expenses.

The SAFARI™ Controller is platformed on a single x86-high performance 1U shelf, incorporating an open architecture, Linux-based solution that provides an integrated gateway, router, and wireless system device application driver solution.  Its open architecture, non-proprietary approach eliminates the need for multiple proprietary vendor boxes and enables end-user systems integrator to provide tailor-optimized solutions.

About Metric Systems Corporation

Metric Systems Corporation designs and manufactures fixed and mobile wireless networking solutions that support and enable commercial, industrial, public safety, and military users to successfully perform their mission worldwide.  Metric Systems Corporation was established in 1992 and is headquartered in Vista, California, USA.

Contact:  Bill Brown, President, Metric Systems Corporation, 760.560.0348

Every wireless communications project is different.

At Metric Systems Corporation, we work hard to meet your technical and business needs. Our goal is to solve your networking problems and deliver a system that is reliable, secure and performs at or beyond your expectations.

See what our customers say about working with MSC:

Jeff Estes
CBP-OIT Project Manager
U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, Arizona

“The challenge to provide connectivity to the most inaccessible CBP [U.S. Customs and Border Patrol] sites in the United States presented a unique set of circumstances for our new Arizona network.

Tim O’Neill
Systems Manager
Usibelli Coal Mine, Alaska

“The challenge for our engineers is to communicate in real time with mining operators in the field.

The network Metric Systems developed feeds real-time production data from our Bucyrus® 1300W Dragline Excavator, via a wireless relay site, directly to computer screens in our head office. This allows engineers to analyze production on-the-fly and let operators know when to change their approach.

Metric Systems Corporation has been very supportive. Extreme weather conditions mean that we sometimes have trouble maintaining our wireless links. Your engineers have worked hard to resolve this problem.

Your wireless system has worked well for the past few years, and we plan to expand it to other equipment in the field.”

Robert (Bob) L. Davis
Senior Electrical/Electronic Technician
San Diego County Water Authority, California

“Sixty seconds to dispatch, sixty for the crew to assemble, and four minutes travel time – the difference between life and death. Dispatchers have just minutes from the time a call comes in to the time firefighters need to be at the scene.

Our network for alerting fire halls was outdated, and we knew it wouldn’t meet our growing needs. Metric Systems designed a system that networks our 17 firehalls – allowing our call center to reach and dispatch firefighters almost immediately across the 130-plus square miles that we serve.”

Len Garis, Fire Chief
Surrey Fire Services, British Columbia

I believe the best way to measure a company’s performance is by gauging customer satisfaction — we are completely satisfied with the system that Metric Systems delivered.”

“We had a networking situation that was best served by a wireless approach. The terrain in San Diego County is dry and mountainous at best, and we needed to provide high-speed, 2 mbps, full-duplex connectivity between our Central Automation Center and remote sites 12 and 35 miles away.

Metric Systems Corporation designed a system that met our data transfer requirements, and coordinated the installation and test process with our third-party contractors. There were a number of unexpected snags during installation, but Metric Systems engineers worked through these situations, delivering a system that greatly exceeded our expectations and specifications.

When the alarm goes out, 911 dispatchers in Surrey, British Columbia, have less than 6 minutes to get a team of firefighters to the scene.

The fire department’s dedicated Telco line network was outdated and inefficient at handling the number of calls coming in from this fast growing metropolitan area.

Metric Systems Corporation designed a tailored system that effectively networks the region’s 17 fire halls across 130 square miles. The system integrates a range of radio equipment and technologies, ensuring that calls trigger action almost immediately.

Key features of the system include:

• Wide-area operation covering over 130 square miles TCP/IP, 900 MHz infrastructure network
• Plug-and-play replacement for dedicated 2400 baud line to 19.2 Kbps
• No change to existing PSAP or dispatch software
• In operation for 10 years

Robust Wide Area Water District Network

A North County San Diego water district stretching from the Pacific coast to inland wanted to enhance its existing communications infrastructure to support user growth and network-based process control devices.

The district asked Metric Systems Corporation to analyze their current communications infrastructure and develop a staged deployment plan.

