MICROWAVES Kenya installs digital microwave system C.R.S, Aloo and S, F. Odongo Odera, Kenya Posts & Telecommunications Corp., Nairobi,Kenya and Y. Morice, Société Anonyme de Télécommunications, Paris, FranceMICROWAVES Kenya installs digital microwave system G.R-S. Aloo and §. F. Odongo Odera, Kenya Posts & Telecommunications Corp., Nairobi, Kenya été Anonyme de Télécommunications, Paris, France and Y. Morice, : ‘Serving the Eastern and North-Eastern provinees of Kenya, the North-EastDigital Microwave System of the Kenya Posts and Telecommunieations Corporation uses digital and solar power technology to bring modern telecommunications services to areas where few services were previously available. With the formal putting into service this June of the North East Digital Microwave Network, Kenya Posts and ‘Telecommunications Corporation (KPTC) will have fully entered the era of digital transmission. Carrying both voice and digitally encoded TV and sound program channels, the North- East system forms the backbone for the provision of telecommunieations ser- vvices to the Northern and Eastern areas of Kenya where previous service was by. ‘means of HP radio. Serving a number of exchanges, rural publie call offices and providing ‘program transmission ser- vices for the broadcast authority, the Voice of Kenya, the system marks a major advance in the development of services in the area. The route to Libot forms Kenya's part of the future Panaf- tel link with Somalia, Figure 1 shows the areas served by the system. ‘The inauguration of the North-Kast. system represents more than just the completion of a radio system installa- tion as it aleo marks the completion of a successful transfer of digital system knowledge from the manufacturer to KPTC. KPTC staff have participated in system design, have performed all the installation tasks, have developed an independent training eapability for sys- tem planning and operation, and now operate a complete depot level repair centre for system electronic equipment. ‘The radio equipment for the system is, the FHD 234 family of digital miero- wave equipment, operating at 2GHz with a capacity of 34Mbit's manufactu- red by Societé Anonyme deTelecommu- nications (SAT) of France. Each RF channel can accomodate the equivalent, of 480 voice channels or one digitally ‘encoded colour TV signal plus associated, sound program channels, This capacity and frequency band were chosen be- cause of the nature of propagation The panels arearranged along aNorth- South axis to minimise shadowing by the lower. fered “The abundant sunshine is used for solar power for repeater stations’ conditions in the semi-desertie North- East areaas well asthe requirement for relatively long hops. The system works in an initial 1 + 1 configuration with protection switching between the chan- nels. Telephony is assigned to the primary channel and the TV signals are carried on the secondary channel. Sys- tem expansion to an ultimate eapacity of 5 + Lispossible. Space and frequency diversity were not required in the systom, but 8 Watt output high power amplifiers are used on certain difficult hops. There are 40 radio stations, in the system, of which 22 are through repea: tors without demodulation. Of the re- eater stations seventeen are solar powered and the remainder are at existing sites where a power supply is already available. There is one exten- sion of the S4Mbit's digital streams from a radio terminal station to a multiplex centre over coaxial cables. SAT's MX-304 primary POM multiplex ‘equipment and 'NM 1.2.3 higher order multiplexers are used for the initial analogue to digital conversion of the input telephone channels and their multiplexing to the 34Mbitis digital rate. Signalling interface units aro used for other than inter-exchange connec tions to allow termination of remote subscribers and publie call offices. In ‘major nodal stations circuits are trans- ferred at 2Mbitisto allow great flexibili- ty in network reconfiguration Kenya i blessed with abundant sun- shine and this is taken advantage of in the use of solar power for repeater stations. All new repeater stations in the system use solar power. The design of the solar systems was based upon extensive available meteorological data ‘and measurements made during the system survey. Because of the situation of the system near the equator and theMICROWAVES pattern of sunlight and space availabili- ty, asomewhat unusual arrangement of the solar panels in the array has been adopted. As shown in the photograph the panels are arranged along a North: South axis to minimise the effect of the shadow of the tower crossing the array. ‘The solar power systems have been ‘There are 41 stations, 22 are unattended, over 1600 route kilometers, and seven