Repeater Site Monitor (RSM) System

FBO SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE AG-7604-S-15-0069 FEDBIZOPPS ANNOUNCEMENT SOURCES SOUGHT - REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) As prescribed in FAR 15.209(c), the following provision is inserted: IAW FAR 52.215-3 --Request for Information (Oct 1997) (a) The Government does not intend to award a contract on the basis of this solicitation or to otherwise pay for the information solicited except as an allowable cost under other contracts as provided in subsection 31.205-18, Bid and proposal costs, of the Federal Acquisition Regulation. (b) Although proposal and offeror are used in this Request for Information, your response will be treated as information only. It shall not be used as a proposal. (c) This solicitation is issued for the purpose of identifying information on Repeater Site Monitor (RSM) systems that have already been developed or may be modified from other commercial industry solutions to meet the agency requirement as listed below: The Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, is seeking sources interested in providing the component level hardware for a Repeater Site Monitor (RSM) system. The RSM Program will support the measurement and recording of signal parameters relating to radio repeaters and operating conditions inside the repeater enclosure. The recorded data are periodically retrieved and stored in a central data base that can be accessed through a web-based reporting system. The system is planned for operation in shielded communication shelters, walk-in communication shelters, observational look-out posts, and communication closets. Forest Service personnel with access to the Forest Service Intranet may view a web enabled utility that monitors trend data on operating and environmental parameters and determine if service is warranted at specific sites. Ethernet capability is not available at all intended sites; the RSM device should be capable of communicating through an RS232 serial port as an alternative to the Ethernet port in the event that a serial data modem is required as part of the communications link. For sites where simplex satellite communication is the optimal solution for sending data, the connection to the RSM must include transmitted data, received data, and a wakeup signal for the satellite transmitter. REQUIREMENTS Responses to this RFI are to include suggestions on design approaches with regards to the following specifications: I. Continuous and Triggered Measurements a) Several parameters require monitoring regardless of repeater activity. DC battery voltages, AC source voltages, battery charging from solar panels, enclosure temperature, and entry door status are parameters that should be checked frequently, although measurements may be binned hourly. b) External voltage dividers or converters may be employed to convert the measured voltage levels into signals compatible with the RSM inputs. For turnkey systems, the voltage dividers should be transparent to the installer; that is, the installer should not have to construct an external circuit to comply with the input voltage limitations of the data logger. c) Parameters associated with repeater activity need only to be measured when a repeater is active. Transmitter RF output power and reflected RF power from the antenna or duplexer should be monitored during transmissions; the push-to-talk signal (PTT) from the transmitter is the trigger for RF power measurements. On the receiver side, the carrier-operated relay (COR) signal from the receiver is the trigger for measuring the relative signal strength indicator (RSSI) output of the receiver. d) Several parameters need to be measured repeatedly when the transmitter is active. Battery voltage is likely to sag during transmissions, and transmitter output power may vary as the power amplifier warms up. During an active PTT interval, maximum and minimum values should be recorded for battery voltage, forward RF power, and reflected RF power. The RSM should calculate the voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR) from forward and reflected power measurements for each transmitter and record minimum and maximum values of VSWR during each hourly interval. e) A desirable logging feature would be to record how many minutes in each hour have repeater activity. f) Ethernet-connected RSMs will be polled for data retrieval from a central server. RSMs communicating via simplex satellite transmitters should transmit daily data summaries at times programmed during installation. II. Basic, Standard, and Expanded Versions The RSM should be available in 3 levels of features. The basic version will be configured to monitor the operation of a single repeater and its environment. The standard version will be configured to monitor up to 3 repeaters and the environment, and the expanded version will be configured to monitor up to 6 repeaters and the environment. The expanded version may be a composite system of a standard RSM plus a second chassis that contains the necessary hardware to provide the expanded feature set. III. Specifications common to all versions: Operating voltage: 11.0-16.0 VDC Current consumption: less than 25 mA when no radios are transmitting; Less than 100 mA when radios are transmitting. Operating temperature: -20o F to + 130o F Standard Unit