Intelligent traffic lights controller

Traffic diagnostic controllers of TDC series (hereinafter TDC) of SEA Company production are intended for:

• Implementation of coordinated control of traffic-lights objects as part of traffic information systems of a wide-range integration (main-line traffic-lights objects, city/inter-regional/national control systems and for traffic monitoring);
• Diagnostic and monitoring of load circuits of traffic-light lamps.

TDC can be used in different environment and climatic zones with temperature range from – 40° C to + 70° C and in a range of power voltage from 160 V to 250 V.

The principal goals to be achieved during design and development of TDC were: maximum fail-safety security, functional reliability, convenient operation in different working conditions. The multi-level control system completely excludes the possibility of occurrence the critical conditions of traffic-light object.

The last 10 years of microprocessor and computer equipment development shows a firm tendency for using standardized interfaces and PC-compatible architecture of computer systems building.

Taking into consideration these tendencies, it was decided to choose industrial PC – compatible computer as functional core of TDC. It allows:

• Adjust flexibly, modernize and increase working capability of the controller’s hard- and soft-ware without involving outside experts in the process.
• Connect TDC to information systems of wide-range integration degree with the help of standardized interfaces.

Use worldwide produced standardized equipment (main-boards, modems, Flesh-memory, video-monitors, mobile computers, printers, etc.) as additional equipment compatible with TDC.

Usage of PC – compatible computer as a functional core of the traffic controller, will considerably save financial expenses in future.

Traffic controllers TDC are equipped with informational channels

1. Four RS-232 channels:
   • internal informational network, which includes TDC modules and TDC blocks;
   • informational network of compatible equipment (transport detectors, video-cameras, traffic controllers located on neighboring intersections with centreless coordination);
   • informational channel with maintenance control panel;
   • informational channel with city/interregional control centre (including a connection block and integrated antenna). Presently, this informational channels includes two channels of connection (a main channel – GRPS, a channel of emergency connection – voice channel GSM).
2. Two informational channels USB – backup
3. ISA-bus – backup

Traffic controller TDC is produced on a basis of a module mode.

A traffic diagnostic controller’s set can include

Item description	Number of blocks in TDC models
	TDC - 8	TDC - 16	TDC - 24	TDC - 32
Layout box	1	1	1	1
Power contact block	1	1	2	2
Electric meter	1	1	1	1
Switching unit	1	1	1	1
Double-pole circuit breaker	1	1	1	1
Heating element (HE)	1	1	1	1
Computer module (CM)	1	1	1	1
Power supply unit (PSU)	1	1	1	1
Block of power channels (BPC)	1	2	3	4
Interface	Optional at customer’s will
Accumulator module (AM)	Optional at customer’s will
Engineering station	Optional at customer’s will

 

Traffic controllers TDC -40, TDC -48, TDC -56, TDC -64 with power channels 40, 48, 56, 64 accordingly, can also be produced at customer’s request.

Layout box, TDC blocks/modules (PSU, BPC, CM, AM) are produced in powder painted metal bodies. Front panels contain plugs and LEDs which inform about TDC operating mode. Plugs are chosen on the basis of their functionality and maximum reliability of the contacts, and number of LED’s is specified by maximum informational content.

Signal LEDs of BPC allow to record:

• data exchange mode between BPC and CM;
• availability of mains supply coming to block;
• availability of mains supply coming from PSU;
• power channels’ status (disconnected, connected but not active, connected and active).

Signal LEDs of PSU allow to display:

• operating mode of PSU;
• data exchange mode between PSU and CM;
• availability of mains supply, which comes to block;
• availability of mains supply outputs at PSU;
• switching status of traffic light hardware mode (“disconnected”, “yellow blinking”, “automatic performance”);
• availability of program response to pushing on pedestrian button of green signal call;
• open door sensor state;
• state of heat element (on/off);
• charge mode of power backup battery (norm / charge / supporting).

Signal LEDs of CM allow to register:

• availability of low-voltage power, which comes from PSU;
• exchange mode between CM and interface;
• exchange mode between TC and city control centre.

On the front panel of processor module situated connector for connection to external display, which helps to implement additional control of traffic controller functioning state and traffic light objects, installed at it. At the bottom of layout box situated connector for engineering desk, which helps to implement full diagnostics of functioning state of controller and row of LED lamps and attune of traffic light objects, installed at controller.

TDC has three-wire power supply diagram (phase, zero, safety ground)

TDC has 1st grade of accuracy counter of electric power consumption and bipolar breaker assembly.

Adjusting bracket allows to place traffic controller on electro-support or building wall.

Layout box of controller has anti-vandal protection: 2 special screws, mortise lock. Unapproved open of door will be registered by build in door sensor and recorded at the city control centre through communication channel.

Option “contact lock” can be useful. At the bottom of layout box can be placed lock with build in contact group. Using of this option allows to switch traffic light object to mode of yellow blinking and backwards without open of the box.

BPC can be supplied in two variants: for management of lamp- and LED traffic lights. BPC for lamp traffic lights has “smooth start” mode, which increases life cycle of traffic light lamps.

All power lines have 4-level protection system from overwork and short circuits:

• level 1 - limitation of current rise by inductive delay block.
• level 2 - selection of power keys with 20- repeated current margin of safety.
• level 3 - tracing by BPC micro-controller of current in load circuit and program disconnection of power line at registered overwork, which exceeds preset threshold.
• level 4 - safety fuse.

With appearance of apparatus defects in the load circuits (overworks which exceed preset threshold, closing of load circuit, unapproved shining of green lamps), controller switches off these circuits for allowed time. After prescribed time controller verifies occurrence of defects at earlier switched off circuits and in case of normalization of situation switches on verified circuits.

