Connected Waysides
Remote Device Monitoring Over the ITCM Network
Railroads understand the benefits of implementing a "single pane of glass" where data from any wayside location - such as signal, crossings, and defect defectors - can be analyzed from a centralized repository. Through the implementation of interconnecting asset information from wayside locations into the back office (also known as "Smart House"), railroads not only can eliminate the need to send personnel to field locations to download signal location data, but also analyze data from the field in real time to detect trends and alarm conditions.
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One of the key challenges in "Connected Waysides" is the ability to deploy a reliable, scalable, and affordable communications network that can be deployed system-wide. Historically, the railroads have been afforded only three options - none of which meet the needs for Connected Waysides:
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While the 220 MHz radio network initially deployed for PTC is robust and provides long-range connectivity on private railroad channels, it has limited bandwidth and was purpose-built for train control applications.
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Lower power, unlicensed radios such as LoRa and other spread spectrum radios allow railroads to deploy wireless applications outside of licensed AAR-owned frequencies. However, these radios are subject to very low power limitations which limit their usefulness for deploying general-purpose networks where locations are seperated by distances and obstructions.​
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Consumer-based services - such as cellular and satellite - are subject to frequent technology obsolescence and lack of coverage across large parts of railways. The recurring costs associated with these services also make scaling to every wayside location type cost-prohibitive.
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Fortunately, the availability of 802.16t radio technology coupled with new spectrum in the 900 MHz A Block enables railroads to deploy Connected Waysides over existing railroad-owned frequencies. As 802.16t utilizes over-the-air IP connectivity, these networks are truly scalable to not only enable real-time asset monitoring and reporting but serve other general-purpose IP applications at the wayside.
Utilize 802.16t technology to interconnect wayside locations with the 220 MHz ITCM network
"Single Pane of Glass" to monitor any wayside asset through the ITCM
802.16t radios can be utilized to provide direct communication with the ITCM over any frequency band or indirectly through a 220 MHz-equipped location
Leveraging the ITCM with 802.16t Radio Networks
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An 802.16t network enables railroads to deploy a private, secure wireless network over existing railroad channels to connect any wayside asset to the ITCM. An 802.16t network can connect to a back office ITCM in a variety of ways:
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An 802.16t-equipped base station can communicate with an 802.16t radio installed at a PTC-equipped wayside location
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An 802.16t-equipped base station can communicate with an 802.16t radio installed at a non-PTC-equipped wayside location (using Systems Management Agents in the radio and ITCM Remote Areas in the back office)
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An 802.16t-equipped wayside location can communicate with an 802.16t radio installed at another PTC-equipped wayside location (where communication between the back office ITCM and wayside is IP-based)
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An 802.16t-equipped wayside location can communicate with an 802.16t radio installed at another PTC-equipped wayside location (where communication between the back office ITCM and wayside is provided through the 220 MHz radio link)
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Ondas Networks FullMAX™ Radios
Scalable and Secure Wireless Networks for Connected Wayside Applications
Mercury
Mercury is an ultra- compact, low-cost, endpoint radio for mission-critical data applications at wayside locations. Mercury's small form factor and ruggedized enclosure make it an ideal solution for networking locations such as railroad crossings and defect detectors. Mercury radios operate over a single subchannel with dynamically adjusted modulation coding schemes.
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Neptune
The high-power Neptune radio can operate as a long range endpoint radio or as a base station providing coverage with other Neptune, Venus, and Mercury endpoint radios in an 802.16t network. Operating over a single or multiple subchannels, Neptune offers the highest data throughput across contiguous and non-contiguous channels in any frequency band at distances over 30 miles.
Venus
The versatile Venus radio can operate as an endpoint radio or as a base station providing coverage with other Venus and Mercury endpoint radios. Venus radios can operate over a single or multiple subchannels, offering higher data throughput across contiguous and non-contiguous channels in any frequency band. With a 4W output, Venus is designed to support longer range communications
Mars
The high-performance Mars is an IEEE 802.16t radio utilized to provide coverage to hundreds of 802.16t remote radios. Typically serving as a high-power base station in a Point-to-Multipoint network, Mars connects to Ondas Venus and Mercury endpoint radios in order to provide speed IP communications over very long distances using narrowband channels.
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Leverage Your Investment in PTC
With a Scalable 900 MHz Network
The new 900 MHz A Block enables railroads to deploy Connected Waysides on a private and secure 802.16t network. Data from wayside locations can be backhauled to the back office through the 220 MHz network or through any other 802.16t-compliant base station operating on any other AAR-owned frequencies. An 802.16t base station provides coverage for hundreds of endpoint radios, allowing the network to easily scale to support not only new locations but additional applications.
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Augment coverage of ITCM with 802.16t networks
Gather and Parse Local Data With Edge Processing
Ondas Networks FullMAX™ radios incorporates Docker technology to enable railroads and third parties to develop and run custom applications directly on the radio. This powerful edge computing capability allows data from assets such as railroad crossing recorders and hot box detectors to be parsed and analyzed for specific trends and issues on-site. Data can be stored with a local historian, while alarms and compiled reports can be compiled and sent to the back office network over any available narrowband network.
Integrates Seamlessly with Existing Railroad Back Office Infrastructure
The internal Docker support provided in FullMAX radios enables railroads to deploy an embedded SMA (Systems Management Agent) to enable non-PTC equipped assets to communicate with a railroad's existing ITCM infrastructure. This asset API can provide protocol conversion between industrial protocols (such as MQTT) to the ITC Systems Management Protocol internally without the use of an intermediary device. This allows a railroad to utilize a single HMI / GUI in the back office to interface with any type of wayside asset using native ITCM-based protocols in real time.
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