Measured Environmental Parameters Primary battery voltage: up to +25 VDC, accuracy of +/- 1% of full-scale. Secondary battery voltage: +/- 100 VDC or less, accuracy of +/- 1% of full-scale. Battery charging current: up to 50 A, +/- 1A, with Battery Charge Monitor accessory for each battery. AC voltage monitor: up to 300 VAC, +/- 1% for one or two sources. Temperature measurement: -50o F to +150o F, +/- 1o F Enclosure door position: state (open or closed) and open duration in minutes Fuel Level: 0-5 VDC input from analog level sensor Standard Unit Measured Radio Parameters, analog inputs Each repeater, forward RF power: up to 100 W, +/- 10% Each repeater, reflected RF power: up to 100 W, +/- 10% Operating frequency: either 160-175 MHz or 406-420 MHz Repeater RSSI: 0-5 VDC Standard Unit Radio Digital Inputs PTT (push-to-talk) inputs for up to three (3) repeaters, active-low signal. COR (carrier-operated relay) for up to three (3) repeaters, active-low signal. PTT, COR, and door sensor inputs should have a pull-up source of approximately 5.0V with at least 10 k? series resistance. Recorded data from inputs Battery voltage, maximum, for each battery monitored Battery voltage, minimum, for each battery monitored Battery charge current for each battery monitored AC voltage, maximum, for each AC sourced monitored AC voltage, minimum, for each AC sourced monitored Enclosure temperature, maximum Enclosure temperature, minimum Forward RF power, maximum, for each repeater Forward RF power, minimum, for each repeater Reflected RF power, maximum, for each repeater Reflected RF power, minimum, for each repeater Calculated parameter recorded values VSWR, maximum, for each repeater VSWR, minimum, for each repeater Battery charge, amp-hours, for each monitored battery Repeater run time, minutes per hour or minutes per day, for each repeater (run time accumulates when COR or PTT signals are active) Open door duration in minutes Fuel tank level, percent or gallons For Ethernet-connected sites, data records are stored at one hour intervals. For satellite-connected sites, data are stored in one-hour and daily intervals with satellite data transmissions sending daily summaries of new data. Data for environmental parameters and 1-6 radios need to be aggregated for communications through one channel, Ethernet or simplex satellite. IV. Preferred mechanical configuration a) 2U or 4U chassis for mounting in 19 inch relay rack. The expanded product may contain multiple 2U or 4U chassis. V. Preferred RF connectors a) N female. VI. Preferred connection for power and signals a) Rear panel terminal block. VII. Communications and Database Software a) The data logger must contain communications features that permit downloading data to a database and allows the logging program to be modified remotely. Client software must permit scheduled data downloads and immediate connections to Ethernet-connected RSM. b) Ethernet-linked RSMs must record data in a CSV file format that has date and time stamp for each record. c) Satellite-linked RSMs must transmit data in the order and format currently employed to maintain compatibility with current data transfer protocols. See addendum 1 d) The offeror must provide communications software for retrieving data from Ethernet-connected RSMs at scheduled intervals or demonstrate that an existing communications software application can download data files and append them to existing files in a database. RESPONSES Responses are to include the following: a) Name of corporate point of contact, telephone number, full mailing address, e-mail address, CAGE Code, NAICS identifier and any other pertinent information. b) Corporate competencies and past performance experience with regard to development and production of government and/or commercial RF sensor monitoring systems. c) Whether your company's interest in the RSM program as a system developer prime contractor, a subcontractor or a vendor of components or services. d) Describe any independent Research and Development programs applicable to Remote Site Monitoring. e) Omitted f) Companies should present their responses in the form of a whitepaper no more than 25 pages in length describing the information requested in this RFI. Specification sheets and product information may also be provided in addition to the whitepaper. g) Responses shall be in Microsoft WORD h) The format of your response shall be as follows: 1. Font size of Times New Roman 12 or a font of similar size and clarity. 2. 8.5 X 11 paper with 1 inch margins on all sides. 3. While there is no page limit, overly verbose qualification statements are strongly discouraged. i) Companies should submit their response no later than 5:00 p.m. EST on 08/09/15. j) Companies will submit their responses electronically to mdesouto@fs.fed.us , E-mail file sizes shall not exceed 6Mbs. k) Technical questions may be directed to Mark Hilton, via email at mhilton@fs.fed.us and include Contracting Officer (CO), Michael DeSouto, at mdesouto@fs.fed.us in the Cc email block. DISCLAIMER This Request for Information (RFI) is for planning purposes only and shall not be considered as an invitation for bid, request for quotation, request for proposal, or as an obligation on the part of the Government to acquire goods or services. Your response to this RFI will be treated as information only. No entitlement to payment