Feature: Rail
many of us to not give this mode of transport a second thought beyond when our train is due to arrive.
Transforming the modern railway To help understand how far the rail industry has come from its rudimentary beginnings, and the pivotal role that PCs play in its development, we should also look at the history of embedded systems. Te first embedded system was the
Apollo Guidance Computer (AGC) from 1966, a digital computer produced for the Apollo program that assisted with the navigation of nine flights and six successful moon landings. Whilst not a very powerful PC by today’s standards, the AGC was the first computer built with silicon ICs and stands as a benchmark that paved the way for today’s robust embedded systems and the capabilities of ruggedised technology. Today, industrial devices and embedded
systems are used in our railways to manage Wi-Fi, CCTVs, the train communication network, driver advisory systems, condition monitoring, ticketing, passenger information systems, and a lot more. Te onboard and at-stations technology
has also improved by leaps and bounds, leading to the innovative and efficient solutions we have today, and providing considerable benefits to commuters. It makes perfect sense that computers are at the heart of these improvements as the rail industry embraces steps toward a Digital Railway. Some of the most common computing
devices used in railways are: • Railway embedded computers: Embedded computers are designed to be integrated into larger systems for specific tasks. Tese small form-factor PCs have powerful passively-cooled processors, a wide range of inputs and outputs, and they support a wide range of DC voltages, making them suitable for use on different types of rolling stock. Tey are also designed to work in extended temperature environments for further protection.
• Railway rack-mount computers: Rack-mount PCs are much larger than embedded PCs and are designed to be mounted in standard 19” server racks.
Figure 1: Moxa rail-certified 8-port POE switch
Figure 2: Moxa rugged rail-certified computer
Tis makes them more scaleable, allowing for the addition of multiple units within a rack to meet increasing processing or storage demands.
• Railway panel PCs: Panel PCs (or HMIs) have all the essential components of a computer system, including the monitor and computer system unit, rolled into one device. Tese computers can also include touchscreen overlays, making them especially useful as in-cab signal interface displays or interactive passenger information systems. Tey can display information such as dynamic train schedules and other alerts to passengers, both inside the train and at stations, as well as information to the train operator.
With any embedded computer system,
connectivity plays a pivotal role in establishing communication and data exchange between different subsystems. Modern railway computers are Ethernet- enabled, with speeds that reach 10GB and beyond. Trough Ethernet technology, computers on board trains and within railway stations can interconnect, allowing real-time transmission of critical information. Tese interconnects allow high-speed, secure and reliable networking, providing efficient communication between railway subsystems, which ultimately contributes to the safety, reliability and effectiveness of the whole railway. Embedded computers can also use wireless networking through Wi-Fi or
www.electronicsworld.co.uk July/August 2024 41
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