Smarter Control, Greater Flexibility, Enhanced Integration
This release focuses on making all new Alaris COJOT Steerable Beam Antenna units easier to integrate, easier to manage, and more predictable to operate, especially in demanding defence, security, and mission-critical RF environments where reliability and control are essential.
SBA SW v3.0 is fully backward compatible with previous software versions of SBAs, with no interface changes, no deprecated commands, and the full command set retained.
New RS-485 Half-Duplex Support
More flexibility for system integration
In addition to the existing RS-422 full-duplex interface, SBA SW v3.0 introduces support for RS-485 half-duplex serial communication.
This enhancement allows the SBA to interface seamlessly with radios, controllers, and legacy systems that rely on half-duplex serial links. In practical system architectures, this removes the need for protocol converters or custom interface solutions when full-duplex communication is not available.
By supporting both full- and half-duplex modes, the SBA can now adapt more easily to existing platform constraints rather than forcing changes to the surrounding system.
Customer benefits:
- Compatibility with a broader set of radio and controller platforms
- Simplified cabling and reduced interface complexity
- Greater flexibility when integrating SBA into legacy or mixed-interface systems
Expanded Serial Line Baud Rates
Optimised performance across multiple platforms
The new software release adds 1 Mbit/s and 2 Mbit/s baud rates to the serial interface optimising cable lengths versus data rates, while maintaining full backward compatibility with all existing configurations.
This allows system designers to better balance latency, throughput, and robustness depending on the operational environment. Lower baud rates may be preferred in electrically noisy installations, while higher rates enable faster antenna control and reduced system response times.
Importantly, these new options do not require any hardware changes and do not affect existing deployments unless explicitly enabled.
Customer benefits:
- Optimised data rates for different system requirements
- Improved performance tuning without hardware modifications
Extended System Information Commands
Better visibility and faster system diagnostics
Alaris COJOT SBA SW v3.0 introduces new commands that allow direct querying of SBA system information, including:
- SBA serial number
- Firmware version
- Antenna type
- Maximum number of beams
- Supported beam modes
These commands improve system transparency and make it easier to identify, verify, and document SBA units during installation and operation. In larger systems with multiple antennas, this information can be accessed remotely without physical inspection.
This capability supports faster commissioning, simplifies maintenance procedures, and improves long-term fleet management.
Customer benefits:
- Faster commissioning and system verification
- Improved fleet management and traceability
- Simplified remote diagnostics and maintenance workflows
DHCP Vendor Identifier
Designed for managed IP networks
The SBA now supports DHCP Option 60 (Vendor Class Identifier), allowing each SBA unit to identify itself in IP networks using the identifier “COJOT-SBA”.
This allows network systems to recognise the device as an Alaris COJOT Steerable Beam Antenna, rather than treating it as an anonymous network endpoint.
In practice, this enables policy-based and automated network integration. DHCP servers can be configured to assign SBA devices to specific subnets, apply predefined routing or firewall rules, or restrict IP address allocation to approved device types only.
This capability is particularly valuable in defence, public safety, and other mission-critical environments, where controlled access, network segmentation, and predictable behaviour are essential. Multiple SBA units can be connected simultaneously and integrated consistently without manual IP configuration.
Customer benefits:
- Easier integration into managed networks
- Clear identification of SBA devices at the DHCP server level
- Automatic subnet assignment and policy enforcement
- Reduced configuration effort in complex IP environments
Build In Test enhancement
Built-in insight into link quality with packet counters
New packet counters track serial communication performance by counting packets with correct and incorrect CRCs. Reporting can be enabled on demand and delivered in a structured JSON format.
This provides direct visibility into communication quality between the SBA and the controlling system. Instead of troubleshooting blindly, operators can immediately see whether issues originate from link quality, electrical noise, or protocol errors.
This feature is especially useful during system integration, acceptance testing, and long-term operation in harsh RF or electrically noisy environments.
Customer benefits:
- Real-time insight into communication reliability
- Faster troubleshooting of serial link issues
- Improved system robustness and operational confidence
Ready for the Next Mission
With the Alaris COJOT SBA Software Release v3.0, users gain greater control, deeper system visibility, and more flexible integration options without compromising reliability or backward compatibility.
This update reinforces Alaris COJOT’s commitment to delivering future-proof steerable antenna solutions for mission-critical RF systems.
For more information or upgrade support, please contact your Alaris COJOT representative.
