What is MOTOTRBO?

In this article we answer the most frequently asked questions in regards to Motorola Solutions MOTOTRBO digital two way radio portfolio.

If you are looking to for support with an existing radio system, or looking for more information to migrate to MOTOTRBO let Radiocoms support you, contact us here >

What does MOTOTRBO stand for?

MOTOTRBO is Motorola Solutions DMR (digital mobile radio) portfolio. The MOTOTRBO DMR standard was developed by Motorola Solutions in conjunction with ETSI (European Telecommunications Standards Institute) and Motorola is one of the leading manufacturers of DMR devices.

Is MOTOTRBO the same as DMR?

DMR is an acronym for Digital Mobile Radio and is an ETSI standard for land mobile radio communications in the 66-960MHz band. MOTOTRBO was the first DMR digital two-way radio system from Motorola Solutions which was specifically designed to meet the requirements of various organisations and industries that required a customisable business-critical communication solution using licensed radio spectrum. MOTOTRBO provides a complete two-way radio system that includes hand portable portable two way radios and mobile radios, a repeater, accessories as well as powerful data applications, such as location services, workflow management and alarm monitoring for example.

The portfolio is made up voice & data products:

  • Hand portable Two Way Radios
  • Mobile Radios
  • Repeaters
  • Single & Multi-Site Software Systems
  • Data Apps such as alarm control, telephone interconnect, voice recording and solar powered control units

What does MOTOTRBO do?

MOTOTRBO combines high quality two-way radio functionality with digital DMR radio technology to deliver increased capability and spectral efficiency, integrated data applications for added functionality and enhanced voice communications. In the ongoing effort to improve workforce productivity and operational effectiveness, organisations need to communicate with and provide information to employees anywhere on 24/7 basis-easily and cost effectively. This is especially important for organisations or enterprises whose workers are mobile—moving about a geographic area to accomplish their jobs. MOTOTRBO also supports integration allowing you to add other technology portfolios to work in unity, such as WAVE PTX.

What are the main differences between
the MOTOTRBO DMR Tiers
and what is DMR used for?

There are two tiers available which ultimately creates different radio solutions for you, our clients. These can range from a simple back to back radio system, to city or worldwide two way radio networks with high end level encryption and support services. MOTOTRBO operates across high power tier II and III.

  • DMR Tier II is for radio equipment that can operate anywhere within the DMR frequency range, but usually operates within the 136 – 174 MHz band for VHF and 403 – 527 MHz band for UHF. DMR Tier II equipment must be licenced by OFCOM to avoid issues with interference. DMR Tier II equipment can utilise repeater stations to increase the range of the system, allowing you to build up a radio infrastructure to meet your geographical requirements.
  • DMR Tier III radio equipment works on the same frequency range as Tier II equipment but adds in many features to give the system more functions to better fit your situation. Tier III equipment operates in “Trunked mode”, which means radios are automatically allocated to frequencies rather than having a fixed frequency. Trunking allows you to licence fewer frequencies while maintaining the same number of calls, lowering licence costs. Automatic allocation of frequencies removes the likelihood of two groups trying to communicate using the same channel and interfering with each other, which is especially important in large systems.

How does MOTOTRBO work?

MOTOTRBO ‘s radio technology is dual mode which essentially means you can operate in both analogue and digital. The functionality of a dual mode radio systems simply allows an organisation to migrate to digital at their own pace.

What ETSI standard is the technology based on?

MOTOTRBO from Motorola Solutions is designed to the globally recognised European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) Digital Mobile Radio (DMR-Digital Mobile Radio) tier two standard for large organisation/enterprise mobile radio. This provides an open platform that enables market acceptance and multi-vendor interoperability for voice and IP data and will assure competitive pricing while protecting customer investment.

Analogue two-way radio technology is a proven technology.
Why would I switch to a digital radio system?

