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FAQ PRODUCTS
The TBR is a transceiver unit for unlicensed radio transmission. It allows information to be transmitted from one point to another via radio waves.
The TBR radio transceiver comes in the form of a small box to which we connect various sensors. This box is connected to a radio antenna which will transmit the information as a signal.
The receiver, on the other hand, takes the form of a box with a receiving antenna. It will recover the information present on these inputs, translate it into electrical signals and physically output these electrical signals.
Where two sites are relatively far apart or difficult to connect by cable, TBR allows data to be transmitted from one point to the other by radio.
The TBR transceiver unit is mainly used in drinking water installations: it is mainly found in water tanks and pumping stations. This is because water reservoirs are usually several kilometres away from pumping stations, which makes the installation of cables very expensive.
A TBR transceiver unit is chosen when it is impossible to connect two sites by cable. This may be because of the distance, but not necessarily: for example, in sewage treatment plants, this system is used to retrieve level information from a sludge blanket. In a sewage treatment plant, it is very rare that trenches can be dug directly for the addition of a cable, which was not foreseen at the time of the design of the WWTP. It is therefore simpler to transmit the information by radio than to embark on expensive and logistically complex work.
TBR is a product that has been sold for about 20 years, and remains popular despite the emergence of GSM technology (in the LNS It does not require a subscription and is very easy to install (no programming required).
The TBR is very easy to use. No programming is required. All you have to do is connect the sensor(s) to the transmitter, and power it with 12V DC from the mains (using a 230-12V transformer). It consumes little energy, so it can also work with a battery, associated or not with a solar panel. The receiver must be permanently powered in order for the system to work.
Before installing the TBR transmitter-receiver unit, we carry out a preliminary radio test with the customer thanks to the TBR tester box: depending on the distance, the topography and the constraints of the terrain (buildings, trees, etc.), we check the good radio link necessary for operation and advise our customer on the place of installation, the orientation of the antennas and the associated products.
The function of the TBR is to replace cables: the TBR can therefore be connected to anything that is connected by cable. The data entered at the sensor level will be output as is at the receiver level, so it can be connected to a data acquisition system, a display... Anything to which a sensor could physically be connected.
The TBR can be used with various Paratronic products. It can transmit the information measured by sensors piezometric probes (CNR, MPFX, SNA), the radars (NRV), level gauges , flow meters, ...
Lightning arrestors can protect installations. The presence of a lightning arrester is particularly important between the antenna and the transmitter (or receiver) to prevent lightning from damaging the transmitter (or receiver) by falling on the antenna. Different power supplies can also be sold as a complement: 230-12V power supply (AS2A), batteries, solar panels...
TBRs need a 12V power supply to operate. This 12V power supply can be supplied by a 230-12V transformer, either with a battery accompanied or not by a solar panel for the transmitter. The receiver, on the other hand, must be permanently powered: it is always waiting to receive a signal, so it cannot be switched off.
The TBR transmitter-receiver unit does not require any specific maintenance. The antenna can be checked from time to time for potential obstacles (e.g. overgrown vegetation).
Surge protectors should also be checked in the event of a storm: if they have been struck by lightning, they may not be fully operational.
The transmitters and receivers are extremely reliable and robust. Some TBR transmitters have been in place for more than 15 years and still work well. TBR antennas have a more variable life span due to their exposure to the weather.
The information that the TBR can transmit is limited by the inputs to which it can be connected. On the input of the products, we can connect analog sensors, digital sensors (All Or Nothing), alarms, sensors which make counting like flow meters, products in RS485 link...
Other types of sensors can be connected, but they require specific inputs. They can be added using extension modules. The amount of information is also limited by the data transmission power.
TBRs are mainly used in water towers, in reservoirs: they are connected to analogue sensors, level probes to measure water levels.
They are also used with level pears connected to a digital input. The pears work like a switch: when water reaches the level of the pear or lower, the pear will close a contact or open it to control very high or very low water levels; it is a safety product. The transmitter will (depending on the cycle chosen) switch on, power the sensors, retrieve the information at the moment t from all its inputs, transmit the information and go into standby.
The TBR can also be used for metering, especially with flow meters.
Thanks to its alarm inputs, it can perform water level monitoring (level gauges) but also anti-intrusion on site (e.g.: the opening of a door activates the alarm input of the TBR which transmits the information to the receiver in a very short time).
The TBR transceiver unit is limited in several ways.
Firstly, the distance: in theory the TBR works at 6km on sight, but this depends on the terrain conditions, so tests must be carried out. Some TBRs work at more than 8km in some environments. You need to be in the field to test the operation.
The second limitation of the product is the amount of information it can send. In the free domain, a certain amount of data can be sent by radio wave; if this threshold is exceeded, the product enters the paid domain. The amount of data that can be sent also depends on the number of entries in the TBR.
The TBR transmitter and receiver are guaranteed for 2 years if they are protected by lightning arrestors.
The transmitter, the receiver and the antenna control box were developed by our design office and are manufactured in France, in our factory in Reyrieux.
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Paratronic
Industrial Zone Rue des Genêts
01600 REYRIEUX
T : +33(0) 4 74 00 12 70
F : +33(0) 4 74 00 02 42
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