major sections’ designed with fourteen days’ solar auto- nomy in the batteries and sufficient power in the arrays to both meet the Toad and recharge the battery under ‘minimum sunlight conditions. During ‘stem design the alternatives of dual diesel engine-generator sets and solar power were considered for the repea- ters. Solar power won out on the basis of cost, maintenance liability and the problems of fuel transportation and Storage. The first solar stations have been on-line for over one year and are performing well. Initial eoneerns about possible dust accumulation on the eur. face of the cells have proved unfounded. Specially designed solar power system regulators are employed to control the output of the arrays and the charging of the batteries. They control the charge of tho battery co as to reduce the loss of electrolyte and are interfaced with the network supervisory system to give overall visibility of power as well as radio equipment performance. The batteries used are of a type with tubular electrodes and have an extra largereservoir of electrolyte. Because of the extra volume of electrolyte only one station visit per year is required. Du- ring each visit the level ofelectrolyte in the battery is ehecked as is the output power of the radio transmitters. No routine maintenance is required, In addition to carrying telephony and data circuits, the system is used for television and radio program distribu- ton. The TVD 34 digital rv and sound code operating at $4Mbit/s from SAT is used throughout the network as shown in Figure 2. Major stations contain both fan encoder and a deender to allow Ethiopia Mado Gashi Somalia Future Panafte link] to Somalia Figure 1. The arrangement of the North-East digital microwave system with 17, solar powered repeaters. It may be the largest solar powered system in operation. signals to be both originated and recei ved while at minor stations a decoder anda branching unit allow the signal to be fed to the local transmitter Because of the size and complexity of the network (41 stations, 22 of which are unattended, aver 1600 route kilo- meters, and seven major sections) the network supervision system isextreme- ly important. The TCS.200 alarm and supervisory system has been adopted which provides observation of up to 32 Garissa ‘alarms, events or conditions per station land six remote commands per station, For supervision purposes the network is divided into two roughly equal halves and is supervised from centresin Nairo- bi and Meru. Bach supervisory centre consists of the supervisory master unit with control keyboard and Visual Dis- play Unit ag well as an event printer ‘which records all alarms and actions in the network. An additional printer is remoted from Meru to Nairobi to give Mandora 6 © Figure 2. rv and sound signals distribution network. Major stations can receive and originate programs,MICROWAVES vorall network visibility there, This same supervisory network will also be used soon in the North of Kenya to provide common supervision and control of all major digital microwave Jinks in Kenya, As KPTC's first major digital transmis- sion system, the North Bast neowork hhas served a’ the vehicle for training in digital technology. Near the beginning of the project a number of high level staffengineers went to the manufactu- rer for several monthe of intensive study of digital equipment and techno- logy, as well as system installation and ‘operation. Upon their return, two stait ‘members were charged with developing acomplete training syllabus for KPIC € Central Training School equipment for practical training. As a result, a complete in-country training course now runs regularly at. the Central ‘Training School to provide fully trained staff for system planning, installation, and operation, Other staff’ members trained in Paris have assumed responsibility for system installation and operation, with one engineer serving as KPTC's Clerk of Works for the project. ‘The Central Repair Depot of KPTC is a very well equipped high level workshop ‘capable of repairing virtually all equip- ‘ment in uee within the Kenya network. Although complete analogue transmis. sion equipment repair capability was in place, a similar capability for digital radio and multiplex was developed as a part of the North-Kast system. In the first step four experienced techni- cians went to France for a period of theoretical and factory training on ‘equipment repair. This was followed by setting up and putting into operation a special section for the repair of digital radio and transmission equipment in- cluding all spares, components, and test equipment that are required for the autonomous depot level repair of the equipment. . Reprinted from Communications International, May 1986