The network design had to meet the following criteria:

• No single communications fault could affect more than one remote site
• Infrastructure must support Ethernet/IP and legacy proprietary serial interfaces – in this case, ModBus
• Infrastructure must minimally impact existing UHF and VHF licensed SCADA networks
• Existing licensed system traffic must be supported by new infrastructure

Key features of the system include:

• Redundant broadband backbone ring
• Adaptation to various geographical topologies
• Concurrent support for Ethernet/IP and proprietary serial protocols
• Network-based concept allows quick and easy system maintenance and network evolution
• Full support for peer-to-peer, VPN, multicast and broadcast traffic
• Full online network monitoring, status and configuration
• Provides transport for VoIP and video services

Usibelli Coal Mine, Inc. is a Healy, Alaska, operation that provides coal to a range of North-American energy providers.

The region’s climate and topology often make it hard for engineers to be on site. The company had devised a SCADA information management system to provide real-time, 24/7 monitoring of their major dragline operations. What was missing was a way to transmit that data to the company’s head office.

Metric Systems Corporation developed a mobile wireless networking system based on our packaged Mavric™ Explorer and RAMM™ 2000 solutions. The system transmits data via a relay (repeater) station to the control office, allowing Usibelli engineers to make split-second decisions and adjust practices out in the field as necessary.

Key features of the system include:

• Unlicensed 900 MHz/2.4 GHz operation
• End-to end Ethernet connectivity
• Conversion of non-Ethernet data to Ethernet/IP compatible data
• 100 % 24/7 system monitoring
• Cold temperature survivability -40°C to 85°C operation
• Vibration resistant
• Expandable to multiple remote vehicles/platforms (trucks, portable units, etc.)
• Throughput of 115 Kbps

Tactical Wireless Wide Area Network (WWAN)

Customer

Alliant Techsystems Inc. (ATK) is a leading provider of advanced weapon and space systems. In addition, ATK is the world’s leading supplier of solid rocket motors and the nation’s largest manufacturer of ammunition.

Project Objective

Design and manufacture a NetCentric UHF COTS-based Wireless Wide Area Network (WWAN) system to provide wide area connectivity to ATK Mobile Ground-to-Air Radar Jamming System (MGARJS) shelters deployed over hundreds of square kilometers. Deliver production quantities in six months ARO.

System Solution Approach

To meet ad hoc mesh and redundancy requirements, a multiple radio configuration approach was chosen. This physical link architecture coupled with a highly efficient multi-cell Media Access Control (MAC) scheme, together with a MANET proactive routing scheme met the ATK requirement for a flexible, redundant fixed and mobile wide area wireless network.

Equipment Description

SAFARI™ DCR900 Controller

The SAFARI™ DCR900 Controller is at the core of the NetCentric WWAN system, with each controller consisting of two independent high speed RF spread-spectrum frequency-hopping modems for operation in two independent bands. Each modem is independently configurable to support multiple hop patterns per band. The SAFARI™ DCR900 WWAN supports multiple physical link topologies, including peer-to-peer, peer-to-multipoint, and ad hoc mesh configurations. A robust network management and embedded diagnostics suite provides real-time local and remote system and network monitoring.

SAFARI™ DCR900 Amplifier

The SAFARI™ DCR900 Amplifier shelf provides the additional RF power required to punch through noise and reach out for more than 100+ km.

TacNET Mission Planning and Network Administration and Monitoring Application

TacNET is a Windows®-based network design and real-time verification software tool that enables mission commanders to graphically design SAFARI™ networks and subsequently verify operations in the field. Individual network configuration files can be uploaded directly to fixed or mobile nodes via Ethernet or over the air.

End-to-End System Solutions

Metric Systems can provide you with a tailored communications system to meet your specific networking and environmental requirements.

Options

• Power amplifier output options — 10 to 100 watts

• Security — The SAFARI™ DCR900 comes standard with 64/128-bit WEP/TKIP/AES-CCM/802.1x, WPA security features.

• Frequency bands — single or multiband support available
  • Military 30 MHz to 6 GHz
  • Federal, state and local government 30 MHz to 6 GHz
  • International unlicensed bands — 400 MHz, 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz

• Data rates supported
  • 64 kbps to 10 mbps +

• Network topologies supported
  • Point-to-point, peer-to-peer, bridge
  • Point-to-multipoint, ad hoc, ad hoc mesh

• Physical link redundant options
  • Auto-rerouting
  • Predefined recover links
  • Tandem links

Typical Configuration

TacNET screenshot

SAFARI™ DCR900 WWAN Data Sheet

To learn more about the capabilities of the SAFARI™ DCR900 WWAN, please download our data sheet (PDF, 209 kb), or to discuss your specific requirement, please contact us.