INTELLIGENT TRAFFIC SYSTEMS FEATURE
Connecting smart traffic systems in Amsterdam
Amsterdam has an incredibly complex infrastructure, with roads, tunnels, trams, metro, canals and thousands of bicycles. This creates one of the world's most challenging traffic management environments. To meet this challenge, a new intelligent data communications network is being installed to support the city’s traffic control system
O
ne of several systems where Westermo devices are used to provide
the data communication network is the traffic light control system. The infrastructure connecting the traffic lights is a mix of existing copper cables and new fibre cables. However, in order to connect a string of traffic lights back to the control room, the city has been relying on leased lines. This solution is not only expensive, costing around €2m per year, but also does not provide the reliability required for a system of this magnitude. Eric Bish, senior systems and
management engineer and project manager, and Albert Scholten, system and management engineer, were two key members of this team responsible for the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) systems for traffic control in Amsterdam. “Our long-term plan is largely based on
having a fibre optic infrastructure managed by Westermo Lynx and RedFox Ethernet switches. However, installing new cables is a costly and time- consuming process, so where existing fibre optic cabling is not already available, we have found the Westermo Wolverine Ethernet Extender to be extremely useful,” explains Bish. “This device allows us to create reliable,
high speed, fully managed network solutions using the existing copper cables linking the traffic light systems. For remote connections, between the edge networks and the control centre, we have used Westermo MRD 4G cellular routers, which offer a redundant SIM option and simplifies the process of setting up IPSEC VPNs.” The Westermo devices have been
deployed extensively throughout the city and are providing the data communications for several major traffic control systems. Over 1,300 pieces of equipment are currently connected via the new network and, with the traffic control systems being constantly upgraded, this figure continues to grow.
Bish continues: “We have found the
Westermo technology to be robust and reliable. The devices consume very low power, which means they generate little heat. This is important, as the switches are often installed in cramped, unventilated cabinets with other electronics that can be damaged if they get too hot. “The Westermo Lynx switch offers an
array of smart features and network connections. For example, the SFP option gave us the ability to easily switch between copper and fiber wiring, while the serial port enabled connection to legacy traffic light systems. The option to perform text-based configuration from a console port has supported our need for fine granular control and rapid mass deployment of devices. Every device received a consistent configuration, but we had the flexibility to adjust the configuration of specific devices, where required. This functionality has enabled us to install all the devices in a little over 12 months. This helped us to make significant savings because the costly leased lines to the data centre could be terminated sooner.” The savings made as a result of replacing
the leased lines with the Westermo cellular routers is estimated to cover the cost of the network upgrade project within just three years.
NETWORK CAPABILITY “Because the daily cost of maintaining the old leased line copper network was so high, we wanted the new network to be very simple and fast to implement,” says Bish. “We started with a classic layer-two approach, consisting of an MRD router and up to six Lynx switches or line extenders connected to it. Every traffic light controller was then connected to a line extender or switch, depending on the existing cabling in place.” In addition to the traffic light systems,
the new network will eventually have to support camera surveillance, traffic
information systems, automatic number plate recognition camera and even public lighting systems. Critically, these applications must be isolated from each other for security purposes, while changes or additions to the network must also be simple to achieve. Efficient use of the cable infrastructure
is therefore critical, which is why Westermo selected switches with layer-three functionality at the start of the project. This enabled the compny to create a layer-three network design. A clever combination of OSPF routing,
local firewalling and layer-two and layer-three features has yielded a very flexible, secure and redundant gateway network design. The network is now sufficiently resilient to withstand common issues, such as cable damage and power outages. Using the Westermo Redfox switches,
the company will soon couple its updated network to the fiber optic rings used to control the city’s metro lines. This will provide fully redundant gigabit connections to its data centre for many of its surveillance cameras and traffic systems.
Westermo
westermo.co.uk ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING | OCTOBER 2019 31
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