EAS device users are talking to their respective manufacturers about whether their gear is compliant with the updated CAP standard, and if not what do to about it.
Among suppliers updating customers are Alerting Solutions Inc. and TFT Inc.; those two are manufacturing partners. Current TFT EAS products can be made CAP-compliant with the addition of an external unit like the CAP-to-EAS Model 3320 sold by TFT and its dealers. Following the announcement last week that the latest version of CAP has been approved by FEMA, the two companies stated:
“Equipment already deployed will be capable of upgrade to receive CAP-encoded messages (the new standards) and provides the most cost-effective solution for EAS participants to achieve full CAP compliance required by the Federal Communications Commission.”
“In particular, the CAP-to-EAS Model 3320, a converter made by TFT, and the older Model 2008, a converter made by ASI, receive CAP-encoded messages from a CAP source and translate it to EAS protocol as audio that can be directly connected to existing EAS decoders. Optionally, it can directly broadcast the alert over the program channel (pending FCC type approval). These units also are capable of reporting back to a CAP server of the broadcast of a CAP-generated message. Both can be upgraded by means of the Internet connection to the CAP server.”
A TFT spokesman said ASI’s Model 2008 or Model 3320 can be used with any TFT EAS decoder products, including the EAS911R, EAS911T and EAS911D; no changes are necessary for the decoders. “The Model 2008 or Model 3320 occupies an audio input on the EAS decoder. The interface between the units is balanced audio.”
