PIEPS Beacon Basics

PIEPS Beacon Basics
PIEPS . the company
• 1972
• 2003
First avalanche beacon
PIEPS DSP
 3 antenna system
 digital signal processing
•
•
•
•
2007
2008
2011
2013
Accessories (Backpacks, Bivy, FirstAid)
PIEPS iProbe
PIEPS Backup
PIEPS DSP PRO & DSP SPORT
2013
Avalanche emergency equipment
Avalanche emergency equipment
Rescue time
•
Beacon, Probe, Shovel
•
incl. beacon search
•
Bivy bag, First-aid bag
•
for 1 person, 1m burial depth
•
Mobile phone
(Stumpert 2002)
= 16 min
= 26 min
= 50 min
= 59 min
Beacon Technology . 457kHz
Transmitter-Receiver-System
B
(A) Transmitter:
•
Signal 457 kHz (+/- 80Hz)
•
Electromagnetic „fieldlines“
(B) Receiver:
•
able to understand 457 kHz
Distance: via signal strength
A
Direction: via 2 receiving antennas
Analog: Input = Output
Digital: signal identification
(frequency, pulse length, period
length) and signal processing
DSP = Digital Signal Processor
Beacon Technology . 457kHz
EN300718
•
457 kHz is the frequency that best
moves through snow. Water
(liquid/frozen) slows down the
signal movement => range
reduction.
• Frequency = 457 kHz (457.000 Hz) ± 80 Hz
• Signal strength: ≥ 0,5µA/m and ≤ 2,23µA/m
at a distance of 10 m
 Dry powder snow: nice ranges
• Signal charakteristic
 Wet spring snow: reduced ranges
 Periode length: 1.000-1.300 ms
 Extreme range reduction can be
 Pulse length: ≥ 70 ms
seen on glacier ice, also combined
 Puls pause: ≥ 400 ms
with just a small snow layer (<1m).
•
Signals that transmit at the edge of
standard or out of standard also
result in significant range
reduction. Receiving beacons are
not able to „read“ such signals in
maximum range.
Why a big range is essential
Signal Search
Coarse Search
Big range brings advantage
Fine Search
Pinpointing
Why a big range is essential
120m
120m
180m
180m
SSW 50m
First signal after 2:20
SSW 20m
First signal after 6:30
BIG RANGE = BIG SSW = EARLY FIRST SIGNAL
SSW: Search Strip Width
What´s the USEFUL RANGE
Instruction manuals tell…
• Maximum range
= 60m
• Maximum analog range = 70m
• Maximum SSW
= 50m
?
We want to know…
• best range in worst case
• with reliable direction- & distance indication
= USEFUL RANGE
What´s the USEFUL RANGE
Range depends on…
• Size of antenna
• Coupling position (transmitting antenna – receiving antenna)
Direction indication only possible…
• When signal is inside range of both antennas
Receiver
Transmitter
What´s the USEFUL RANGE
Influence of coupling position on range
BEST
100% range
TX
BAD
less range
TX
WORST
50% range
TX
What´s the USEFUL RANGE
Influence of coupling position on range
TX
100% range
with long
antenna
TX
100% range
with short
antenna
BEST
BEST
WORST
TX
50% range
with short
antenna
What´s the USEFUL RANGE
What´s the USEFUL RANGE
What´s the USEFUL RANGE
Circular Shape
(DSP PRO, DSP SPORT,
DSP STANDARD, DSP TOUR)
horizontal transmitter
What´s the USEFUL RANGE
Circular Shape
(DSP PRO, DSP SPORT,
DSP STANDARD, DSP TOUR)
Range reduction
of 50% with
vertical transmitter
Useful Range:
smallest axis!
What´s the USEFUL RANGE
Elliptical Shape
Range reduction
of 50% with
vertical transmitter
Useful Range:
smallest axis!
