Motorola Canopy - Radiocommunications

The Canopy system provides reliable high-speed service on a widespread basis without significant investments in equipment costs, RF licenses and deployment expenses.

System Overview

Motorola's Canopy platform allows for the extension of LANs wirelessly between buildings (point to point) or the ability to provide Internet access to individual subscribers via wireless transmissions (point to multipoint).

The Canopy platform consists of three primary components: Access Points, Subscriber Modules, and Backhaul Modules. Each are available in multiple, unlicensed broadcast frequency options (2.4 GHz, 5.2 GHz, 5.7 GHz, and, in the newest modules, 900 MHz) and are offered with integrated or external antenna options.

Access Points provide the Internet access transmissions to individual subscribers. Each outdoor access point (approximately a foot in height, and 4 inches wide/deep) can support access for up to 200 subscribers in a 60 degree field; a full complement of access points (cluster) therefore consists of 6 such access points. The Access Point Cluster Management module consists of an Ethernet switch for connectivity to the LAN, GPS antenna/receiver for AP and BH synchronization, and a power supply sufficient for use with 8 Canopy modules (typically 6 APs and up to 2 optional BH modules). Canopy modules are powered via PoE.

On the user's side, individual outdoor Subscriber Modules are installed and aimed at the APs (again, supporting a 60 degree beamwidth). Subscriber Modules are similar to the access points themselves and provide connectivity between the subscriber's LAN and the access point cluster. Access points support transmission ranges of up to 2 miles with the integrated antenna, and 10 miles with passive reflectors, depending on frequency and conditions.

Finally, the Backhaul module can be used for point-to-point communications, including providing or extending the base Internet access itself to the Access Points (both a Backhaul unit and an Access Point Cluster can be utilized at the same site). Backhaul modules support transmission distances of up to 35 miles, again, depending on frequency and conditions. The latest Backhaul module releases support effective throughput to 33 Mbps (5.8 GHz).

Additional/optional features of the Canopy platform include encryption support (DES/AES); the Bandwidth and Authentication Manager, a software component that allows for the setting of bandwidth limitations on a subscriber by subscriber basis; and a T1/E1 multiplexer with incremental support for up to 4 T1 (3 E1) lines.

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