Traffic Management System software allows

1. To create and maintain work of several (up to 4) traffic light objects by one controller.
2. To maintain and control data exchange of traffic controller as part of traffic information system (artery of traffic light objects at centerless coordination; city system of road traffic management, etc.) with the help of any (wire or wireless) communication channels, virtual channels of Internet and their combinations with maintaining of permanent coordination of road traffic management system.
   Taking into consideration maintaining of data exchange with virtual channels of Internet and communication channels of mobile operators, controller can be used as part of interregional and national systems of management and monitoring of road traffic.
3. To implement monitoring of operating modes of connected to TDC traffic light objects.
4. To carry out full diagnostics of TDC equipment and connected to TDC load circuits.
5. To react promptly to defects (lamp failure, overworks which exceed preset threshold, closing of load circuit, unapproved switching on of the chain) and recommence normal work after disappear of defects.
6. To create and maintain work of the following traffic light types:
   • traffic light with 3 lamps (red, yellow, green);
   • traffic light with 4 lambs (main (controlled) red, additional (uncontrolled) red, yellow, green);
   • pedestrian traffic light with two lamps;
   • “arrow”;
   • tram traffic light with 4 lamps.
7. Freely connect any grope of traffic lamps to any power line (one group should consist up to 5 traffic lamps)
8. To control load circuits at any cable, what results in economy of cable production
9. To implement diagnostics of traffic lamps, what predetermines planning of replacements of worn- out lamps before their failure. This increases traffic lights regularity level.
10. To create multilevel system of assigned to the traffic light objects instructions of work on time and priorities of fulfillment.

There is a possibility of realization of program regime “black box”, which allows to get information about TDC equipment state and operating modes of installed at it traffic light objects. This helps to find out state of traffic light signalization at cross-road in case of road traffic accident. Data of “black box” will be useful for examination of defects history of TDC, load circuits and installed at controller traffic light objects.

Engineering station – it is a program production unit performed on the basis of mobile PC – compatible with computer.

It can be installed workbench “Engineer” to the engineering station, which is designed for operating with TDC equipment and load circuit of light-signal lamps and workbench “Technologist”, which is designed for operating with work scripts of light-signal objects, with workmanship instructions of light-signal objects.

Use of engineering station allows:

1. Receive and visualize information about the controller equipment state, namely:
   • electrical parameters of controller in general (voltage and frequency of mains supply, temperature inside the assembling unit, status and mode of battery charge, activity mode of thermoregulation system, door opening sensor state, interaction with pedestrian button of green signal call, state and mode of connection block activity);
   • electrical parameters of each single power channel (voltage, current strength, elaborated power, the quantity of active lamps, routine quantity of lamps, the quantity of controlled lamps, determination accuracy of active lamps).
2. Receive and visualize state of traffic light signaling of light-signal objects, which are programmatically installed to TDC (script number, cycle of directive duration by script, time of current mode, time from start of current cycle, duration of current cycle, time of disalignment with coordinated mode, lists of workmanship instructions of light-signal objects filtered by time of their activity).
3. Receive from controller and visualize the results of conducted tests of internal diagnostic system for each power channel (lamp failure, circuit opening, power voltage lack, interlocking, short circuit, BPC (block of power channel) failure, etc.), and also troubles with work of program installed light-signal objects to TDC.
4. Create new and correct existent scripts and instructions of operation of light-signal objects, installed to TDC.
5. Visualize lists of workmanship instructions of light-signal objects, installed to TDC.
6. Visualize and correct current time and date.

To perform manually the diagnostic of power channels in different ways (“all red” + “yellow blinking”, “all green” + “yellow blinking”, “specific channel” + “yellow blinking”).

Technical data of TDC

Parameter		Meaning
The quantity of power channels		From 8 up to 64
Power supply voltage		From 160V up to 250V
Controlled channel load	in BPC for LED matrix	From 2 W up to 100 W
	in BPC for incandescent lamps	From 40 W up to 600 W
General load current		Is defined by automatic overload control, by counter, by section of lead wire and by customer needs
Operating temperature range		From -40ºC up to +70ºC
Countdown accuracy		Is defined by the type of selected PC and operating system, but not more than 1 minute per month
Real time clock battery life		Up to 5 years
Control modes		Hardware-controlled, by the switch of power supply or “lead lock” option
		Manual control from the engineering station
		Annual calendar automation, according to internal instructions of RDC
		Coordinated control in accordance with instructions, received through the communication channels
		Direct dispatcher control from the control center
The quantity of possible work scripts		16
The quantity of possible work instructions		Unlimited
Capacity of no-break power battery, A/hour		7
Time of system working capacity from battery without switching to “sleep mode”, hours		7	RDC contacts the city control center at the appointed time and informs about the lack of power supply. Then TC occasionally switches off the “sleep mode” and control the availability of mains supply.
Time of system working capacity from battery with switching to “sleep mode”, hours		48
Interface type of internal information network		RS-232 multiplexer
Types of external communications protocol of TC (city system of road traffic control, etc.)		Protocol types of information interaction of TC road controllers in the city road traffic control system are defined by the executor of this system and will be supported by the road controller. GPRS, TCP/IP protocols are implemented at the moment
Possible types of connection channels		Road controllers TC can interact with city control center through any communication channel. The main communication channel – GPRS and emergency communication channel – voice channel GSM are enabled in the block now.
Dimensions, mm, not more		850x450x350
The weight of controller		Is defined by the kitting-up, but not more than 50 kgs
Level distance between fixing points, mm		370

In order to buy traffic controller or get more information, please contact our main office on +38 (044) 330-00-88 or e-mail: info@sea.com.ua