# Presentation: 703427

## CURRENT EMWIN OVERVIEW

- April 27, 2004
- Santos Rodriguez, NWS EMWIN

## What is EMWIN?

- The Emergency Managers Weather Information Network is a wireless, priority-driven computer weather data broadcast system that takes advantage of minimal wireless bandwidth.
- EMWIN provides rapid Satellite, VHF Radio, and Internet dissemination of:
- Alerts / Warnings < 1 minutes
- Forecasts ~ 2- 5 minutes
- Graphics  ~ 10 – 15 minutes
- Imagery ~  10 – 15 minutes
- Other (as time permits)
- In severe weather non-warning products may take longer

## How it works

-   Data are collected from a variety of sources:
-      1. Gateway
-      2. Weather Wire
-      3. FTP
-      4. Internet
-   They are assembled at the EMWIN servers and :
-      1. Prioritized into high , mid , and low priority products
-      2. Split into 1k packets
-      3. Assembled into a 9.6kbs serial data stream

## How it works cont.

- The data stream is then sent to Wallops Command and Data Acquisition Station (WCDAS), NESDIS where it is Up linked to satellite (GOES 12 and GOES 10)
- At Pacific Region HQ, it is received from GOES-10 and up linked to PSAT which relays the signal father west
-   EMWIN products can be retransmitted by other methods
- Transmitted via radio frequency  (local re-broadcast)
- Sent on the Internet (Byte Blaster)

## NWS EMWIN Architecture

- INTERNET CLOUD

- NWS GATEWAY SYSTEM

- WEATHERWIRE SYSTEM

- A & C

- B & D

- BYTE BLASTER NETWORK

**WALLOPS CDAS**

**GOES SPACE CRAFT**

- DEDICATED ANALOG **LINE**

**EMWIN FEED****  ****SOURCES**

**EMWIN PC NETWORK**

- EMWIN INTERNET PUSH BITSTREAM

- DEDICATED ANALOG LINE/T1 backup

## GOES FOOTPRINT

- GOES 10 (WEST)

- GOES 12 (EAST)

## EMWIN Users

-   National Weather Service Forecast Offices and Warning Coordination Meteorologists (WCM’s)
-   WCM’s use EMWIN as a tool to promote the NWS to the public and for training Skywarn members, storm spotters and Local and National Emergency managers
-   Canadian Met Service, South and Central American countries, Caribbean nations, Pacific Island nations, the NWS  Pacific region
-   Schools , amateur meteorologists, EMT’s, hobbyists of all ages, storm spotters, storm chasers, Skywarn Network

## Many TV Stations in the mid-west, especially tornado alley
Police Stations, Fire Stations, Emergency Centers, Emergency response personnel
Re-broadcasters, paging networks
Worldwide Internet Users via Byte Blaster network
Weather Channel  is known to use EMWIN
U.S. Air force uses in remote areas 

- Police Stations, Fire Stations, Emergency Centers, Emergency response personnel
- Re-broadcasters, paging networks
- Worldwide Internet Users via Byte Blaster network
- Weather Channel  is known to use EMWIN
- U.S. Air force uses in remote areas

- EMWIN Users cont.

## EMWIN in the Pacific

- Currently PSAT rebroadcasts an EMWIN data stream
- Provides advance warning of Tsunami and Typhoons
- We’ve received testimonials noting that after a severe event the only weather system still functioning is EMWIN
- Many island nations already use EMWIN to save lives and property

## EMWIN VHF Re-transmission

- The EMWIN signal is re-transmitted locally using NWS or National Guard VHF frequencies to local communities
- Re-broadcasters can filter the national data stream and re-insert local emergency data or relay it in its’ entirety
- Texas counties use EMWIN in Police cars
- Florida’s network (FWIN) uses heavy filtering and employs 1200 baud as its’ retran data rate, it is a very effective  network used statewide by Emergency Managers.

## Typical VHF Re-transmission  System

- Internet or Intranet cloud

- EMWIN SERVER

- VHF Transmitter

- Receiver

- Custom local EMWIN Data stream

- To Paging Network

- GOES EAST dish

- GOES WEST dish

- 153.950KHz

- 1690.725MHz

- 1690.725MHz

## Slide 12

## Typical Radio Re-broadcast User

- Standard Pentium PC

- Internet access to Byte blaster network

- Internet  cloud

- 0-100 mi from transmitter line of sight

- EMWIN VHF Radio Receiver

- 153.950KHz VHF  EMWIN

- Optional Alarm Controller

- To Alarm Units

## Typical EMWIN Satellite User

- Internet  cloud

- Standard Pentium PC

- EMWIN SATELLITE Dish

- Receiver

- Internet access to Byte blaster network

- Optional Alarm Controller

- To Alarm Units

## Byte Blaster Server 

- Byte Blaster Server

- Internet  cloud

- Standard Pentium PC

- EMWIN SATELLITE Dish

- Receiver

- Internet access to Byte blaster network

- Optional Alarm Controller

- To Alarm Units

## Why EMWIN works so well

-   The equipment is inexpensive.
-   An entire turnkey system costs as little as $1k.
-   The System needs little to no infrastructure.
-   EMWIN runs on a laptop.
-   A Solar powered version exists.
-   Signal is “Weather Proof” due to L-Band transmission.
-   USER Equipment is relatively compact and is very rugged.
-   The Data-stream is free, repeatable and can be customized for local retransmission.
-   EMWIN is non-proprietary.
-   Multiple inexpensive software display packages are available.
-   A large and knowledgeable user community to help monitor performance and answer user questions (EMWIN user list).

## EMWIN Current  Status

-   Frequency on GOES  - 1690.725 MHz
-   Modulation – Dual Frequency Shift Keying (DFSK)
-   Speed - 9.6 kbps
-   Upcoming Changes:
-       1. Power level of broadcast significantly reduced, therefore             	coding gains will be needed in order to keep current user
- 	dish size the same.
-       2. Frequency and Modulation  will change.