Case Studies

Remote Control of Legacy Telco Devices
2007/04/11   

Eliminate the distances between one engineer and hundreds of IP-less devices

VOLKTEK gives IP-capability to old devices so that downsized staff can do more

The Challenge:
Many Telcos have been forced to downsize lately, leaving them with fewer engineers who have to manage more devices. Often these devices are old, legacy devices that don’t have IP-capability, forcing engineers to travel large distances to physically interface with each device via its console port.

The Solution:
VOLKTEK’s IRF-633 Device Server functions as an IP Bridge between legacy devices and the engineer’s workstation. The IRF-633 connects to the legacy device’s console port via RS-232/422/485 cable and connects the device to the IT infrastructure (TCP/IP networks) with 10/100TX cable. The IRF-633 lends its IP capability and remote manageability to the legacy device.
Example Diagram:

In this way, one engineer can sit peacefully at his workstation and access the management functions of hundreds of legacy Telco devices, thus cutting down on hundreds of man hours per week (per engineer!) that would have been spent on traveling between legacy devices.

Mission: Link multiple asynchronous legacy devices (RS-232/422/485) to TCP/IP networks and give IP capability to these IP-less devices so that they can be managed from a single workstation.

Requirements: The solution must incorporate these legacy devices into TCP/IP networks and also lend remote manageability (CLI, Telnet, Menu-driven) to the devices.

Solution: VOLKTEK’s IRF-633 Device Server has all the above-mentioned features that are required to create an IP bridge between legacy devices and the engineers.

Product Features:
• Device Server & Managed Media Converter Mode option
• Complies with EIA/TIA and IEEE standards
• Supports 4 wires full duplex asynchronous serial data transmission (RS-422/485)
• Supports 2 wires half-duplex asynchronous serial data transmission (RS-485)
• Supports serial port asynchronous data rates up to 115.2 Kbps
• Extended distances up to 1.2 km (24 AWG) using RS-422/485
• Auto-detecting 10/100 Mbps Ethernet interface
• Terminator feature improves signal quality and distance
• LEDs for ‘at-a-glance’ device status
• Wall mount or Din-Rail mountable installation
• Power range 9~32V DC
• FCC Class A & CE approved