DW4000 Broadband Satellite
DirecWay DW4000 ITU & IRU
DirecWayT dish antenna (model 4000)
DW4000 series of DIRECWAY systems was the first 2-Way satellite internet system Hughes put out on the home user market. Released at the same time as the DW3000, these were the first systems to bear the "DirecWay" name. Prior to these systems, "DirecPC" was the name under which Hughes marketed home satellite systems.
Related Direcway Products:
The DW4000 DIRECWAY system communicates with a geostationary satellite in a "two-way" manner; i.e. the receive (or downstream) data and the transmit (or upstream) data signals both operate through the system's antenna, over the satellite, and via the DIRECWAY Network Operations Center. No phone line, no dial-up connection. And with the DW4000 your DIRECWAY services are always-on.
And that's not all. DW4000 system can be configured with an optional dual-LNB for receiving DIRECTV® digital satellite television service. DIRECTV receivers and service are sold separately. Now the excitement of broadband Internet AND the quality choice of digital satellite television can be received on a single satellite system....DirecDUO.
Equipment Details
The DIRECWAY DW4000 systems consist of a oval satellite antenna, matching integrated outdoor electronics, and the indoor units (see below for further descriptions).
Indoor Equipment
The indoor equipment consists of one or two USB satellite adapters:
- ITU (Indoor Transmit Unit, Model DW4000 only)
- IRU (Indoor Receive Unit, Models DW3000/4000)
The DW4000 indoor equipment package is shown in Figure 1. Include are the ITU, IRU, power supply, USB cable, and ITU-IRU interconnection cable. The DW4000 consists of two modems stacked atop one another, connected together via a 25-pin cable in the rear of the units. The top modem is the IRU (Indoor Receive Unit), the bottom is the ITU (Indoor transmit Unit). They connect to the users computer via the USB port. This system requires special DirecWay software and drivers to be installed on your computer to operate.
The IRU is a DVB compliant satellite adapter that can be used alone, in the one-way configuration, or together with the ITU for two-way operation.
The DIRECWAY ITU is designed to be an add-on capability to a standard receive-only DIRECWAY IRU. When the ITU is installed and configured, the user will have the ability to select the satellite instead of the modem as the outbound route. When this option is selected and the ITU is available, the system is essentially "always on". This means you never have to wait for your PC to connect, or worry about ISP busy signals. And because the ITU is connected to the IRU through the ITU-IRU interconnection cable, only one USB port on your PC is required to operate the DIRECWAY indoor equipment.
Outdoor Equipment
The DW4000 uses a .74m satellite dish which is identical to the DW3000 dish - with the exception being the DW3000 dish does not have the transmitter hardware on the arm of the dish. The DIRECWAY antenna is equipped with the following:
- A single LNB to receive DIRECWAY data from the satellite (Models DW3000/4000)
- A radio unit to transmit DIRECWAY data to the satellite (Model DW4000 only).
In addition each DIRECWAY system can be optionally equipped with an additional dual- LNB to receive DIRECTV using the same antenna. This configuration is called DirecDUO. Figure 2 shows the DIRECWAY antenna configured without the DirecDUO option. The outdoor equipment is connected by two RG-6 coaxial cables to the indoor equipment.
Installation
The two-way DW4000 system, as well as the DW4000U transmit upgrade, are installed by a professional installer. (That's a requirement, and it's the rule by the FCC. Sorry all you do-it-yourselfers!) Most household installations are easily made to the side of the home with a universal mounting bracket.
When properly tweaked, downstream speeds averaged around 900+ kbps, Upstream varied from around 35-85+ kbps. These systems are no longer sold new, and Hughes would not commission/activate one for a customer today (new or used). Alike the DW3000, networking the DW4000 was a bit tricky, but it could be done.
| Technical Specifications |  |
|---|---|
| User Requirements - The DIRECWAY system connects to your personal computer (PC) which must meet the following minimum requirements: | |
| Processor: | 333 MHz Pentium II class or better |
| Interface: | One available USB port |
| Operating Systems: | Windows 98 SE, Windows ME, Windows 2000 |
| Memory: | 64 MB RAM (Win 98 SE and Win ME) 128 MB RAM (Windows 2000) |
| Free Hard Disk Space: | 20 MB |
| Display: | PCI or AGP video adapter, 800 x 600 minimum |
| Compatibility: | |
| Browsers: | Internet Explorer 5.0 or higher Netscape Navigator 4.76 |
| Internet Application: | All common TCP/IP applications, UDP or RTP traffic |
| Interface: | USB 1.1 or higher |
| Satellite & Antenna Specifications: | |
| Encapsulation: | DVB |
| Information Rate: | <= 45 Mbps |
| Symbol Rate: | <= 30 Msps |
| Frequency Range: | Ku Band |
| Modulation (Receive): | QPSK |
| Modulation (Transmit): | OQPSK |
| Bit Error Rate (Receive): | 10 -10 or beter |
| Bit Error Rate (Transmit): | 10 -7 or better |
| Antenna: | 74cm oval, 89cm, 98cm and 120cm |
| Radio: | 1 Watt |
| Encoding: | Receive: FEC at rates 7/8, 5/6, 2/3, 1/2 188/204 bute Reed-Solomon block format for DVB); DVB-S Transmit: Rate 1/2 Convolutional |
| Mechanical & Environmental: | |
| ITU Weight: | 1.3 LBS |
| IRU Weight: | 1.35 LBS |
| IRU Power Supply Weight: | 0.64 LBS |
| ITU/IRU Dimensions: | 6.03" x 1.50"H x 9.0"D |
| Operating Temperature: | 5 - 40° C |
| Input Power (IRU/ITU): | Input- 100-240V - 2A, 50-60Hz AC Output - 19.5V DC @ 2.37A 6.5V DC @ 1.3A |
More Satellite Radio related links:
DW4000 Frequently Asked QuestionsMobile Direcway Satellite Internet
Satellite Internet Forum - Have a question? Post it here.
Satellite Internet Blog - Comment the latest info from satellite internet arena
