Bridges Installation Guide

Silver Spring Networks

555 Broadway Street
Redwood City, CA 94063
[Link]

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Bridges Installation Guide

Confidential Information of Silver Spring Networks®, Inc., provided under nondisclosure obligations.
Copyright © 2014 Silver Spring Networks, Inc. All rights reserved.
The following are registered trademarks of Silver Spring Networks, Inc: the Silver Spring Networks name and logo, CustomerIQ®, GreenBox®,
GridScape®, UtilityIQ®, UtilOS®.
The following are trademarks of Silver Spring Networks, Inc: Altogether Brilliant™, Connect to the Energy Network™, Connect to The
Everything Network™, EnergyIQ™, GreenIQ™, MForm™, MicroAP™, Micromesh™, NetworkIQ™, SilverLink™, SSNsor™, The Everything
Network™, The Internet of Important Things™.
All other company and product names are used for identification purposes only and may be registered trademarks, trademarks, or service
marks of their respective owners.

Please consider the environment before printing this document.

Revision Date Revision

7 June 2014 Removed reference to optional AC power and AC power adaptor.
Corrected NZ frequency range. Revised Bridge 4.0 operating
temperature range, output power and Rx sensitivity parameters. Updated
2.4GHz data rates.

Contact us. Email techpubs@[Link] with suggestions or corrections for this or any document.

Customer Support

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1-888-SSN-9876 US Pacific Time
(1-888-776-9876)
Non-toll-free: 1-650-839-4298
In Australia: 9:00 AM - 9:00 PM aus-support@[Link]
1300 706 769 Australia Eastern Time
Contact us on the Web: [Link]

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Bridges Installation Guide Contents

Contents
1. Installing Bridges. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Related Documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Verifying the Packing List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Bridge 4.0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Specifications for Bridge 4.0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
eBridge 2.0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Specifications for eBridge 2.0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Assembling the Bridge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Installation Note . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Lighting Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Installing Bridges in Weatherproof Enclosures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

2. Standards, Best Practices, and Examples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Antenna Site Selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Installation Practices. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Antenna System Gain and Loss Calculation Examples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Recommended Coaxial Cable Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Incorrectly Installed Antenna Examples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Correctly Installed Antenna Examples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Voltage Standing Wave Radio Plot Example. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

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Bridges Installation Guide 1 Installing Bridges

1 Installing Bridges
This document describes how to install Silver Spring Bridges. A Silver Spring Bridge
provides high‐performance, reliable, and secure DNP3 transport between remote terminal
units (RTUs) and data centers. The Silver Spring Networks Bridge family includes Bridge 4.0,
eBridge 2.0, and sBridge 2.0.
Bridges are manufactured to perform one of two roles: Master or Remote. A Master Bridge
provides the connection or take‐out point for the Remote Bridges to the SCADA system. The
Remote Bridges connect to the RTUs to provide connectivity back to the Master.
For details and ordering information about bridges and other Silver Spring devices, refer to
Silver Spring Networks Infrastructure Hardware Guide.

Related Documents
You can find all Silver Spring Networks product documentation at 
[Link] in the Documentation & Release Notes section.
You may also refer to the following documentation:
• Bridge Configurator User Guide for information on configuring the Bridge with the Bridge
Configurator and a Field Service Unit (FSU)
• Silver Spring Networks Infrastructure Hardware Guide for site planning and ordering
information
• Distribution Automation (DA) Design and Implementation Guide for general information on
Bridge implementation

Verifying the Packing List

Make sure your Bridge assembly includes:
• Bridge components in a corrugated carton, including:
• Bridge 4.0, eBridge 2.0, or sBridge 2.0
• Cable, power, radio
• Cable Assembly, Type N, to SMA, 18‐inch (45.72cm)
• (Optional) External antenna system

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Bridges Installation Guide 1 Installing Bridges

Bridge 4.0
The following figures show the interfaces for Bridge 4.0.
Figure 1. Bridge 4.0 front and back panels

Front Back

SMA female RF
connector

Serial ports Grounding lug

Ethernet GPIO ports
Power

Specifications for Bridge 4.0

Bridge 4.0 hardware specifications are listed in Table 1.

