Two-way radio has been a successful analogue communication solution for generations, and it proves itself every day in countless deployments around the world. But in today’s technologically advanced environment, a new platform is possible, a digital platform that breaks through to new levels of performance and productivity. In the same way digital technology has transformed other media, it is now revolutionizing the way mobile professionals communicate. The time to take advantage of digital two-way radio technology is now.

TDMA – The Best Choice

There are two primary digital radio technologies: Time-Division Multiple-Access (TDMA) and Frequency-Division Multiple-Access (FDMA). While both digital technologies provide significant benefits over analogue, TDMA is the best choice. Take Advantage of TDMA. 

Digital two-way radios offer several advantages over analogue solutions, to name a few:

Crystal-clear audio without background noise or static

Clearer audio to help assure messages are understood without background noise and static. In digital mode, provides clearer voice communications throughout the coverage area, as compared to analogue radios. Analog signals become distorted, producing audible static as signal strength degrades. By contrast, digital receivers simply reject anything they interpret as an error. In turn, this helps to enable users to hear better in noisy environments.

Better coverage

While all radio signals grow fainter as they go further out, the voice quality on analog radios degrades much more quickly. At the far edge of coverage, even though signal strength is similar, digital voice will be clear and intelligible while analog voice will be garbled and masked by static. Digital radios have built-in error correction to eliminate static and make sure voice calls are heard clearly over a greater range. There’s no interference, background noise or distortion. Digital maintains voice integrity to the very ends of the coverage area.

Longer battery life

Battery life is a big challenge for all mobile devices. But because digital technology is much more energy-efficient than analog, it reduces battery drain and improves talk time. Count on your battery to last up to 40% longer when you use a digital radio.
While both analog and digital radios consume about the same power in standby mode, once you start transmitting, digital radios are dramatically more efficient. This is critical for frequent and heavy users who depend on their radios to last the entire shift and can’t stop to replace batteries or recharge radios. Each individual transmission only uses half the battery power of an analog system transmitting at the same wattage—so MOTOTRBO portable radios deliver far more uptime per battery charge

Durability

MOTOTRBO meets demanding specifications to stand up to tough industrial environments. MOTOTRBO portable radios meet IP68 specifications for submersibility in 2 meter of fresh water for up to 120 minutes – ideal for wet working conditions. MOTOTRBO radios also meet U.S. Military 810 C, D, E and F, and Motorola standards for durability and reliability. These are a series of stringent standards developed and published by the U.S. Department of Defense and the U.S. Army specifying a variety of environmental conditions that tested items are likely to experience in actual field usage. The MILSTD- 810F, a significant revision of the previous 810E standard, is one of the most comprehensive and effective standards in use today, and as such, is used extensively not just in the U.S., but throughout the world.

Intrinsically safe models are also available on portable radios and can be used in locations where flammable gas, vapors or combustible dust may be present. Your workers can be assured that their radios will stand up to harsh working conditions.

Easy migration

Many businesses can't afford to completely replace an existing infrastructure. MOTOTRBO’s ability to operate in both analog and digital modes enables a smooth, planned migration at your customer’s pace—no sticker shock, no disruption. (Digital features are not available when operating in analog mode.)

Higher efficiency, Lower infrastructure costs

Increased capacity – twice the number of users for the price of one frequency license. TDMA divides your existing channels into two time slots enabling you to double the number of users on your system or utilize data applications. A second call does not require a second repeater, resulting in lower costs for you, as you do not need to purchase, install and maintain additional infrastructure equipment.

Double your capacity per channel with less than half the infrastructure per channel. TDMA provides two time slots on your existing licensed channels, doubling your capacity. There is no increased risk of interference, and there is no need for new licenses, simply amend your existing licenses to specify digital. Compatibility with all legacy radios working in 12.5 kHz analogue channels is also maintained by TDMA.

Privacy

Basic (voice and data) Privacy using a non-cryptographic algorithm (software scrambling) to protect information. Its primary purpose to thwart eavesdropping, however it will not provide resistance against more sophisticated hacking attempts. Basic Privacy is a simple feature that helps keep your voice and data calls confidential without impacting your system performance. The feature is designed to prevent casual eavesdropping, but does not provide strong protection against a determined hacker. It uses a digital algorithm to encode voice and data, using a single 16-bit key from the 255 predefined keys available. Signalling and control messages are not encoded.

Enhanced Privacy is a feature that helps keep your voice and data calls highly confidential. The feature is designed to be a strong protection against a determined attack. It uses the ARC4 cryptographic digital algorithm to encode voice and data using a 40-bit key. The radio can store 16 different keys, and can use different keys for different channels. All voice and data calls are encoded, but signaling and control messages are not. Enhanced Privacy provides a higher level of protection than Basic Privacy, but may result in slightly lower voice quality and slightly increased system access times.

Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) 256-bit encryption provides a much high degree of security compared to Enhanced Privacy. AES is a specification for the encryption of electronic data, established by the US National Institute of Standard and Technology. Additionally, the DMR Association has defined a specific method that AES can be used for DMR voice encryption. MOTOTRBO supports AES Payload Encryption with 256-bit shared encryption key length as defined in DMR Association standard. MOTOTRBO AES voice calls sound much clearer (intelligibility) than voice calls encrypted with Enhanced Digital Privacy (EDP) 40-bit encryption.

