Combatting Galvanic Corrosion: Aviat’s Extra Measures in Harsh Environments

Example of galvanic corrosion.Galvanic corrosion is a type of corrosion that occurs when two different types of metal are in contact with each other in the presence of an electrolyte. When this occurs, an electrical current flow between the two metals, causing one of them to corrode at an accelerated rate. This type of corrosion can be particularly damaging to equipment that is located near oceans and seas, as saltwater is an excellent conductor of electricity and can accelerate the corrosion process. Heavily corroded equipment enclosures inevitably allow water to ingress inside the radio and damage the internal electronics, leading to outages and the need to completely replace the unit.

Saltwater Accelerates Galvanic Corrosion

Saltwater spray and mist can travel significant distances through the air, particularly in coastal regions where there is a constant breeze. When saltwater contacts metal equipment made of two distinct types of metal, the saltwater creates an electrical current between the two metals, leading to galvanic corrosion.

Aviat’s Extra Steps in Harsh Environments

Many radio manufacturers opt for powder coated aluminum enclosures for their equipment as it is a cost-effective and widely available material that provides effective protection in most environments. However, in corrosive environments, galvanic corrosion can significantly shorten the lifespan of the radio if it sets in. To counteract this, Aviat takes extra measures, leaving no room for corrosion to take hold.

Our industrial Private LTE and Virtual Fiber solutions are built with enclosures treated with a premium electroless nickel plating, which creates an extra barrier against the elements. This plating process applies a layer of nickel that prevents galvanic corrosion by inhibiting the development of an electric current. The electroless nickel plating protects both the aluminum housing, and consequently the internal electronics of the radio and increasing the operational lifetime of the equipment, reduce ingress-related outages, and decrease overall operational TCO (Total Cost of Ownership).

In addition to its corrosion-resistant properties, electroless nickel plating also has several other benefits. It is extremely durable and resistant to wear, making it an ideal choice for equipment that is subject to heavy use or elevated levels of stress from environmental changes like large fluctuations in temperature that expands and contracts the metal frequently. It is also resistant to a wide range of chemical and environmental conditions, including saltwater, making it a suitable choice for use in a variety of different settings.

In conclusion, galvanic corrosion can lead to many problems, especially in environments near oceans and seas. To protect against this type of corrosion, Aviat uniquely uses a multi-pronged approach, beginning with a premium electroless nickel plating on their Wireless Access enclosures. This electroless process applies a layer of nickel to the metal surface without an electrical current, creating a barrier between the metal and the environment and providing a sacrificial layer. Then, a powder coat is also applied over the nickel plating, further enhancing protection against the elements. Unlike other commercial-grade products, Aviat Access solutions also use plated connectors to prevent degraded performance and other failures.

With these measures in place, Aviat Access products will last for many more years than the next best alternative, even in the harshest and most corrosive environments, while also reducing the costs associated with corrosion related failures, such as visits to site, troubleshooting, equipment replacement and other operational costs.

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VSAT vs Aviat’s Wireless Access Solutions

In today’s fast-paced world, oil and gas companies are struggling with rising inflation and are seeking ways to boost ROI, streamline operations, improve safety, and strengthen security. However, the limitations of traditional narrowband networks and VSAT backhauls are making it difficult for them to implement modern technology.

VSAT, which was once seen as a viable solution, no longer offers the capacity and latency that the modern oil and gas industry needs. Additionally, it is costly and primarily caters to telecommunications service providers, providing last-mile services in rural residential areas without infrastructure.

In contrast, Aviat’s industrial wireless access products, Virtual Fiber and Private LTE platforms, are specifically designed to the specifications of the oil and gas industry. They offer reliable high-capacity and low latency that mission-critical networks depend on. Aviat’s equipment also has lower operating costs than VSAT, and our wireless access products do not require monthly service contracts or a minimum number of subscribers.

Furthermore, Aviat’s wireless access platforms use industrial-grade hardware that is built to withstand harsh environments for long periods of time. To learn more about Aviat’s wireless access solutions, download our whitepaper VSAT vs Aviat's Wireless Access Solutions.

Be sure to subscribe and follow us on social media to stay informed about our next whitepaper on how the oil and gas industry can benefit from using VSAT on exploratory wells and wireless access on established wells.

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Connecting the Show-Me State: A $261 Million Investment in Broadband

Recently, Missouri Governor Mike Parson announced the Department of Economic Development (DED) has awarded a total of $261 million to 60 recipients through the ARPA Broadband Infrastructure Grant Program. Missouri’s Broadband investment is aimed at expanding and improving internet access throughout the state and was launched in August 2022 to invest in broadband expansion with a focus on unserved and underserved areas.