Table 1. Bridge 4.0 specifications

Feature Description
900-MHz Communications:
Data rate 100 - 300 Kbps
Frequencies 902-928 MHz North America
915-928 MHz Australia
902-907.5, 915-928 MHz Brazil
870-876 MHz Luxembourg & United Kingdom
870-873 MHz Portugal
921.5-928 MHz New Zealand
Spread Spectrum technology FHSS
Transmitter output 30 dBm
Output impedance 50 ohms
Receiver sensitivity -98 dBm for 10% PER
2.4-GHz HAN Transceiver:
Frequency range 2.4 GHz, ISM Band
Data rate 250Kbps & 500Kbps FHSS, 250Kbps DSSS
Spreading technique DSSS, FHSS
MAC/Channels 802.15.4 - DSSS
Transmitter output Output Power: 20‐24dBm DSSS; 20‐27dBm FHSS
Receiver sensitivity -94 dBm for 10% PER
Power Draw TX 1.8 W typ. (2.0 W max.)

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Bridges Installation Guide 1 Installing Bridges

Table 1. Bridge 4.0 specifications (Continued)

Feature Description
Physical Interfaces:
Antenna connector SMA, Female
NAN antenna Omni antenna with gain not to exceed 3.6dBi on 2.4GHz and 6.0dBi
on 900MHz
Protocols/Security:
Addressing Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6)
Security Secure Hash Algorithm 256 bit (SHA-256) RSA-1024 and /or ECC-
256
Encryption AES-128 or AES-256
Environmental:
Operating Temperature: ‐40°C to +85°C (‐40°F to +185°F)
Humidity: 0% to 95%, non-condensing
Power
Voltage Range: 10-60 VDC, ~ 1A, 50 to 60Hz
Power Consumption Idle Maximum
2.9W, 9W
Receiver Sensitivity Receiver sensitivity is -102 dBm @ 10-6 BER.
Approvals:
FCC Part 15.247
Industry Canada RSS-210

eBridge 2.0
The following figures show the interfaces for eBridge 2.0.
Figure 2. eBridge 2.0 front and back panels

Front Back

SMA female RF
Serial port *USB *GPIO Ethernet Power connector

* Not used in this release

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Bridges Installation Guide 1 Installing Bridges

Specifications for eBridge 2.0

Hardware specifications for eBridge 2.0 are listed in Table 1.

Table 2. eBridge 2.0 specifications

Feature Description
900-MHz Communications:
Data rate 100 - 300 Kbps
Frequencies 902-928 MHz North America
915-928 MHz Australia
902-907.5, 915-928 MHz Brazil
870-876 MHz Luxembourg & United Kingdom
870-873 MHz Portugal
922-928.5 MHz New Zealand
Spread Spectrum technology FHSS
Transmitter output 30 dBm
Output impedance 50 ohms
Receiver sensitivity -97 dBm for 1% PER
2.4-GHz HAN Transceiver:
Frequency range 2.4 GHz, ISM Band
Data rate 100Kbps - 1Mbps FHSS, 250kbps DSSS
Spreading technique DSSS, FHSS
MAC/Channels 802.15.4 - DSSS
Transmitter output Output Power: 20-23dBm DSSS; 20-27dBm FHSS
Receiver sensitivity -97 dBm for 1% PER
Power Draw TX 1.8 W typ. (2.0 W max.)
Physical Interfaces:
Antenna connector SMA, Female
NAN antenna Omni antenna with gain not to exceed 3.6dBi on 2.4GHz and 6.0dBi
on 900MHz
Protocols/Security:
Addressing Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6)
Security Secure Hash Algorithm 256 bit (SHA-256) RSA-1024 and /or ECC-
256
Encryption AES-128 or AES-256
Environmental:
Operating Temperature: -40°C to +70°C (-40°F to +158°F)
Humidity: 0% to 95%, non-condensing
Power
Voltage Range: 96-250 VDC, ~ 1A, 50 to 60Hz
Power Consumption Idle Maximum
2.5W, 9W
Receiver Sensitivity Receiver sensitivity is -102 dBm @ 10-6 BER.

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Bridges Installation Guide 1 Installing Bridges

Table 2. eBridge 2.0 specifications (Continued)

Feature Description
Approvals:
FCC Part 15.247
Industry Canada RSS-210

Assembling the Bridge

To assemble the Bridge:
1. Unpack all the components listed in Verifying the Packing List.
2. Install the Bridge chassis into the selected weatherproof location.
a. Master Bridges 4.0 and eBridges 2.0 are located as described in the Site Planning
Requirements sections of the Silver Spring Networks Infrastructure Hardware Guide.
b. Remote Bridges, eBridges, and sBridges are typically located within the RTU
enclosure to which it will be attached. See Figure 5.
3. Connect an antenna to the SMA female connector.
If you are connecting the Bridge to the RTU’s antenna, make that connection.

