At the SCTE/ISBE Cable-Tec Expo in Atlanta, Digital Alert Systems and Monroe Electronics will be showcasing an IP-first service for Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) polling and an enterprise-wide Emergency Alert System (EAS) management system.
Triggered CAP Polling is a tool to enable cable operators to present more complete alert information to the public. The feature is part of the company's Version 4 software upgrade, which also features a complete operating system upgrade for the Digital Alert Systems DASDEC-II and Monroe Electronics One-Net SE emergency alert devices. The Version 4 software upgrade, released earlier in October, provides improved software-update management tools, new security features, and support for the new Blue Alert (BLU) EAS code mandated by the FCC, and a cumulative cybersecurity update. Version 4 software runs on the One-Net SE integrated EAS/CAP encoder/decoder.
HALO Version 2.0 is the latest edition of Digital Alert Systems' management system for overseeing all encoders/decoders and facilitating command of all connected EAS devices in an enterprise. The web-based tool is designed as a single aggregation point through which multiple users can oversee the health and status of each EAS device, alert key personnel of critical changes, centralize configuration settings, manage software updates, and consolidate FCC-mandated test results for easier EAS Test Result System (ETRS) filings.
Also on display will be the R232 MultiPort RF router from Monroe's line of headend audio/video/RF switches. The R232 MultiPort router features 32 inputs and two nonblocking outputs in a 1RU chassis. Two different test instruments can share any port. It features a +20 dB input-to-output gain, an operating range of 5 MHz to 2 GHz supporting DOCSIS 3.1, and automation interfacing for devices such as the Viavi VSA-RF100 video assurance probe.
Finally, Monroe Electronics will show Custom Message Pro (also known as CMPro), an optional software add-on to the One-Net and DASDEC emergency messaging platforms. Custom Message Pro is intended to improve on-site communications and mass notification by allowing designated users secure access to a specific screen, where they can create customized audio/video messages for processing by downstream equipment, including other EAS devices. At the same time, it accommodates multiple forms of emergency messaging through One-Net and DASDEC's video and audio capabilities. It can also access and distribute outside messages that could impact people inside the facility.
"Monroe Electronics is the leading manufacturer of advanced EAS/CAP-compliant encoder/decoder solutions for analog, digital, and IPTV distribution systems. Our products continue to set the standard for EAS/CAP compliance management by providing all the features necessary to meet FCC regulations and FEMA mandates," said Bill Robertson, vice president of business development for Digital Alert Systems and Monroe Electronics. "We invite anyone at Cable-Tec Expo who's responsible for emergency alerting and mass notification to join us in Booth 1131 to see how our products - some of which are one-of-a-kind - can impact their operations."