Overview

CRS Configuration (Photo)

CommPower's Computerized Radio Station (CRS)

The National Weather Service (NWS) of NOAA currently operates a network of around 700 VHF radio transmitters supplying local weather forecasts, watches, warnings, and advisories directly to the public in the United States and some areas of the western Pacific and the Caribbean. CRS, the new personal computer-based broadcast system developed by CommPower, automatically translates ASCII text-based National Weather Service forecasts and warnings into quality, synthesized-voice audio, significantly reducing production delays. Each CRS system generates individual broadcast schedules for up to 13 different regional transmitters. CRS will broadcast in English and Spanish.

This new automated equipment enables NOAA to transmit severe weather warnings faster than ever before over the NOAA Weather Radio. The new broadcast stations also give NOAA more flexibility in varying local broadcast programming and free forecasters to spend more time on other more important duties. The installed 120 systems are part of a multi-year improvement of the National Weather Service's NOAA Weather Radio network and ties the NWS directly into the nation's Emergency Alert System (EAS). Recent events have led to NOAA formulating how CRS can be expanded to serve the public in support of Homeland Security.

CRS comprises a system architecture incorporating loosely coupled personal computers (PCs) interconnected by an Ethernet local area network (LAN). The system consists of two major parts - the Operator's Environment and the Audio Processing & Switching Equipment - and is controlled via a highly intuitive X-windows based graphical man-machine interface and a custom-designed audio control panel with manual controls and status indicators in support of backup live operational mode. Two identical operator positions support work-sharing during severe weather conditions and provide for full backup.

Reliability is assured through redundancy of PC hardware (dual main systems and N+1 front-end systems) and data (file shadowing/mirroring). The built-in redundancy eliminates the need for site level shelf spare parts.

Voice digitization is done on the main processors (MPs), voice synthesis on the front-end processors (FEPs), merged and augmented by tone generation and National Weather Radio Specific Area Message Encoder (NWRSAME) codes for severe weather warnings before transmitter output. The NWRSAME function responsible for computer-controlled frequency shift keying (FSK) modulated data bursts is fully integrated to ensure proper synchronization with voice output.

By the beginning of 1999, CommPower had successfully produced, integrated, and tested the required 120 CRS baseline systems and delivered them to the individual NWS sites. CommPower continues to be responsible for the delivery of additional CRS systems, for enhancements to the CRS functionality, as well as for the ongoing software maintenance support.

Contact cjpurcell@commpower.com for additional information CRS information.

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