ampwebwARe

As technology evolves, electronic devices continue to take on a more mobile and virtual nature. While RF and microwave amplifiers themselves may never become truly ‘mobile’, the way we control them can be. AR’s ampwebwARe gives you the capability to monitor and control your amplifier remotely without needing any software of your own. If the user switches to ‘remote’, the front panel locks and the user can control the amplifier from an embedded webpage. Through this webpage, you can look at the power the amplifier is generating, the hours of operation, and manage all the controls remotely that you would normally do from the front panel of the amplifier.

 

ampwebwARe Features

Beginning in 2019, AR will be embedding ampwebwARe in all new amplifiers. Once an amplifier is connected to a network and an IP address is set, any other device connected to that network can access the amplifier’s embedded webpage. The features of this embedded webpage include:

  • All Information Shown on One Screen
  • Simple User Interface
  • Allows for Remote Diagnostics
  • Monitor Status from Anywhere
  • Multiple Simultaneous Browser Connections
  • Many Supported Web Browsers

 

ampwebwARe Layout and Tables

The data presented to the user is categorized into various sets. Each set of data is shown as a table with its own header. Different amplifier models will contain different sets of data, depending on its complexity. At a minimum, a webpage will contain a monitor table and control table. The monitor table will always come before the control table. The monitor table shows data which is updated periodically. Above the monitor table there is a time stamp which indicates the last time that the information in the table was updated.

 

The control table allows data to be entered to control the amplifier. This data is sent to the amplifier via a ‘Send’ button corresponding to each adjustment. Examples of monitor and control functions include monitoring forward and reverse power, adjusting gain and setting the amp’s internal ALC. Depending on the amplifier model, other tables may be available as well. These tables can include status information about an amplifier’s firmware revisions, transistor currents, and module temperatures. An example layout is shown in Figure 1.

ampwebwARe-figure-1
Figure 1: Example Layout of ampwebwARe

 

Conclusion

In order to modernize our amplifiers, AR is providing ampwebwARe in all of our new amplifiers. This software allows for remote communication to AR amplifiers through any device connected to the same network as the amplifier, via an embedded webpage. From this embedded webpage, the user can both monitor and control the amplifier. If you would like to learn more about ampwebwARe, feel free to contact one of our applications engineers at 800-933-8181 or visit our website at www.arworld.us.