Israel operates a modern, continuously staffed maritime rescue coordination center in Haifa. In accordance with IMO conventions, the center coordinates responses to ships in distress and marine pollution situations.
As an advocate of regulated, free, safe and environmentally friendly shipping, Israel acts in the interests of the international shipping community. The Israeli fleet consists of fifty registered vessels with an average age of ten years and a total cargo capacity of 3.2 million tons, which are subject to the rigorous standards of the Maritime and Port Administration.
With its highly professional Port State Control (member of the Med-MOU), Israel aims to become a model state that represents the most progressive values of free maritime trade and is committed to the standards of the International Conventions for the Safety of Life at Sea and the Marine Environment.
The request
When building the new control center, only the latest technology was to be used in order to meet the highest standards of sea rescue. This also included a stable, safety-critical switching system. The concept envisaged the installation of a KVM system as the centerpiece. Since the entire facility was to be controlled via Crestron touchscreens and iPads, a highly flexible KVM matrix was required that supported the connection of all devices.
The monitoring and conference rooms had to be able to receive HD video signals on screens and projectors. A return channel was also required for video data generated by cameras in the conference rooms. A sophisticated audio distribution system was also to be installed and required switching via a KVM matrix.
The solution
The decision was made to use a KVM system from IHSE, based on a Draco tera compact matrix switch with 64 ports. This powerful compact switch switches all relevant computer signals. Thanks to the intelligent design, all ports can be used as input and output - the matrix recognizes the connected devices automatically and without additional configuration. Both the peripheral devices (keyboard, mouse, screen, projectors, audio output devices, etc.) and the remote sources (such as PCs and cameras for interactive video conferences) are connected to the matrix via Draco vario extenders.
A special video conferencing system is directly connected to both a CON Unit and a CPU Unit for bidirectional data exchange. This allows the digital KVM signals from the remote sources to be received and passed on to an Extron sound system, while the video data generated in the conference rooms is passed on to the matrix, which all receiving devices can access.
While the distances between the matrix and extenders are bridged with Cat-X cables, which allow delay-free transmission and ensure a high level of security, control is possible entirely via an IP network. For this purpose, a separate IP switch is connected to the central Draco tera compact matrix, which gives the control devices wireless access via a Crestron controller. The entire facility can be controlled via iPad; in the large conference room and on the podium, Crestron touch panels are also used to control the projector and monitors.
The benefit
The KVM solution represents a huge improvement in the control center's multimedia control and has been running flawlessly since integration. A large number of sources can be switched to various monitors, projectors and control consoles without delay and without image interference.