CAUTION: Do not operate Bridges (or any Silver Spring RF devices such as Relays or APs) without
an antenna connected. Circuit damage can occur if the unit is powered and the SMA female antenna
connector is not properly terminated.

Note: For Distribution Automation deployments, a high-gain antenna is recommended for use with
all Bridges. Silver Spring recommends using the 6dBi omnidirectional antenna (catalog number
201-000002).

4. Connect the power to a suitable outlet.

5. DC polarity on the Bridges is important. To ensure the proper polarity, the DC power
cord plugs into the Bridge one way only. The red cable must then be connected to the
positive, and the black cable must then be connected to the negative of the power source.
6. Configure the Bridge with Bridge Configurator v2.2 or higher and a Field Service Unit
(FSU) (recommended).

Installation Note
Since Bridges do not have a power on/off switch for disconnecting AC power before
servicing, AC power is provided through an AC mains disconnect switch or breaker.
Therefore, the electrical installation of this product is under the control of the power utilities
or their authorized subcontractors. Refer to their procedures for further instructions.
Only certain types of batteries can be used for battery replacements. Contact Silver Spring
Networks for information about equivalent battery types that can be used for replacement.

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Bridges Installation Guide 1 Installing Bridges

Lightning Protection
Lightning protection is required for Silver Spring Networks infrastructure devices. You can
order the recommended lightning arrestor from Silver Spring Networks. See the
Infrastructure Hardware Guide for ordering information.
Figure 3 shows a typical tower‐mounted antenna connected to a Bridge located in equipment
housing. Notice the multiple grounding points which provide protection against a lightning
strike to either the antenna or the tower. Often, lightning will strike multiple adjacent points.
To protect against multiple strike points, the antenna itself is grounded, the tower is
grounded, and the conduit from the antenna to the Bridge is grounded at the tower and
outside the equipment housing. Finally, the equipment rack is grounded to ensure maximum
protection for your equipment.
Run ground wire to the equipment housing ground, to steel, to a cold water pipe, or to Earth
ground.

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Bridges Installation Guide 1 Installing Bridges

Figure 3. Lightning protection - proper grounding

See next figure

for lightning
arrestor location
details.

Equipment House
Silver Ground Lightning
Spring Tie Bar Suppressor
radio

Antenna and tower grounding connectors

Grounding [Link]

Lightning arrestor, ground tie bar, Silver

Spring radio, and other grounding
connections

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Bridges Installation Guide 1 Installing Bridges

Locating the Lighting Arrestor

The location of the lightning arrestor is designed to keep lightning away from the equipment
and the equipment rack. To accomplish this, mount the lightning arrestor just inside the
entrance to the equipment housing but as far as possible from the equipment rack.
Figure 4. Making proper ground connections

Antenna mount

Ground the shield outside of

the equipment housing
building. This prevents
Ground the shield outside of lightning from following the
the equipment housing outside of the coax to the
building. This prevents equipment rack.
lightning from following the
outside of the coax to the
equipment rack.

Lightning arrestor

For more information, see the Infrastructure Hardware Guide.

For general information on Bridge implementation, see the Distribution Automation Design
and Implementation Guide.

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Bridges Installation Guide 1 Installing Bridges

Installing Bridges in Weatherproof Enclosures

Bridges are not weatherproofed devices. They must be mounted indoors or in
weatherproofed enclosures.
Figure 5. Installing the Bridge in a weatherproof enclosure

The Remote Bridge is typically installed in the same enclosure as the RTU. If the RTU
enclosure is not weatherproof, then a weatherproof enclosure must be used to house the
Bridge. The interior of the enclosure must be a minimum of:
6” long x 5.5” wide x 1.75” high (15.24 x 14.0 x 4.45 centimeters).
The enclosure must also allow for making the network connection between the Bridge and
the RTU.

