Alarm Converter Technical Description

BCS MWR Product Management

Alarm ConverterSystem Technical Description and Specification

CODE: TD-310806-1

ISSUE/UPDATE: July 2009

VERSION 2.1

SOURCE: COO BCS MWR Product Management


Index

Index..............................................................................................................................2Introduction..................................................................................................................3

Scope......................................................................................................................................................3Related Documents................................................................................................................................3Revision Information.............................................................................................................................3

System Overview.........................................................................................................4Main Functionalities.....................................................................................................4

Input Station Alarms..............................................................................................................................4Output Station Alarms...........................................................................................................................4Communication between Remote Alarm Converters.............................................................................4Alarm remotization scenarios................................................................................................................4

Management................................................................................................................4Fault management.................................................................................................................................4Local history log....................................................................................................................................4

Security........................................................................................................................4Access....................................................................................................................................................4Accounting log.......................................................................................................................................4

Synchronization...........................................................................................................4Ports used for communications with NMS...................................................................4Technical Specifications..............................................................................................4

Mechanical data....................................................................................................................................4Power consumption...............................................................................................................................4External interfaces.................................................................................................................................4

Power Supply interface....................................................................................................................................4I/O interfaces.....................................................................................................................................................4Ethernet interface.............................................................................................................................................4RS-232 interface................................................................................................................................................4

Environmental conditions......................................................................................................................4Electromagnetic compatibility...............................................................................................................4


Introduction

ScopeScope of this document is to give an overview of Alarm Converter appliance focusing on architectural aspects and main features.

Related Documents

For a complete description of the available features for each Software Version Release please refer to the latest version of Customer Feature List and Customer Release Note

Revision InformationThe here listed configuration and feature are related to the last SVR released.

Issue Date Author Notes1.0 August 2006 BCS MWR PLM First Issue2.0 November 2006 BCS MWR PLM Revision2.1 July 2009 BCS MWR PLM Revision with TCP/UDP ports to be opened


System Overview

Alarm Converter is a device which collects 24 external alarms and provides 24 output commands.The Alarm Converter, 1/2 U high, adopts a monolithic architecture, consisting of a single replacement unit, supplied with dedicated brackets suitable for assembly in 19" or ETSI N3 racks. On the front panel the following connectors are present:

- 1 sub-D 3W3 connector for the -48V power supply- 1 RJ-45 connector for the Ethernet interface (Q interface)- 1 sub-D 9 connector for LCT interface (F interface)- 1 sub-D 25 connector for the 24 inputs- 1 sub-D 25 connector for the 24 outputs

A dual-color LED (green/red) is available on the front panel to indicate power On/ Card Fail condition.

Figure 1- Frontal Panel

At application level, the interface towards the NMS (Network Management system) is provided by a SNMP agent, whereas the interface towards LCT (Local Craft Terminal) is provided by a HTTPS server.

Figure 2- Alarm Converter Management Applications and protocol stack

½ UH

LCT(RS-232)

24 INPUT Alarms

24 OUPUT Alarms

Q-LAN(10/100BaseT)

Power Supply (-48V DC)


Main Functionalities

Input Station Alarms

Alarm Converter collects 24 external alarms, called Station alarms.Each station alarm is associated to a fixed “Alarm ID” (from 1 to 24) which identifies the alarm wire position. The status of 24 input lines and each station alarm variation is notified to NMS and/or to a remote Alarm Converter via Ethernet interface (Q) through DCN (Data Communication Network).User customizes each station alarm by setting the following parameters via LCT:

Name Polarity (‘ground/floating’: input physical level when the alarm is active) Severity (Critical, Major, Minor, Warning, Indeterminate) Destination: alarm notifications can be sent alternatively to NMS, to a remote Alarm Converter or

to both of them according to LCT setting. IP destination address of the remote Alarm Converter receiving the station alarm.

