R200 - Remote Processing Unit

Owned by James Eadie
Last updated: Jan 24, 2020 by Guy Avery (Deactivated)
6 min read

Introduction

Navtech's Radar Processing Units (RPUs) are custom built hardware platforms tailored to manage the demands of high data throughput and intensive processing typical of radar tracking systems.

They are designed to work reliably 24x7 in a variety of environments. All systems undergo a comprehensive burn-in and have been tested exhaustively for compatibility and performance with Navtech’s radar management software.

The R-200 can be used as a high-end physical server but is optimised for virtualisation. Each server can comfortably support 3 virtual operating systems.

On this page:

The new R-Series is based on well-established server grade components. All the parts are manufactured using tight revision control and are included in long term development programmes which guarantee availability over many years and provides for future upgrades.

Each system has a high level of redundancy. The R-200 comes as standard with an enterprise hardware RAID controller configured with a level 5 array, redundant network interfaces, cooling fans and power supplies. The system also includes a BIOS level watchdog timer that can restart the whole system in the unlikely event of it becoming inoperable.

The unit includes a comprehensive remote management and diagnostics system which allows full control of the hardware, including remote control sessions, over a dedicated IP connection.

The R-200 is based around a very compact 1U, standard chassis that can be installed in most communication and server racks. 

Although the hardware design has been optimised for use with the Navtech software, it can be customised for specific projects if required. This may include the addition of expansion cards or enhanced processing and storage capabilities. Please contact Navtech Radar if you require further information on the expansion options or if you have a specific requirement.

The R-200 is designed to handle a heavy processing load and is suitable for virtualisation, or handling tracking for a larger number of radar. 

The total load of a system is based on many factors therefore it will vary from site to site. Key considerations are the number of tracks the system will be expected to monitor at any given point in time and the type of radar being used. This means in more demanding situations the RPU may be able to support less radar and in others it may be able to support more. As might be expected, the longer range units require more computing power than the shorter range units and a very busy site with lots of movement will consume more resources than a sterile, empty site.

RPU Specification

Hardware

Hardware

CPU

2x Intel Xeon E5 2630 v4, 10 Cores; 2.20GHz, 25M Cache, 85W (Total 20 Cores)

RAM 

4x 16GB 2400MHz DDR4 ECC (Total 64GB)

Video

Integrated Graphics

LAN

Intel i350 Dual port 1GbE

HDD Controller  

LSI MegaRAID 9361-8i Controller, 1GB DDR4 Cache

 Management

 Dedicated LAN for IPMI and Remote KVM



Storage 

Storage 

HDD

 4x Enterprise Performance 900GB 10k 12Gb/s SAS 2.5”

RAID Setup        

 4x 900GB HDD in RAID 5 Configuration (Total storage ~ 2.7TB)

HDD Capacity    

 10x 2.5” Integrated Hot Swap Bays



Supported OS

Supported OS

Windows Server 2016 Standard (Licensed for 16 Core / 2 Virtual Machines)

2x Microsoft Windows Server 2016 Standard- 2 Additional Cores License



Mechanical Design

Mechanical Design

Chassis

EIA RS-310D 19” 1U Rackmount (rails included)

Dimensions

437mm (W) x 43mm (H) x 503mm (D)

Package

594mm (W) x 216mm (H) x 754mm (D)

Weight  

12Kg



Environmental - Operational

Environmental - Operational

Temp

5°C - 35°C

Humidity 

8% - 90% (non-condensing)



Environmental – Non-Operational

Environmental – Non-Operational

Temp

-40°C - 70°C

Humidity

5% - 95% (non-condensing)



Electrical and Power

Electrical and Power

CPU Max TDP   

72W

PSU

2x 700W Redundant Power Supplies, Platinum Level High Efficiency



Included Accessories

Included Accessories

Standard 19” Rackmount rails

2x UK Power Cords

1x Security Bezel

RPU Setup and Configuration

All RPUs are pre-configured before being dispatched to customers. This means the OS is configured, up-to-date and optimised for use with the Navtech Radar software. The RPU will have the core pre-requisites for running Witness, however it may be missing certain SDKs or libraries which are unique for specific projects. These would normally be installed during the commissioning and installation phase of the project. If the system is being virtualised this configuration would be bespoke for each site, depending on redundancy requirements and the quantity of radar.

The Witness software is not pre-installed because requirements vary from customer to customer and project to project. This is done as part of the commissioning process.

The R-200 RPUs ship with Windows Server 2016 Standard Edition which is only supported in the later versions of Witness. Please check the requirements matrix to ensure compatibility with the OS.

System Configuration Options

The RPU's default hardware configuration supports each of the software modules including the database server. If the site requires a large number of radars or the system is expected to process many targets it may be necessary to distribute the software modules across multiple RPUs. Some example system configurations can be on the System Design page.

The RPUs include integrated graphics adapters which are not suitable to run Witness Sentinel UI application. It is strongly recommended that the Sentinel client is run on a standard PC and not on the RPU. Due to the form factor and fan noise, the RPU is not appropriate for use in a control room or as a replacement for a standard desktop PC. The requirement for the client PC can be found on the Hardware Requirements page.

The three main configurations are:

Configuration Option

Description

Radars Supported

Notes

Configuration Option

Description

Radars Supported

Notes

Single RPU + Client PC

All the software modules, including the database are installed on the same RPU. The Sentinel client UI is installed on the PC.

1 - 16 Radars (Non-virtualised)

This is not recommended for production systems using more than 2 radars. This configuration is suitable for proof of concepts (POC) and demonstrations. It can be used for small sites where the target count is expected to be low.

Tracking RPU, Primary RPU + Client PC

The core services are installed on the Primary RPU (Management Server, Camera Controller & Database). The Track Engines are installed on dedicated Tracking RPU(s). The Sentinel client UI is installed on the PC.

1-20 Radars per Tracking RPU. Total is limited by the radar type. Longer range radar require more resources.  

This solution separates the trackers onto a separate server. Additional Tracking RPUs can be added to handle more radar as required. However consideration should be given to the database server. The total number of radars and the corresponding track load may require the database server to have its own dedicated hardware - see option 3 below. In this configuration, a mid-size ClearWay or AdvanceGuard deployment, without redundancy, could support 30x radar using 2x Tracking RPUs and a Primary RPU which was also hosting the database server.

Tracking RPU, Primary RPU, Database RPU + Client PC

The core services are installed on the Primary RPU (Management Server, Camera Controller), however the database server is installed on a dedicated RPU. The trackers are installed on the Tracking RPU(s). The Sentinel client UI is installed on the PC.

1-20 Radars per Tracking RPU. Total is limited by the radar type. Longer range radar require more resources.

This solution offers the best capacity for large systems with many radar. In this configuration, a large ClearWay or AdvanceGuard deployment, without redundancy, could support 50x radar using 3x Tracking RPUs, a Primary RPU and a Database RPU. 







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