Wireless routing platform for rolling stock
January 2012
Fieldbus & Industrial Networking
Bruce Chen, Moxa
The challenge of wireless network integration in the railway industry.
More and more, the rolling stock industry is moving towards wireless technology to enable network connection and communication for onboard passengers and various control systems. However, solution providers need to address several major challenges if they are to meet the needs of the rolling stock industry. This paper discusses how many of these challenges can be met through the use of an intelligent routing platform.
The challenge of wireless signal coverage
With large coverage areas, it is common to encounter issues of poor or unreliable coverage, while specific locations may simply be ‘dead zones’. Wi-Fi systems rely on access points that support a range of several hundred metres, so covering larger areas requires investing in a dense and well-tuned network of access points. Cellular systems offer far broader coverage, but there is a corresponding trade-off in performance. In addition, cellular signal strength can vary dramatically by carrier and region and there may be few or no options for boosting coverage in dead zones.
Many rolling stock users achieve the best overall wireless coverage by using both Wi-Fi and cellular wireless networks as complements or supplements to each other. For example, supplemental cellular coverage can be added through the use of a cellular gateway or router and Wi-Fi networks may be installed in a tunnel where cellular coverage is unavailable. Some manufacturers also offer specialised rugged computers that are designed specifically for rolling stock, with support for Wi-Fi, cellular and GPS modules.
Any or all of these devices can work together to help ensure a live wireless connection at any given moment, but some mechanism will be needed to ensure seamless operation. For example, a cellular router may be configured so that it is only enabled in the event that there is no Wi-Fi connection. In many cases, a far greater degree of flexibility and customisation is often required. The ideal platform would therefore offer a rich set of tools optimised for managing both Wi-Fi and cellular connections and would be easily programmed and easily customised.
When a wireless infrastructure is in place and signal coverage is no longer the crucial factor, the challenge becomes one of integration. How can multiple wireless communication systems and networks be integrated and efficiently deployed most easily?
For more on the Moxa answer to this dilemma, visit http://instrumentation.co.za/+C15910
Further reading:
Beckhoff’s XPlanar boosts productivity in medical device assembly
Beckhoff Automation
Fieldbus & Industrial Networking
The intelligent transport system, XPlanar from Beckhoff provided the basis for an innovative system concept allowing the specialists at Automation NTH to reduce the space requirement of an assembly machine for medical diagnostic devices by a factor of 10.
Read more...
Comprehensive solutions for the food and beverage sector
RS South Africa
Fieldbus & Industrial Networking
RS South Africa is reinforcing its commitment to the country’s dynamic food and beverage sector, backed by a comprehensive portfolio of over 800 000 products, extensive technical expertise and end-to-end service capabilities.
Read more...
Case History 198: Cascade control overcomes valve problems
Michael Brown Control Engineering
Fieldbus & Industrial Networking
A large petrochemical refinery asked me to perform an audit on several critical base layer control loops. This article deals with a problem found on a valve controlling the flow of fuel to a heat exchanger.
Read more...
Improved networking technology for fire and gas detection
Omniflex Remote Monitoring Specialists
Fieldbus & Industrial Networking
Critical alarm and event management technology supplier, Omniflex has worked with the South African Nuclear Energy Corporation to upgrade equipment providing digital and analogue signals for its safety critical fire and gas alarm systems.
Read more...
PC-based control for fertiliser
Beckhoff Automation
Editor's Choice Fieldbus & Industrial Networking
On a farm in the USA, valuable ammonia is extracted from slurry and processed into ammonium sulphate. NSI Byosis has transformed this complex process into a flexible modular system. This modular approach requires an automation solution with flexible scalability in both hardware and software, which this Dutch company has found in PC-based control from Beckhoff.
Read more...
Loop signature 28: Things to consider when tuning.
Michael Brown Control Engineering
Editor's Choice Fieldbus & Industrial Networking
I was giving a course at a remote mine in the middle of the Namibian desert. We were discussing tuning responses, and as I always do on my courses, I mentioned that in my opinion ¼ amplitude damped tuning is not desirable, and is in fact not good.
Read more...
How industrial network design impacts ESG commitments
Omniflex Remote Monitoring Specialists
Fieldbus & Industrial Networking
In safety-critical industries like nuclear, petrochemical and oil and gas, installing a new industrial cable network is an extremely complicated task. Gary Bradshaw, a director of industrial network specialist, Omniflex explains why this is often unnecessary as plants are likely to have existing cabling capable of being used to create new industrial networks.
Read more...
Minelert industrial solutions
Fieldbus & Industrial Networking
Profitek provides cutting-edge industrial networking, automation and IoT solutions for harsh environments.
Read more...
The ultimate industrial LoRaWAN gateway
Fieldbus & Industrial Networking
The GW-101-LORA-4AO is the ultimate industrial LoRaWAN gateway, combining advanced IoT connectivity with expandable I/O.
Read more...
Industrial Power-over-Ethernet DC injector
Fieldbus & Industrial Networking
The ML-NET-INJECT series sets the standard for industrial PoE, featuring IP68-rated RJ45 connectors and military-grade components for extreme reliability.
Read more...
printer friendly version