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Bridges Installation Guide 2 Standards, Best Practices, and Examples

2 Standards, Best Practices, and

Examples
Standards
• Antenna system gain for coaxial cable, antenna, filters, lightning arrestor, connectors
should be close to but should not exceed 6 dBi.
• Antenna system return loss should be greater than 14 dB with a goal to have a return loss
of 20 dB or greater.
• Bridge 4.0 has an internal band‐pass filter to reduce out‐of‐band noise.
• eBridge 2.0 Master uses an external 902‐928 MHz band‐pass filter.
— European Union countries should use an 865‐880 MHz band‐pass filter.
Depending on noise floor and interference characteristics, band pass filters may be
necessary for Remote eBridges.

Antenna Site Selection

When selecting an antenna site for Bridges, make sure that there is:
• A clear line of sight.
• Sufficient elevation to clear local obstacles.
• An antenna height of at 35‐50 feet (10.7 ‐15.25 m) for Master bridges.
• An antenna that is as high as possible (at least 25 feet or 7.6 meters) for Remote bridges.
• 100 feet (30.5 m) of horizontal spacing and 10 feet (3 m) of vertical spacing from other
Silver Spring devices or devices operating in the same band.
• A minimal distance between the antenna and the Bridge. Since using more cable means
that there will be more loss, consider a PoE (Power over Ethernet) installation as an
alternative to a long antenna cable run.

Installation Practices
For an optimal bridge installation, follow these practices:
• Coaxial cable:
— Trim to appropriate length (for example, do not coil excess coaxial cable).
— Should be a single continuous line, with the appropriate connectors:
• Bridge 4.0 and eBridge 2.0: N‐male to supplied pigtail
• Antenna: match the connector on the selected antenna

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Bridges Installation Guide 2 Standards, Best Practices, and Examples

• Antenna:
— Space the antenna a minimum of 18 inches (45.7 cm) from the mounting structure.
— The antenna aperture must be clear of the mounting hardware.
— The antenna system should be grounded per industry standards.
• All cables must be secured to prevent movement from winds.
• The antenna system must be tested using a network analyzer per industry standards.
• All connectors must be weather‐sealed.
• Install lightning arrestor at appropriate location.

Antenna System Gain and Loss Calculation Examples

Table 1 shows two examples of standard Silver Spring Networks antenna gain and loss
calculations.

Note: The FCC limits transmitter power output to +30 dBm and EIRP to +36 dBm.

Table 1. Silver Spring Networks antenna gain and loss calculation examples

External Output power

bandpass Connector Transmission EIRP (effective
Transmitter filter loss and jumper line loss Antenna isotropic
output (dBm) (if used) loss (cable loss) gain (dBi) radiated power)
Example 1 30.0 -2.8 -0.5 -1.0 6.0 31.7
Example 2 30.0 0.0 -0.5 -2.0 8.1 35.6

Recommended Coaxial Cable Types

Table 2 shows the types of coaxial cable recommended when installing the Bridge and
antenna.

Table 2. Recommended coaxial cable types

Line Length Cable Type Manufacturer Loss/100’

1' - 50' LMR-400 Times Microwave 3.9
50' - 100' LMR-600 Times Microwave 2.0
100' - 200' LDF5-50 Andrew 1.0
More than 200' Contact Silver Spring Networks

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Bridges Installation Guide 2 Standards, Best Practices, and Examples

Incorrectly Installed Antenna Examples

Figure 1. Antenna is angled and should be perpendicular to the ground

Figure 2. No clearance between the pole and the antenna

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Bridges Installation Guide 2 Standards, Best Practices, and Examples

Figure 3. Too many obstructions, and no clearance between the building and the antenna

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Bridges Installation Guide 2 Standards, Best Practices, and Examples

Figure 4. Additional clearance and obstruction problems

1 30 feet (9m) of extra cable coiled up and the cable is also not secured from wind.
2 Antenna is obstructed by the base of the antenna arm and there is not enough
clearance between the capacitor bank and the antenna.

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Bridges Installation Guide 2 Standards, Best Practices, and Examples

Correctly Installed Antenna Examples

Figure 5. No obstructions and good clearance between the pole and the antenna

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Bridges Installation Guide 2 Standards, Best Practices, and Examples

Figure 6. Two antennas offset and on opposite sides of the pole to avoid interference. Good height
for master eBridge

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Bridges Installation Guide 2 Standards, Best Practices, and Examples

Voltage Standing Wave Radio Plot Example

Figure 7. Example of an acceptable VSWR (Voltage Standing Wave Ratio) plot (1.7 to 1.1 to 1.5)

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