¶ What is the Meshmerize Tunnel Construction solution?
Tunnel construction sites pose unique and dynamic challenges that require robust solutions for seamless operations. Amidst the constant excavation, heavy machinery movement, and changing environments, maintaining reliable connectivity becomes a pressing concern. Traditional cable-based solutions are vulnerable to damage, resulting in sudden communication disruptions throughout the tunnel. Additionally, the need to expand and scale the network as construction progresses adds complexity. These modern-day challenges demand an adaptable connectivity solution that can keep up with the evolving construction site, ensuring uninterrupted communication and enhancing overall safety and productivity.
Meshmerize enables the establishment of a robust and reliable mesh network infrastructure from a set of Meshmerize-enabled devices paired with directional antennas. This breaks the dependency on the fiber backbone connection in case of a failure and instead allows a seamless switch to the wireless mesh network to offer interruption-free network service throughout the tunnel. Meshmerize offers flexibility in hardware selection, allowing customers to choose from a selection of devices that suit their specific needs. It seamlessly integrates with both static installed hardware and movable equipment and vehicles, providing flexibility and scalability.
¶ Key Solution Benefits
- Network reliability through multi-path routing
- Best-in-class affordability
- Unparalleled flexibility in setup and deployment
- Truly wireless network coverage expansion through seamless integration of dynamic equipment
- Resilient network backup for mission critical operations
¶ How does it work?
Meshmerize easily overcomes challenges present in tunnel communication. By using multi-path routing, Meshmerize is relaying messages through all nodes, forming redundant communication paths to proactively prevent a loss of communication in case of a single link failure. Instead of relying on single wireless links, Meshmerize uses a decentralized device-to-device communication to strengthen the network from the inside. This enables Meshmerize to expand the network without expensive cabling installations by simply connecting all devices directly and wirelessly, eliminating radio shadows in the tunnel.
¶ Mesh Performance
Depending on the choice of hardware the Meshmerize tunnel communication solution provides reliable network coverage and fail-over ability in case of a fiber breakage.
| Minimum / Average / Maximum expected Throughput | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 hop | 2 hops | 3 hops | |
| EnGenius ECW160 | 15 / 58 / 68 Mbit/s | 7 / 15 / 25 Mbit/s | 2 / 4 / 7 Mbit/s |
| Acksys RuggedAir100 | 20 / 34 / 40 Mbit/s | 6 / 10 / 15 Mbit/s | 2 / 4 / 7 Mbit/s |
| Minimum / Average / Maximum expected Latency | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 hop | 2 hops | 3 hops | |
| EnGenius ECW160 | 4 / 9 / 76 ms | 4 / 16 / 140 ms | 8 / 23 / 376 ms |
| Acksys RuggedAir100 | 2 / 3 / 6 ms | 3 / 5 / 10 ms | 5 / 6 / 9 ms |
The performance figures mentioned above are based on the assumption of accurate setup and configuration. They were obtained through measurements in the 2.4GHz band with 20MHz channel width. The actual measured numbers can vary due to a range of factors that are beyond the control of the Meshmerize software, including wireless environment, hardware selection, antenna positioning, and other. Meshmerize does not warrant for specific wireless or network performance aspects such as data throughput, packet loss, or scalability in arbitrary deployments, as these elements are affected by the aforementioned factors.
If there is a deviation in the measured service quality compared to the provided numbers, it is important to ensure that the setup adheres to our recommendations. If performance issues persist, Meshmerize Support should be contacted for further assistance.
¶ Solution Deployment
¶ Hardware Selection
Implementing Meshmerize in tunnel construction sites offers flexibility in hardware selection, allowing customers to choose from a selection of devices that suit their specific needs. The primary devices are installed as static hardware throughout the tunnel to provide comprehensive network coverage. They are strategically positioned every few hundred meters, taking into consideration factors like bends and obstacles. To enhance signal strength and reach, the devices are equipped with directional antennas, ensuring focused and efficient connectivity.
