A cutting-edge cable car spans the Thames in London between Greenwich and the Royal Docks. On behalf of PKE Electronics AG, euromicron’s ACE Team designed, configured and commissioned the entire WLAN connection for the cabins. The security infrastructure for remote maintenance access was also implemented by euromicron.
The ACE Team of euromicron solutions GmbH, one of the euromicron Group’s system houses, has implemented the WLAN connection and remote maintenance access for the cabins of the cable car in London on behalf of PKE Electronics AG. The cable car was opened in the financial capital at the end of June and will soon definitely become a further highlight for tourists visiting the UK’s capital.
The cabins are equipped with multimedia passenger communications systems (PCSs), which enable the operators to entertain and inform passengers during the trip, as well as to give them optimal protection in emergencies.
“The cable car in London was now the fourth project of this kind we’ve implemented for PKE Electronics AG. We have resoundingly confirmed our expertise in the field of WLAN technology and in meeting climatic requirements with the cable car projects we have accomplished in Singapore, Koblenz and the Lenzerheide skiing region in Switzerland,” says Bernd Nonnenmacher, Head of the ACE Team at euromicron solutions.
“PKE’s specification for the cable car cabins in London demanded a stable bandwidth of six to eight megabits a second throughout the route so as to permit live broadcasts by HDTV as well,” explains Nonnenmacher. All the requirements were fully met with Cisco WLAN technology, with the result that passengers can watch live television broadcasts on the monitors integrated in the cabins.
Network connection via WLAN and roaming
So that the PCs in the cabins can be provided with up-to-date content by push and pull, all the cabins are connected via WLAN to a central content server at PKE. The challenge: The WLAN receivers in the cabins are constantly in motion and subject to fluctuations and disturbance. In addition, the route has to be covered by multiple WLANs, which means that roaming is necessary. To ensure a stable network connection, each cabin was therefore equipped with two antennas for both directions of travel.
Security is written large in London
The IP connection also offers many advantages in terms of security and maintenance: The cable car operator can connect into individual cabins from a monitoring workstation at any time in order to rectify errors or change settings.
The system is designed to enable emergency calls and announcements and has a central operator workstation in the control station, from which it is controlled centrally using a graphical user interface. A complex and refined power control system regulates and ensures an emergency power supply for one to three hours.
Quiet, emission-free cabin cable cars are becoming established in more and more cities and regions worldwide as a modern means of transport – in skiing, for urban transport and for event or location marketing. High-end infotainment and powerful multimedia equipment not only makes the journey pass more quickly for passengers, but also informs them of all kinds of attractive offers and can ensure smooth communication in the event of an emergency.
euromicron solutions GmbH (www.euromicron-solutions.com) is a system house of euromicron AG and the specialist for telecommunications, IT & networks and security systems. Customers of euromicron solutions benefit from extensive project expertise in designing and implementing system solutions in the areas of communication, security, monitoring and IT. The company also offers managed services to meet the customer’s specific requirements and future-proof, end-to-end solutions – from consulting, implementation to maintenance.
euromicron AG (www.euromicron.de) is an all-round solution provider for communications, transport, data and security networks. euromicron’s network infrastructures integrate voice, video and data transport wirelessly, via copper cable and by means of fiber-optic technologies.
euromicron builds its leading applications, such as security, control, healthcare or surveillance systems, on the basis of these cutting-edge network infrastructures.
Founded on its expertise as a developer and producer of fiber-optic components, euromicron AG is a strongly growing, highly profitable group that is listed on the stock market, has a medium-sized character and focuses on operational growth, integration and further market penetration, internationalization and expansion.