Integrates voice and data

Integrates voice and data into one device to increase your operational efficiency and support integrated applications including MOTOTRBO Text Messaging Services. Also available with an integrated GPS module for use with third-party location-tracking applications.
In addition to voice, MOTOTRBO supports text messaging, GPS location tracking capability, and custom applications from Motorola’s Professional Radio Application Partner Programme such as telephony, dispatch, work order ticket solutions and much more. MOTOTRBO keeps your employees connected to the information they need to be more efficient, with the convenience of one device

GPS location

MOTOTRBO radios are available with an integrated GPS module to use for tracking people outside your facility, vehicles or other remote assets operating in your coverage area. Unlike other GPS capable radios, MOTOTRBO’s module is integrated into the handset so there is no clumsy additional equipment to attach, carry or maintain. This enables you to better manage your mobile work force and quickly respond to incidents by locating the nearest employee and dispatching them to the scene. It also makes it easier to manage your fleet so you can make deliveries and drive routes more efficiently. Location Services provides the ability to track people and assets, such as vehicles. This advanced approach takes advantage of the GPS modem and receiver integrated within both the portable and mobile radios, combined with the MOTOTRBO Location Services software applications. 

GPS-equipped portable and mobile radios can be configured to transmit their geographical coordinates at pre-programmed intervals, on demand and in case of an emergency. MOTOTRBO Location Services software applications provide dispatchers with a real-time display of fleet activity on a customized, high-resolution, color-coded map. With MOTOTRBO Location Services, your customers can enjoy the benefits of location tracking with no monthly fees or cumbersome external GPS devices to install and maintain

Convenient and discrete text messaging

Text messaging enables your employees to quickly and easily share information when voice communication isn’t practical. It is ideal in loud environments, for delivering messages that don’t need an immediate response, or when voice communication could be disrupting to guests, students, customers, or patients.

MOTOTRBO text messaging communicates between radios, radios and dispatch systems, and even radios to any email capable device. The MOTOTRBO computer software application adds a PC-based, client/server software application for dispatch-oriented messaging to the system, which extends the capabilities of messaging to include communications between radios and dispatcher PCs. Furthermore, the dispatcher PC can act as a gateway to email, enabling messaging between email-addressable devices and radios..Free Text messaging software is available here: TextMessenger Freeware.

Telemetry

Basic built-in telemetry functionality allows the radio to translate the receipt of a telemetry message to GPIO (General Purpose Input/Output) action,and to translate GPIO action to a transmitted text message.

Expandability

Whether you want to increase the number of users on your system, extend coverage, connect workers in different locations or deliver voice and data without adding new frequencies, MOTOTRBO features a scalable communication solution that fits your facilities, your workforce and your objectives

DMR Tiers

DMR Tier I

DMR Tier I is a range of DMR frequencies that have been allocated by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) for licence-free use in the European Union.

DMR Tier I defines 16 channels for DMR use between 446 MHz and 446.2 MHz, allowing anyone to purchase Tier I compatible radio equipment and use it straight away. Tier I also defines that the maximum power emitted by each radio is less than 500 mW; for comparison, Motorola Solutions most popular radio has a maximum power of 5 W (10 times higher).

The 16 DMR Tier I frequencies are not allocated so equipment using these frequencies has the potential to be interfered with by other users in the area. This interference may cause you communication issues in business-critical situations, which is why you should be mindful of the risks before purchasing DMR Tier I equipment.

DMR Tier II

DMR Tier II is radio equipment that can operate anywhere within the DMR frequency range, but usually operates within the 136 - 174 MHz band for VHF and 403 - 527 MHz band for UHF. DMR Tier II equipment must be licenced from the frequency licencing body in your country which will avoid issues with interference and low power that happen with DMR Tier I equipment.

DMR Tier II equipment can utilise repeater stations to increase the range of the system, allowing you to build up a radio infrastructure to meet your geographical requirements.

DMR Tier III

DMR Tier III radio equipment works on the same frequency range as Tier II equipment but adds in many features to give the system more functions to better fit your situation. Tier III equipment operates in “Trunked mode”, which means radios are automatically allocated to frequencies rather than having a fixed frequency.

Trunking allows you to licence fewer frequencies while maintaining the same number of calls, lowering licence costs. Automatic allocation of frequencies removes the likelihood of two groups trying to communicate using the same channel and interfering with each other, which is especially important in large systems.

DMR Tier III adds data services which grant the radios SMS capability, location-based (GPS) services, telemetry data, and over-the-air programming, as well as remote control of radios such as the ability to stop radios transmitting which have been accidentally left on.

Future

MOTOTRBO complies with the globally-recognized European Telecommunications Standard Institute (ETSI) Digital Mobile Radio (DMR) Tier 2 standard for professional two-way radio users. The DMR Association represents a collection of companies and organizations that manufacture DMR equipment, supply related products and service or support the standard in other ways. Motorola is an active member of the DMR Association so you can be assured that MOTOTRBO will always be a robust and future-ready digital radio solution.

DMR is widely backed by industry leading two-way radio manufacturers, and it is the most widely deployed digital mobile radio technology for professional radio users around the world. This open standard assures long-term stability and develops a community of manufacturers who build interoperable equipment that can compete on features, benefits and price.

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Attachments:

Brochure MOTOTRBO 2007	[Brochure CZ]	1802 kB
Brochure MOTOTRBO 2013	[Brochure CZ]	1951 kB
Brochure MOTOTRBO 2010	[Brochure GB]	810 kB