26 Mar 2014 PTP 650S: Short Range Not Small Cell
A few months ago Cambium Networks launched their PTP 650 product, this redefined what can be achieved in the 5GHz spectrum with a licence free point to point link. We see many vendors releasing products based on standard IEEE802.11n/ac chipsets which very crudely give you more capacity by using more spectrum and very high modulation rates. This means the links are very susceptible to interference and are not well suited at all to performing in challenging conditions or over longer distances. Even the smallest amount of interference will cause this type of link problems.
| Feature | PTP 650 | PTP 650S |
| Standard Capacity Key | 125Mbps | 450Mbps |
| Optional Upgrade Keys | Capacity: 125 – 250Mbps 250 – 450Mbps 125 – 450Mbps |
Distance: Enable > 2km Distances |
| Standard Antenna | 23dBi | 19dBi |
| Small Form Factor | No | Yes |
| Optional Connectorised Version for higher gain antenna use | Yes | No |
The Cambium Networks PTP 650 is all about doing more with less – more data with less spectrum. The boffins down in Ashburton (Cambium’s UK R&D Centre) have managed to extract 10bps/Hz which is ground breaking. This gives the product a maximum net data capacity (via licence key upgrade) of 450Mbps out of 45MHz of spectrum and this can be configured in increments of 5MHz meaning an entry level of 50Mbps out of just 5MHz of spectrum. Compare this to 802.11n based products that will give you around 190Mbps of net data out of 40MHz of spectrum.
Combined with Cambium’s ‘secret ingredient’ that enables unrivalled near and non line of sight connectivity and DSO – Dynamic Spectrum Optimisation, the PTP 650 is set to become the market leader in point to point 5GHz connectivity for mid to long range links. The PTP 650 has been flying off the shelves here at Purdicom and the feedback from our customers is great. However, if we were to be critical of the product at all we would have said that the integrated 23dBi antenna was overkill for shorter range links and smaller form factor would be nice.
Step forward the PTP 650S – smaller form factor, 19dBi antenna and 450Mbps out of the box. The ‘S’ officially stands for ‘Small Cell’ as the product has been developed with the burgeoning MNO (Mobile Network Operator) 4G small cell backhaul market in mind. The jury is still out on if and when this market will take off so watch this space, however the great thing is that we are seeing loads of fantastic products being launched for this market that actually suit the Enterprise and ISP market really well. Siklu and Sub10 are great examples of this; both have launched small form factor products recently aimed at the small cell market that suit the mass market really well.
To us, the PTP 650S is ‘short range’. The 19dBi antenna makes it perfect for links under 2km and if you need to go further you can purchase a ‘Distance Upgrade Key’. Without the distance key the link will still operate but the data rate will be capped at 125Mbps. The system still has exactly the same great features of the PTP 650 such as DSO, high spectral efficiency and near/non line of sight capability. Even better, the PTP 650S has the same list price as the standard, entry level PTP 650. This makes it the best value £ per Mbps 5GHz link that we have on sale.
Both the PTP 650 and the PTP 650S feature in the excellent Cambium Networks Link Planner software which is available free to download from the Cambium website, or Purdicom will check the link for you if you send us the coordinates!
We have the PTP 650S in stock and ready for next day despatch; contact us today for more information!
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