Passive Element Monitoring

Asentria provides a full range of hardware and software tools to manage the passive elements at a Base Transceiver Site (BTS or cell site) location. Passive monitoring refers to the monitoring of a cell site for power, security, and environmental issues that might affect the service providing communication equipment located within the site. The purpose of Asentria’s products are to reduce the costs of operating the communication network. This is accomplished by reducing the frequency and length of network outages caused by power, security, or environmental issues. If an outage does occur, service personnel can be dispatched with valuable data regarding what problems they may encounter once they reach the site.

AC/DC/BATTERY
In a remote cell site, power issues are one of the most fundamental items that people will wish to monitor. Asentria can monitor AC main power to the site. Solutions range from very simple presence or absence of AC power, to interfaces from our units to AC power analyzers that can provide very complete and sophisticated AC monitoring data. DC monitoring at the cell site can range from just a simple analog measurement, to more sophisticated monitoring of DC currents, or the battery stacks. Asentria provides a wide range of power monitoring solutions for use with Asentria SiteBoss base units.

FUSE PANELS
In a remote cell site, power issues are one of the most fundamental items that people will wish to monitor. Monitoring specific fuses at a fuse panel is another common application. This can typically be done with a simple contact closure.

DIESEL FUEL LEVEL MONITORING
In cell sites or other communication sites in emerging markets of the world, the monitoring of diesel fuel tanks is a major concern. Concerns relate to security issues regarding the pilferage of diesel fuel, or simply monitoring the usage of fuel per site. Asentria diesel fuel monitoring solutions range from simple, inexpensive monitoring for the purpose of knowing when a truck should go to a remote site to refill a tank, to more accurate monitoring of diesel consumption and diesel generator run-time, or to indicate that pilferage is occurring. Diesel fuel tanks come in all shapes and sizes, and integration work may be necessary to handle specific tank types. Asentria provides diesel fuel sensors to handle the majority of diesel monitoring needs found around the world.

TEMPERATURE/HUMIDITY
Temperature is one of the most basic and desired variables to monitor in BTS locations. It can be paired with monitoring of HVAC systems to better understand potential HVAC problems at a remote location. Temperature monitoring at a cell site could be as simple as a single monitoring point, or multiple points distributed throughout a room to monitor temperature near critical equipment. Asentria has a wide variety of options for temperature monitoring at your BTS.

SMOKE/WATER
For a BTS site, the presence of smoke or water can be the most catastrophic issues a communication network might face. Smoke could indicate a power problem or surge, or something worse. For a site as dependent on power as a cell site, the presence of water could be could be catastrophic. A water alarm could be as minor as small condensation from an HVAC system, to a leaking enclosure, or something worse. Asentria can provide water sensors, as well as smoke detectors appropriate for use in a DC-powered environment.

AIRFLOW/HVAC
At remote cell sites, keeping the equipment operating within a specified temperature range is critical. Asentria’s solutions for ensuring HVAC equipment is functioning properly range from simply monitoring if a fan or vent is providing airflow via an airflow sensor, to more sophisticated solutions where the Asentria SiteBoss might interface directly to HVAC equipment itself. With integration work, we can provide solutions to optimize the use of HVAC equipment to reduce operating expenses related to energy costs.

IP CAMERA
A common desire is the ability to have an IP camera at a BTS, primarily as a security tool to detect undesirable events at a remote location. Cameras come in many different types, and Asentria can provide a number of different models for specialized projects. If ethernet connectivity is available, it is not typically necessary to integrate the camera directly with a SiteBoss unit. If wireless is the only transport method available, it is possible that some solutions can be integrated, but the complexity goes up significantly.

TOWER LIGHTS
In North America, cell tower lighting monitoring is a requirement of the Federal Aviation Administration, and strict monitoring standards are enforced. Immediate rectification of a burnt bulb is required or significant penalties will result. Asentria SiteBoss units can be used to monitor for inoperative bulbs, and can provide immediate notification when an outage is detected.

DOOR OPEN/MOTION/RFID ACCESS
Monitoring of security items regarding human access to the site can be addressed using Asentria products. A simple door sensor can detect when the door is open or closed. A motion detector can sense if someone is inside the site. More complex solutions are also available. The SiteBoss can be directly connected to a door strike, so that NOC personnel can manually allow entry for service personnel. RFID card readers can be used as well, and these solutions can range from fairly basic such as allowing a single individual to access one site, to a complex situation where many technicians require access to many locations. The most complex solutions require greater levels of planning and integration.

NOTIFICATION TO N.O.C.
Connectivity from the SiteBoss to the Network Operation Center (NOC) is most commonly via ethernet. POTS/PSTN phone lines were a traditional out-of-band method of delivering alarms or providing remote access, but are rapidly being replaced by wireless modem connections. Most often notification is delivered via SNMP to a Network Management Software (NMS). Asentria has developed an ability in our Asentria SiteManager (ASM) software to overcome the challenges involved in working in environments where a wireless connection is your only connection. ASM is currently available for trials managed directly by Asentria, and offers a reliable, secure, low-bandwidth method of sending data from the remote site to the NOC.

Asentria provides a broad range of flexible, scalable, and easy-to-use products for management of remote telecommunications sites. Passive Monitoring common use cases include:

WALK-IN ENCLOSURES
Commonly customers for passive monitoring solutions are mobile or cell operators. The most common location for passive solutions are in larger walk-in enclosures. These enclosures often contain larger concentrations of equipment, and may require more complex and integrated solutions.

COMMONLY-USED ASENTRIA EQUIPMENT
S450, S530, S550, ASM Software, Event Sensors, 3rd Party Sensors.

PEDESTAL ENCLOSURES
Passive monitoring may also occur in very small cabinets. These applications are frequently quite simple. Small cabinets may be found in use by mobile operators, but also may be found in highway, rail, utility, and other communication networks. These cabinets may hold a small amount of equipment, and require nothing more than temperature, door open, and a few other key variables. Commonly Used Asentria Equipment S410, S420, Event Sensors, and 3rd Party Sensors