Table of Contents
Signaler Interface - HMI
Overview
The Signaler Interface (or HMI for short) is the operator interface to the whole system. Two very different versions of the Signaler Interface will be designed for the WinterTrain:
- PC based application utilizing screen, mouse etc.
- Physical track table with buttons, indicators etc.
The PC based interface will offer following facilities to the Signaler:
- Track network (graphical display)
- Interlocking indication, signal and point status, etc.
- Route setting, route release
- Point and level crossing control
- Management of Automatic Route Setting
- Train Management
- Train status and position indication
- MA indication
- Mode authorization
- Train Running Number assignment and status
- Remote take-over of train
- Mode indication
- Remote operation
The (physical) track table will offer following facilities to the Signaler:
- Track network
- Interlocking indications, signal and point status, etc.
- Route setting, route release
- Point and level crossing control
Common features
An active HMI can be used in two modes:
- Read-only
- Full Control
Several instances of the HMI (both PC based and track table) can be active at the same time. However only one HMI at a time can be in mode Full Control.
PC based HMI
Track table
The physical approach of the train driver interface (DMI) (using knobs and indicators - as opposite to a smart phone app) turned out to be quite popular (especially among kids). This lead to the idea of creating a real (hardware) operator panel or track table with push buttons and indicators.
To investigate this idea a very small and simple proof of concept was build. The prototype covers a small corner of the track network of the WinterTrain season 2018-2019 and looks like this:
Specific functions were implemented in the PC HMI in order to control the prototype.
