© 2011 Tropos Networks, Inc.

Wireless Networking for the Smart GridNarasimha ChariChief Technology Officer

© 2011 Tropos Networks, Inc. | Page 2

• Technology and products company

• Outdoor mesh routers and network management software

• 800+ customers in 50 countries

• 40+ patents• Founded in 2000• Headquarters in

Sunnyvale, CA

About Tropos

© 2011 Tropos Networks, Inc. | Page 3

Smart Grid requires broadband communications

Automated Metering

Power Quality and Planning

Renewable Integration

SMART GRID

Demand Response

Distribution Automation and Control

Outage Management

Field Data Applications

PHEV Management

© 2011 Tropos Networks, Inc. | Page 4

Other applications representing higher traffic include:• Substation Video• PHEV Station• Mobile GIS• AVL …and more in the future

Smart Grid bandwidth needs growing

© 2011 Tropos Networks, Inc. | Page 5

Tiered view of Smart Grid communications

© 2011 Tropos Networks, Inc. | Page 6

Tropos architecture components

• Wireless IP Mesh Routers

• PTMP and PTP Radio Systems

• Centralized Wireless Network Management

© 2011 Tropos Networks, Inc. | Page 7

GridCom: Distribution-Area Network

© 2011 Tropos Networks, Inc. | Page 8

Distribution Area Network requirements

• Availability• Survivability• Coverage• Performance: Bandwidth & latency• QoS• Security• Manageability• Interoperability

© 2011 Tropos Networks, Inc. | Page 9

Reliability challenges at utility-scale• Very large service territories• Mix of urban, suburban and rural areas• Diverse application mix with different requirements • Stringent requirements

– Mission-critical apps need very high availability networks (4 or 5 9's)

– Need for highly survivable networks to aid in service restoration following outages

– Sub-cycle latencies (<20ms) for DA• Most utilities do not own licensed spectrum

• Wireless is hard

© 2011 Tropos Networks, Inc. | Page 10

Techniques for high-reliability wireless

• Hardware– High-performance radios– Ruggedized outdoor-optimized hardware– Backup power options– MIMO techniques

• Architecture– Resilient mesh architecture (path and route diversity)– Opportunistic use of multiple bands (frequency band diversity) – Distributed channel coordination (channel diversity)– Combination of mesh and PTMP topologies– Fault detection and isolation

• Cognitive radio techniques– Adaptive modulation– Transmit power control– Adaptive noise immunity

© 2011 Tropos Networks, Inc. | Page 11

High Reliability Mesh Routers

• Reliable• Self organizing fully redundant mesh• >99.99% system availability• -40ºC to 55ºC operating range• IP67 weather tight (NEMA 6+)• Available battery backup• IEEE 1613 compliant

• Secure• Multi-layer security – 802.1x, IPSec, AES• FIPS 140-2 certified

• Manageable• Monitoring, configuration, upgrades, fault

management, security• Multiple Applications

• High bandwidth: up to 15Mbps• Low latency: 3-5ms per hop• Application QoS: 802.11e, 802.1p, VLANs

© 2011 Tropos Networks, Inc. | Page 12

Mesh architecture

Tropos mesh software leverages redundant paths, channels, frequencies, and backhaul locations to create the most robust network possible

© 2011 Tropos Networks, Inc. | Page 13

Cognitive Radio Techniques for High Reliability

• Mesh architecture: inherently capable of routing around interference through leveraging path diversity

• Multi-band radio technologies can efficiently and adaptively exploit multiple frequency bands, with failover and load-balancing between them (e.g., dual-mode 2.4/5 GHz)

• Dynamic frequency selection: ability to detect interference or elevated noise levels and dynamically switch channels

• Transmit power control and adaptive modulation: techniques for adapting radio transmission parameters in real-time to maintain link reliability

© 2011 Tropos Networks, Inc. | Page 14

Private Network Architectures: Mesh and PTMP

PTMP Advantages Mesh Advantages

Large coverage area Resilient high-availability architecture

Compelling economics for sparse areas Ideal solution for NLOS environments, dense urban areasEasy to deployHigh system capacity

PTMP Challenges Mesh Challenges

LOS is challenging in urban areas Requires pole-top mounting assets

Expensive site acquisition, construction Economics for sparsely-populated areasHub-and-spoke architecture with single point of failure

Management of many distributed assets

© 2011 Tropos Networks, Inc. | Page 15

PTMP and Mesh are Complementary• PTMP and Mesh are complementary technologies for the

DAN layer– PTMP is very cost-effective rural deployments– PTMP is suitable for mesh capacity injection in denser areas,

especially where there isn’t utility-owned fiber– Mesh is well-suited for urban/suburban areas providing resilience

and higher capacity

• Optimal combination of Mesh and PTMP leverages the strengths of both– Mesh extends coverage range of PTMP and improves reliability– Architectural resilience through mesh failover capabilities– Unification of mesh and PTMP components through Tropos Control – Combined deployment achieves

• Economics optimized for mix of urban/suburban/rural areas• Meets requirements for multiple DAN applications

© 2011 Tropos Networks, Inc. | Page 16

What Optimal Technology Mix Looks Like

Data Center(s)

TroposControl

Tier 3 (NAN)

Tier 4 (HAN)DenseUrban Urban Suburban Rural / Ultra Rural

Tier 1: Fiber (SONET, GigE),Microwave, MPLS Core

Decreasing Mesh Density Transition to WiMAX/P2MP/LTE

Tier 1 Topology Implemented withPath Diversity Where Possible

SpurFiber

Microwave

Tropos Gateway (GW)Routers Installed at

Tier 1 Core Sites

GW

GW GW

P2MP Demarc toMesh Gateways

Tropos Node (ND) RoutersDistribute Tier 2Capacity AcrossUrban/Suburban

Service Areas

Smart Grid DevicesConnect via Wired

or Wireless Ethernetto Tropos Mesh Nodes

Tier 1 / Tier 2

Mesh Used in Ruralto Overcome P2MP

Propagation Obstacles

Rural SubscribersServed via P2MP

© 2011 Tropos Networks, Inc.

Thank you!