Connecting the Show-Me State: A 1 Million Investment in BroadbandThis news was reported by DED on January 23, 2023 in Jefferson City, highlighting the fact that many Americans still do not have access to high-speed internet. This lack of quality internet access creates a digital divide, hindering the growth and development of communities, businesses, and individuals. The Broadband Infrastructure Grant Program is a significant step forward in addressing this issue in Missouri.

Who is Eligible for Missouri’s Broadband Investment?

The program funded a wide range of applicants, including traditional internet providers and electric and telephone cooperatives, to deliver symmetrical speeds of 100 Mbps upload/100 Mbps download or greater. The funds will be used to build new connections, bringing quality internet access to more communities and businesses across the state.

Maggie Kost, Acting Director of the Department of Economic Development, stated, “Broadband expansion is a critical priority, both for economic development and improving the lives of people across our state.” The Office of Broadband Development, under the direction of BJ Tanksley, was instrumental in the success of the grant program.

What Impact will Missouri’s Broadband Investment Have?

This program is expected to have a transformational impact on broadband expansion in Missouri and lead the state towards a fully connected future. The state’s investment in broadband expansion demonstrates its commitment to supporting education, health care, businesses, and agriculture in today’s digital economy.

To sum up, the ARPA Broadband Infrastructure Grant Program is a major step forward in expanding internet access in Missouri. This investment in broadband expansion will help bridge the digital divide and provide equal opportunities for all Missourians. The recent DED release in Jefferson City highlights this important initiative and the positive impact it will have on the state.

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Why High Availability Routing is essential for Critical Communications Networks

Federal, state, and municipal governments, public safety agencies, utilities, service providers, and other organizations require High Availability routing (HA) in their transport networks. Loss of network services can equate to a severe impact on an organization, from loss of productivity and efficiency to loss of revenue and – in the worst-case scenario – loss of life. High Availability Routing configurations ensure critical applications management with maximum uptime for the network.

High Availability routing is one aspect of a transport network’s system reliability engineering. High Availability routing is accomplished using two redundant routers (primary and secondary), with the goal of ensuring the continuity of traffic forwarding in the event of any hardware failure. High Availability Routing has three core principles: (1) eliminate single points of failure, (2) ensure fast and reliable crossover (or failover) from one router to the other in the event of a system failure, and (3) detect and repairs failures if and when they occur.

Traditionally, HA router configurations required two separate routers, each of which has to be managed separately. This leads to unnecessary complexity due to the duplication of the router configuration management and monitoring efforts.

Implementing Aviat High Availability Routing – Maximum Availability with Minimal Complexity

Aviat's CTR 8740 HA microwave routerAviat’s CTR 8740 solution consists of two stacked and interconnected units that protect the network’s Data and Control planes against a single point of hardware failure. Once the two routers are connected and HA mode is enabled, the two units are synchronized via an encrypted channel, enabling them to operate as a single router instance with dual control and data planes.

The two routers logically appear on the network as one network element, with one IP address. This facilitates failover from one router to the other, and accelerates peering with the rest of the network at startup and after a network failure.

New software is loaded to the two routers via a single interface then activated in an orderly process. A Graceful Restart mechanism enables the routers to maintain traffic flow and prevent service outages.

The routers are also managed as a single entity by Aviat’s ProVision Plus web-based network management system (NMS), enabling customers to manage all Aviat networks through one screen for faster fault analysis and identification.

Each CTR 8740 also features a redundant power supply feed and redundant power supply card option, so if one power supply fails (external or internal), the other power supply keeps the router running. This eliminates a single point of power failure within each router for added resilience.

The Advantages of Aviat High Availability Routing

CTR 8740 High Availability feature delivers several key benefits to network operators:

  1. Greater scalability – Every router in a network must be aware of all other routers in the network in order to route packets properly via an optimal path within the routing domain. Because two Aviat routers in HA configuration act logically as a single element, this effectively doubles the number of routers that can be deployed on the network, enhancing network scalability and allowing more sites to be added to the routing domain.
  2. Lower management overhead – Both CTR 8740 routers in an HA configuration are managed as one, so management commands and software updates automatically flow to both routers, effectively cutting management traffic overhead and operator configuration actions in half.
  3. Easier software updates – Updates to the CTR 8740’s software loading system allow loading via a single interface to both units in the HA system. Separate software loading and activation phases for each of the two routers ensures hitless traffic flow is maintained to prevent service outages during software upgrades.
  4. Faster fault recovery – The CTR 8740 HA enables fast recovery from hardware component failures and, with Segment Routing, the routers can recover from external network failures, such as link and router failures, within tens of milliseconds.
  5. Topology flexibility – The CTR 8740 supports full network-side protection for ring, spur, dual-feed, and linear network topologies.

High Availability is a must-have for critical communications networks. By enabling two redundant routers to share the same IP address and to be managed as one router, Aviat’s CTR 8740 Transport Routers deliver better network protection along with improved network scalability and reduced management overhead.

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