DCP COMMAND …bringing two-way communications to your DCPs

Before its too late!

DCP COMMAND

How does it work? The DCP COMMAND operates through the existing satellites on the old DCP I channels. The uplink originates at Wallops Island. A gateway at Wallops provides a way for users to send commands to their DCPs. The gateway performs authentication and security to control and regulate what commands are given to DCPs. In the field, a DCP COMMAND receiver connects to your DCP. The receiver listens for COMMANDS and communicates to the DCP using a standard protocol/interface. The command format allows for individual and group addresses. This allows a single command to affect all the DCPs in a group. The protocol supports predefined commands for common operational and maintenance functions. All manufacturer DCPs can support the same commands. A file transfer command allows for vendor specific data to be sent to a DCP. Replies are made on DCP channels set aside for DCP COMMAND or on normal DCP Channels

How much can you save with two-way? One customer with a 2 way system estimates they send 1 command a week for every 50 sites. If each command eliminates the need to visit the site and it costs $250 on average to visit a site, remote commands in a system of 200 stations, save $1,000/week, $52K/yr. Scale this to the entire GOES DCS with 20,000 active sites, the system is likely to have 400 commands a week for a saving of $100,000/wk -- $5,200,000/yr.

DCP COMMAND makes the impossible possible… DCS is currently trying to free up 100 bps channels for their reassignment as 300 baud channels. Currently it takes months even years to get a channel reassigned. Imagine doing the entire system in a day. DCP COMMAND makes it possible! DCS may already be too big to manage without DCP COMMAND and it is only getting larger!

What would You Do with 2- way communications to your DCPs? Request missing data? Request additional data? Adjust transmission settings? Change alarm thresholds? Adjust data collection settings? Perform Remote Diagnostics? Request special transmissions?

Other possible uses … Want more timely data during floods and other extreme events? With DCP COMMAND you can get current data from DCPS when you want it. Need to communicate with a technician in the field? DCP COMMAND let’s you do it. Want a digital picture from a DCP? DCP COMMAND can give it to you.

Is it safe and reliable? The communications protocol is designed to insure the DCP receives error free messages. The system will never pass to the DCP a command that has not been checked for errors and authenticated. Error checking includes error detection codes with an undetected error rate of less than 1 error in 10 ^10 bits. That’s less than 1 error in the lifetime of the system. The communication link is designed to operate with low gain antenna and use a minimum of power.

How is DCP COMMAND different from DCPI? More throughput baud vs 100 baud More data – up to 64K bytes vs 12 bits More reliability – error rate vs high error rates More security – message authentication Predefined and standard functions We could live without DCPI – we can’t live without DCP COMMAND!

Schedule Jan 2007 – Complete specifications for DCP COMMAND Receivers. Jun 2007 – Complete specifications for gateway system. Jan 2008 – Complete Prototype Receiver/DCP and Gateway development. Jun 2008 – Complete demonstrations, verification and validation tests. Jan 2009 – Complete Beta Receiver/DCP and Gateway development. Jun 2009 – Complete verification and validation tests.

What can you do? Complete the questionnaire Talk with us about your own needs and concerns. Get behind the effort Realize that this is our last chance to get two-way because of NTIA