Tools

Various tool are relevant for a project like the WinterTrain:

• Data Management Tool
• Data Ananlysis tool
• Test tool for Element Controller
• Hand Held Terminal for track side operation

These are described in the sections below.

The engineering tool (DMT) will be used to organize and generate the necessary specific data for each project (that is: actual model railway). The tool will allow for generating the final application data (PT2) for the RBC based on drawings representing the track layout.

Following application data are in current version of the WinterTrain not handled by DMT but are compiled manually using a text editor:

• RBC related train data
• Specific OBU and DMI related train data
• Specific Element Controller hardware configuration data

In order to simplify presentation and organization of the raw input data representing the actual track layout a graphical editor will be used to form a Technical Signalling Layout drawing. This drawing will be annotated with information like distances, types of signals, hardware assignment etc.

For the PC based HMI another drawing will capture the layout design of the screen, that is, how the track network will be shown to the signaller.

DMT will take these two types of drawings as input:

• Technical Signalling Layout - graphical representation of the topology of all track and elements.
• Screen Layout - Layout specification for the HMI

and compile these into a set of application data - PT2 data - that can used directly by the RBC and the HMI (via the RBC).

DMT will perform various range and consistency checks ensuring that the resulting applicaiton data can be used by the RBC.

By means of a graphical editor following information representing the actual (model) railway

• Track topology including:
  • Physical elements like points, signals, bufferstops (end of track), balises, level crossings.
  • Logical elements like point hold triggers and level crossing triggers.
  • Physical distance between neighbouring elements.
• Naming of all elements
• Balise identity (if available)
• Assignment of elements to Element Controllers (i.e. wiring of e.g. point machines and signals to Element Controllers)
• Operational status of elements (e.g. if point is clamped in a specific lie)

will be assembled into a Technical Signalling Layout drawing.

Based on this drawing the screen layout for the HMI can be designed using the same graphical editor. The result will be a Screen Layout drawing.

For this purpose two dedicated graphical symbol libraries will be designed containing all necessary layout symbols needed for the Technical Signalling Layout respectively the Screen Layout.

Both drawings will be annotated with project name, date and author

DMT will read these two drawings, perform various checks and generate the PT2 data as output of the process. PT2 data will be compiled in a format directly readable by the RBC.

If specific data for an element is not yet known, dummy values will be assigned to the PT2 data. This includes balise ID, wiring of element controllers etc. When these data are available they can be entered in the Technical Signalling Layout and the PT2 data can be (re-)generated.

As the IDs of the balises might not be available at the time of (preliminary rounds of) engineering of the Technical Signalling Layout a supporting data flow will allow balise ID to be added to the application data in a convenient way.

By means of the balise reader feature of the HHT actual balise IDs will be read, transferred to the RBC and dynamically assigned to the associated balise names. A dedicated export feature in the RBC will produce a file with a table of balise names and ID. A dedicated feature in the DMT tool will then allow these balise IDs to be merged into the Technical Signalling Layout drawing. Based on this updated drawing a new version of PT2 data can be compiled by DMT.

This feature will reduce the amount od balise ID that have to be entered manually (via the graphical editor) into the Technical Signalling Layout drawing.

The PT2 Analyzer tool will be used for verifying, inspecting and checking the PT2 data.

The tool will provide commands for:

• Compute distance between two elements
• Calculate total track length
• List all balises in a format suitable for assembling shunting borders for OBU application data (Train Data)
• List configuration of all Element Controllers

The tool will read the PT2 data file in current directory unless otherwise specified.

The EC test tool will be a small tool capable of sending commands to and receiving status from an EC The tool will be used for development of EC software and hardware and for testing a model railway during installation.

The tool will provide commands for:

• Request and display EC status
• Send element order and request and display status for that element
• Request and display status of all elements
• Delete EC configuration data
• Add configuration data for one element
• Add configuration data for more elements according to Site Specific Configuration Data

These commands corresponds directly to the orders specified for the Element Controller in section EC Order and Status

Status will be displayed as the received data and translated to readable text.

The Hand Held Terminal (HHT) will be a portable battery powered terminal with a small four line display, four push buttons and a balise reader. The HHT will have connection to the radio network and by that be able to provide following features:

• Balise reader with balise name lookup
• Distance lookup
• Track side operator interface
• DMI