Space ISAC Watch Center | How Thinklogical Enables Multi-Classification Access and Control

Thinklogical’s KVM signal management system has been instrumental in enhancing the operational capabilities of the Space ISAC Watch Center in Colorado. This cutting-edge technology provides a robust platform for mission control and data enablement, addressing the unique needs of the Watch Center by enabling seamless collaboration, dynamic reconfiguration, and integrated source management.

Key Features and Benefits:

🌌 Seamless Collaboration and Information Sharing

Thinklogical’s system facilitates smooth information sharing and collaboration within the Watch Center. The dynamic reconfiguration of the video wall eliminates the complexities of traditional video wall management. With an intuitive drag-and-drop functionality, users can easily adapt the video wall layout to suit various scenarios, enhancing operational efficiency.

🔄 Effortless Room Configuration

The system offers versatile layout options—WOK THIRDS, WOK MID FULL, and WOK SIX FULL—enabling users to manage the video wall with ease from the ‘super user’ desks. Changes are quick and intuitive, ensuring the Watch Center remains responsive to changing needs.

• WOK THIRDS: Displays eight screens viewable from the left, center, and right sides of the room.
• WOK MID FULL: Displays four smaller images on the left and right, and four larger images in the middle.
• WOK SIX FULL: Displays six large images.

These layouts can be selected using touch panels or on-screen displays (OSD), with corresponding graphics updating to reflect the new configuration.

🎥 Integrated Source Management

Thinklogical integrates various sources such as quad-head PCs, single-head ICTs, and local laptops. Users can control the video wall layout and content selection effortlessly, ensuring all connected sources are utilized effectively. The system’s ‘SANITIZE’ button enhances security by temporarily replacing all displayed sources with sanitized images when needed.

🔒 Future-Proof and Scalable

Although currently managing unclassified information, Thinklogical’s system is designed to accommodate future expansion for handling classified information as Space ISAC’s needs evolve. This ensures the Watch Center remains equipped to handle a broader range of data classifications in the future.

Operational Capabilities:

• User Flexibility: Analysts can plug in their laptops at designated desks, with network connectivity and multiple monitors available for research. Findings can be pushed to the video wall by managers or super users.
• Room Reconfiguration: The system allows for fast and simple reconfiguration of the room based on the nature of the threat, ensuring optimal use of resources.
• Control and Integration: Super user desks control the video wall and have access to back-racked sources, demonstrating the system’s multi-user collaboration capabilities.

Initial Deployment and Expansion:

The system was initially designed with two super user desks, each with four monitors, local laptop input, touch panel, six laptop-only user desks, two quad-head back-racked PCs, and two back-racked ICTs. The system supports eight inputs to the video wall processor, with plans for future expansion to include more super user desks, back-racked sources, room audio, and additional single displays.

This transformative installation underscores Thinklogical’s commitment to pushing the boundaries of innovation and collaboration, ensuring streamlined workflow management and enhanced collaboration at the Space ISAC Watch Center.

Stay tuned as we continue to push the boundaries of innovation and collaboration with Space ISAC, ensuring streamlined workflow management and enhanced collaboration in ever-changing environments!

🎥 Watch the Case Study Video 🎥

We will be sponsoring the Canadian Institute’s Police Tech Conference April 30-May 1st.

Connect with Richard Cooper and Charlie Jamieson for demos and join us for the cocktail reception.

 

Public Safety Command & Control solutions from Thinklogical provides 911 & 211 call centers, emergency operations centers (EOC), and public safety answering points (PSAP) with next-generation features and capabilities, enabling real-time collaboration and information sharing,  enhanced situational awareness, and faster, better-informed responses. Thinklogical provides instant access to multiple PCs, servers and applications with no added video latency and immediate control system responsiveness, allowing users to make mission-critical decisions in seconds rather than minutes.

Features and Benefits

• Immediate, real-time access to multiple applications, computers and video sources from a single keyboard and mouse
• Share information and collaborate with a single keystroke
• Enables instant situational awareness and faster response times
• Seamless and instant screen and application selection by just moving the mouse from screen to screen. Provides intuitive access to multiple independent computer sources without manual switching or interrupting workflow
• Low video latency and smooth control surface performance reduces operator fatigue, stress and errors
• Allows PCs and servers to be back-racked for ease of maintenance and less foot traffic in operations center
• Reduces workstation IT clutter, noise and heat and increases cyber security by replacing vulnerable USB ports, hard drives, and network cables
• Reliable, redundant and resilient system architecture for maximum uptime in mission-critical, 24/7 applications

 

INNOVATIONS IN NUCLEAR POWER:
THE DIGITAL MODERNIZATION OF CONTROL ROOMS

A recent study from Idaho National Labs (INL) conducted as part of the Light Water Reactor Sustainability (LWRS) Program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), identifies practices and principles to support nuclear power plant Digital Instrumentation & Controls (DI&C) modernizations.

One practice proposed was the use of a safety-qualified switching architecture, based on Keyboard-Video-Mouse (KVM) components, referred to as a Display-Keyboard-Trackball (DKT) architecture. The DKT architecture envisioned by the DOE research provides for a flexible Human System Interface (HSI) solution for the Main Control Room (MCR) that achieves the benefits of:

• simplification of the control room layout
• improvement of the Human System Interface (HSI)
• cost reduction from fewer displays
• consolidation of operator functions

Thinklogical’s highly-secure signal management products help address NERC-CIP cyber requirements, resulting in better data security, reduced costs and increased productivity.

DIGITAL CONTROL ROOM RESOURCES

Thinklogical products support the DOE advanced control room and digital modernization recommendations with DKT technology that enable HSI improvements and reduce operational costs. Click on any of the resources below to download:

• Secure DKT Solutions for Nuclear Control Room Digital Modernization and Advanced Reactors Datasheet
• Nuclear Control Room Digital Modernization White Paper
• Example DKT Digital Control Room System Diagram
• Potential Use of Thinklogical’s KVM Technology in Safety Applications – Paper (2021 NPIC & HMIT Conference)
• Potential Use of Thinklogical’s KVM Technology in Safety Applications – Presentation (2021 NPIC & HMIT Conference)
• Vendor-Independent Requirements for a Boiling Water Reactor Safety System Upgrade – Paper (2020 – DKT Excerpt)
• Vendor-Independent Requirements for a Boiling Water Reactor Safety System Upgrade – Paper (2020 – Full Paper)
• Experience with Group-View, Wall Panel Displays Outside the Nuclear Industry – Paper (2019 NPIC & HMIT Conference)
• Experience with Group-View, Wall Panel Displays Outside the Nuclear Industry – Presentation (2019 NPIC & HMIT Conference)
• Expanded Keyboard-Video-Mouse (KVM) Technology
• Expanded Keyboard-Video-Mouse (KVM) Technology Implementation for Advanced Reactors – Presentation (2018 Pacific Basin Nuclear Conference)
• Human System Interface Improvements using Advanced Keyboard-Video-Mouse (KVM) Technology – Paper (2018 ANS Annual Meeting)
• Human System Interface Improvements using Advanced Keyboard-Video-Mouse (KVM) Technology – Presentation (2018 ANS Annual Meeting)

Thinklogical manufactures secure and resilient video distribution and KVM extension and switching systems used in nuclear control room applications. Thinklogical products support the DOE advanced control room and digital modernization recommendations with DKT technology that enable HSI improvements and reduce operational costs.

An ISO 9001:2015 certified company, Thinklogical products are made in the U.S.A.

Thinklogical is a proud member of the American Nuclear Society and is dedicated to advancing nuclear science and technology for humanity’s benefit.