Output Station Alarms

Alarm Converter provides 24 output lines, called output commands.Each output command can be forced to a fixed value by LCT (as telecommand) or can remotely report a station alarm input issued by a remote Alarm Converter.Each output command is associated to a fixed “Command ID” (from 1 to 24) which identifies the output command wire position.For each output command the following parameters are available via LCT:

Name Polarity ( ‘ground/floating’: output physical level when the alarm is active) Source (‘LCT’ or ‘Remote Converter’).

Communication between Remote Alarm Converters

Communication between remote alarm converters uses a proprietary protocol over TCP/IP (connection oriented: safe alarm transfer is guaranteed by TCP). TCP connection status is monitored by LCT.Source Alarm Converter sends a message to the remote appliance only when there is a station alarm input variation (when no alarm variations occur only TCP keep alive messages are sent).Up to 48 connections are be managed, 24 for station alarms and 24 for output commands.Source Alarm Converter sends to Destination Alarm Converter not all alarm notifications but only those associated by configuration to that specific remote appliance.


Alarm remotization scenarios

Alarms are collected through the dedicated pin of the alarm port; each station alarm variation is sent via Ethernet interface (Q) through DCN towards NMS and/or towards one or more remote Alarm Converter devices, which restitute them through the output command interface. DCN network is used as IP transport network: it routes IP packets received by the Alarm Converter ignoring the content of IP packetsAlarm Converter can be connected to the DCN through the QLAN interface of SRAL XD/SRA 4 (also VLAN port of SRAL XD can be used).

Different examples of appliance scenarios concerning Alarm remotization are shown in the following figures.

The connection between Nodes A, B, C in Figure 3 represents the remotisation of station alarms from one site to another site. The alarms that are collected on one site (A, B in the picture) can be remotised to another site (C in the picture). This kind of application could be used, for example, in networks where station alarms are always collected by the Alarm Board of a BTS/Node B (or other apposite devices): in those sites where the Alarm Board is not present (Node A, B in the picture) the alarms are collected and transported towards the nearest NodeB/BTS in the network (Node C) and they are restituted by the remote Alarm Converter through output commands.

SRAL XD/

SRA4

V/QLAN

INPUT ALARMSALARM CONVERTER

SRAL XD/SRA4

V/QLAN

OUTPUT ALARMS

ALARM CONVERTER

SRAL XD/

SRA4V/QLAN


SITE A

SITE B

SITE C

Figure 3: Alarms Remotization from site A, B to site C

MICROWAVE

DCN

Network


In Figure 4, alarm converter is configured in order to notify the alarms to NMS only.

In Figure 5, Alarm Converters of sites A and B are configured in order to notify the alarms to NMS and at the same time to remotize them to site C through another alarm converter.

Summarising, the following configurations for alarm transfer are available: remotisation to an alarm converter notification to NMS remotisation to an alarm converter and notification to NMS

SRAL XD/

SRA4

V/QLAN

INPUT ALARMS

ALARM CONVERTER

Figure 4: Remote Management via IP DCN

NMS

MICROWAVE

DCN

Network

SRAL XD/

SRA4

V/QLAN


SRAL XD/SRA4

V/QLAN

OUTPUT ALARMS

ALARM CONVERTER

SRAL XD/

SRA4V/QLAN


SITE A

SITE B

SITE C

Figure 5: Alarms Remotization from site A, B to site C and to NMS

NMS

MICROWAVE

DCN

Network


Management

Fault management

Alarm Converter is fault monitored by NMS (via SNMP traps over UDP/IP protocol) and LCT (via HTTPS server in the embedded SW). Alarms are classified as:

Physical Alarm type, when an HW failure occurs (substitution of the unit is required). Card fail is the only Physical alarm (Critical).

Functional Alarm type, which brings to loss of functionality. Time server missing is the only Functional alarm (Minor).

Station Alarm type: the configurable alarms are collected via 24 input lines.

In the LCT window, there is a “summarized” status indication for each severity: each indication is red if at least one (or possibly) more alarms with the corresponding severity are active. Multiple indications can be red at the same time.In the communication towards NMS, severity is sent within the trap for each station alarm separately. An example of LCT “Alarm” window is shown in the figure.

