Microwave Engineering Division
The Microwave Engineering Division, Public Safety Communications is responsible for design, engineering, installation and maintenance of the statewide microwave network used by the State’s public safety agencies’ first responders on a 24 hours/7 days a week/365 days a year basis. Our Mission is to ensure that quality telecommunications services are provided to all state agencies in the most cost-effective, efficient, and timely manner possible. This includes maximizing the use of state resources, and the consolidation and joint use of telecommunications systems and services where operationally, technically, and economically feasible.
Division Chief
Moises Lopez
California Governor's Office of Emergency Services, Public Safety Communications
601 Sequoia Pacific Blvd. Sacramento, CA 95811-0231
Office Phone: (916) 657-6107
Email: Moises.Lopez@CalOES.ca.gov
Microwave Engineering Division Units:
- California Public Safety Network (CAPSNET) Access Unit
- Microwave Infrastructure Unit
- Microwave Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) Unit
Special Project Unit
California Public Safety Network (CAPSNET) Access Unit
The CAPSNET Access Unit is the public-facing engineering unit for external customers requiring access to state microwave bandwidth and services, offering solutions for and connectivity to bandwidth on the public safety microwave system.
Feasibility study, design and coordination: Assist customers in the feasibility, design and coordination of access to California Public Safety Network (CAPSNET) radio vault facilities and towers and related network equipment that will meet the bandwidth and connectivity needs of its state, local and federal government customers.
Leverage modern technology: Provide recommendations to customers on microwave connectivity and MPLS network transport of data to meet new customer needs for public-safety-grade network access and the CAPSNET Emergency Telephone System.
Coordination and Liaison: Liaison between customers and CAPSNET/MPLS microwave system on connectivity and bandwidth needs and solutions.
System Problem Solving: Assist customers in the resolution of connectivity solutions related to CAPSNET.
Microwave Infrastructure Unit
The Microwave Infrastructure Unit offers a wide variety of services including design and implementation, deploy Microwave (MW) equipment, and Microwave (MW) system equipment problem solving.
Design and implementation: Assist customers in the design and implementation of new radio vault facilities and towers that will meet the needs of California Public Safety Network (CAPSNET) and its customers including customer circuits on existing Frequency Division Multiplexing (FDM) and Time Division Multiplexing (TDM) microwave paths and systems.
Deploy Equipment: Provide Radio Frequency (RF) terminal equipment, antennas and associated equipment to both replace older RF equipment as well as meet new customer path needs.
Coordination and Licensing: Coordinate license frequency assignments for CAPSNET microwave system.
System Problem Solving: Assist Operations staff in the resolution of problems related to older TDM and FDM microwave system equipment.
Microwave Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) Engineering
The Microwave (MPLS Engineering) Unit offers a wide variety of services including Network Design, Equipment Standardization, Service Development, and Traffic Engineering.
Network Design: Responsible for securing routed infrastructure and optimized network for land mobile radio voice communications users.
Equipment Standardization: Responsible for installation, configuration and site deployment standards.
Service Development: Responsible for developing solutions to migrate FDM and TDM services to IP Packet including lease line, T1, Foreign exchange subscriber (FXS), Foreign exchange office (FXO); in addition synchronization of critical latency simulcast transport and conference bridging.
Traffic Engineering: Responsible for engineering bandwidth management; enforcing Service level agreement (SLA) and Quality of service (QoS) for various service offerings.
Special Projects
The Special Projects Unit offers a wide variety of services and products suited to the design, installation and maintenance of telecommunications systems of State and other public service agencies. These services and products include: design and fabrication of unique equipment (both electronic and mechanical), specification compliance testing, and engineering field studies.
Design and Fabrication: Ability to design and fabricate electronic and mechanical items for use in audio, digital and RF systems. Examples of products available are: audio and signaling interface units, power supplies, multi-channel line monitors, timers, unique logic and control equipment, squelch-operated relays; antenna transfer panels, antenna support brackets, equipment shelves, battery trays, cavity mounting brackets, and coaxial cables.
Specification Compliance Testing: Skillful at testing almost any kind of electronic item: radios (mobiles, base stations, repeaters, portables), remote control consoles, logging recorders, power supplies, batteries, chargers, antennas, duplexers, receiver multi-couplers, transmitter combiners, Intermodulation (IM) panels, public address system amplifiers, speakers, microphones, headsets, sirens, etc. All tests use applicable Electronic Industries Alliance (EIA) or Military Specification (MIL-Spec) standards.
In addition to the full-spectrum of electronic tests, the Special Projects Unit can perform environmental tests for temperature, humidity, vibration and shock.
Engineering Assistance: Provide engineering assistance for a variety of tasks: Radio Frequency Interference/Electromagnetic Interference (RFI/EMI) investigations; radio-path coverage surveys; audio and signaling interface problems; transmitter combiner, duplexer and receiver multi-coupler design; general telecommunications systems design, preparation for field work and special studies (investigation into equipment operation, modifications, adaptations).
Field Studies: Special Projects has a van fully outfitted for all types of engineering field investigations. There is equipment for measuring radio frequency field intensity, making maximum permissible exposure measurements to determine susceptibility to hazardous radiation, analyzing the operation of, and designing new transmitter combiner systems and duplexers. There is equipment for making antenna pattern and efficiency measurements; analyzing problems with transmission lines, detecting and locating interfering signals and a cadre of digital and analog record keeping devices, including both audio and video recording and playback. There is equipment for making radio path surveys; a high-powered computer for performing inter-modulation calculations, radio direction finding equipment, and full communications capability on all state public safety radio systems.
System Problem Solving: On-site professional engineering staff with a wide variety (and many years) of experience in engineering public safety radio systems. We can provide a high-level of engineering services to assist you in solving your most complex system or product problems.