The Cobalt™ security system
Cobalt is an advanced acoustic disturbance sensor for demanding security applications. It uses a single optical fiber, up to 40km [25 miles] long, as its sensing element. The system monitors the whole fiber continuously and can detect, locate and categorize an arbitrary number of simultaneous disturbances anywhere along the length of the fiber - with a resolution of 10m [33 ft]. The signal extracted from each 10m [33 ft] section of fiber is unaffected by the acoustic disturbance on any other sections of fiber - even those adjacent.
Multiple simultaneous disturbances do not reduce the system's ability to detect and locate other activity anywhere along the fiber route.
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The system comprises 3 parts:
- The Cobalt sensor unit
- Software User Interface, which can run on any high-performance PC
- Standard single-mode communications fiber (the optical fiber sensing element - up to 40km [25 miles])
Applications
Cobalt detects minute acoustic disturbances anywhere along the length of its sense fiber (up to 40km [25 miles] long) so is particularly well-suited to long-line applications such as:
Border Security
In this application, the fiber is buried, say 300mm [1 ft] deep, close to the fence line of the border to be protected. Anybody climbing the fence; cutting the fence; digging or tunnelling near the fence will generate small vibrations in the ground, thus disturbing the fiber, and causing Cobalt to generate an alarm. Cobalt will display the location of the disturbance, and output co-ordinates to other linked security systems - such as a camera that automatically pans to the disturbance location.
Perimeter Security
Cobalt is deployed in the same way as for Border Security. Examples of perimeter security applications include: airbases, military installations, factories, power stations, oil refineries etc.
Cable Protection
Cobalt can help protect buried power or communications cables from accidental or malicious damage. If an optical fiber is buried with, or close to the cable, Cobalt can detect the approach of a backhoe/digger, for example, or the lifting of a manhole (see the Technology section for example recordings of the system's response). When Cobalt generates an alarm, there may be time for the utility owner to visit the excavation site and prevent potential damage to the cable. If the cable to be protected is itself a fiber-optic cable, then Cobalt would be connected to an otherwise unused fiber (a "dark" fiber) in that cable.
Pipeline Protection
Cobalt is deployed in the same way as for Cable protection.
Seismic Activity Detection
Natural seismic events, and explosive detonations, can be detected and located. Standard beam-forming techniques have been demonstrated to accurately locate the source of the disturbance.
Cobalt Features and Benefits
- Detects and locates multiple simultaneous disturbances without performance degradation or signal crosstalk - it is not possible to overwhelm the system by diversionary or decoy tactics.
- Real-time geographic display overlays alerts on representative map, plan or photograph (with automatic pan and zoom) providing a clear visual indication of intruder location.
- Real-time histogram of whole cable route (with zoom) - Gives at-a-glance overview of system status.
- Real-time audio outputs - Operator can hear what is happening at any two locations simultaneously.
- Automatic real-time Signature Categorization - Identifies type of disturbance to reduce false alarms.
- 10m [33 ft] spatial resolution - Personnel can be deployed accurately to intercept intruders.
- Low false alarm rate - Reduces unnecessary personnel responses.
- Event logging - Provides a history of all alarms and events.
- Automatic "Learn" mode - Makes initial set-up straightforward and fool-proof.
- Remote access and control via a public or private network - Allows monitoring of unmanned sites.
- Extremely high Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) - Excellent signal quality for signature analysis.
- Low-cost fiber sensing element - Standard single-mode communications fiber.
- Continuous sensor for up to 40km [25 miles] - Sensitivity is not granular.
- Requires access to only one end of a single fiber - Far end of fiber need not be under your control.
- No power distribution problems - The sense fiber requires no power and provides its own signal path.
- Very easy to install - requiring connections only for power, sense fiber and network.
- Covert monitoring possible - Non-metallic fiber is undetectable by conventional means.
- Operates in clay or sandy soils - Wet or dry - either direct buried or in duct.
- No "special" gravel required - Low-cost installation using e.g. a cable plough or trencher - Cable location is not given away by surface gravel or other special handling.
- Detects and locates tunnelling and boring - Out of sight activities are not missed.
- Selectable display filters - Allows the histogram response to be tuned for the application.
- Selectable audio filters - Allows selected frequency bands to be isolated or eliminated.
Performance
The performance of Cobalt depends on the type of soil surrounding the fiber, its moisture content, the depth of burial, and the distance along the fiber from the Cobalt unit. For a fiber that is direct buried (i.e. not in a conduit or duct) in damp clay at a depth of 300mm [1 ft], the following sensitivity is typical:
| Event | Detection distance from the fiber |
|---|---|
| Person Walking | 5m [16 ft] |
| Person Running | 10m [33 ft] |
| Car on smooth surface (30mph) | 20m [66 ft] |
| Car on uneven surface (30mph) | 50m [160 ft] |
| Excavation machinery | 200m [650 ft] |
Specifications
| Fiber Type: | Standard single-mode communications fiber (1550nm) |
| Maximum Fiber Length: | 40km [25 miles] |
| Distance Resolution and Accuracy: | 10m (fiber temperature range -40 to +50°C) [33 ft (fiber temperature range -40 to +122°F)] |
| Frequency Response [5 mile cable]: | 0.2Hz to 5kHz |
| Frequency Response [25 mile cable]: | 0.2Hz to 1kHz |
| Width: | 483mm [19" Rack-mountable] |
| Maximum Height: | 133mm (3U) [5.25"] |
| Maximum Depth: | 450mm [18"], 480mm [19"] inc handles |
| Weight: | 18kg [39.7 lb] |
| Supply Voltage: | 100V - 240Vac |
| Supply Frequency: | 50 or 60Hz |
| Rated Power Consumption: | 75W |
| Operating Temperature: | 0°C to +40°C [+32°C to +104°F] |
| Storage Temperature: | 0°C to +40°C [+32°C to +104°F] |
| Humidity: | 20% to 95% RH (non-condensing) |
| LED Indicators: | Power, Status, Lasers On/Off and Communications |
| Laser Product Category: | Class 3B Laser Product |
| Laser Shutoff Switch: | Key Switch on back of unit |
| Communications Interface: | 100BaseT, TCP/IP |
