BDA / ERCES System Design

What an iBwave-certified design includes

• 3D RF propagation model of the building, calibrated against your measured baseline
• Antenna placement plan with floor-plan overlays
• Cable schedule (LMR-400, ½" / ⅞" heliax) with loss budgets
• BDA selection (UL 2524 listed — RSI, Honeywell/Fiplex) and class designation
• Donor antenna sizing, alignment angle, and RSSI prediction
• Power and battery-backup design per NFPA 1225 §18.6
• Fire alarm interface design per NFPA 72 (2025)
• NEMA enclosure selection and labeling per IFC §510.5.6

Pre-design checklist

Before we touch the design, we close five items every time:

1. AHJ frequency authorization letter from the public-safety licensee (Dallas Police / DFW Airport Radio / etc.)
2. Measured RF baseline survey (or use of an existing acceptable baseline within 12 months)
3. Confirmed adopted code edition and local amendments — pulled from our jurisdiction database
4. Architectural floor plans + structural details (especially below-grade, stairwells, elevator shafts)
5. Owner / GC sign-off on the design intent — class, coverage, acceptance criteria

Plan submittal

We package the design into the AHJ-required format (typically PDF + iBwave model export) and submit through the local portal — DallasNow (ProjectDox), eTRAKiT, or Accela depending on the city. Plan-review timelines run 3–6 weeks in DFW; we sequence the project schedule around the slowest AHJ on the project.