Card Fail

Physical Alarms

! Time server Missing

Functional Alarms

Station Alarms

Alarm Collector Alarms

1 Alarm Name

24 Alarm Name

Figure 4 -LCT “Alarms” window

Local history log

This feature supports the visualization of the recent history of the appliance on a WEB page on LCT. More than 4000 events (Alarm state changes) are recorded and visualized.


Security

Access

Alarm Converter configurations can be modified only by LCT, whose access (via HTTPS) is protected by encrypted user and password.Three classes of users are foreseen: Administrator, Read/write and Read/only.NMS users have only Read Only privileges.

Accounting log

This feature supports the visualization of the list of users which have accessed LCT recently. A list of up to 120 records relevant to LCT log actions (login or logout) performed by users is stored in non volatile memory. Such information is available uploading a file via FTP.

Synchronization

When an alarm arises a SNMP TRAP is sent to NMS including an Alarm Id and time stamp field. System clock is synchronized to the network clock in order to provide the time stamp “synchronous” with the NMS clock.NTP is the protocol used to support Alarm Converter synchronization. If NTP is disabled, Alarm Converter date and time can be manually configured by LCT.

Ports used for communications with NMS

The following ports need to be opened on the DCN network (e.g. on routers or firewalls) between Alarm Converter and NMS:

Application Local Listening PortsSNMP v2 161/UDP HTTPS server 443/TCP FTP server 21/TCP (control) -20/TCP (data)Proprietary Peer-to peer connection

49160/TCP

Application Remote Listening Ports (on server)SNMP v2 - Trap 162/UDP NTP client 123/UDP Proprietary peer-to peer connection

49160/TCP


Technical Specifications

Mechanical data

Height 22mmWidth 442mmDepth 115mm Weight ~1kg

Power consumption

The maximum power consumption in Watt [W] over the whole operational voltage range is 3W (typical) and 3,5W (guaranteed).

External interfaces

Power Supply interface

Connector type: sub-D-3W3, 3 poles, with golden power pins

Electrical definition

Input voltage range (A3 pin relative to A1 pin) -38,4V -57,6V

Abnormal voltage range (high level) -57,6 V -72V

Automatic power-up voltage (low level) -37,5V 0,5V

Automatic shutdown voltage (low level) -36,5V 0,5V

Protection against reversal of battery polarity yes

I/O interfaces

Connector type: Sub-D 25 poles with golden contacts.

Electrical definition

Input lines OPEN criterion -3V +2V voltage to ground with 60k series CLOSED criterion -3V +2V voltage to ground with 200 series

Output lines OPEN criterion

Potential negative/positive to ground (from external source)Max. voltage 72V


Max. sinking current 0,1 mA CLOSED criterion

Potential negative/positive to ground (from external source)Max. voltage 72VMax. continuous current 60 mAResidual voltage (on the contact) 2V

Ethernet interface

Connector type: RJ-45, 8 poles, gold plated finishing ( according to FCC 68 regulations)

Bit rate: 10/100Mbit/s autosensing Connections 100 balanced Connector: RJ45

10BaseT Electrical interface: IEEE 802.3 Bit-rate 10Mbit/s Line coding: Manchester

100BaseT Electrical interface: IEEE 802.3u Bit-rate 100Mbit/s Line coding: MLT3

RS-232 interface

Bit rate: 38.4Kbit/s Electrical interface: V.24 (RS-232 C) Connector: Sub-D 9pin with golden contacts

Environmental conditions

Environmental conditions along with the relevant maximum temperature range are reported in the following table.

Location ETSI Recommendation Class Max Temperature range

Stationary use EN 300 019-1-3 3.2 5°C ÷ +55°C with guaranteed performance;10°C ÷ +60°C with no permanent damages

Transportation EN 300 019-1-2 2.3 40°C ÷ +70°CStorage EN 300 019-1-1 1.3 40C +70C

Electromagnetic compatibility

Compliant with Emission and Immunity requirements according to EN 301- 489-1, EN 301- 489-4 and EN-61000-4.