of direct or indirect costs or charges by the Government will arise as a result of contractor submission of responses to this announcement or the Government use of such information This request does not constitute a solicitation for proposals or the authority to enter into negotiations to award a contract. No funds have been authorized, appropriated, or received for this effort. The information provided may be used by the USDA Forest Service in developing its acquisition strategy and Statement of Work/Statement of Objectives and performance specifications. Interested parties are responsible for adequately marking proprietary or competition sensitive information contained in their response. The Government does not intend to award a contract on the basis of this RFI or to otherwise pay for the information submitted in response to this RFI. Interested parties capable of providing this item, which meet or exceed the above requirements, shall provide a Statement of Capability (SOC) that demonstrates the existing capability to provide, modify, and sustain the system and a description of system capabilities. A rough order of magnitude (ROM) is requested as part of the RFI and will be used as market research. The SOC shall be unclassified and the information submitted should be pertinent to, and identify system capability as related to the technical effort requested above. A limit of fifty (25) pages is imposed for the responses. Responses should be received by close of business August 9, 2015. Testing will probably determine the most effective system. Please e-mail all Information and SOC to the Contracting Officer (CO), Michael DeSouto, at mdesouto@fs.fed.us . For programmatic questions or technical questions contact Mark Hilton, via email at mhilton@fs.fed.us and include the CO by Cc. This synopsis is not to be construed as a commitment on the part of the Government to award a contract, nor does the Government intend to directly pay for any information or responses submitted as the result of this synopsis.? ADDENDUM 1 Repeater Site Monitor, Globalstar Message Data Format Bytes Description Input Range Multiplier Offset Recovery mult/offset 1-3 = &hAAXX27 N/A XX depends on message length: 20 for 1-3 repeaters, 32 for 4-6 repeaters. 4 = &h10 N/A 5 = Minimum Daily Enclosure Temperature -50 to 205 F 1 50 1, -50 6 = Maximum Daily Enclosure Temperature -50 to 205 F 1 50 1, -50 7 = Minimum Daily System Battery Voltage 0 to 25.5V 10 0 0.1, 0 8 = Maximum Daily System Battery Voltage 0 to 25.5V 10 0 0.1, 0 9 = Total Daily Battery Charge 0 to 510 ah 0.5 0 2.0, 0 10 = Minimum Daily Secondary Battery Voltage 0 to 51 V 5 0 0.2, 0 11= Maximum Daily Secondary Battery Voltage 0 to 51 V 5 0 0.2, 0 12= Total Daily Secondary Battery Charge 0 to 510 ah 0.5 0 2.0, 0 13 = Door Status Is open, has been opened "1" = "has been opened" "2" = "is currently open" "0" = "no activity since last transmission" 14 = Maximum Daily Forward RF Repeater 1 0 to 100 W 2.5 0 0.4, 0 15= Minimum Daily Forward RF Repeater 1 0 to 100 W 2.5 0 0.4, 0 16 = Maximum Daily VSWR Repeater 1 1 to 10 25 0 .04, 0 17 = Total On Time Repeater 1 (minutes) 0 to 1440 min 0.1667 0 6, 0 18 = Maximum Daily Forward RF Repeater 2 0 to 100 W 2.5 0 0.4, 0 19= Minimum Daily Forward RF Repeater 2 0 to 100 W 2.5 0 0.4, 0 20 = Maximum Daily VSWR Repeater 2 1 to 10 25 0 .04, 0 21 = Total On Time Repeater 2 (minutes) 0 to 1440 min 0.1667 0 6, 0 22 = Maximum Daily Forward RF Repeater 3 0 to 100 W 2.5 0 0.4, 0 23= Minimum Daily Forward RF Repeater 3 0 to 100 W 2.5 0 0.4, 0 24 = Maximum Daily VSWR Repeater 3 1 to 10 25 0 .04, 0 25 = Total On Time Repeater 1 (minutes) Repeater 3 0 to 1440 min 0.1667 0 6, 0 26 = Maximum Daily AC line voltage 0 to 255 1 0 1, 0 27= Minimum Daily AC line voltage 0 to 255 1 0 1, 0 28 = Maximum Daily second AC line voltage 0 to 255 1 0 1, 0 29 = Minimum Daily second AC line voltage 0 to 255 1 0 1, 0 30 = site configuration mask D0 (lsb) = 1 for second battery D1 = 1 for second repeater D2 = 1 for third repeater D3 = 1 for AC power source D4 = 1 for Second AC power source D5 = 1 for fourth repeater D6 = 1 for fifth repeater D7 = 1 for sixth repeater If station is a satellite station only then: 31 & 32 = = CRC bytes ----------------------- bytes for extended data packet----------------------------- 31= 0 (not used - place holder for future) N/A 32 = Maximum Daily Forward RF Repeater 4 0 to 100 W 2.5 0 0.4, 0 33= Minimum Daily Forward RF Repeater 4 0 to 100 W 2.5 0 0.4, 0 34 = Maximum Daily VSWR Repeater 4 1 to 10 25 0 .04, 0 35 = Total On Time Repeater 4 (minutes) 0 to 1440 min 0.1667 0 6, 0 36 = Maximum Daily Forward RF Repeater 5 0 to 100 W 2.5 0 0.4, 0 37= Minimum Daily Forward RF Repeater 5 0 to 100 W 2.5 0 0.4, 0 38 = Maximum Daily VSWR Repeater 5 1 to 10 25 0 .04, 0 39 = Total On Time Repeater 5 (minutes) 0 to 1440 min 0.1667 0 6, 0 40 = Maximum Daily Forward RF Repeater 6 0 to 100 W 2.5 0 0.4, 0 41= Minimum Daily Forward RF Repeater 6 0 to 100 W 2.5 0 0.4, 0 42 = Maximum Daily VSWR Repeater 6 1 to 10 25 0 .04, 0 43 = Total On Time Repeater 1 (minutes) Repeater 6 0 to 1440 min 0.1667 0 6, 0 44= 0 (not used - place holder for future) N/A 45= 0 (not used - place holder for future) N/A 46= 0 (not used - place holder for future) N/A 47= 0 (not used - place holder for future) N/A 48= 0 (not used - place holder for future) N/A 49, 50 = CRC bytes