Useful range & search strip w idth
Search-strip-width is the double of the „useful range“
The chessboard test
• Verification of useful range
• Perfect test for quality of direction indication
35 m
40 m
30 m
parallel / coaxial
perpendicular
vertical
Useful range 30m
The chessboard test
• Verification of useful range
• Perfect test for quality of direction indication
10
10
5
perpendicular
parallel / coaxial
vertical
Useful range 5m
The chessboard test
• Verification of useful range
• Perfect test for quality of direction indication
perpendicular
parallel /
coaxial
vertical
No useful range
Summary „Range“
• Big range = advantage in Signal- and Coarse Search
• Useful Range = reliable display indication from initial signal
Function of 3rd antenna
Signal Search
Coarse Search
Fine Search
Pinpointing
Look for the point of the lowest distance number!
Function of 3rd antenna
3 antennas:
only one
maximum
S n o w S u r f a c e
horizontal transmitter
1,2 antennas:
3 maxima =>
misleading
Function of 3rd antenna
3 antennas:
only one
maximum
S n o w S u r f a c e
vertical transmitter
1,2 antennas:
2 maxima =>
misleading
Summary „3rd antenna“
• only one point of signal maximum for best support
• since 2003 on DSP, now standard
• to avoid multiple signal maximas in deep burials, the 3rd
antenna has to have a minimum range!
• such a range is ensured only by high end devices
Multiburial Support
•
•
Flagging function (MARK)
since 2003 on DSP, now standard
•
additional support on DSP Pro & DSP
 iProbe Support
 Scan
Multiburial Support
General problem = Signal overlapping !!!
 perfect flagging
 perfect range
significant range reduction
flagging troubles
DSP Pro & Sport
• perfect flagging
• no range reduction
PIEPS iProbeOne
Multiburial Support
iProbe advantages
• Acoustic feedback
 Beginners
 Deep burials
• Deactivation of transmitter
 less/no signal overlapping
iProbe study
60% time saving!
The search time is reduced
significantly by using the PIEPS
iPROBE in pinpointing!
2/3 of the entire search time from the initial signal is
spent for fine search and pinpointing.
Pinpointing
25%
The PIEPS iPROBE supports the rescuer primarily in
pinpointing. Due to this support also the fine search
can be shortened.
with
classical
probe
with
PIEPS
iPROBE
Fine search
52 s
21 s
Pinpointing
29 s
12 s
Time saving
60%
Average duration for fine search and pinpointing in dependence
of the probe type (Source: PIEPS)
CONCLUSION: the entire search time can be reduced
significantly by using the PIEPS iPROBE!
Coarse search
30%
Fine search
45%
Spreading in percentage of search times from initial signal with
classical probe (Source: PIEPS, DAV)
Fine search &
Pinpointing
Coarse search
Time saving
with PIEPS iPROBE
Influence of electronic devices
•
•
Electronics, Metals, Magnets
Send mode
Indication!
 Reduction of signal strength
=> range reduction to this transmitter
•
Search mode
 range reduction
 misleading distance indication
 indication of additional victims
•
General distance recommendation:
 20cm in send mode
 50cm in search mode
Antenna Switch!
2nd Avalanche
The automatic switching function Search-to-Send:
Problems:
• Rescue operation is confused by additional signals
• Transmitting starts too late (after 2, 4, 5 minutes)
• Transceiver can get lost easily
2nd Avalanche
The PIEPS solution: PIEPS Backup
• Additional mini-transmitter
• Can be combined with any beacon
• Recognizes an emergency (motioncontrolled) and starts to transmit
immediately (25sec)
• Perfect solution for 2nd avalanche
TX600
• Mini-Transmitter for animals, deposits
and equipment
• Recognizes a case of emergency
(motion-controlled) and starts to
transmit immediately (25sec)
• Transmitting frequency: 456,00 kHZ
• Can be received with every DSP Pro
and DSP 8.2
• General search operations are not
influenced
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION