Many microwave and optical sensors can detect if an intruder breaks a beam, but these systems provide no information to security staff of the exact position of the intrusion.
This means they have to search the area, giving the intruder a lot of time to hide and evade detection within the site. Fixed cameras could be used to cover the entire perimeter, but the cost is very high. It would be substantially more affordable to use a single pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) camera if it could be steered to the precise location of the intrusion; a feature that existing “microwave fence” and optical “beam break” sensors cannot offer. Some buried cable systems can measure the location but these are prone to false alarms due to changes in weather and soil conditions; installation costs are also very high. Fence-mounted sensors sometimes detect location, but they are also highly susceptible to false alarms due to small movements and vibrations on the fence when blown by the wind.
Our solution: Super-Beam
Our Super-Beam microwave Perimeter Intrusion Detection System (PIDS) alarms when a perimeter is crossed by an intruder and outputs the precise position of the intrusion so that a camera can be zoomed onto them to direct security staff, for visual analysis to establish the intruder’s intentions and for evidential purposes. The Super-Beam uses our unique bistatic radar technology that has a very low false alarm rate.
Key benefits
Long range version
The Super-Beam 400 uses two radar heads at each end of the detection zone to cover a range of up to 400 metres. The hardware is identical at both ends so during initial set up they are paired together to work cooperatively. The settings applied to one unit will be set automatically on its paired unit, simplifying configuration.
Low power version
The Super-Beam 200 is a shorter range, 200 metre system that is unique in being able to detect intruders over a well-defined perimeter using active electronics at just one end of the perimeter and a passive (unpowered) “beacon” at the other end. This has the advantage of simplifying the installation by eliminating the need for power at one node. With suitable site planning the powered and un-powered equipment can be located to benefit from this feature. For example, a perimeter using six Super-Beam 200 links would only need power at three out of the seven nodes.
Well defined perimeter
The Super-Beam’s advanced microwave radar sensors produce an extremely narrow detection area with a correspondingly ultra-high detection probability and low false alarm rate. This is achieved by the use of our unique bistatic dual-mode radars, which results in the best of both worlds; lower false-alarm rate than traditional monostatic radars, plus the narrow detection zone width of traditional microwave PIDS. Our Super-Beam radars use advanced Doppler processing and highly optimised antennas to perform substantially better than regular scanning radars, especially when installed in close proximity to physical barriers and fences.
Easy integration
The equipment works seamlessly with third-party equipment, cameras, alarms and Video Management Systems (VMS) using Ethernet. The Super-Beam has in-built slew-to-cue software that automatically moves nearby CCTV cameras to point at the intruder.
All weather operation
The Super-Beam has a high detection probability and the lowest false alarm rate possible leading to a high confidence level. The Super-Beam works in all weathers through the use of a sophisticated modulation arrangement, combined with propriety software algorithms that intelligently monitor and adapt to environment changes. Radar is also unaffected by light, working in any light level, ranging from total darkness to blinding bright light.