Remote Reset of Motorola Canopy Equipment

I have designed and installed a number of licenced band and ISM radio
systems that use microprocessor-controlled electronic modules for
various functions. Experience has been that these modules lock-up not
infrequently, due to power glitches and static discharges during
lightning storms and AC power interruptions.

While some equipment will recover from an interruption by rebuilding
its data flow to the desired transfer rate, other devices require a
reboot to clear a lock-up.

Recently, we had our first lock-up of a Canopy trunk and distribution
system at a remote site. An electrical storm had caused a lock-up that
prohibited us from connecting with the backhaul unit via telnet.
Technical support was dispatched to travel to the site and investigate
further. Our technician found that there was no data transfer from the
BH to the AP and that he had to reset the default IP addresses for
both the AP and BH, using the default plug and a power-off in order to
clear the lock-up. After this activity, the custom IP addresses were
then re-entered via the keyboard. In short, there is a method to clear
this type of lock-up, but it requires physically accessing the radio.

Given that we are contemplating implementing systems in that are
several hundred miles from experienced technical resources in
extremely remote areas that experience electrical storms and hydro
power outages on a regular basis, the thought that a technician would
have to be dispatched to clear this type of lock-up is "bone-chilling"
to say the least, both in terms of downtime and the substantial costs
that would be suffered in performing what is a relatively simple fix.

Does anyone know of suppliers that provide remote access and control
equipment that can be used to remotely clear this type of lock-up via
a dial-up telephone facility and a modem?

This issue would seem to be a very substantial consideration to the
use of Canopy, and similar, wireless systems and their ongoing
operation in remote locations.

Bill Evans
Winnipeg, Manitoba

"Bill Evans" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed) om...
> I have designed and installed a number of licenced band and ISM radio
> systems that use microprocessor-controlled electronic modules for
> various functions. Experience has been that these modules lock-up not
> infrequently, due to power glitches and static discharges during
> lightning storms and AC power interruptions.
>
> While some equipment will recover from an interruption by rebuilding
> its data flow to the desired transfer rate, other devices require a
> reboot to clear a lock-up.
>
> Recently, we had our first lock-up of a Canopy trunk and distribution
> system at a remote site. An electrical storm had caused a lock-up that
> prohibited us from connecting with the backhaul unit via telnet.
> Technical support was dispatched to travel to the site and investigate
> further. Our technician found that there was no data transfer from the
> BH to the AP and that he had to reset the default IP addresses for
> both the AP and BH, using the default plug and a power-off in order to
> clear the lock-up. After this activity, the custom IP addresses were
> then re-entered via the keyboard. In short, there is a method to clear
> this type of lock-up, but it requires physically accessing the radio.
>
> Given that we are contemplating implementing systems in that are
> several hundred miles from experienced technical resources in
> extremely remote areas that experience electrical storms and hydro
> power outages on a regular basis, the thought that a technician would
> have to be dispatched to clear this type of lock-up is "bone-chilling"
> to say the least, both in terms of downtime and the substantial costs
> that would be suffered in performing what is a relatively simple fix.
>
> Does anyone know of suppliers that provide remote access and control
> equipment that can be used to remotely clear this type of lock-up via
> a dial-up telephone facility and a modem?
>
> This issue would seem to be a very substantial consideration to the
> use of Canopy, and similar, wireless systems and their ongoing
> operation in remote locations.
>
> Bill Evans
> Winnipeg, Manitoba

I know there is a wireless / Canopy list server
http://archives.part-15.org/listarch...llist=Motorola

and other resources directly related to discussing Canopy systems.
You might try asking on those systems....to see what others have done.

On 18 Aug 2004 09:36:29 -0700, (E-Mail Removed) (Bill Evans) wrote:

>Does anyone know of suppliers that provide remote access and control
>equipment that can be used to remotely clear this type of lock-up via
>a dial-up telephone facility and a modem?

What I've been doing is using a pager for power cycles and reboots.
The idea is to be independent of the telco backhaul or anything that
might hang. I setup Motorola Bravo pagers on a digital pager account.
I do my own programming so I have perhaps 10 pagers on one number.
Page the number and they all respond. Wired into the display section
is a simple PROM that decodes the last two digits of the display.
Each pager has a different PROM code. If I wanna reset a remote site,
I simply dial the pager(s) number, send the corresponding code, and it
power cycles the wireless box. The number is the same as my own
pager, so I know that the message has been sent. For power control, I
use opto isolated solid state AC switches and NC relays. Biggest
headache is a strong nearby transmitter overloading the pager receiver
front end.

There are commercial versions of such things. PageTap used to be the
major supplier, but they're gone. I seem to be having problems
finding vendors with Google:
http://www.rtc-traffic.com/htmfiles/DA2100.htm
http://www.symtoys.com/toy3.html
I'll dig for more vendors later.

--
Jeff Liebermann (E-Mail Removed)
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 AE6KS 831-336-2558

<SNIP>

>
> Does anyone know of suppliers that provide remote access and control
> equipment that can be used to remotely clear this type of lock-up via
> a dial-up telephone facility and a modem?
>
> This issue would seem to be a very substantial consideration to the
> use of Canopy, and similar, wireless systems and their ongoing
> operation in remote locations.
>
> Bill Evans
> Winnipeg, Manitoba

Hi Bill,

One of the other replies to your question had a decent solution, the
pager solution, but I'll offer another.

I had deployed one companies equipment in a state-wide network. Each cell
site had a PC, a Cisco rtr, a GPS unit, wireless gear and a UPS.

The computer's modem was plugged into the POTS line. The UPS had an SNMP
card in it, and the UPS console cable was connected to the PC as well.
All of the equipment was plugged into the UPS except for the cell PC (and
the rack fans).

One of the features of the network managed UPS was the ability to cycle
power on it remotely, either thru the backhaul, or by remoting into the
cell PC via the modem (like PCAnywhere, or terminal server) and just
using a terminal program thru the PC com port.

It worked out pretty well.


Regards,

DS