Remote radio and telecom sites are generally monitored through a device called a Remote Terminal Unit (or RTU). Historically, these devices could measure dry contact inputs and analog voltages to check them periodically for abnormal levels. When a problem was detected, the RTU could send an alarm to pre-defined locations by telephone or remote contact closures.
Modern RTU’s can connect to almost any type of on-site device through dry contacts and analog voltages but also through different interconnection protocols such as SNMP or MODBUS. In addition, they can send alarms by email, text message, SNMP Trap or Smartphone notifications.
Besides simply monitoring levels or devices for alarm conditions, modern RTU’s also allow technical personnel to remotely control on-site equipment. This greatly facilitates remote diagnostics and can save of repeat visits to a site.
A smart RTU, like Davicom’s Cortex Series can even take over and control site devices automatically to reset or power-cycle flaky equipment, to start a backup device without requiring outside attention and even to reboot a network element if it stops responding.
Smart RTU’s make remote telecom sites more resilient, robust and reliable thereby ensuring that critical communications infrastructure can do what it is supposed to do when it is required