Analogue technology has reached the limits of its innovative life. With factors such as limited battery life, degrading voice quality near at the edge of coverage, lack integrated data applications and crowding of the spectrum which causes radio channel interference. A missed call, user error, garbled message or a dead battery can mean lowered productivity, wasted time and money, unsatisfied customers, interruptions to essential services, or lost business. Digital two way radio systems offer advantages such as a lower total cost of ownership, customisable coverage and features, and a simple and reliable implementation.

How does TDMA differ from FDMA?

Frequency-Division Multiple-Access (FDMA) splits the channel frequency itself into two smaller sub-channels that can carry separate calls side-by-side. By comparison, Time-Division Multiple-Access (TDMA) preserves the full channel width, but divides it into alternating time slots that can each carry an individual call. Motorola maintains that two-slot 12.5 kHz TDMA-based systems, providing 6.25 kHz equivalency, are the better choice for most large organisation/enterprise radio users.

Compared to 6.25 kHz FDMA, two-slot TDMA allows you to achieve 6.25 kHz equivalent efficiency while minimising investments in repeaters and combining equipment. This is one reason why TDMA is so well suited to professional applications, where the budget for two-way digital radio may be limited compared to the mission-critical tier. FDMA requires a dedicated repeater for each channel, plus expensive combining equipment to enable multiple frequencies to share a single base-station antenna. It can be particularly expensive to make combining equipment work with 6.25 kHz signals, and there’s typically a loss in signal quality and range when it’s used this way. In contrast, two-slot TDMA achieves two-channel equivalency using single-channel equipment. No extra repeaters or combining equipment is required.

 

TDMA v FDMA 2

How is MOTOTRBO’s pricing structure “comparable” to similar analogue solutions?

Motorola made an investment in the MOTOTRBO technology platform in order to bring integrated applications and advanced functionality to the two-way radio market. DMR technology was developed to be offered at a competitive price-point compared to existing analogue two-way radio solutions.

 What is the expected lifespan of a MOTOTRBO
radio system?

This is very much dependent on the environment the radio system is being utilised in. Motorola Solutions state it will meet the average lifespan of approximately five to seven years. This is also based on regularly maintenance, and software upgrades being activated to ensure the system is working to the required specification.

 What types of organisations/businesses would be best suited for MOTOTRBO?

MOTOTRBO DMR radio systems are adaptable to every workplace environment. Your chosen model should depend on the required functionalities and environment you are utilising them in.

Users include: Central and local government, shopping centres, manufacturing and distribution facilities, transportation companies, small campuses such as hotels and schools, construction sites,  energy/utility companies, universities, oil and gas rigs to fire and rescue teams. Find out where Radiocoms have deployed solutions to > 

Can I connect my MOTOTRBO radio system with software applications
to create technology unity across my organisation?

Yes. Motorola Solutions has a wide variation of software applications that have been developed by their  technology partners.  By adding a software application you eliminate the need for multiple devices, and in turn boost the productivity and safety of your workforce.

  • Control Rooms – Fleet management and dispatcher solutions allowing efficient tracking of workers, vehicles, and business assets to enhance safety and productivity.
  • Safety – Alarm management, indoor localisation, man down and guard tour management applications to efficiently manage resources and protect lone ‘at risk’ workers and assets.
  • Workflow Management – Work order ticket management solutions help expedite resolution of customer issues, enhance the efficiency of personnel responding to issues and facilities maintenance, and generate reports to create efficient work flows.
  • Radio Infrastructure – Infrastructure and network components to connect and interoperate seamlessly with other devices such as other radio systems, telephony systems and mobile computing devices, plus system performance solutions to understand and control radio system usage to maximise performance.
  • Data Transmission & Telemetry – Stay in control and conveniently monitor machine or facility alarms, and remotely control doors with advanced telemetry solutions.
  • Migration to Digital – Applications for migration from analogue to digital ensure smooth operations during systems migration and can be used to gradually replace analogue radios in existing systems at your own pace.

View the complete MOTOTRBO portfolio

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