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Key device specifications |
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EnGenius ECW160 |
Acksys RuggedAir100 |
| The recommend hardware choice for this purpose is the EnGenius ECW160, a dual-radio dual-band Wi-Fi access point. Its IP67-rated weatherproof and dust proof housing withstands harsh environments making it the perfect choice for the tunnel construction environment. | A suitable alternative access point is the Acksys RuggedAir100 Wi-Fi access point, client, repeater & mesh point designed for industrial applications in harsh environments. It offers a ruggedized IP66 waterproof, shock and vibrations proof enclosure, an extended operating temperature range, and industrial standard M12 connectors for more demanding deployments. |
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In addition to the static hardware installations, Meshmerize offers options for equipping mobile nodes, such as vehicles, with hardware to further enhance connectivity in tunnel construction sites. These mobile devices can be equipped with different hardware options to establish additional connections, improving both reliability and coverage in the most challenging and inaccessible areas of the tunnel.
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Key device specifications |
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Doodle Labs Smartradio |
PCTEL Industrial IoT Access Point |
| The Doodle Labs Smartradio is an easy-to-carry, easy-to-use Mesh Rider Radio designed to be worn by personnel in order to connect individuals to a mesh network. Its built-in Wi-Fi hot spot makes it easy to connect any internet-enabled device to the same mesh network. It is the perfect lightweight access point choice to be carried by construction personnel. | PCTEL’s AP-WiFi-1200 Industrial IoT Access Point is ideal for demanding industrial and outdoor applications. Housed in a compact, easy-to-deploy enclosure and offering external antenna connectors, it can be used in a wide variety of applications and environments, tunnel construction sites being one of them. |
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More information on the Meshmerize-enabled devices can be found on the individual device pages.
¶ Installation Guidelines
When installing the access points in the tunnel their locations should be strategically selected to fully unlock the maximum potential of the mesh network. As they operate as the wireless backbone of the network they build the foundation for the failover which needs to be supported by every intermediate wireless link.
By utilizing directional antennas, the range between individual access points can be extended to several hundred meters. We recommend a survey measurement to determine the distance of the next device to be installed according to the signal strength. This can also be achieved through testing with end user applications such as speed tests. However, access point placement in general should always follow a chain of line of sight connections between adjacent devices. Reaching around bends will affect the overall performance of the network. If possible, static devices should be connected via Ethernet to the fiber backbone to ensure maximum network performance and breakage isolation in case of a fiber disconnect. Installing static access points without a connection to the backbone network will reduce the maximum possible service provided by the wireless network.
As Meshmerize can operate in a stand-alone mode or can be integrated into the preexisting network infrastructure, network separation should be considered. Contrary to fixed cable-based networks, the performance of the mesh network using multi-path routing is significantly more sensitive and will deteriorate when carrying a surplus of network services through the wireless mesh. Therefore, it is recommended to disable or separate common network discovery services and similar broadcast traffic from the wireless mesh network to reduce unnecessary traffic transmitted over the air. This will reduce the load on the Wi-Fi to fully utilize its resources.
¶ Software
Deploying Meshmerize devices involves initial steps of installing Meshmerize and setting up a default configuration. Depending on the chosen hardware, Meshmerize may come pre-installed, requiring only activation. If Meshmerize is not included in the factory firmware, installation instructions specific to the device can be found on the device's respective page. At this stage, all Meshmerize instances will be unlicensed.
For assistance, the Meshmerize Quick Start Guide provides detailed instructions on get started with the first Meshmerize installation, connecting to devices, setting up Meshmerize, installing a license, and customizing configurations.
¶ Configuration
For optimal performance of the wireless network, adapting the wireless configuration of the devices to suit the specific deployment environment and its surroundings is necessary. This is to ensure that the network avoids unwanted external interference. Configuration of the mesh network should be done to operate on a Wi-Fi channel that is isolated for the specific deployment. Additional networks transmitting on the same frequency will drain available resources and reduce the overall network performance of the wireless installation. Achieving the highest possible Wi-Fi transmission speeds requires selecting the least occupied frequency available.
¶ Hive
Hive is a comprehensive network management tool which allows network monitoring, configuring and control. It is available as a cloud-hosted service, as well as a self-hosted variant if internet access is not possible at the site. Consulting the Getting Started Guide is advised for detailed steps on how to connect devices to Hive.
Hive enables the execution of a suite of provided actions to configure and customize device settings across the deployment, tailored to each device's role in the network. This ensures proper configuration for all devices fine-tuned for the AS/RS use case, eliminating manual configuration with individual device handling.
¶ Support
For inquiries related to open questions or specific requirements and configurations, the Meshmerize Wiki Documentation or Meshmerize Support can be referenced for assistance.