Icom IDAS digital two-way radio system

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With productivity and safety two important priorities at any industrial site, clear and effective communications are vital to ensure operations run as smoothly as possible. IDAS Digital two-way communication systems are claimed to offer the best in clarity, functionality, operating range, privacy and to make efficient use of radio spectrum.

IDAS offers a migration path to digital, as it is inter-operable with current analog transceivers. This allows organisations to stagger their migration to digital by buying over a long time. Installation and training can also be spread out, meaning that the impact on productivity is minimised.

By using 6.25 kHz channel spacing instead of the 12.5 kHz on a standard analog system, channel capacity is essentially doubled. This offers flexibility on how channels are allocated as, for example, one channel can be used for voice transmission and the adjacent channel for data.

The audio clarity of the IDAS system is also a clear advantage. Over a standard analog system, the audio quality will gradually deteriorate as the distance increases. With a digital signal, the audio is much clearer, and remains stable up to the fringe of the communication range, which is also far greater.

This would be advantageous in mining, where safety is paramount and clear messages are needed. In addition to clear communications, the system offers secure encryption by means of a digital voice scrambler that uses a 15-bit key (around 32,000 codes).

It is possible to link IDAS repeaters over an IP network, allowing wide area networks without the need for expensive leased lines, which is an advantage considering mine sites can span great distances. Single-site trunking is also supported, creating efficient allocation of up to 30 channels among a large number of users.

Short data messages (12 characters) are possible over the network, and GPS position reporting that can be plotted on PC mapping software is also possible. With IDAS operating via FDMA, peer-to-peer communications are possible, unlike TDMA systems.

This ensures no reduction in channel capacity, even if a repeater site is unavailable, or goes down. The IDAS framework is also compatible with many third-party applications and products to extend functionality even further.

The company’s product range to complement the IDAS system is suitable for demanding applications. The handheld IC-F3163/4163 series has a large-capacity (2000 mAh) lithium-ion battery pack and is rated to military specifications. It is also resistant to dust and water jets and features a loud internal speaker.

The mobile IC-F5063/6063 series offers flexible mounting options with an optional remote head configuration and is also rated to military specifications.

In the future, IDAS will be wide-area trunking capable, to allow efficient use of channels over an IP-linked network.